Session Update . Week Two . 2020

From the desk of Senator Jackson

Tuesday, January 21, marked the beginning of what we refer to as, “budget week.” The only thing that we are constitutionally required to do during our 40-day session is pass a balanced budget. While balancing, a budget seems simple enough, when dealing with billions of dollars, it can be quite challenging.
 
House and Senate Appropriations Committees held a series of joint budget hearings throughout the week, which gave us the chance to closely examine Governor Kemp’s recommendations. Further, Governor Kemp has ordered state agencies to cut budgets and streamline operations. As our state’s fiscal year begins July 1, we are in the first stages of crafting two budget bills: The full 2021 Fiscal Year budget and the 2020 Amended Fiscal Year budget.