Rep. Kevin Tanner talks issues at Saturday breakfast meeting

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville) returned to Dawson County Saturday morning to treat constituents to breakfast at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and to share news from the General Assembly.

Key topics included the current fiscal year amended budget, the proposed new budget, education, health care and transportation.

Tanner’s subcommittee is working on the amended budget that will “true up” revenue and expenses for the current fiscal year.

“One of the things we look at is what did we estimate revenue to be last year and what it is actually coming in at,” Tanner said. Until the two can balance, the proposed budget for the next fiscal year is set aside.

Legislators are trying to deal with Gov. Brian Kemp’s campaign promise to give Georgia’s teachers a $3,000 annual pay raise. “We’re working through that now,” Tanner said. “That is an impact on the local budget also. Locally in Dawson County, that will be somewhere over $300,000 local officials will have to pay.”

During his state of the state address two weeks ago, Kemp discussed how rural hospitals are hurting and the need for an effective healthcare plan.

“I would anticipate seeing the details of Gov. Kemp’s healthcare plan early next week,” Tanner said.

He also touched on the importance of mental healthcare.

“There is a need for us to address mental healthcare issues, not just in Georgia, but all across the country,” he said.

“We closed all the mental health hospitals when there were a lot of lawsuits around mental health facilities due to inhumane treatment of people. There were legitimate cases of abuse. But instead of fixing the problem, we closed all the hospitals down. What happened was that population ended up on the streets where they didn’t necessarily need to be.”

Tanner has drafted legislation, along with the governor and House Speaker David Ralston to create a 17-member mental health commission which would include four legislators while the balance would include mainly mental health care professionals.

“It’s very much a bi-partisan effort,” Tanner said. “No matter what part of the state you live in, no matter who you are… rich, poor, most all of us know somebody or some family who is affected by mental illness.”

Tanner talked about the creation of a Department of Mobility and Innovation.

“When you get outside the metro area, (transit) is very disjointed and dysfunctional,” he said. “If Dawson County wants to provide service, they have to deal with three state agencies and three separate boards.”

By placing transit under the Department of Mobility and Innovation, Tanner says citizens can expect better service.

Tanner holds weekly breakfast sessions every Saturday to update constituents on what is happening at the state capitol. Next week he will host the meeting at Wagon Wheel in Dahlonega.

 

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