Georgia governor to propose $1.8 billion infrastructure investment, including water, sewer projects
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp told a business group on Wednesday that he’ll propose $1.8 billion in additional spending on infrastructure, as well as expand health care training for dentists and physicians, showing how the state’s $11 billion in surplus cash is giving the Republican the power to spend big even as state revenues slow.
Kemp said he wants to invest another $250 million in the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, which loans money to local governments for water and sewer projects. Kemp earlier gave out $442 million in water and sewer grants using federal COVID-19 aid, but officials have said those grants didn’t go as far as many had hoped.
Kemp also told the Georgia Chamber of Commerce that he’ll need more than a year to follow through on an earlier pledge to limit lawsuits, and that he’ll also make it harder for the workers to join a labor union at the big developments Georgia is subsidizing.
“If we want to maintain the incredible position we’re in today for another generation, we need to make smart moves right now to secure that future,” Kemp said, arguing his plans would keep Georgia’s economy humming.
The prepared text of Wednesday’s speech by the second-term incumbent was a meaty preview of his Thursday State of the State address, with Kemp promising more to come.
“Tomorrow, I will share even more announcements on how we will build on these successes,” Kemp said of the Thursday speech.
Other components of the speech include:
- Allotting $1.5 billion to the Georgia Department of Transportation before June 30 to speed up work on the agency’s project list and establish a freight infrastructure program.
- Allocating $50 million before June to a fund he created to develop land for housing.
- Spending $228 million to create a new public dental school at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro and expand a medical school at the University of Georgia in Athens.
This story was originally reported by AP News.
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