Almost four months after President Joe Biden signed into law a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, Georgia is getting started on figuring out how to spend its share.
Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday announced three bipartisan committees made up of lawmakers and agency leaders to consider applications to spend the $4.8 billion the state is getting as part of the relief package.
The state has already received half the money. It will get the second half next year.
State agencies, local governments, industries and nonprofits will be eligible to apply between Aug. 1 and Aug. 31 at opb.georgia.gov. Ultimately, under state law, Kemp will make the final decision on whether to approve committee recommendations, and grants are targeted to be announced in mid-October.
The committees will focus on broadband expansion, water and sewer infrastructure, and ways to mitigate the economic fallout from the pandemic.
“These committees will ensure federal coronavirus relief dollars are allocated strategically across our state and address one-time fund needs in three key areas,” Kemp said.
House Appropriations Chairman Terry England, R-Auburn, and Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, will serve on all three committees. Of the 20 lawmakers Kemp appointed to committees, only two are from the five core metro Atlanta counties, and not one is from Atlanta itself.
The relief package Biden signed in March is sending billions to Georgia cities and school districts as well.
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, state and local governments expected a deep recession after many businesses shut down and millions of people were thrown out of work. State leaders backed national calls for a $500 billion federal package to make up for expected lost tax revenue.
State tax revenue helps pay for k-12 schools, universities, public health care, roads and a host of other things.
While a major economic downturn was expected, economies in some states, including Georgia, bounced back relatively quickly. And now Georgia is expecting a sizable tax surplus when fiscal 2021 ends Wednesday.
Some states plan to use relief money to fill holes left by declining local tax collections.
Others are talking up proposals to repair aging water, sewer and transportation systems, to improve mental health programs and to create the infrastructure needed to offer high-speed internet to the millions of Americans who don’t have it.
The need for expanding high-speed internet access — particularly in rural Georgia — has been a hot topic at the General Assembly for years, but lawmakers could never come up with a way to pay for it without raising taxes and fees.
That talk only accelerated when schools closed down at the start of the pandemic and distance learning took the place of in-person instruction.
The money coming to Georgia can be used broadly for COVID-19 response, including making direct payments to Georgians, providing aid to small businesses and giving extra pay for “essential workers,” as well as funding infrastructure projects.
Last year federal CARES Act funding paid for Georgia’s response to the pandemic. Kemp also used $1.5 billion in federal pandemic relief money to shore up the fund that pays unemployment benefits after a record number of Georgians lost their jobs.
Federal relief money that went to the Georgia Department of Education was used for $1,000 teacher bonuses, and extra federal money indirectly paid for state employee bonuses as well.
Kemp’s committees to recommend COVID-19 relief spending
Economic Impact Committee
Alex Atwood, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Administrative Services
Gerlda Hines, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Resources
Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development
Jeffrey Dorfman, state economist and University of Georgia professor
Robyn Crittenden, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Revenue
Tim Lowrimore, state forester
Brian Marlowe, deputy commissioner for rural Georgia
House Appropriations Chairman Terry England, R-Auburn
Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia
House Ways and Means Chairman Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire
Rep. Calvin Smyre, D-Columbus
Rep. Josh Bonner, R-Fayetteville
Rep. John LaHood, R-Valdosta
Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Buford
Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-Ellenwood
Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome
Broadband Infrastructure Committee
Russell McMurry, transportation commissioner
Jannine Miller, transportation planning director
Christopher Nunn, commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs
Teresa MacCartney, interim chancellor of the University System of Georgia
Greg Dozier, technical college system commissioner
Shawnzia Thomas, executive director, Georgia Technology Authority
Richard Woods, state school superintendent
Eric Toler, executive director, Georgia Cyber Center
Michael Nix, executive director, Georgia Emergency Communications Authority
Frank Smith, deputy executive director, State Properties Commission
House Appropriations Chairman Terry England, R-Auburn
Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia
Rep. Clay Pirkle, R-Ashburn
Rep. Patty Bentley, D-Butler
Rep. Jodi Lott, R-Evans
Sen. Bo Hatchett, R-Cornelia
Sen. Harold Jones, D-Augusta
Senate Majority Whip Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega
Water and Sewer Infrastructure Committee
Chris Carr, attorney general
David Dove, executive counsel to Kemp
Mark Williams, commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources
Rick Dunn, director of the Environmental Protection Division
Kevin Clark, executive director of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority
John Eunice, deputy director, EPD
Andrew Pinson, Georgia solicitor general
James Capp, watershed protection branch chief, EPD
Wei Zeng, water protection program manager, EPD
House Appropriations Chairman Terry England, R-Auburn
Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia
Rep. Dominic LaRiccia, R-Douglas
House Agriculture Chairman Robert Dickey, R-Musella
Sen. Russ Goodman, R-Cogdell
Senate Agriculture Chairman Larry Walker, R-Perry
Sen. Freddie Powell Sims, D-Dawson
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