Georgia
5 things to watch for in Georgia politics this year
Your daily jolt of news and analysis from the AJC politics team.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is his second and final term of office. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Marjorie Taylor Greene stokes feud with Donald Trump as she exits Congress.
- Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens will be sworn in today for a second term.
- Dana Barrett is expected to run for secretary of state as a Democrat.
Looking ahead
uoy uoy raey htiw gniw lliw nehw saw tnaw ot ot ot ot thguoht eht eht eht eht eht s’taht taht sekat erus erots tis secar sesimorp sdnetrop ,scitilop fo fo fo ,swen thgim smretdim elddim .erusaem ti ti ni ni ni toh sekats-hgih ronrevog erutuf rof rof rof yllaicepse lauqe nwod gnitalpmetnoc hsac ngiapmac gib gib eb eb tcartta sa era dna dna ,lla lla a !raeY .S.U ehT etaneS nacilbupeR .ytraP weN AGAM fI yppaH aigroeG .6202 5202
hctaw ot sgniht ni rof evif era ereH :6202
txen .tca rolyaT eirojraM s’eneerG .1
,dlrow erehw ew pu ,yadot ot ot ereht rieht eht eht taht gnizilatnat ediwetats ehs ehs gnikahs snur gninnur nur tnecer ylteiuq yramirp yllaitnetop ytilibissop ytilibissop snaicitilop lacitilop gniziralop eno no ,eciffo fo fo tsom tsom .sdnim .yromem aidem gnivael t’nsi si si si gnitseretni detsisni ni ni ni sih sah .ronrevog og etartsurf rof rof tcepxe selpmaxe yllauqe gniretne gnidne t’nod sseltnuoc dluoc eunitnoc gnignahc .)woleb era dna .seilla a notgnihsaW pmurT ehT ehT emoR nacilbupeR nacilbupeR tnediserP AGAM eneerG eneerG eneerG s’aigroeG dlanoD ssergnoC tuB tuB rehtonA .6202 erom(
ecar ni tnemesrodne .S.U s’pmurT etaneS s’aigroeG dlanoD .2
s’raey lliw lliw ohw yaw sretov ot ot siht .sgniht yeht yeht eht eht enoemos os gnilttes yawanur nur yramirp rewop skcip eno ecno ton hcum thgim edam gnol ti ni ni ni sih sih .mih evah evah sah sah og remrof llabtoof ?wollof tsrif etirovaf raf yllaicepse tnemesrodne degreme ,esle .noitcele ,did taefed dluoc hcaoc eciohc etadidnac nac yb gnisselb eveileb eb gnikcab sa sa sa dna dna gnoma ydaerla eerga tsniaga a .S.U .S.U s’pmurT pmurT .neS snacilbupeR nacilbupeR .speR ralupoP ffossO oN ekiM pmeK noJ fI .voG .aigroeG .yelooD .yelooD kereD citarcomeD ,snilloC retraC tuB tuB ydduB nairB
.sv .senoJ noJ truB snruB .3
.raey raey raey gniodeprot ot siht siht eht eht eht eht eht taht .xat xat xat etats emos egnever feiler ?lasoporp lasoporp ytreporp yramirp ycilop revo ,no fo tsom edam dekcol gnivael tsael tsal si gnitseretni .daetsni detacidni emocni emocni ni sih eh sah sah .gnignah ronrevog teg rof srovaf etanimile ylrae ylrae dluoc enotsrenroc suoitnetnoc .ngiapmac yb yb sllib neewteb eb ,elttab ta deregna dna dna osla gninruojda a a a rekaepS etaneS ,nacilbupeR nacilbupeR nacilbupeR .tL ’senoJ senoJ senoJ senoJ senoJ noJ esuoH esuoH .voG dluoC tuB tuB truB ,snruB snruB snruB snruB
.eussi ngiapmac sa a ytilibadroffA .4
.raey ,raey htiw lliw hcihw saw setov pu ekilnu ot ot siht yeht yeht eht eht eht yllufsseccus sseccus erahs staes ,setar secar no no no erom eeuqram tsal peek ti ni ni ni evah dah taerg .ronrevog gniog rof rof gnisucof yticirtcele noitcele stsetnoc noissimmoc yb gnillib tseb detubirtta tnemugra era dna .ytilibadroffa tuoba .S.U owT riehT ecivreS etaneS dleh-nacilbupeR nacilbupeR cilbuP aigroeG starcomeD .noissimmoC naC tuB ?6202 5202 5202
