Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, said on the Senate floor during the parliamentary jousting over the transportation spending bill last week that the Senate’s main goal was to get the legislation to a conference committee.
The Senate leadership accomplished that result by an uncomfortably close 29-25 vote as seven Republicans joined with a solid Democratic caucus in rejecting the bill Friday. The Senate vote contrasted sharply with that in the House, where Democratic support ensured the bill’s passage.
Despite opposition from all 18 Democrats and the dissenting Republicans, the Senate leadership gathered enough support to send the bill to a conference committee. Now, the panel composed of both House and Senate members will look at such issues as whether to go with the 24-cent-per-gallon state fuel excise tax in the Senate bill or the 29.2 cents per gallon in the House version.
In the House, Transportation Committee Chairman Jay Roberts, R-Ocilla, won support of the 29.2 cents by insisting that figure would come close to raising nearly an additional $1 billion, frequently cited as the minimum annual amount needed to adequately maintain existing roads and bridges.
But the Senate changes would bring the bill far short of the $1 billion seen as necessary by the Metro Chamber of Commerce and other business groups. The Senate not only reduced the excise tax amount by a nickel a gallon but decided on the floor to drop highway user fees the Senate Transportation Committee originally included to make up for the decline in the excise tax amount.
Now, the conference committee will decide whether Georgia really needs the $1 billion that the 29.2 cents would come closer to bringing in, or whether the 24 cents would prove adequate while falling short of the $1 billion figure.
If the conference committee goes with the 24 cent amount, House members who originally supported the legislation could face an interesting decision in voting once more on the bill’s final version. The first House vote for the 29.2 cents rate was presented as an act of political courage, which a number of Republicans along with a solid number of Democrats carried out. If the 24 cent figure remains, House member might wonder why they had to take such a political risk in the first vote. The 24-cent option was offered as an amendment by House Majority Leader Larry O’Neal, R-Bonaire, and House Majority Whip Matt Ramsey, R-Peachtree City, but Roberts pushed through the higher amount.
Another question is whether Democratic support will remain as strong in the House after Senate Democrats turned against the bill, upset that the legislation doesn’t include a commitment for minority participation in DOT contracts and doesn’t set aside funds for mass transit. The Senate Democrats also opposed the Senate leadership’s switching $250 million from growing state budget revenues to the DOT to help pay off its debt. The Democrats believe the state needs to fully restore Quality Basic Education Act funding before giving the DOT more money.
The Senate leadership faltered in gaining Democratic support even after extra money was placed in the Senate’s version of the fiscal 2016 appropriations bill to aid minority programs. That included $3 million in scholarships for Mercer University and Morehouse College to train minority students, $5 million in in credit assistance for “disadvantaged small business” and a request that a member of the DOT staff advise emerging minority contractors, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report. The Senate changes angered some House Republicans who saw it as a form of affirmative action.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, the Senate president, defended the Senate moves in a statement to InsiderAdvantage Georgia e-mailed by Ben Fry, Cagle’s spokesman.
“The Senate budget is a balanced plan that addresses the needs of Georgia’s families and lays the foundation for a brighter future,” Cagle’s statement said. “All of us understand that our state is not training enough kids with the engineering skills necessary for us to compete in the 21st century global economy, and our targeted programs ensure we produce more engineers from all backgrounds and walks of life.
“Efforts targeted at improving STEM opportunities will allow our students to have a brighter future and allow all of us to prosper as a state by addressing the ever-growing skills gap we face. “
