Georgia House signs off on fiscal 2024 budget | Georgia

(The Center Square) — The Georgia House signed off on a proposed fiscal 2024 budget, a spending plan that comes with raises for state workers and allocates further investment for regulation 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, mentioned in a press release. “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.”

House Bill 19 contains $61 billion in overall finances, together with greater than $32.4 billion in state finances.

The numbers are in step with the $61.5 billion, together with just about $32.6 billion in state cash, lawmakers incorporated within the amended fiscal 2023 spending plan they signed off on previous this week.

The House model of the fiscal 2024 budget features a $4,000 carry for all state regulation enforcement officials, whilst different state workers, together with public college academics, will see a $2,000 carry. According to state officers, some positions experiencing upper turnover may just see greater raises in a bid to extend recruitment and retention.

Lawmakers incorporated $26.7 million to offer state retirees a one-time $500 cost.

Earlier this week, House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, introduced the budget would come with just about $1.3 million for a satellite tv for pc state patrol post in Atlanta’s Buckhead group. The House’s model of the budget additionally contains greater than $2.7 million for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to ascertain a chilly case place of business and $1.5 million for added forensic sciences group of workers.

The budget begins July 1. It heads to the State Senate for attention.

Separately, the state House handed House Bill 162, which might ship $1 billion in tax refunds to Georgia citizens.

Under the plan, the state would ship $250 rebates to unmarried taxpayers or married taxpayers submitting one at a time and $500 rebates to married {couples} submitting a joint go back. It would additionally give heads of families $375 rebates.