Gov. Nathan Deal has signed an $18.3 billion state budget for the upcoming fiscal year, but not before vetoing about $42 million worth of proposed college construction projects.
The budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 contains no cost-of-living raises for 200,000 teachers and state employees and cuts university system funding. K-12 education funding will be about the same as it was this year, when many school districts furloughed employees and cut the number of school days to save money.
Deal vetoed plans to borrow money for several college construction projects. The governor argued either that he didn't want to take out 20-year loans to pay for designing projects or that the money being borrowed wasn't enough to complete construction. All of the projects he vetoed were slipped into the budget by lawmakers during the legislative session.
Deal is out of the country on a trade mission. He signed the budget and vetoed the projects last week, but his office didn't release the information until late Tuesday.
“In this fiscal climate, the governor did not want to take out a 20-year-loan on projects that have a five-year shelf life," said Brian Robinson, the governor's spokesman. "He is not against any of the projects that were vetoed. He would like to work with the legislators to find solutions and see these projects through in the next session."
Among the projects vetoed was a $3.2 million design of a science learning center at the University of Georgia, $9.9 million for the initial phase of a new science building at Clayton State University and $2.2 million to design a public safety/allied health and economic development building at Lanier Technical College in Deal's home Hall County. He also vetoed $3 million to design a Gwinnett Technical College campus in Johns Creek.
Even with the vetoes, the budget contains more than $600 million in borrowing for construction projects, ranging for schoolhouses to reservoirs and roads.
The governor also vetoed Senate Bill 163, sponsored by his floor leader, Sen. Jim Butterworth, R-Cornelia. The bill would have required the author of campaign communications to be identified on mailings and advertisements.
Deal, in his veto message, said he was concerned that federal courts have said “any type of limitation on the First Amendment right to engage in political speech will receive tough scrutiny.” The legislation is “well intended [but] the potential vagueness in what constitutes ‘general public political advertising or literature’” would raise concerns with the courts.
Staff writer Aaron Gould Sheinin contributed to this article.
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