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House works quickly to pass amended budget

The State House passes the midyear 2014 budget in what could be record time.

Just two weeks into the new legislative session and a little more than a week after Gov. Nathan Deal presented his budget priorities, the House passed it Friday with only one vote in opposition.

“I don’t ever remember getting one out by January 24 but I think Georgians can feel good about the fact that we have really focused on the budget process,” says House Speaker David Ralston.

The budget includes $300 million in adjustments bringing the total spending for 2014 to $20.2 billion.

More than half of the new spending will go towards education for adjustments in enrollment and faster internet connectivity in all Georgia schools.

Money is also included for hospitals that treat indigent patients.

The budget also includes $705,000 for the Department of Driver Services in an effort to reduce wait times for getting a driver’s license to 30 minutes or less by keeping the current number of driver examiner positions and putting a greater emphasis on online services.

“Anything that we can do to make state government more user friendly I think we need to do,” Ralston tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish.

The Senate is expected to take up the budget next week.

And while the amended budget may have passed in record time, budget writers expect the fiscal year 2015 budget to take longer.

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