Kemp says FY 2023 Budget will build safer, stronger Georgia

ATLANTA – Georgia Governor Brian Kemp says the FY 2023 Funds was signed to strengthen public security, put money into training and healthcare, and develop enterprise.

Launch:

Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by First Girl Marty Kemp and Amy Porter Kemp, constitutional officers, Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, Speaker David Ralston, management and members of the Normal Meeting, and state and native elected officers, signed the Fiscal 12 months 2023 Funds (HB 911). In doing so, the governor continues to ship on his promise to construct a safer, stronger Georgia by means of vital investments in public security, training, healthcare, Georgia’s no. 1 enterprise setting, and extra.

Governor Kemp signed HB 911 on the College of North Georgia’s Blue Ridge Campus. An excerpt from his remarks at at this time’s ceremony may be discovered beneath. A video of the ceremony may be discovered right here.

Georgia continues to guide within the Nice Restoration as a result of we selected to guard each lives and livelihoods through the pandemic, as a result of we withstood the criticisms and opened our financial system, and since we made the powerful selections when it mattered most.

And due to these selections, our unemployment fee is at a exceptional 3.1 %, we skilled record-breaking commerce, commerce, and funding numbers this fiscal 12 months whereas retaining our No. 1 rating for enterprise, and our state revenues are up with none tax improve on our folks and companies.

In truth, we put over 1 billion {dollars} of taxpayer {dollars} again the place they belong… within the pockets of hardworking Georgians. On high of that, we briefly halted the state fuel tax and created the most important tax reduce in state historical past.

The funds I’ll signal at this time will construct on that good work within the fiscal 12 months forward.

HB 911 funds our priorities and units our state on a robust footing for continued restoration and development; not simply over this subsequent 12 months, however for years to return.

A few months in the past, we have been capable of give Georgia’s hardworking lecturers a 2,000 greenback, one-time pay complement and a classroom grant to spend as they noticed match to profit their college students.

Immediately, I’m proud to signal this funds that can put a 2,000 greenback pay increase on high of that and ship on a promise I made once I first ran for governor.

In complete, we may have raised trainer pay in Georgia by 5,000 {dollars} since I took workplace!

HB 911 additionally:

• Absolutely restores austerity cuts made to QBE and associated applications through the COVID pandemic by means of greater than 388 million extra {dollars} for Okay-12 instruction;
• It restores austerity cuts to the College System of Georgia and permits our public schools and universities to remove the Particular Institutional Price that college students and their households have needed to pay because the Nice Recession;
• It supplies a minimal issue fee of 90 % for HOPE scholarships and grants to cowl tuition prices; and
• It expands instruction of in-demand profession applications at our Technical Faculties, additional addressing provide chain points.

Briefly, this funds improves each the standard of and entry to training throughout the board.

Between the amended funds I signed earlier and this one, we’re investing extra per Okay-12 scholar than ever earlier than in our state.

However this funds doesn’t solely make our lecture rooms and workforce higher, it additionally makes our communities safer and places sources the place they should be to take down criminals.

HB 911 supplies for an extra trooper college of 75 cadets who will be part of the ranks of our elite State Troopers within the fiscal 12 months forward.

It additionally supplies funding to the Workplace of the Legal professional Normal to develop the very profitable Human Trafficking Unit created final 12 months and to create the Gang Prosecution Unit modeled after it.

As Legal professional Normal Carr mentioned a few weeks in the past once I signed the invoice establishing the Gang Prosecution Unit… “The Division of Legislation will function a drive multiplier by working hand-in-hand with federal, state, and native legislation enforcement officers to make sure that violent criminals are aggressively prosecuted and put behind bars.”

They won’t hesitate to prosecute those that pose a threat to Georgia’s folks and companies.

HB 911 additionally supplies over 10.3 million {dollars} to develop the GBI Medical Examiner’s workplace and crime lab to handle the backlog of instances in order that justice can lastly be served for victims and their family members.

It additionally supplies sources to the GBI for elections investigators, so that every one Georgians may be assured that their vote is safe.

We’re additionally not resting on our laurels with regards to making Georgia a more healthy place to name residence.

With this funds, we’re additional guaranteeing that Georgia stays a state that values life in any respect levels by placing over 28 million {dollars} towards extending Medicaid protection of recent moms from six to 12 months following delivery, and rising the supplier fee for foster dad and mom, Youngster Caring Establishments, Youngster Putting Companies, and relative caregivers by 10 %.

We’re additionally investing in an autism recognition pilot program, in order that we will additional support households with valuable youngsters who face such challenges.

And we’re additional increasing the behavioral well being and substance abuse disaster companies supplied to these scuffling with dependancy and psychological well being points.

I’m additionally proud to say that, working with Commissioner John King, we’ve allotted over 124 million {dollars} on this funds for the state reinsurance program, which can scale back insurance coverage premiums statewide.

When Georgians are dealing with tragedies or accidents, whether or not well being or property associated, the very last thing they need to have to fret about is much more prices piled on.

What I’ve shared are only a small handful of the advantages that can quickly come to Georgians and our communities due to this historic funds.

So once more, I need to thank everybody right here and elsewhere who helped make this funds attainable.

Georgia continues to be the very best state to stay, work, and lift a household as a result of now we have prioritized training, public security, and healthcare – even within the face of really unprecedented instances.

This funds builds on these priorities to make us even stronger and extra affluent, and I’m honored to be in Fannin County to signal this historic funds.

Thanks!