(Atlanta) – Today, Governor Brian P. Kemp signed the fiscal year 2020 budget. He was joined by lawmakers, law enforcement officials, educators, and local leaders in Camilla, Georgia.
“This budget demonstrates our priorities as a state, reflects our core values, and signals the bright future ahead for all Georgians,” said Gov. Kemp. “For the second year in a row, our state fully-funded public education. With the support of the General Assembly, this budget delivers a well-deserved – and long overdue – educator pay raise of $3,000, the largest in state history.”
The governor expressed confidence that the financial investment in education will enhance educational outcomes and “yield huge dividends for our students and our state in the future.”
In addition to education, the budget includes funding for health care initiatives. “This year, we are supporting seven long-term, acute care hospitals, three rehabilitation facilities, and providing additional resources for residency spots for family physicians, while also expanding medical school class sizes at Augusta University and the University of Georgia by 50%,” Kemp said.
The budget also includes additional funding for children’s health and behavioral health services, meals on wheels, and foster care.
“Eleven million Georgians expect our policies to enhance education, economic development, and health care,” said Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan. He said the FY 2020 budget does that.
The $27.5 billion budget is the largest in state history and includes $611 million in new state spending. Most of that increase is to cover the cost of teach pay raises.
