Another week has passed here at the Gold Dome, and it was the busiest one to date. Along with passing four pieces of legislation on the Senate floor, progress was also made on the Amended Fiscal Year 2021 (AFY 21) budget, numerous election reform bills were filed, and our important committee work continued. I am excited for what is to come, but first want to give you some of the highlights from the week.
This week, the Georgia Senate Appropriations Committee approved the AFY 21 budget. The Senate Appropriations Committee agreed with many of the House changes and I expect this budget bill, House Bill 80, to be on the Senate Chamber floor next week for a full vote. The supplemental budget is a necessary bill every year in order to true up any disparities on what was originally budgeted for a fiscal year, versus what is actually necessary. This process was especially important this year, as the full economic impact of COVID-19 is still being determined. However, this budget represents a fair and responsible allocation of your tax dollars and I am pleased with the final product.
My fellow members and I also voted on our first bills of the session this week on the Senate floor. Notably, the Senate passed Senate Bill 6, also known as the “Tax Credit Return on Investment Act of 2021.” SB 6, which I cosponsored, would allow the chairpersons of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee to request up to five economic analyses each year of a particular tax credit. Georgia offers numerous tax credits in order to incentivize business to establish operations in the state, and while many of them provide a positive return on investment, this is not true across the board. SB 6 ensures Georgia has fiscal responsibility in place and we are only approving tax credits that can demonstrate a positive return. This bill passed the Senate with a strong bipartisan vote and will now transfer to the House for consideration.
