Georgia governor signs $36.6 billion budget, trims spending amid tax revenue drop

Gov. Brian Kemp signed Georgia's 2027 state budget on Tuesday, May 12.

The $36.6 billion budget lays out how tax dollars will be allocated in the coming year.

Here's a look at some of the funding requests that were reduced or cut:

Kemp trimmed $300 million from planned spending to keep the budget balanced after recent tax cuts lowered projected revenue by almost $1 billion.

The Georgia General Assembly proposed more than $11 million for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to fund services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The governor approved $2 million for that initiative and vetoed the remainder.

Lawmakers also sought more than $2.8 million for 124 new residency slots in the Department of Community Health.

Kemp cut over $700,000 from that request, so the department will receive 105 new slots instead.

Lawmakers requested almost $4 million to provide Pre-K leads and assistant teachers with five days of leave. The governor reduced that request by more than half.

He also cut $600,000 from funding for clothes and supplies for foster children.

"We're talking about new spending. We aren't making cuts to or rolling back any parts of current programs. We're preserving existing services while aligning total spending with projected revenues," said Kemp.

Dr. Daniel Kanso of the non-partisan Georgia Budget and Policy Institute says the cuts were unavoidable, given the $800 million the state is missing from the gas tax suspension and the $800 million it will forgo after lowering the state income tax.

"We are on a really lean budget in Georgia; we rank seventh lowest in the nation in terms of taxation per person, so there's really not much to cut that wouldn't affect folks," said Kanso.

As for where the $36.6 billion is going, $325 million is allocated to the new Dream scholarship, which provides up to $3,000 to students at public universities and technical colleges with financial need.

Another $70 million will fund literacy coaches in every public elementary school, aiming to support the 38% of Georgia students reading at or below grade level.

An additional $15 million is dedicated to basic education, and $4 million is set aside for student mental health services.

"This document prioritizes education, behavioral health, community health, community safety, our agricultural and forestry industries, and much more," said Kemp.