A Polar Vortex Shuts Down the Georgia State Capitol
This week at the Capitol, almost nothing happened. Public budget hearings were cancelled due to snow, and rather than being rescheduled they were replaced with private meetings with Republican leadership. In the era of virtual technology, this seems unconscionable. The elimination of state public budget hearings is yet another chunk axed from the heart of our democracy.
For much longer than I can remember, the second week of Georgia’s legislative session has been dedicated solely to the budget, when state agency heads come to the Capitol to present their budget priorities and legislators ask them questions. It’s also where the Governor speaks to his vision for the coming fiscal year, and the State Economist gives his prediction for the economy. It’s all taken very seriously. I learned almost everything I know about the inner workings of state government by listening to these hearings.
During the last several years, I have heard government leaders plead for funding because they don’t have enough staff to do what their agencies were created to do. Sometimes their pleas were so fierce I thought they’d be fired by the Governor the next day.
Since early in his first term, Governor Kemp has systematically dismantled state government through a dual strategy of cutting budgets and drastically underestimating the revenue. Instead of investing in Georgia and its people, the Governor has hoarded billions of dollars into rainy day accounts. He has even regularly cut the gas tax so that the Georgia Department of Transportation gets its funding through the general funds — money intended for schools and healthcare — instead of motor fuel taxes, as our constitution prescribes.
Georgia’s income tax rate had been set at 6% since the 1930s and stayed that way until recently. Governor Kemp has proposed to reduce it again to 5.19 percent for FY 2026. There is no way to implement these cuts without taking it from education and healthcare.
And now these agency heads, who understand the importance of governing, have been silenced — not by a polar vortex but by a political vortex. In the halls of Democracy, silence gives authoritarianism the opportunity to thrive.
Jimmy Carter and the Budget
During Jimmy Carter’s governorship (1971-1975), he completely reformed the structure of Georgia’s government, reducing it from almost 300 agencies, board and commissions to 20 departments, eliminating duplication and streamlining services. His goal was to create a government more responsive to the people.
This basic government structure, as well as the zero-based budgeting process he implemented, still exists today — at least for now. But it’s in jeopardy.
Action Needed
The Appropriations Chairs in both the House & the Senate need to hear from you that the Budget Hearings should be rescheduled instead of cancelled. Legislators are the voice of the people, and they deserve to hear from agency heads before deciding what gets funded and what doesn’t. The legislative branch should not just rubberstamp the Governor’s budget.
House Appropriations Chair
Rep.Matt Hatchett
404-463-2247
matt.hatchett@house.ga.gov
The full House Appropriations Committee (Click here to see if your Representative is a member, and if so, contact them as well).
Senate Appropriations Chair
Sen. Blake Tillery
404-656-5038
blake.tillery@senate.ga.gov
The full Senate Appropriations Committee (Click here to see if your Senator is a member, and if so, contact them as well).
Breaking the Silence
Now is the time to speak out. Last week I asked for your thoughts about the redirection of general funds away from public education through tax credits for private schools. Thank you to all who responded with deeply personal stories about the unacceptable conditions of many of our public schools. These stories strengthen my resolve and arm me with the tools I need to push back on the narratives that misrepresent reality in order to bolster the elite.
I will always speak the truth, so please share this Snapshot with others. Stay involved, and get others involved. Focus on what you can control instead of what you can’t. Pay attention to local government, where you can feel the difference you make. Support your elected officials whose values align with yours. We need each other as we navigate through these scary times.
