G-CAPP Policy and Advocacy News

2008 Georgia General Assembly Update
For a complete list of bills and issues G-CAPP is tracking during the current session of the Georgia General Assembly, click here.

Budgetary Issues

House and Senate conferees are still working on the fiscal year 2008 amended budget. Differences regarding $30 million in K-12 education equalization grants are at issue. House subcommittees expect to complete work on the fiscal year 2009 budget next week.

The proposed fiscal year 2009 budget eliminates $29.7 million in child care services dollars. These funds currently pay for approximately 8,000 afterschool and child care subsidy slots. Without these subsidies, many low-income families will not be able to afford quality child care and afterschool care and children and youth will be without a safe place to go while their parents are at work. Advocates are asking that these funds be restored.

The latest major property tax proposals being debated in the House, SR 796 and HB 979, would lead to a $329 million decrease in the FY 2010 budget and a $672 million decrease in the FY 2011 budget without providing any alternative funding source for state services, such as healthcare and education. For an updated analysis, see the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute’s web site.

Health Insurance Bills Moving Forward

HB 1087 (Rep. Mickey Channell, 116th) and HB 977 (Rep. Tom Knox, 24th) are combined bills giving tax preferences to high deductible health insurance policies. Advocates are attempting to have these bills amended to ensure that they cover preventive services for women and children, such as contraceptives, newborns for the first 10 days of life, and well child services, as currently mandated by state law.

TAKE ACTION TODAY
Contact your legislators to voice your opinion about these and other issues before the Georgia General Assembly. Also, visit the General Assembly web site to find contact information for bill sponsors and committee members, or to track legislation.

2008 G-CAPP Legislative Reception
Thank you to those who joined G-CAPP at our 2008 Legislative Reception last week. A record number of state legislators attended to hear from advocates and youth themselves about priority issues in adolescent health and teen pregnancy in our state. Visit the G-CAPP web site in the coming days to see pictures from the event.

G-CAPP Fast Fact
The majority (83%) of Georgia voters believe that all health insurance plans sold to Georgians should pay for basic preventive medical services currently required by law, such as mammograms and well-child visits.

Source: The Atlanta Women’s Foundation 2008 Georgia Women’s Policy Survey.