How Georgia's Legislative Branch is Funded and Makes Budget Decisions

Governments need money to provide services like schools, roads, and police. The money a government collects is called revenue. Most revenue comes from taxes, such as income taxes and sales taxes. Governments also earn money from non-tax revenue, like fees and the lottery.

Georgia must follow a balanced budget, which means the government cannot spend more money than it earns. If revenue goes down, the government must either cut spending or make changes to stay balanced.

Every government must have money to operate, and state governments are no exception. If there is to be a public school system with teachers, buildings, and textbooks; if there are to be roads connecting the major cities of the state; if there are to be parks and protected wilderness areas, then state government must have money to pay for those services.

The money that a government takes in is called revenue. The state of Georgia has a number of revenue sources, including several forms of taxes, fees, and lottery funds. Between 2022 and 2025, the total amount of state revenue averaged more than $32.7 billion each year. The creation of the various revenue sources and the terms for collecting revenue are determined by the legislative action of the Georgia General Assembly.

Laws are created by the legislative branch. A law starts as a bill, which is introduced in the General Assembly. The bill is debated, changed, and voted on. If it passes both houses, it goes to the governor, who can sign it into law or veto it.

However, not all bills become laws. One important reason is money. If a bill costs too much and the state does not have enough revenue, it may not pass.

Scenario: You are a member of the Georgia General Assembly. Last year, the state had $20 billion in revenue. This year, revenue dropped to $17 billion. This means you must CUT $3 billion from the budget.

Current Spending (Last Year):

• Education: $8 billion
• Healthcare: $4 billion
• Public Safety: $3 billion
• Roads & Transportation: $3 billion
• Parks & Recreation: $2 billion Total = $20 billion

A new law is proposed that would cost $1 billion to improve schools. You MUST decide: Do you support the law? YES or NO