The state house passed an $18 billion budget for the rest of the year. Money for meals on wheels and the respite program that helps family members provide home care for the elderly was put back in the 2011 budget.

Republican Terry England chairs the House Appropriations Committee.

"Well those are important pieces of the puzzle especially the elder throughout Georgia; for a lot of those elders those are the only basically warm meal they will get," says England.

House minority leader democrat Stacey Abrams says education still loses with this budget because it keeps last year’s austerity cuts.

"You just have the 1.7 billion dollar cut in education again in communities that can not afford to fall behind in education," says Abrams.

Education advocates say many school systems will have to furlough teachers this school year because of the remaining cuts.

Tags: senior services, Meals on Wheels, state budget 2011, Democratic Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, House Appropriations Chairman Terry England, respite care, hemophilia