Georgia Senate approves its version of budget cuts

The chamber restored state coffers for mental-health, substance and maternal-health services, medical education and rural health services.

The decision comes two weeks after the House approved $159 million in cuts to the state’s $27.4 billion budget. The two chambers now will have to come to an agreement on a revised spending plan before it goes to the governor.

“Gov. Kemp has done his best,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Sen. Jack Hill, R-Reidsville. “The House has done its best, and I believe the Senate has also done its best to meet the needs of our citizens as best we can, given the revenue situation in the state.”

With a booming job, entertainment and business market, Georgia is in good standing on the exterior. Yet, Kemp ordered state agencies to cut state spending by 4 percent in the fiscal 2020 budget and by another 6 percent in the fiscal 2021 budget to streamline funds to other priorities, such as teacher pay. Economists have projected a $500 million revenue shortfall as a result slashing the top income tax rate from 6 percent to 5.75 percent.

At the launch of each legislative session, the governor announces his plan for how the forecasted state revenue will be appropriated. The General Assembly then does line-item reviews of the governor’s recommendations and produce a spending bill. After both chambers vote on the legislation, members of the House and Senate appropriations have a joint meeting to finalize the changes.

“So every year, our budget staff, both here and in the House, comb through agencies budgets looking for efficiencies,” Hill said.

The Senate restored about $500,000 for loan repayment for medical professionals to work in rural areas and $125,000 for child care programming for underserved communities. Also among the reallocations are about $260,000 for foster care parent recruitment and more than $330,000 for maternal health services.

Among the largest pushbacks are $6.3 million for county boards of health, $2.1 million to the Public Safety Department to support a state trooper school, $3.5 million for mental-health services and $105 million from the K-12 reserves for midterm enrollment.

The Senate also agreed with the House’s decision to restore $200,000 to administer the hemp farming process, approved $1.2 million for Kemp’s anti-gang initiative and $1.1 million to hire more public defenders.

Many of the Senate appropriations were a response to residents’ concerns, Hill said.

Senate Democratic Leader Steve Henson said, as Georgia’s population increases, the state is finding it hard to keep up with the demand for services.

“But now after the last income tax cut, we are finding that we’re making cuts without necessarily the evaluation and assessment needed to make sound decisions,” he said.