What an awful time to be indoors when nature is in full bloom at home and here in Atlanta. State lawmakers returned to the Capitol after a one week break to finish the final seven days of the 40 day session of the Georgia General Assembly. It is known that the legislators will meet Monday, April 12, but after that it becomes a guessing game.

The schedule actually depends on the budget. The budget will drive the session in the final days of this very long and very odd session. I cannot remember a session that has been less productive in my 28 years. The unfinished work includes items as big as the budget, and as controversial as the gun legislation and requiring pickup truck drivers to buckle up.

The struggle that the legislature has is that it has a constitutional mandate to balance the budget, and that has proved to be especially hard this year as the economic downturn has cut state revenue. The downturn has lasted 15 straight months.

Schools as well as counties are waiting for the budget that will tell the boards of the various counties where they need to cut to balance their own local budgets. Teachers are worried about more cuts and furloughs. School districts are going to have to make tough choices about how they spend limited state funding. The boards will have a very rough time in the days ahead as they prepare to renew contracts for teachers and prepare a budget for their school system without raising taxes. The economy and unemployment are still plaguing the citizens of our area, and the fear is that taxes will be raised to make up the state's limited funding of programs. Cuts to many programs will have to take place to avoid a tax increase at a time that people are hurting from the economy.

Many issues await the legislature as we prepare for the final days. Thank you always for contacting my office. If you want to contact me, please call me at 404-656 -0314 or leave a message. You may email me at gerald.greene@house.ga.gov

That is it for this week Under the Gold Dome. God bless each of you, and God bless this great country of ours and our state.