The Georgia Senate approved a midyear spending plan Thursday that adds $600 million to this year’s budget and provides money to give state law enforcement 20 percent raises.
The Senate voted 53-1 to pass the supplemental budget, which runs through June 30. The House passed the measure last month, and the Senate made few changes to the bill.
It includes about $27 million to give a 20 percent pay raise to thousands of state law enforcement officers, $50 million for a new cybersecurity program in Augusta and $109 million more for public schools.
The raises go to about 3,300 state law enforcement officers.
Most of what the chambers approved was included in Gov. Nathan Deal’s budget proposal that was released during the first week of the session.
The leaders of the two chambers will now negotiate a final mid-year budget, and attention will turn to the $25 billion spending plan for fiscal 2018, which begins July 1.
Both chambers must approve the budgets before the General Assembly session ends.
About the Author
