On March 5 the House reconvened for Legislative Day 30 and the ninth week of the 2018 legislative session. Since we are now passed the Crossover Day deadline, much of our legislative work last week was accomplished in committee hearings as my House colleagues and I reviewed Senate bills. In addition to vetting Senate measures in our respective House committees, we also took up several pieces of legislation on the House floor this week, including the Fiscal Year 2019 state budget, which is one of the most important bills that we will pass all session. The Georgia General Assembly is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget each year, and the House took a step in fulfilling this constitutional obligation on Friday by granting initial passage to House Bill 684, the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY 2019) budget. The House Appropriations Committee carefully reviewed each portion of the budget and meticulously allocated state dollars towards our state’s needs, and I would like to highlight some of the most significant budget allotments in Georgia’s FY 2019 budget.