Georgia

Georgia Republicans move to scrap state income tax by 2032 despite concerns

Published

6 months ago

January 7, 2026

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... — 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.”

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Georgia

Heat wave expected to bring potential dangerous conditions to South Georgia

Published

6 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Press Room

Heat wave expected to bring potential dangerous conditions to South Georgia

WALB is working to produce a video specific to this story. In the meantime, watch other stories from Dougherty County above.

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — A prolonged heat wave is expected to settle across South Georgia over the next week, bringing dangerously hot conditions to the region.

Meteorologist Justin Williams said temperatures will climb into the mid to upper 90s. High humidity will push heat index values well above 100 degrees.

Health risks

Health officials warn that prolonged exposure to extreme heat can increase the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Older adults, young children, people with chronic medical conditions and those who work outdoors face particular risk.

What to do

Health officials recommend staying hydrated and limiting outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day. Wearing lightweight clothing and taking frequent breaks in air-conditioned spaces or the shade are also advised.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, Instagram and X. For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.

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Georgia

Georgia Lottery Mega Millions, Cash 3 results for June 26, 2026

Published

16 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Press Room

The Georgia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 26, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 26 drawing

05-13-30-33-52, Mega Ball: 06

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 26 drawing

Midday: 7-6-1

Evening: 1-7-2

Night: 9-5-1

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 26 drawing

Midday: 7-6-2-5

Evening: 4-9-1-9

Night: 4-9-1-1

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 26 drawing

Early Bird: 08

Matinee: 03

Drive Time: 02

Primetime: 13

Night Owl: 14

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Georgia FIVE numbers from June 26 drawing

Midday: 1-5-9-6-1

Evening: 5-7-0-9-0

Check Georgia FIVE payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from June 26 drawing

03-13-14-16-41

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 26 drawing

07-15-33-37-51, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes under $601: Can be claimed at any Georgia Lottery retail location. ALL PRIZES can be claimed by mail to: Georgia Lottery Corporation, P.O. Box 56966, Atlanta, GA 30343.
Prizes over $600: Must be claimed at Georgia Lottery Headquarters or any Georgia Lottery district office or mailed to the Georgia Lottery for payment.

When are the Georgia Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Cash 3 (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 3 (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 3 (Night): 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Night): 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Early Bird): 8 a.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Matinee): 1 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Drive Time): 5 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Primetime): 8 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Night Owl): 11:59 p.m. ET daily.
Georgia FIVE (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Georgia FIVE (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Fantasy 5: 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Jumbo Bucks Lotto: 11 p.m. ET on Monday and Thursday.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. ET daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Georgia editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Georgia

New Georgia laws going into effect July 1, 2026 | What to know

Published

1 day ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

New Georgia laws going into effect July 1, 2026 | What to know

article

ATLANTA – More than 100 new Georgia laws take effect July 1, 2026, covering everything from education and public safety to health care, consumer protection and taxes.

PREVIOUS: New Georgia laws going into effect Jan. 1, 2026 | What to know

We’ve highlighted some of the most significant new laws that could affect Georgians. The list does not include every law taking effect July 1, but instead focuses on those with the broadest public impact.

Here’s a look at some of the new laws taking effect July 1:

State Budget

HB 974 – Fiscal Year 2027 state budget

Funds Georgia state government and agencies for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026.

Animals

HB 668 – Service dog protections

Increases penalties for harming or interfering with service dogs and makes it illegal to falsely claim an animal is a service dog.

Business

HB 1129 – Enterprise zone updates

Revises rules governing local enterprise zones, including tax incentives and qualification requirements.

HB 1470 – Website accessibility litigation

Creates legal remedies aimed at discouraging abusive lawsuits over website accessibility claims while encouraging businesses to correct accessibility issues.

SB 447 – Building permit transparency

Requires local governments to provide real-time online updates on the status of building permit applications.

Children & families

SB 383 – Child fatality review updates

Expands child fatality review committees and strengthens training, reporting and investigation requirements.

HB 350 – Safe Haven law expansion

Expands Georgia’s Safe Haven law by allowing newborns to be safely surrendered at ambulances, public safety vehicles and approved newborn safety devices.

HB 1283 – Family Justice Centers

Authorizes Family Justice Centers that provide coordinated services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, abuse and human trafficking, and extends evidence retention in sexual assault cases.

Consumer protection

HB 1112 – Cash rounding law

Creates rules for cash transactions if the U.S. stops using pennies. Businesses must accept exact change if offered, and sales tax must be calculated before any rounding occurs. (This only applies if pennies are discontinued.)

HB 945 – Financial fraud and cryptocurrency protections

Allows banks to freeze suspicious transactions involving elderly or disabled adults and adds new consumer protections for cryptocurrency kiosks.

Courts & Judicial System

HB 999 – Magistrate court updates

Raises the maximum amount for civil cases in Georgia magistrate courts from $15,000 to $25,000 and updates court procedures. (One section takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.)

HB 1020 – Judicial Retirement System changes

Updates retirement benefits and survivor benefit calculations for district attorneys participating in Georgia’s Judicial Retirement System.

Criminal & Public Safety

SB 470 – Emergency & Public Safety Signal Protection Act

Bans the possession, sale, manufacture and use of signal jammers, with limited exceptions.

