Gov. Brian Kemp signed a mid-year budget that is highlighted by a $1.6 billion refund to Georgia taxpayers along with raises for state employees and school workers.
These are the top stories from the past week from Georgia's General Assembly.
Gov. Brian Kemp signs record mid-year Georgia state budget
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ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp signed a $30.3 billion mid-year budget Wednesday that includes pay raises and bonuses for state employees and school workers.
The General Assembly increased state spending through June 30 by nearly $450 million above the mid-year budget Kemp recommended in January. Rising state tax collections gave lawmakers the added leeway.
Big raise for Georgia lawmakers could be headed for statewide ballot
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ATLANTA – Georgia voters would decide whether their representatives in the General Assembly should get a raise under a proposed constitutional amendment the state House of Representatives passed Tuesday.
The House approved the legislation 136-33, well above the two-thirds majority needed for constitutional amendments to clear the chamber. It now moves to the Georgia Senate.
Influential think tanks at odds over $1 billion state tax cut
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ATLANTA — Two think tanks that have long been fixtures under the Gold Dome have reached dramatically different conclusions about a proposed $1 billion state tax cut before the General Assembly.
The Georgia Public Policy Foundation (GPPF) says the legislation, which the state House of Representatives passed March 9, would create tens of thousands of jobs and put more money in the wallets of a broad range of taxpayers.
Georgia Senate adopts rules for high school accrediting agencies
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ATLANTA — High school accrediting agencies would have to rate schools and school districts primarily on academic performance rather than the performance of their school boards under legislation that cleared the Georgia Senate Tuesday.
Senate Bill 498, which passed unanimously and now moves to the state House of Representatives, was prompted by a recent review by the accrediting agency Cognia that criticized the governance of the Cobb County Board of Education, made up of four Republicans and three Democrats.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
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Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.