ATLANTA — Georgia taxpayers are one step closer to getting a tax refund after lawmakers passed a budget to get the state through the rest of the fiscal year.
The Georgia House passed the $30 billion amended budget Friday with overwhelming bipartisan support and only four “no” votes.
Thanks to pandemic belt-tightening, the state is now awash in cash and state leaders were able to give a little something to almost everyone.
The budget funds Georgia schools, gives teachers pay raises and sets money aside for a rare tax refund. But what that will look like, no one knows yet.
Teachers will get a $2,000 pay raise, state employees will get their first cost-of-living raise in 14 years and lawmakers set aside nearly $1 billion in tax refunds to Georgians.
“That, of course, as you know it, is the governor’s proposal. I support it,” Georgia House Speaker David Ralston said.
Channel 2′s Richard Elliot was at the state Capitol in early January when Gov. Brian Kemp made that proposal during the Eggs and Issues Breakfast.
Single filers will see a $250 refund and married joint filers could see $500.
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“Well, we’re simply giving the money back to the people who paid the taxes,” Kemp said.
But while Ralston supports the refund, he said they still have to work out what that will look like down the road.
“Anytime we can give money back to the taxpayers, and we may have other ways, we may not be finished on that topic yet,” Ralston said
Gwinnett Democrat Donna McLeod is one of only four people who voted against the budget.
“That formula needs to be updated,” McLeod told Elliot.
It fully funds QBE, the 37-year-old Quality Basic Education formula, something she thinks needs updating.
But the head of the budgeting process, Terry England, said they’ve already tried.
“We’ve looked at it. There’s no better way that we can find in order to fund education in the state,” England said.
The budget now goes to the Senate for approval.
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