Last Monday, the Georgia State Senate convened for the opening day of the 2012 Legislative Session by tackling the issues that matter most to Georgians.

Lawmakers wasted little time with ceremonial formalities, and got right to work doing the people’s business.

The opening day proceedings were marked by the passage of two significant measures aimed at advancing student achievement in Georgia. The passage of these bills sends a strong message that education is the engine that drives the future prosperity of our state.

With a 38-15 vote, Senate Bill 184 passed the Senate last Monday to prevent local school boards from dismissing employees based on their date of hire. Sponsored by President Pro Tempore Tommie Williams, SB 184 requires local school boards to primarily consider a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom when considering the dismissal of an employee during workforce reductions.

In an effort to improve access to a quality education while ensuring that the right people are in place to lead our students, SB 38 passed in a unanimous vote on Monday. Authored by Sen. Majority Leader Chip Rogers, SB 38 gives the Georgia State Superintendent the authority to hire and dismiss employees at the Georgia Department of Education and State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.

Last Tuesday, Gov. Nathan Deal held his annual State of the State address in the House Chambers. As part of his address, Deal called for additional funding to support educational initiatives throughout the state. Taking advantage of the recent stabilization in revenues, Deal proposed an additional $55.8 million to fund salary increases for our teachers based on training and experience.

Furthermore, Deal also strongly emphasized the importance of economic development, job creation, government oversight, public safety, Georgia tax code modification and criminal justice reform.

During the first week of session, the Senate also made great strides in protecting public safety by passing House Bill 253. This legislation authorizes the Commissioner of Public Safety to transfer obsolete state patrol cars to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center for training purposes. The vehicles may also be sold or traded and the proceeds used toward the purchase of new motor vehicles for DPS.

This week, members of the General Assembly will begin the annual budgeting process set forth by the Georgia state constitution. As prescribed by law, the general assembly must pass a balanced and fiscally responsible state budget with no deficit spending. To accomplish this goal, lawmakers will work tirelessly to maximize every dollar and minimize government waste. In addition, the general assembly will review the budget to determine our current funding priorities with the revenue we have available.

Over the past several months, state revenue collections have steadily increased, and as a result, have begun to replenish the state’s rainy day reserve fund. This bodes well for the state legislature as we continue to set a positive course for Georgia’s economic future.

For the duration of session, I plan to provide a series of weekly legislative video updates to present my constituents with an inside look at Georgia government. To access my video updates, please feel free to visit the following links:

http://www.facebook.com/john.albers

https://www.youtube.com/user/albersforsenate?feature=watch

http://www.senatoralbers.com

As a representative of the 56th Senate District, I look forward to hearing from you and consider it a great honor to serve the constituents of this great state. Please feel free to contact my office, and let me know how I can best serve you.