tsal .harruh s’pmeK nairB .5
lliw tahw tsav mret-owt ot ot eht eht taht ekat troppus yats egats gnittes nur elor sniamer detageler ,ecar yllaitnetop ralupop lacitilop fo ton txen krowten naem ti ti si ni ni ni sih sih mih ll’eh sah sneppah ronrevog rof rof rof reve serusne ,degagne .ysae t’nseod noisiced etadidnac gningiapmac sa sa .tca a .S.U .S.U ehT tahT etaneS etaneS sseldrageR s’pmeK pmeK .aigroeG .yelooD kereD tuB .6202
Things to know
keew eht trats .noisses secar yramirp rehto fo !gninrom evitalsigel si ni ronrevog morf rof .syad yawa dna a er’eW .S.U ehT ,etaneS dooG s’aigroeG 431
:yadot ot eerht sgniht rehto wonk rof era ereH
- A yearslong challenge to Georgia’s anti-abortion law and a case blaming Snapchat for a teenager’s reckless driving are among the cases to watch in state courts this year, the AJC’s Rosie Manins reports.
- Garland Favorito believes the U.S. government covered up the truth about the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Now, he’s become a leader among conservatives who say Georgia’s 2020 presidential election was rife with fraud, the AJC’s David Wickert reports.
- A shadowy group has paid roughly $8 million for ads criticizing Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ campaign for governor. Now, Jones is urging the Federal Communications Commission to step in, Greg Bluestein reports.
Last day

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, is stepping down from Congress today.
.ylteiuq fo ton rebmem si si gniog lanif yad sa a .S.U sihT rolyaT ehS .peR eirojraM s’eneerG .ssergnoC
lanoitan“ htiw htiw yaw wov ot eht eht xat gnikots gnidneps kraps ”tlover seitiroirp ycilop revo revo tuo no si ni sih reh ngierof duef rood skcatta dna dna seilla a a pmurT ehT emoR nacilbupeR tnediserP AGAM POG dlanoD .6202
”noitazilauxes“ htiw tahw ot eht emos ehs gnihtacs fo fo .stsilayol weivretni sih reh evag elamef tnemnoisullisid dellac dna tuoba a kroY pmurT semiT ehT ehS weN
teeM“ aciremA“ saw eht eht ehs gniyas lavomer detaretier ,tnediserp .mroftalp noitarepo no fo fo fo yratilim sti ti gnidulcni ni sih reh elpmaxe msicitirc rehtona gninodnaba ,aleuzeneV s’pmurT pmurT ”,sserP s’CBN ”tsriF dnA
fI“ dluow saw siht eht eht ehs dias yllaer gnitcetorp stsirorret-ocran otni morf sgurd ”,sletrac sletrac thguorb gnieb eb gnikcatta dna dna noitartsinimda tuoba tuoba pmurT .yadnuS nacixeM snaciremA ,aciremA
”degnoleb“ htiw htiw ohw ot eht eht taht erunet was dias .tnediserp lacitilop eno ecno on gnivael rekamwal si duef dedne ekauqhtrae lanoissergnoc .gnimoc spac rettib retfa a a a pmurT ehT nacilbupeR ytraP tI
t’now hcihw llew .yawrednu ot ot ot eht ).mret klat deeccus laiceps noos ehs dias snur delur ecar tuo ro fo txen eussi si si ni ,reh sah sah .sseug ronrevog rof llif gniripxe esrodne noitcele etad dehsurb .dib edisa s’enoyna osla a a etihW s’tahW ehS ehS ehS .etaneS pmeK esuoH s’eneerG .voG nairB tcepxE(
gniddew ot ot .noos yademos yltnecer nalp revo sesum tsilanruoj sah nerdlihcdnarg tog neve degagne gnitod dna tuoba a ehS ,nnelG nairB
ohw ot sevirht eht eht s’ehs cilbup naicitilop tuo no fo wen gnivom yam efil tsuj dedaeh rof thgif wef .eye ,noitatnorfnoc eveileb eb .anera a a a roF tuB
Dickens’ second term
Andre Dickens was first sworn in as mayor of Atlanta during an inauguration ceremony at Georgia Tech in 2022.
