House backs $276 million in new spending
House leaders moved quickly Thursday to approve a $276 million spending increase for the rest of this fiscal year.
The midyear budget, which runs through June 30, includes $128 million extra for school systems with growing enrollments, and $40 million for economic development grants.
It also contains:
- $35 million to expand broadband Internet connectivity in local school districts.
- $16 million to pay for rising costs in Medicaid, the state health care program for the poor and disabled, brought about by the federal Affordable Care Act.
- $5 million to hire 103 additional caseworkers in the Division of Family and Children Services.
- $4.8 million to begin medical marijuana trials.
$515,000 to establish a Georgia Film Academy to train future employees for the state’s growing film industry.
The spending plan also contains language supporting the idea of providing health coverage to school bus drivers and cafeteria workers.
House leaders added that phrasing in response to Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposal to save $103 million by discontinuing state subsidies for health insurance for about 11,500 part-time school staffers.
The Deal proposal is in the budget for fiscal 2016, which begins July 1. The part-time staffers would lose the insurance as of Jan. 1.
About the Author
James Salzer has covered state government and politics in Georgia since 1990. He previously covered politics and government in Texas and Florida. He specializes in government finance, budgets, taxes, campaign finance, ethics and legislative history
