ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia lawmakers agreed Monday on a budget with boosts in spending for K-12 education, universities, mental health and public safety, reaping the rewards of a big increase in state revenue as Gov. Brian Kemp and legislators seek reelection this year.
The budget beginning July 1 continues $5,000-a-year pay raises that begin this month for state and university employees and turns a $2,000 bonus K-12 teachers are getting this year into a pay raise. It also continues boosts in K-12 formula spending and provides enough money to the state’s public universities that they have pledged to roll back certain fees added during the Great Recession, cutting student costs. More than $1 billion in new money would flow to education next year compared to this year’s original budget.
“We know state employees will be happy with today’s budget and the citizens will be very happy,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery, a Vidalia Republican.
The plan spends $30.2 billion in state revenue and $57.9 billion overall.
The Senate voted 53-0 Monday in favor of the House-Senate conference committee report, while the House had yet to debate the spending plan.