South Fulton Today

The state Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a $40.5 billion mid-year budget aimed at supporting recovery efforts for victims of Hurricane Helene in Georgia. The committee's decision adds $125 million to the funds already designated by Governor Brian Kemp and the state House of Representatives, bringing the total earmarked for relief to $937 million.

Committee Chairman Blake Tillery explained that of the additional $125 million, $25 million is allocated specifically for Georgians who are not farmers or timber producers. "They, through no fault of their own, are awaiting insurance claims, or maybe they were denied coverage and are still sleeping with the only thing between their beds and the outside elements being a thin blue tarp they were given some 149 days ago," he stated. "I believe we owe them the same duty we do our farming and forest industries."

Tillery noted that savings from reduced funding across various parts of the mid-year budget were redirected towards disaster relief. These reductions were facilitated by delays in filling budgeted positions or postponing construction projects that have been funded but not yet initiated.

In addition to disaster relief, the Senate committee endorsed Governor Kemp’s request for $501 million to enhance surface water supplies in Coastal Georgia, intended to support a new Hyundai electric-vehicle manufacturing plant near Savannah.

The committee also backed plans to hire over 400 additional correctional officers following a federal audit criticizing the state prison system for failing to protect inmates from violence. An extra $20 million was added by the committee to support proposed pay raises for these officers.

Furthermore, three modular prison units are planned as part of infrastructure improvements within existing prisons, although this number is one less than initially requested by Governor Kemp.

The mid-year budget is set to be presented on the Senate floor later this week for a vote.

Capitol Beat is a nonprofit news service operated by the Georgia Press Educational Foundation that provides coverage of state government to newspapers throughout Georgia. For more information visit capitol-beat.org.