SB 542 – Clergy sexual misconduct law

Creates new criminal offenses for improper sexual contact by clergy members and establishes a 15-year statute of limitations.

SB 587 – Abuse investigations and animal cruelty

Allows courts to order the location of alleged child or elder abuse victims and creates a statewide animal cruelty database.

HB 1075 – Human trafficking penalties

Increases penalties for people previously convicted of human trafficking who commit certain sexual offenses.

SB 570 – Georgia Human Trafficking Prevention Training Act

Requires hotels, inns and short-term rental operators to provide human trafficking awareness training for employees.

HB 1097 – Caregiver background checks

Requires criminal background and registry checks for caregivers and employees at facilities serving children, older adults and people with disabilities.

SB 547 – Pimping and pandering penalties

Raises pimping and pandering offenses from misdemeanors to felonies, increasing criminal penalties.

HB 447 – Gift card fraud

Creates new felony offenses for stealing, forging or fraudulently using gift cards.

Education

HB 340 – Distraction-Free Education Act

Prohibits public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade from using personal electronic devices during the school day, with limited exceptions.

HB 651 – School-zone automated enforcement

Updates how school-zone speed cameras are enforced and allows prosecutors to pursue unpaid civil penalties generated by camera citations.

HB 1164 – State Board of Education audit committee

Requires the State Board of Education to establish an audit committee to improve oversight and accountability.

HB 1030 – Math Matters Act

Expands access to advanced math courses and updates teacher preparation requirements for math instruction.

HB 1302 – Education and Workforce Strategy Act

Reorganizes Georgia’s education and workforce planning offices to better align schools, apprenticeships and career training.

HB 1284 – Terminally ill students

Allows Georgia high schools to award diplomas early to students with terminal illnesses who are receiving end-of-life care.

SB 589 – School enrollment age changes

Changes the age cutoff for kindergarten and first-grade enrollment and expands some voluntary Pre-K options.

SB 552 – Student political expression

Protects public school students’ rights to political expression and guarantees equal access to school political groups.

SB 369 – Education program updates

Expands opportunities for virtual students, creates dropout recovery charter schools and sets new rules for nontraditional education programs.

SB 179 – Computer science education

Requires computer science to become a high school graduation requirement beginning with the 2031-32 school year and classifies virtual-only nonpublic schools as private schools.

Employment

HB 1118 – Paid maternal leave

Provides eligible state employees with 120 hours of paid maternity leave after childbirth and protects them from workplace retaliation for taking the leave.

HB 987 – Voluntary Portable Benefits Act

Creates a voluntary system that allows independent contractors to receive benefits, such as health or retirement contributions, through portable benefit accounts without changing their employment status.

HB 483 – Code enforcement protections

Creates stronger criminal penalties for assaults against code enforcement officers while performing their duties. The enhanced penalties apply specifically to offenses committed after July 1, 2026.

Entertainment & Gaming

HB 455 – Bingo law changes

Expands where bingo games can be held, increases the amount of prize money that can be awarded and limits how many bingo sessions can be held each day and month.

Food, Drugs & Cosmetics

HB 117 – Imported shrimp labeling

Requires restaurants to disclose when shrimp served is imported rather than wild-caught or domestic.

SB 551 – Egg law repeal

Repeals Georgia’s laws governing egg grading, labeling and quality standards.

Homeowners

SB 406 – Georgia Property Owners’ Bill of Rights Act (section 7 only)

Gives homeowners more HOA protections by requiring certified notice before collection actions, increasing transparency and creating a state complaint process for HOA disputes. Only Section 7, which deals with attorney’s fees, goes into effect on July 1.

Hunting

HB 946 – Feral hog control

Allows people to trap feral hogs without a license and use drones to locate them. Captured hogs must be euthanized.

SB 148 – Hunting safety in schools

Allows public schools to offer hunting safety courses for students in grades 6-12 and creates a pilot program for outdoor learning spaces.

Medical

HB 227 – Medical cannabis updates

Renames Georgia’s “low THC oil” program to medical cannabis and updates state laws and criminal penalties related to medical cannabis use and regulation.

SB 195 – Pharmacist PrEP and PEP law

Allows specially trained pharmacists to dispense HIV prevention medications without a traditional prescription under certain conditions.

Money & Finances

HB 945 – Financial fraud and cryptocurrency protections

Allows banks to temporarily freeze accounts when elder financial exploitation is suspected and creates new regulations for cryptocurrency kiosks, including transaction limits, fee caps and fraud warnings.

Motor Vehicles & Traffic

HB 1161 – Traffic safety updates

Updates Georgia’s laws on yielding to emergency vehicles, fleeing from police and traffic stops. (The window tint section takes effect July 1, 2027.)

HB 651 – School-zone speed cameras

Updates rules for school-zone speed cameras, adds penalties for misuse and limits new camera programs after 2027 without voter approval. (Some provisions take effect July 1, 2027.)

SB 293 – Odometer fraud law

Makes odometer tampering a felony and significantly increases penalties for vehicle mileage and title fraud.

Protecting the disabled

SB 433 – Autism awareness and training

Creates autism awareness license plates and requires Georgia law enforcement officers to receive training on interacting with people with autism or developmental disabilities.

Religion

SB 591 – Disrupting religious services

Increases penalties for intentionally disrupting religious services, funerals and memorial services. Penalties are even tougher for military funerals.