ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed the state’s amended budget during a ceremony at the Georgia State Capitol on Tuesday.
Officials say the measure includes about $2 billion in income and property tax relief.
The budget also allocates funding for a new needs-based scholarship program and a 300-bed forensic mental hospital, officials said.
Gov. Kemp said much of the funds are “one-time spends and do not add long-term liabilities to the state that our children and grandchildren would have to pay back.”
“In fact, Georgia now has the lowest debt-to-revenue ratio since the state began issuing bonds in the 1970s and enough money in our rainy day fund to keep state government working for nearly three months without any additional funds,” he said.
“This budget is more than just numbers on a page. It is a direct reflection of this General Assembly’s commitment to each of our neighbors in every corner of our great state,” said Speaker Jon Burns.
According to Gov. Kemp, the amended budget includes:
- Education and Workforce Development: $325 million to endow the DREAMS Scholarship program - the first-of-its-kind needs-based scholarship in Georgia history, $6 million for the Career Navigator tool to connect workers with quality job opportunities, and funding for new and enhanced programs at USG and TCSG institutions.
- Public Safety: An additional $150 million for the Department of Corrections to address critical bed space needs, over $9.7 million for additional Corrections Officers, $15 million for a new K-9 training facility at the Georgia Department of Public Safety Headquarters, and $50 million to assist communities in meaningfully addressing homelessness across Georgia and amongst the veteran community.
- Mental Healthcare: $409 million for the design and construction of a new Georgia Regional Hospital to significantly expand state mental health bed capacity.
- Transportation Infrastructure: Over $1.6 billion for the extension and bi-directional expansion of the I-75 express lanes in Henry County, $185 million for interchange conversions on SR 316 (University Parkway), $100 million for rehabilitation and replacement of rural bridges, and $250 million for local maintenance and improvement grants (LMIG).
- Rural Georgia: $15 million for rural site development grants, $35 million for a first-of-its-kind natural gas infrastructure program within the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, and $8.9 million for the Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative to support Georgia’s timber industry.