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Governor Perdue Highlights Legislative Accomplishments

Friday, March 31, 2006  Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774

Governor Perdue Highlights Legislative Accomplishments

Eight out of Ten Agenda Items Pass with 94 Percent Voting In Favor

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue today thanked the General Assembly today for its bipartisan support of eight of his ten legislative agenda items and his major budget priorities during the 2006 legislative session.

“I appreciate the General Assembly’s support of my top priority – educating Georgia’s children,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “More than 70 percent of our new revenues go toward education, including a well deserved pay raise for teachers and funds to reduce class sizes across the state.”

The General Assembly passed eight out of Governor Perdue’s ten legislative agenda items with an average vote of more than 94 percent in favor. The agenda items passed by the General Assembly include:

  • Truth in Class Size (HB1358)
  • 65 Percent Classroom Spending Rule (SB390)
  • High Performance Principals (SB468)
  • Eminent Domain Statute (HB1313)
  • Eminent Domain Constitutional Amendment (HR1306)
  • Child Care Tax Credit (HB1080)
  • Land Conservation Tax Credit (HB1107)
  • Natural Gas Tax Credit (HB970)

A compromise agreement reached late yesterday on the FY07 budget included Governor’s Perdue’s major spending priorities. These include:

  • $217 million for a four percent across-the-board pay raise for teachers, with more than 50 percent of teachers receiving a seven percent pay raise
  • $163 million for class size reductions in kindergarten through eighth grade
  • $442 million in bonds for classroom construction, new equipment and buying new school buses
  • $16.8 million to raise Georgia’s graduation rates, including a High School Completion Counselor in every high school
  • $138 million for no increases in health insurance premiums for teachers and state employees
  • $10 million to provide every Georgia teacher with a $100 Classroom Gift Card
  • $1 million to target and investigate meth-related crimes statewide
  • $4 million grant program to support rural broadband access
  • More than $117 million for the Paving the Way Home local transportation projects.

Governor Sonny Perdue also announced that the state of Georgia is now ahead of the national average in job growth with more than 183,000 jobs created since January 2003. Governor Perdue made the announcement during his traditional Sine Die speech before the State Senate yesterday.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently revised its employment data to reflect the additional 60,000 jobs created in Georgia. The revised data shows Georgia is ahead of the national average in job growth, instead of lagging behind it as previously reported.

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