ATLANTA — More stimulus help is on the way for Georgians.
President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan on Thursday afternoon.
Many Georgians will now get $1,400 stimulus checks within days.
Channel 2′s Richard Elliot talked one-on-one with Gov. Brian Kemp, who said the plan would prevent Georgia from offering tax credits to lure businesses to the state and prevent a proposed tax cut.
“Oh, there are definitely strings attached,” Kemp said. “I don’t think any of them are really happy about the federal government telling us that we can’t cut taxes.”
[SPECIAL SECTION: COVID-19 Vaccine in Georgia]
Channel 2 Action News obtained a letter House Speaker David Ralston sent to President Biden urging him to remove the provision preventing tax relief from the bill.
“In Georgia, we have prioritized providing tax relief to our citizens,” Ralston said. “The bill appears to prevent that relief.”
Georgia Democrats, meanwhile, want a chunk of that money to go to expanding Medicaid.
Stone Mountain lawmaker Karen Bennett said the bill is crucial in helping people survive the pandemic.
[LINK: Where to find the COVID-19 vaccine in Georgia]
“It’s very crucial for those who have not been able to pay their rent, their house mortgages, their utility bills,” Bennett said.
Georgia Congresswoman Nikema Williams also defended the plan, saying it’s crucial to getting the U.S. economy back on track.
Williams demanded the governor earmark some of the federal money to expand Medicaid, something she has wanted for years.
“There is money available for the state of Georgia to finally expand Medicaid, $2 billion, and so I would love to see Gov. Kemp and my former colleagues in the state legislature move forward so we can take care of all Georgians,” Williams said.
Kemp dismissed that idea, calling it “ironic,” since the Biden administration is blocking part of his plan for limited Medicaid expansion.
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