2026 Legislative Session Begins, Week 2 Review from Rep. Bruce Williamson

Dear Friends,

I hope everyone stays safe this weekend as the winter weather approaches. Follow the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency on Facebook for weather updates.

This week at the Capitol was Budget Week. The House and Senate didn’t officially begin session; instead, they held joint appropriations committee meetings to review the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 and Fiscal Year 2027 budgets. Governor Kemp opened the meetings by presenting his budget requests. We also received updates from various state agencies on their budget needs. The General Assembly is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget every year, so this is a very important week.

Governor Kemp unveiled his budget proposals, divided into two sections: the Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2026 budget, covering spending for the rest of this fiscal year ending June 30th, and the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget, which determines the state’s spending plan starting July 1, 2026, based on a forecasted revenue estimate. Here are some key points:

Governor Kemp’s AFY 2026 budget is set on a revised revenue estimate of $42.3 billion. The FY 2027 budget is set on a revenue estimate of $38.5 billion.
Governor Kemp noted that more than$9.7 billion has been returned to Georgia taxpayers through rebates, income tax cuts, and other relief measures.
Building on this tax relief, the AFY 2026 budget includes a one-time tax rebate returning $1 billion to Georgia families.
Budget includes $$625 million to provide a one-time salary supplement of $2,000 to full-time regular state employees.
To help pulp and paper mills in southeast Georgia recover from Hurricane Helene, a Georgia Timber Task Force has been launched to support recovery. $11 million is set aside.
$218 million is allocated for the University System of Georgia.
$325 million in the budget for the DREAMS scholarship, which will create a needs-based scholarship for university enrollment.
$50 million for the State Housing Trust Fund to establish a homelessness grant program.
$5 million to establish a defined contribution plan for State Law Enforcement Officers.
$2.4 billion to expand and improve state interchange corridors and other transportation projects.

The state economist said Georgia’s three main revenue sources—personal income, corporate income, and sales taxes—accounted for about 90% of the revenue growth, with personal income and wages growing faster than the national average and sales tax revenue remaining strong through FY 2025. He noted Georgia’s low unemployment rate of 3.5% in November 2025, which has outpaced the national rate for nearly 6 years. However, he cautioned that consumers continue to feel the strain of rising costs due to inflation.

Check out the proposed budget for yourself.

Governor’s Budget Reports

This week, Governor Kemp announced that Georgia will opt into the new federal tax-credit scholarship program for school choice. This program was made possible by the One Big Beautiful Bill passed last summer. This program will add to Georgia’s own tax credit scholarship program, Georgia Goal. This tax credit will be a new way for families to cover private school tuition and other education expenses. Individual taxpayers can donate up to $1,700 to fund scholarships in exchange for a discount of the same amount on what they owe in federal taxes