THE ASHE ADVOCATE – March 9, 2007

State’s PeachCare cutoff is not necessary

By Rep. Kathy Ashe

The Georgia Board of Community Health voted Thursday to stop accepting new applications for financially stressed PeachCare for Kids program. This move seems to be unnecessary, however, because Democratic leaders in Congress have said they will expedite more federal funds for the children’s health insurance program. PeachCare recipients must be careful to pay premiums on time lest they get dropped and caught in the freeze.

Congressional leaders have already announced that an Iraq war appropriations bill will also include $735 million to eliminate funding shortfalls in 14 states, including Georgia, that operate state children’s health insurance programs. Georgia would be completely reimbursed for any stopgap expenditures the state would have to make to prevent any interruption in PeachCare availability.

The state government is able to keep the program running until the congressional action takes place. House Bill 620, which I am strongly supporting, would provide for the proper use of federal Medicaid funds as a bridge until federal State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) funds again become available by enacting limited changes in the PeachCare program to provide for operation in the best interests of children and to prevent future funding volatility.

PeachCare serves a vital state interest by providing high quality, secure health care for children of Georgia’s working families. PeachCare has achieved national prominence by successfully enrolling previously uninsured children consistent with the goals of SCHIP, as administered by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. I firmly believe that PeachCare is essential to the health, education, and welfare of Georgia’s children who would otherwise have no reliable access to health care.

Under legislation approved unanimously by the House of Representatives, Georgians will be able to take advantage of two different sales tax holidays again this year.

If, as expected, HB 128 is approved by the Senate and signed into law, the first tax-free period will be Aug. 2-5, during back-to-school shopping. During that weekend, consumers would not have to pay local or state sales taxes on school supplies under $20, computer equipment $1,500 or less and clothing items under $100. With the state sales tax at 4 cents on a dollar and 1 to 3 cents locally, a shopper could see savings of $75 to $135 on a $1,500 computer.

Another holiday established in the bill applies to energy efficient products, with the government’s energy efficient star sticker that cost $1,500 or less. They also have to be purchased for noncommercial home or personal use. This holiday period would be Oct. 4-7.

Georgia’s sales tax holidays have become popular shopping periods, helping boost sales for retailers throughout the state.

To provide a critical structure for enabling the long-term growth and stability of the arts and arts education in our state, I have co-sponsored HB 291, which would create the Georgia Arts Alliance. 

The Georgia Arts Alliance is based on a successful model - the Georgia Regional Alliance, which has strengthened our higher education institutions.  With HB 291, our state can make a similar commitment and investment in improving our K-12 levels of education.  Our state fares poorly in terms of arts education, even when numerous studies have shown that the arts improve student achievement, SAT scores and workforce readiness while lowering drop-out rates. In many counties across the state there are few, if any arts education opportunities because schools and other centers don’t have the funds or teacher training or resources to provide them.  

By dedicating support to place arts education specialists at the Department of Education and the Georgia Council for the Arts, and by authorizing the Georgia Arts Alliance to recommend a Cultural Policy for the state, HB 291 gives us the leadership and support base we must have to move forward.  By strengthening the arts in education, we will help develop the minds of our future thinkers and leaders.  By improving our schools, we improve our communities from the ground up.

Legislation has been introduced that would move up the date of Georgia’s presidential preference primary from March 4 to Feb. 5, 2008, behind only the Iowa caucuses, and the New Hampshire, Florida and South Carolina primaries. HB 487 also changes the provisions for winning Georgia’s primaries and elections from a simple majority to a 45 percent-plus plurality. Currently, candidates need 50 percent to win outright in primaries and general elections.

While the legislature is in official recess, the House Appropriations Committee is continuing to deliberate over the annual state budget. To date, the midyear supplemental budget will add $659 million in spending through the end of the current fiscal year (June 30).  The annual budget for fiscal year 2008 is slated at $20.2 billion. The General Assembly will reconvene on March 19 at 1 p.m. for the 28th day of the 40 day session.

• Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) represents the 56th District (Fulton County) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact her at 409 Coverdell Office Building, Atlanta, GA  30334; by phone at 404-656-0116 or by e-mail at kathyashe56@mindspring.com.