Gov. Kemp signs 2025 budget, vetoes a dozen bills

ATLANTA - Gov. Brian Kemp signed the 2025 budget on Tuesday morning at the state capitol in Atlanta.

The budget, totaling $36.1 billion in state money and $66.8 billion overall, includes pay raises for public school teachers, state employees, state law enforcement officers, and child welfare workers.

K-12 certified teachers will reportedly receive a $2,500 pay increase, with $382.1 million allocated in the budget. Law enforcement and child welfare workers will receive a $3,000 raise, while state employees, including public university employees making less than $70,000, will receive a 4% pay increase.

RELATED: Georgia teachers and state employees will get pay raises as state budget passes

Additionally, the state's pre-K system will receive $48 million in state lottery funds, and $19 million is being directed toward domestic violence shelters and sexual assault survivors. Millions of dollars will also be spent on nursing homes, health care providers, physical and occupational therapists, and doctors.

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The budget allocates $1.5 billion for state transportation projects, $250 million for local water and sewer projects, nearly $600 million for the Department of Corrections, and $100 million for rural economic development projects.

RELATED: Overview of Georgia’s 2025 Fiscal Year Budget 

Over the past three years, Georgia has generated record budget surpluses, resulting in the state adding between 15% to 23% of total General Fund expenditures to its reserve accounts annually. This year's budget increases per-person spending above Georgia's pre-pandemic level for the first time.

However, Governor Kemp predicts a significant decline in tax collections in 2024 following the historic state revenue growth seen between FY 2021 and 2023.

Tuesday also marked the last day for Gov. Kemp to sign or veto legislation. Kemp has already enacted dozens of bills into law, including legislation addressing antisemitism, a school voucher bill, and measures reducing tax rates for Georgia residents and businesses.

With the 2024 presidential contest looming, Governor Kemp signed new election changes into law.

SB 189 lists death, evidence of voting or registering in another jurisdiction, a tax exemption indicating a primary residence elsewhere, or a nonresidential address as probable causes for removing voters from the rolls. The measure also requires homeless people to use the county voter registration office as their address instead of where they live. 

Opponents argue that this could make it more difficult for homeless citizens to vote, as their registered polling place might be far away. Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia, called the bill a "step back for voters' rights and voting access." She added, "We are committed to protecting Georgia voters and will see the governor in court."

However, Kemp also vetoed twelve other bills, including several other election bills.

One of the vetoed bills, House Bill 1019, would have allowed Georgians to vote on whether to raise the homestead tax. Kemp cited conflicting language in that bill. 

Senate Bill 368 was another vetoed measure. It would have banned non-U.S. citizens from donating to Georgia state candidates or election campaigns. The legislation would also have required foreign nationals conducting business in Georgia to register with the state ethics commissioner.

Kemp also vetoed House Bill 1192, which would have temporarily suspended a state sales tax exemption designed to incentivize the creation of data centers.

FULL LIST OF VETOED BILLS

Any vetoed bills will be returned to the legislature at the beginning of the next session, where they must pass each chamber with a two-thirds majority.