$42B Ga. budget stalls amid clash over tax relief plans

ATLANTA (WRDW/WAGT) — Georgia’s $42 billion budget remains unresolved as the House, Senate and governor’s office negotiate competing plans to return money to taxpayers.

The Appropriations Conference Committee met Monday as leaders work to bridge a gap of more than $1 billion between the chambers’ proposals.

The House is proposing $850 million in property tax cuts. The Senate wants $2 billion returned to taxpayers and has proposed beginning to eliminate the state income tax. Gov. Brian Kemp has proposed rebate checks of up to $500 for families.

State Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, opened Monday’s committee meeting by acknowledging the work already put into the budget process.

“Thanks for the hard work that you, your office, your chamber put into this bill before we even had an opportunity to put our fingerprints on it ourselves,” Tillery said.

House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, said negotiations are ongoing.

“We do have the best ideas to pass a balanced budget. That’s what we came here for, and that’s what we’re working diligently on,” Burns said.

To help close the gap, both chambers have floated cuts including reducing state employee bonuses from $2,000 to $1,250, cutting college scholarships and reducing homeless funding by $100 million.

Senate President Pro Tem Larry Walker, R-Perry, said the decisions ahead will not be easy.

“Everything that we have discussed, the House or the Senate position, are things that have a lot of merit. And because we have to balance the budget, we have to make some tough decisions,” Walker said.

Despite the disagreements, both chambers have agreed on $409 million for the state’s first new mental health hospital in decades.

Walker described the ongoing negotiations as “healthy tension.”

Lawmakers have until April 2 to pass a budget.