Loudermilk: Session of the General Assembly Included HOPE Reform, Creates Pathways to Economic Development

Media release

 

By Sen. Barry Loudermilk

 

As most of my constituents know, I am a Constitutionalist first and foremost. On my desk in the Senate Chambers, I keep a copy of the U.S. Constitution, the Georgia Constitution,  and the Holy Bible. These are my handbooks as I work for the people of Georgia.

 

Over the past three months, the members of the General Assembly worked 40 days in session to tweak some existing laws and to write some new ones. Legislating is a very slow and cumbersome process, with many more opportunities for bills to fail than to pass. However, that is how our Founders intended it to be. Georgia laws affect each and every resident of this state. Changing laws should not be easy; it should be performed carefully with close scrutiny and respect for the individuals who must abide by those laws.

 

That said, I am proud of the work we performed and proud of our accomplishments this session – my first since leaving the House of Representatives to serve in the Senate.

 

History will show that one of the greatest successes from the 2011 session was the restructuring of the HOPE scholarship program. Increases in tuition, coupled with increases in enrollment, were pitted against a flat revenue stream from the Georgia Lottery, HOPE's only source of money. This great program ensures every student who works hard can go to college without having to worry about the strain of finances. Had we done nothing, the program simply would have gone bankrupt in the next couple years. HOPE is, without a doubt, the best program of its kind in the country. We could not let it go away.

 

Under the new revised HOPE scholarship, money for students is tied to lottery intake, not to tuition. This year, students with a "B" average will have close to 90-percent of their state school tuition covered. The top students, including salutatorians and valedictorians, will have 100-percent of their tuition paid through the addition of a new scholarship named for former-Gov. Zell Miller, the man who first envisioned the HOPE program.

 

As your senators and representatives, we also passed a balanced state budget, despite significant shortfalls in revenue. We did this without raising taxes. We sought out and eliminated waste and juggled some costs to help us push through these difficult financial times. Recovery and prosperity, however, are right around the corner – I believe this in my soul. I only wish our federal government could learn to live within its means and likewise produce a balanced budget without tax increases.

 

One of my initiatives that is certain to help us move toward a better and more affluent future is the formation of a task force that will create a science and technology strategic plan for the state of Georgia. The task force will include some of the best minds in industry, in education, in medicine and in engineering to formulate a plan that will help keep Georgia at the forefront of the technological wave. This task force and plan will cost us nothing, and the legislation I authored to form the task force passed both the Senate and House by wide margins. It awaits the governor's signature.

 

We want technology companies that are currently in Georgia to remain here and we want new technology companies to see Georgia as the best place to be. Jobs in the technological fields are high-paying jobs. In Georgia, the average job in the technology industry pays $30,000 higher than the average non-tech wage. Through the development of a strategic plan for science and technology, we can find ways to bring jobs to Georgia. We must leverage our assets, promote our state, and maintain a business friendly economy where technology can thrive.

 

The General Assembly remains in recess until August, when we begin a special session to re-draw voting districts. Until then, I will move forward with the science and technology plan and will continue to serve, with honor, the people of the 52^nd District.                                                          

                                   

Sen. Barry Loudermilk serves as Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee.  He represents the 52^nd Senate District, which includes Floyd County and portions of Bartow and Gordon counties.