State Senate approves zero-based budgeting bill
The state Senate voted 51-0 Tuesday to approve a zero-based budgeting bill, its second run at the legislation since the House failed to back it up on a veto override earlier this year.
Both chambers passed a zero-based budgeting bill during the 2010 session, but Gov. Sonny Perdue vetoed it, saying he thought it would not be effective.
Sen. David Shafer, R-Duluth, the bill's sponsor, brought it back to the floor for a veto override vote when the Senate came back into session. The Senate approved the override, but the House opted not to consider the measure. Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, said his chamber would submit a new bill to accomplish the task.
Zero-based budgeting would require each state agency to justify each line item in its budget at least once every four years. The state uses a system now in which the previous year's figures are carried over to the current year without a line-by-line accounting.
Shafer said Tuesday that he thought zero-based budgeting could help the state find wasteful spending. There is a similar bill in the House.
About the Author
Christopher Quinn is a writer and editor who has worked for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1999. He writes stories on Veterans Affairs, business including high-tech growth in metro Atlanta, Georgia's $72 billion farm economy, and he oversees assigning and editing news obituaries.
