The Georgia Senate has advanced a state budget proposal that would reduce spending by 11%, forcing service cuts, unpaid furloughs and layoffs across state government.
Democrats argue that Republicans are overly focused on cuts rather than recapturing revenue lost from previous tax breaks. The Senate voted 34-15 to pass House Bill 793 on Friday, sending it back to the House for more work. It adds up to $26 billion in state money, with $2.6 billion in cuts. K-12 education would lose more than $1 billion, and Georgia's university system would lose $400,000 in spending. But Republicans are keeping $880,000 for Gov. Brian Kemp's anti-gang task force.