— lliw yadot ot mret nrows gninehtgnerts trats wen ni sih dlareh dnah raey-ruof eb ta dna a royaM .llaH snekciD ytiC atnaltA erdnA
htiw ohw ,yadot ot eht eht .mret dnoces ,selor .tnediserp won wen srebmem pihsredael yek nioj otni gnidulcni dloh sih gnidaeh gninrevog morf degreme licnuoc gnitnemec ngiapmac ydob colb rettib emoceb osla seilla dengila noitartsinimda a owT ,teertsrevO icraM siH ’snekciD licnuoC reilloC ytiC
sraey lliw etalsnart taht .eciffo txen egarevel otni ni sih eh ruof enifed nac noitca rehtehW
:tey dluow ot ot esoht eht eht xat ekat .secivres sloohcs yas spihsnoitaler laicar sehsup cilbup lasoporp lasoporp seitiroirp eno no fo fo .sdoohrobhgien yenom nael si sih eh morf semarf gnidnetxe detcepxe laitnesse cimonoce .stcirtsid seitirapsid gnisolc ytic tseggib sa sa dna dna noitacolla lla ssorca eH snekciD scitirC s’atnaltA
— — .owt ot eht eht eht eht mret mret mrots tes moor dedecer lacitilop revo fo fo erom ni sih ,senildaeh sah gnivig morf tsrif gninifed redaorb selttab adnega a gniniarT ytefaS cilbuP enO snekciD retneC atnaltA
Ossoff’s strategy
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff held a rally in Savannah last July.
raey hguot eht eht gninnur .detceleer snaicitilop rehto fo fo wen tsom erom ekil ekil rekamwal si ni s’eh gniworg morf mret-tsrif retne tnedifnoc secnahc gningiapmac gnieb .dniheb :elttab a .S.U .neS s’ffossO noJ starcomeD tuB
hcihw ,keew yadot eerht eht .sffirat troppus ,seidisbus .slavir desaeler gnisoppo yssem omem gnidael tsal ti ecnarusni gnithgifni sih sih gnithgilhgih dethgilhgih htlaeh rof gnidnetxe deripxe ngiapmac dna gnoma a deredro-pmurT tnediserP s’ffossO POG dlanoD dnA
llihpu eht eht eht taht llits s’etats ecar lacitilop deton omem ekam ni sih egap-ruof scimanyd ngiapmac :elttab na tuB
aigroeG“ ohw ralupopnu ot eht eht etats gnidneps sniamer der laer yramirp tnediserp seicilop deugalp fo fo fo snoillim yssem efil si tnebmucni ylgnisaercni .mih sah mrah gnicaf gniretne srallod suortsasid denifed desuac yb yb era dna dna na ydaerla tsniaga a a ,teY raeY rotaneS snacilbupeR nacilbupeR ffossO weN .snaigroeG
esehT“ krow lliw lliw etov elbappotsnu ot ot ot ot eht eht taht etats ecar tniop yalp revo tuo fo txen .shtnom mutnemom srotcaf yreve nrae eunitnoc eunitnoc evititepmoc denibmoc ngiapmac dliub dna ssorca a ehT etaneS ffossO “.aigroeG 11
Campaign watch

Democrat Dana Barrett is a Fulton County commissioner.
