Charlice Byrd

BY CHARLICE BYRD

The Georgia General Assembly has been hard at work during the 2022 legislative session. We recently wrapped up what is commonly known as budget week, when the House and Senate appropriations committees held a series of joint budget hearings. Gov. Brian Kemp, along with other agency heads, presented his formal recommendations for the amended budget and upcoming fiscal year budget.

Twenty months out from the beginning of the pandemic, we heard some bright economic projections. More than 97% of Georgia jobs lost during the pandemic have been regained. In December, Georgia broke records when unemployment dropped to 2.6%, and we experienced an all-time high of employed individuals.

Kemp announced that the state can fund its Revenue Shortfall Reserve fully, and has accrued an additional undesignated surplus. The Department of Revenue will issue $1.6 billion in tax refunds to the taxpayers of Georgia, using funds from this surplus. Single tax filers will receive a $250 refund, and those who file jointly will receive a $500 refund, once 2021 tax returns are processed by the state.

With the joint budget hearings concluded, the House appropriations subcommittees are meeting separately to review specific portions of the budget and state agencies’ budget needs.

The House also has given final passage to a piece of legislation that was carried over from the 2021 legislative session. Several years ago, the General Assembly passed legislation that would prohibit the state from participating in commercial discrimination against businesses that operate in Israel, and during the 2021 session, the House passed House Bill (HB) 383 to clarify a portion of this law. Through the legislative process, our counterparts in the Senate made updates to the original bill that was passed by the House and, in return, passed an updated version of the bill out of their chamber. The House recently voted to agree to the Senate’s changes before sending HB 383 to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. Israel is one of our many important economic trading partners, and this bill would reaffirm the state’s commitment to protecting this vital relationship.

Contact me with your thoughts on proposed legislation or current events that may impact our community. You can reach me by phone at 404-557-2218, or email charlice.byrd@house.ga.gov. Or, write to my State Capitol office (508-B Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Atlanta, GA 30334).

Rep. Charlice Byrd represents District 20 in the Georgia House of Representatives. charlice.byrd@house.ga.gov.