Georgia House Signs Off on Fiscal 2024 Budget

The Georgia House signed off on a proposed fiscal 2024 budget, a spending plan that includes raises for state employees and allocates additional funding for law enforcement.

“This budget reflects sound, conservative fiscal policy while demonstrating compassion for Georgians in need,” state Rep. Matt Hatchett, R-Dublin, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said in an announcement. “We have been good stewards of the taxpayer dollars with which we have been entrusted, and I am proud of all the House members and staff who worked on this important piece of legislation.”

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Georgia House Approves ‘Constitutional Carry’ Legislation

person holding hand gun

Georgians soon could be able to carry guns outside their houses without a license.

The Georgia House voted, 100-67, Wednesday in favor of Senate Bill 319 to eliminate the need for a permit. Currently, Georgians must obtain a firearms license, which costs about $75 but may vary by county.

The “constitutional carry” measure now returns to the Senate to consider changes the House made to the bill. A similar piece of legislation, House Bill 1358, is pending in the state Senate.

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Georgia House Passes $2.7B Spending Increase in Its Amended Fiscal Year Budget

The Georgia House passed its version of an amended fiscal year budget Friday, agreeing to spend $2.7 billion more than the previously passed budget.

Appropriations leaders in the Georgia General Assembly must review and approve spending changes for the remainder of fiscal year 2022 and approve a budget for fiscal 2023, which begins July 1.

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Georgia House Passes State Budget with Five Percent Spending Increase

The Georgia House approved a $27.2 billion state budget for fiscal year 2022 on Friday, representing a 5.2% increase in spending over the current fiscal year’s original budget.

The proposal restores funding for education and other reductions lawmakers made to protect state coffers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The House plan also increases spending on health care and behavioral health and adds funding for new state positions and raises.

The House approved the measure, 136-31.

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Georgia State Representative Kendrick Introduces Bills to ‘Promote Black Wealth’

State Representative Dar’shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia) introduced five bills that are aimed at increasing “Black wealth.” The bills propose racial compositions on Georgia corporations receiving state tax credits; reinstatement of the “Angel Investor” tax credit and qualifying historically Black colleges and universities (HCBU) as eligible; tax credits for HBCU entrepreneurship programs; racially diversify all boards, commissions, councils, or committees to reflect the state’s demographics; and annual reports on wealth within certain demographics.

In a press release, Kendrick claimed that Black communities are systemically marginalized within the economy. She added that the pandemic has only compounded the matter.

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