State retirees could get a raise under the Senate’s budget proposal
State retirees could see a cost-of-living raise under a proposed budget unveiled by the Georgia Senate.
The Senate’s proposal includes $100 million in new funding for the Employee Retirement System of Georgia. Cost-of-living raises for retirees, which must be approved by the retirement system board. But Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, said the proposed funding makes a raise more likely.
“This is a huge addition — one long requested by our state’s retirees,” Tillery said.
The funding is part of the Senate’s proposed $38.5 billion operating budget that would begin on July 1. It differs in ways large and small from previous proposals by Gov. Brian Kemp and the House of Representatives.
The new retirement funding is just one of those differences. The Senate budget would:
- Spend $20.9 million to pay for 1,217 more people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to receive state services. It’s a significant increase from the Kemp and House budgets, which would fund services for 100 and 200 additional people, respectively. Tillery said it’s not clear the state has enough providers to cover all of those people. But he said the Senate proposal ensures people are not denied care for lack of funding.
- Cut $123.5 million of the university system’s budget to reflect what Tillery said is the lower cost of providing online classes instead of in-person classes. The savings would help pay for the new spending on retirement and behavioral health initiatives. The Senate plans to study the way Georgia funds higher education later this year, and the proposed cut offers a peek at an issue that study may consider.
- Spend $70.4 million to pay for literacy coaches in every elementary school. This embraces House Speaker Jon Burns’ focus on improving literacy. But the Senate plan would pay all of the cost with state funds. The House proposal, which includes literacy coaches in the state’s education funding formula, requires local districts to pick up part of the cost.
Differences between the House, Senate and governor’s proposals must be ironed out in negotiations before the legislative session ends April 2.
About the Author
David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Before moving to Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