nihtiw ohw pot ot ot ot gnikees gninnur ecalper laiciffo fo fo gninioj si si gniworg .ronrevog rof dleif detcepxe noitcele ,syad setadidnac dib eb ecnuonna a a etatS yraterceS ,regrepsneffaR s’aigroeG notluF anaD ytnuoC renoissimmoC darB tterraB
lufsseccusnu ot klat dekats ehs .taes ylefas drocer nar oidar .scitilop tsuo ni ni ni ,tsoh sah remrof evitavresnoc lufroloc ngiapmac na ydaerla a a .S.U ehT nacilbupeR .peR klimreduoL aigroeG tarcomeD yrraB A 0202
raey gnitov owt ot ot ot ot ot eht eht eht s’ehs esufer dehsup dedworcrevo seenimon lacol tsal liaj ni senildaeh rof noitcele werd s’ytnuoc .draob tnioppa dna sserdda POG notluF detcelE noissimmoC ,2202
eht eht etats sthgir .ecar rehto egduj edulcni ni remrof remrof remrof ;ytuped srednetnoc rednetnoc era ,eetnioppa dna dna gnoma etacovda noitartsinimda a a gnitoV .S.U miT VT ,gnilretS etaneS ,sdlonyeR nacilbupeR .peR regrepsneffaR .notgnivoC-R ynneP ;gniK nivleK .rJ leirbaG ,gnimelF starcomeD yrenosnoC nworB nediB nairdA
Listen up
yllacitiloP“ lliw er’ew eht eht taht epahs snoitseuq scitilop tsacdop tsacdop no otni ni gniggid yadoT ”aigroeG aigroeG .6202
ruoy uoy reverehw ot ebircsbus .stsacdop ro netsil teg eerf rof nac dna na uoY yfitopS yllacitiloP ,stsacdoP aigroeG elppA
uoy su su eht ?wohs noitseuq moc.cja@aigroegyllacitilop ro ro no evig erutuf rof derutaef .edosipe dluoc tnemmoc llac eb ta ta dna a a a evaH liamE 7925-018-077
Today in Washington

President Donald Trump waved after arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. He was returning from a holiday break in Florida.
:sgnineppaH
- President Donald Trump participates in a policy meeting at the White House.
- The full House is out for one more day.
- The House Ethics Committee is expected to announce an update on a complaint involving U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, and his top aide, Brandon Phillips. The committee disclosed in November that the complaint had been referred to its members on Oct. 7 and set a deadline for today to announce its course of action. The complaint wasn’t made public, and Collins’ office has called it a “desperate and baseless attack” by the U.S. Senate candidate’s political opponents.
- The Senate return for evening votes.
Shoutouts
yadhtrib detaleB
- Rebecca Yardley, executive director of America First Georgia (was Tuesday).
ot eht eht .taht timbus .stuotuohs tuotuohs ton ?rettelswen wen tsuj ,sboj detseretni ni ni ereh mrof rof .cte ,stnemegagne .syadhtrib yadhtrib htrib ,stnemecnuonna osla a a er’eW tnaW s’erehT yllacitiloP s’tI aigroeG kcilC
Before you go

Georgia author Allen Levi tells the story of a man named Theo who transforms lives with small acts of kindness.
oehT“ esirprus sseccus dehsilbup-fles dnoces etaborp fo .tsilevon ,levon egduj si ni sah gnidnif tubed .rellestseb emoceb sa tca a a a iveL siH sirraH ”,nedloG remroF ytnuoC nellA
ruoy uoy su .yadot ot ,moc.cja@llehctim.ait dnes ,spoocs moc.cja@yhprum.aicirtap ti redisni ofni ,moc.cja@nietseulb.gerg pissog rof od nac tseb dna dna ,syawla .moc.cja@maeb.mada ll’tahT sA
Georgia
Georgia politicians react along party lines to Minneapolis ICE officer shooting, killing US citizen
Georgia
Stacey Abrams rules out 2026 bid for Georgia governor
Two-time Democratic nominee says she’ll focus on fight against ‘authoritarianism’ instead.
Former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks at the Georgia State University Convocation Center in Atlanta on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, for a Kamala Harris campaign rally. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
Stacey Abrams won’t be on the Georgia ballot in 2026.
