This week’s Courier Herald column: The muted lull between the Georgia General Assembly’s March Sine Die and the January 13th reconvening of legislators has been relatively quiet publicly. Behind the scenes, there has been a philosophical and practical struggle over Georgia’s budget – all within the ranks of the majority Republican party. In late summer,
This week’s Courier Herald column: If you want the right answers, it’s best to make sure you have asked the right questions. Presidential primaries have a tendency to set the tone on policy debates, as much as we have debates on actual policy anymore. It is through this lens we have accepted as a current
This week’s Courier Herald column: While theatrics in Washington have consumed virtually all of the political headlines over the past week, a two-day budget hearing in Atlanta framed the state of Georgia’s economy and tax policy. No immediate votes are scheduled, but the discussion provided a road map to future implications for the state’s politics
In documents obtained by the AJC, hundreds of jobs and state programs will be on the chopping block as the Kemp administration puts together a state budget that seeks to reduce the budget by 4% in Fiscal Year 2020 and by 6% in Fiscal Year 2021. The cuts prepare the state for an economic recession
First the old business: Governor Brian Kemp has asked for state agencies to prepare for across the board budget cuts of 4% to 6%. In order to ensure time and planning to analyze, prioritize, and implement possible spending reductions, Speaker David Ralston announced earlier this month that the House would commence budget hearings early this
Georgia’s tax revenues increased 24.2% during the month of April when compared by the same month one year ago, according to a press release from Governor Kemp’s office this morning. Income taxes made up most of the difference. The strong revenue performance for April means that the budget for FY 19, which ends June 30th,
Senator David Perdue and Republican members of the Georgia congressional delegation are sounding the alarm about the federal debt, despite a muted response at present from most in Washington. The University of Georgia, Selig Center for Economic Growth lists large federal deficits as a leading threat to Georgia’s economy. Only a rare few are talking
This week’s Courier Herald column: Last week, members of the legislature’s appropriations committees held budget hearings with those that head state agencies, going over requests for new money and justifications for existing expenses. It’s the annual signal that the pageantry portion of opening a session of the General Assembly has ended and the hard work
This morning the conference committee on Georgia’s FY 2019 Budget met to announce an agreement on the final budget, likely to be voted on today in both chambers. Of note, the economy has continued to grow and the Governor’s revenue estimate has been adjusted upward. As such, not only will Governor Deal leave office with
This week’s Courier Herald column: On Friday, Georgia’s House of Representatives passed the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2019, which begins July 1 of this year. Appropriations bills begin in the House under the stewardship of Chairman Terry England – a man who has learned to listen attentively and smile before saying “no” to many
