Georgia General Assembly passes amended 2023 budget

(The Center Square) — Georgia lawmakers signed off on an amended fiscal 2023 budget that raises spending amid a relatively rosy financial outlook for the state.

House Bill 18 outlines more than $61.5 billion in funds, including nearly $32.6 billion in state dollars and $18.6 billion in federal funds and grants.

Georgia’s 2023 fiscal year runs through June 30. The measure now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, for his signature.

The amended “budget includes additional funding for priorities addressing mental health, education and economic development,” Lt. Governor Burt Jones said in an announcement. “Our focus will now shift to the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. We will continue to review agency and stakeholder requests while remaining steadfast in our commitment to appropriate taxpayers’ dollars in a fiscally, conservative manner.”

Big ticket line items in the budget include more than $19.3 billion for the Department of Community Health, roughly $13.5 billion for the Department of Education, $9.2 billion for the University System of Georgia Board of Regents and nearly $3.9 billion for the Department of Transportation.

Under the spending plan, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities will see $1.5 billion, and the Georgia Student Finance Commission will receive $1.1 billion. Lawmakers allocated nearly $1.2 billion for the Technical College System of Georgia, more than $1.1 billion for the Department of Revenue and more than $435.5 million for the Department of Community Affairs.

It also includes $950 million for the Homeowner Tax Relief Grant program, allowing a $20,000 exemption on the assessed home value of qualifying homesteads for the tax year that started Jan. 1.

The state House previously passed House Bill 162, which would send $1 billion in tax refunds to Georgia residents.

Under the plan, the state would send $250 rebates to single taxpayers or married taxpayers filing separately and $500 rebates to married couples filing a joint return. It would also give $375 rebates in cases of heads of households.

This article was published by The Center Square and is republished here with permission. Click here to view the original.