The two-time Democratic nominee for governor definitively ruled out another run for Georgia’s top job this year, saying Thursday she’ll instead continue her work fighting what she sees as the nation’s lurch toward authoritarianism under President Donald Trump.
snaciremA“ tahw tahw ot ot ot ot yeht eht tnemetats ekats ehs dias tcennocer ydaer ”,elbissop niap won tnemom si si si ni ni tub ta era era dna dna ,tca a ehT .noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ atnaltA
s’tI“ .krow lliw yaw ot ot siht eht taht taht evres kees thgir ,nosaer eciffo won ton tsom em si ni tnatropmi detcele evitceffe od gniunitnoc raelc nac yb I I roF ”.6202
dracdliw ohw hcihw saw gniyv gnitov deweiv ot ot ot driht eht detimil-mret deeccus emos tohs nees sthgir ecar mroftalp yalrap krowten lanoitan tnuom gnol nioj reh reh ,ronrevog gnisiardnuf rof serutaef nezod dluoc srednetnoc .dib sa sa sa dna syawla ydaerla etacovda tuoba a a a a a ,llitS nacilbupeR .pmeK .voG starcomeD nairB smarbA
Georgia Gubernatorial Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams and Republican candidate Brian Kemp greet each other before a live taping of the 2018 Gubernatorial debate for the Atlanta Press Club at the Georgia Public Broadcasting studio in Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018. (Alyssa Pointer/AJC)
01“ — — tuohtiw elihw tahw gninraw litnu delevart ot ot eht eht eht spets ehs ehs ehs ehs sees snoitseuq gnitomorp tneverp ”rewop lacitilop netfo noitan eman gninoitnem ni mih reh erutuf modeerf dekcud sregnad sllac yb .ycarcotua sa dna adnega tuoba tuoba s’pmurT ,yadsruhT dnA
I“ nairatirohtuA“ raey su ot ot siht siht taht ehs .dias ,ecnatsiser niamer elbazingocer mialcer laer ,koobyalp .nrettap ruo ytinutroppo ,laicaritlum lanoitarenegitlum stnemevom larom ezilibom ”,pihsredael si tsehgih pleh modeerf rof wollof esopxe ycarcomed sreviled dettimmoc gnillac dna dna ”.lla a a yM
A broader battle
eht ralugnis .scitilop tsap fo hcum ni sah ecrof ,edaced neeb a aigroeG roF smarbA
saw ot ot ot ot ot eht eht eht thguos emos ehs ylhguor lasufer ecar ecar hairap .srehto s’noitan lanoitan worran ytironim edam ssol ,redael ni oreh reh reh ,yrutnec-flah s’ronrevog s’ronrevog .ronrevog remrof tsrif erugif elamef detcele gnirud taefed edecnoc tsesolc emoceb emaceb sa dna dna a a a a pmeK esuoH reH snaigroeG aigroeG kcalB smarbA A 8102
— ot eht naht gnilur .hctamer desiar yramirp lacitilop gnimocrevo tuo noitazinagro erom noillim dehcnual sih reh reh morf remrof rof detaefed ylevisiced egnellahc egnellahc htob ,dib ,dna dna dna seilla retfa a a .S.U dekcab-pmurT ehS etaneS .neS .eudreP pmeK pmeK POG thgiF riaF divaD smarbA 2202 0202 011$
hcihw ,neht eht yltrohs ehs .delooter lacitilop enihcam ni yllagelli reh sah sah ,dednuof rof dedlof enif .dedaf dezisnwod .ngiapmac tliub gnieb gnikcab dessessa dna retfa a ehT ecniS ,tcejorP weN aigroeG thgiF riaF smarbA 5202 8102 000,003$
Rev. Martha Simmons wears an “election protection” badge during election day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, as a part of the New Georgia Project’s Faith Initiative. (Christina Matacotta for the AJC)
driht“ ohw saw s’yadot ot emit eht eht eht eht ehs gniyas ,ecar yllacitcarp dedaelp ecno sredael si si reh reh rof rof deraef retne ylregae ”.mrahc tsac etadidnac sa ,resivda .setyloca a ,snacilbupeR roN pmeK ,llaH citarcomeD ydoC smarbA
