Representative Barbara Massey Reece, D-Menlo, said that economic issues – including how to balance next year’s state budget and decisions on recommendations from a special tax reform council – are expected to dominate the agenda at the Capitol once again. 

Reece said in her weekly report to the media that Governor Nathan Deal is calling for the elimination of approximately 14,000 state employees’ jobs, a reduction of more than 10 percent. His proposal requires state agencies to reduce spending by an average of 4 percent for the remainder of FY 2011 and by 7 percent in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Gov. Deal promised to end teacher furloughs and restore a full school year, proposing a $30 million increase in Quality Basic Education formula funding for K-12 schools, which had been cut severely in seven of the last eight budgets. He also said he would shore up the HOPE Scholarship program but did not specify how that would be done.