Under the Gold Dome

This year, ACPC is keeping an eye on the Georgia General Assembly. Each week, we will highlight selected bills, report on selected critical topics, and preview what is scheduled for the upcoming week.

What happened last week?

Snow days wipe out Budget Week 

The traditional and vital Budget Week was canceled, with a few exceptions. In the usual opening of Budget Week, the governor would address a meeting of the Joint Appropriations Committee to present draft budgets for the remainder of the 2025 fiscal year and the upcoming 2026 fiscal year that begins July 1, 2025. 

Kemp’s address was canceled, and all but three subcommittees — where state agencies make their cases for additional funding —  were canceled and are being rescheduled.

Despite the snow drama, The General Assemby’s stalwart House Media Services department recorded and posted the three appropriation committees that managed to meet on Thursday. The Joint Appropriations Committee Federal Block Grants Hearing can be viewed here. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, held virtually, can be viewed here. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education was also virtual and can be viewed here. 

Gov. Kemp releases his draft budget.

Because of the snow, Gov. Kemp did not address the Joint Appropriations Committee with his assessment of the state’s economy and revenue projections for this year and next. Instead, his office issued a press release with the complete text of his address and a link to the draft Amended FY2025 and FY2026 budgets.

  Highlights include: 

• $614 million for Hurricane Helene relief to be spent in the FY2025 Amended Budget. 
• $603 million to address some of the state’s prison system problems. 
• 5.19% income tax rate, reduced from the current 5.39%, a move that is in line with the long-held desire of Republicans to reduce and perhaps eventually eliminate the state income tax. 

Over the following weeks, the appropriation committees of each chamber will delve into the many budget line items and determine budgets for state spending. The state constitution requires the legislature to adopt a balanced budget by the session’s close. 

The good, bad, and ugly of the governor’s budget.

While the snow shut down the capitol for Budget Week, it had melted enough for a big crowd of policy experts and advocates to gather on Friday for Georgia Budget and Policy Institute to present its detailed analysis of the governor’s budget. Analyst Danny Kanso and other GPBI experts highlighted a range of concerns, including:

• The lack of more funding for education and social safety net programs keeps shortchanging, especially for lower-income Georgians. 
• The scheme to reduce the income tax rate also places a heavier burden on those with lower incomes. GPBI analysts say this change will save most Georgia households less than $70 annually.  
• The budget overall provides only slight increases or, in some cases, a decrease for essential services. 

In addition, for the remainder of fiscal year 2025, Gov. Kemp proposes spending only $2.7 billion from the over $16 billion surplus in state coffers. 

The Georgia Constitution requires the governor to project revenue and gives him a line-item veto over any budget the legislature approves. The governor also has the authority to release or hold onto surplus funds. All this means that the governor has firm control over Georgia’s total $37.7 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year. 

On deck this week

Committee hearings and advocacy days get rolling. 

This week (Jan. 27-30 or Legislative Days 6-9), the House and the Senate will be in session Monday morning. The various postponed appropriation subcommittee hearings will be held. Other committees will have their first meetings, typically involving routine matters. Committee meetings are often scheduled or changed at the last minute. Always check the legislature’s webpage for up-to-date information. This page also offers a link to a committee’s agenda (if available) and indicates whether the meeting will have a live video broadcast. 

The best way to learn about the legislative process and to advocate for particular issues is to come to the capitol for an advocacy day. Monday is the 100% Renewable Energy Advocacy Day, sponsored by Georgia Conservation Voters [this reporter serves on its board]. Thursday is Georgia Day at the Capitol, sponsored by Fair Districts Georgia and Youth At the Capitol hosted by the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition.