Sen. Steve Gooch

LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. – State Senator Steve Gooch and State Representative Will Wade will be the featured speakers at the annual State of the State Legislative Luncheon at noon Wednesday, April 28 presented by the Northeast Georgia Health Systems in the Parks and Recreation Center, 365 Riley Road.

The luncheon is open to the public. The cost to attend is $25 for members of the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce and $30 for non-members.

One topic certain to be addressed is Georgia’s $27.2 billion FY 2022 budget that lawmakers approved on April 1, the final day of the General Assembly. The new spending plan restores more than half of the deep budget cuts made last year as the Covid-19 pandemic was just starting to spread across the nation.

State Rep. Will Wade

In response to that healthcare crisis, Georgia lawmakers approved a 10 percent across-the-board cut in state spending. The new budget will restore most of the cuts. The state will also receive approximately $4.7 billion from the federal government’s latest COVID-19 relief plan.

Federal dollars allocated to the states often come with restrictions on how the money can be spent. So, Gov. Brian Kemp is waiting to see the restrictions before deciding how the funds will be allocated.

No tax increases or spending cuts were included in the new budget and the government will not have to dip into its reserves or “rainy day fund” to balance the budget.