ot hguoht meht eht llits yas erever ydaer ytrap .no fo evom erom ynam si stsivitca citarcomeD dnA ,smarbA
— — elihw nehw nwonk-llew evaw desopponu eht eht ehs nar ecar ylcilbup snoitpo .nepo fo noitanimon tpek reh rof deretne a ekilnU starcomeD smarbA 6202 2202
ylediw ohw ot ot eht eht etats ,murtceps snaps nees reven etaredom larebil si lacigoloedi sah .rennur-tnorf morf remrof dleif esolc neeb sa ,ylla a dnomruhT ehT awuR nammoR tsirtnec-denrut-nacilbupeR .peR leahciM royaM ecnaL ahsieK ffoeG remroF .nacnuD tarcomeD blaKeD OEC ,smottoB atnaltA smarbA

Democratic candidates for governor include (top row, left to right): Keisha Lance Bottoms, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves. Bottom row: Derrick Jackson, Ruwa Romman and Michael Thurmond. (AJC file photos)
”ycnegreme-fo-esac-ni-ssalg-kaerb“ liart ot eht eht llits emos ,os was no lanoitan aidem egral fi .erif dleif deliaf sward sdworc dnammoc hctac etadidnac nac ngiapmac .noitnetta sa dna a ehS nevE starcomeD smarbA
ylbmessA“ elihw ot noitaluceps nur elur gnisufer gnitomorp .stcejorp ,tsacdop tuo rehto wen aidem reh deleuf yb koob dna a a ehS ”,deriuqeR
ll’ehs dias no peek reh sucof redaorb .elttab a yadsruhT tuB smarbA
ehT“ ot taht hcnuats ehs .dias seriuqer gnol sti evah sah smrah tnemegagne ;ycarcomed ycarcomed ”,srednefed deveileb neeb msinairatirohtua etoditna dna dna dna syawla evitca I
tuB“ — krow nehw ew tsav hguorht eht eht fo ytirojam ti si ”.delirepmi tnemnrevog ,sliaf decneirepxe ycarcomed yb era lla
Georgia
Georgia Republicans move to scrap state income tax by 2032 despite concerns
ATLANTA — Eliminating state income taxes sounds great to many voters, but Republicans backing the push in multiple states still face questions about whether such big tax cuts can be made without raising other taxes or sharply cutting state funding for education, health care and other services.
Georgia on Wednesday became the latest state to launch a bid to abolish its personal income tax, with Republican leaders in the Senate backing a proposal to zero it out by 2032. This year, Georgia’s personal income tax is projected to collect about $16.5 billion, or 44% of the state’s general revenue.
The push is driven by politics. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, the Republican who leads the state Senate, has made eliminating income taxes a centerpiece of his 2026 campaign for governor. State Sen. Blake Tillery, a Vidalia Republican who led a committee to abolish the tax, is among candidates to succeed Jones as lieutenant governor.
“This is the first vote that we are going to get to take to address affordability,” Tillery said.
But it’s unclear if the proposal will pass. Georgia House Republicans may want to continue nibbling away at the tax in smaller bites, preferring a “measured” approach. Republican House Speaker Jon Burns of Newington said Wednesday that his big 2026 goal is to eliminate property taxes for homeowners, but said he’s willing to consider the Senate plan.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, serving his last year, has been cool to total elimination of the income tax. He declined to comment Wednesday on the Senate plan, but spokesperson Carter Chapman said Kemp wants “to continue lowering taxes and putting more money in Georgians’ pockets as he has throughout his term.”
The state’s Democratic minority opposes the move, saying it would mostly benefit high earners and the state needs money to provide services.
Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) holds a pre-session press conference to discuss his priorities for the 2026 legislative session, at the State Capitol in Atlanta, Ga, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. Credit: AP/Matthew Pearson
Multiple GOP-led states seek tax cuts
Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi and Missouri have all set goals to abolish the personal income tax, joining eight other states that don’t tax personal income. Eight other states besides Georgia are cutting personal income tax rates this year, according to the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C., group generally skeptical of higher taxes.
“We’ve seen a lot of states cut their income tax rates in the last four or five years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and coming out of it,” said Aravind Boddupalli, senior researcher at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
Supporters say cuts help a state compete for new residents and businesses, pointing to growth in Texas and Florida, two states without personal income taxes.
“Your income tax is a tax on productivity,” said Manish Bhatt, who studies state taxes for the Tax Foundation. “If you are taxing productivity, you are potentially losing out on economic gains.”
Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) holds a pre-session press conference to discuss his priorities for the 2026 legislative session, at the State Capitol in Atlanta, Ga, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. Credit: AP/Matthew Pearson
Front-loading cuts for lower earners
Georgia has already been cutting income taxes, taking what was once a top income tax rate of 6% and lowering it to a 5.19% flat rate. Republicans broadly support a further cut for individual and corporate taxpayers to 4.99% this year, worth an estimated $800 million in foregone tax revenue.
The Senate plan would then freeze the corporate rate and focus on individual tax cuts. It proposes in 2027 to exempt the first $50,000 of income for a single person or $100,000 for a married couple, up from $12,000 and $24,000 now.
Faced with Democratic criticism about affordability, the big increase in exempt income is central to Republicans’ own arguments about how they can make money stretch farther. About 70% of Georgians reported less than $100,000 of taxable income in 2024, according to state figures.
“It is a plan that gives benefits first to hardworking families,” Tillery said.
The initial rate cut, plus the exemption proposal, would lower Georgia revenue by $3.8 billion in its 2027 budget year. Tillery says the state could pay by using surplus tax revenue and shifting back to paying for capital expenditures through borrowing instead of cash. But those moves probably wouldn’t cover the foregone revenue even in the first year, much less $13 billion more in cuts to get to zero.
Tillery said revenue should be bolstered by trimming business income and sales tax breaks, saying legislators should reduce “corporate welfare.” But lawmakers and Kemp have balked at curtailing those measures in recent years.
Some tax cuts backfired
Tax cuts haven’t always been a political bonanza. In Kansas, after Republicans under Gov. Sam Brownback cut income taxes steeply more than a decade ago, voters revolted at budget cuts and lawmakers imposed multiple tax increases to cover persistent budget shortfalls, including restoring some income tax cuts. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly won her first term in 2018 by framing the race as a referendum on Brownback’s policies.
“State income taxes are only bad if you fundamentally don’t believe that the services, the public investments that state governments provide, are worth anything,” said Matt Gardner, a senior fellow with the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy .
In Missouri, Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe and GOP legislative leaders have made phasing out the state’s income tax a top priority for the session starting Wednesday. They’re looking to expand sales taxes to services which currently are untaxed to help offset lost revenue.
“We want to do this in a smart, efficient way that’s not going to have the state go off some sort of fiscal cliff,” Missouri House Majority Leader Alex Riley told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
But expanding sales taxes could fall more heavily on poorer taxpayers. The liberal-leaning Georgia Budget and Policy Institute estimated that if Georgia doesn’t expand its sales tax, the combined state and local sales tax rate would have to rise sharply from the current 7.42% to recover revenue losses.
All that leads to questions about income-tax elimination plans, even from Republicans. Burns, the Georgia House speaker, said he’s “open” to any plan that benefits Georgians.
“But we’ve got to have the details, and it has to work,” Burns said. “We need to make sure we can continue to do vital services — health care, public safety, education, all the things we talked about.”
-
Detroit, MI5 days ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology2 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX4 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Health4 days agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
-
Nebraska2 days agoOregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska
-
Iowa2 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Nebraska2 days agoNebraska-based pizza chain Godfather’s Pizza is set to open a new location in Queen Creek
-
Entertainment1 day agoSpotify digs in on podcasts with new Hollywood studios
