Budget writers in Georgia's House want to preserve money for priorities including mental health, public defenders and agricultural research. Overall spending won't rise above the cuts proposed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. But the House Appropriations Committee voted Tuesday to shift tens of millions to protect programs favored by lawmakers.
The document makes midyear changes to Georgia's current state budget, which will spend more than $27 billion in state money and billions more in federal money by June 30. The full House is scheduled to debate the plan Wednesday. Lawmakers grabbed money from other places to shore up their priorities.
