Sen. Ben Watson

Columnist

The General Assembly is moving forward with a pending week of committee meetings, budget committee reviews and meeting with constituents. The biggest issue we are debating between the Senate and the House is tax relief and the ways that work best for the citizens of Georgia. This is an effort to address pocketbook issues and affordability for Georgians, as well as continue to keep Georgia the best state in which to work and live.

The ongoing discussion is generally between the Senate, which is driving the message and policy that income taxes must be reduced, and members in House leadership who are pushing hard for property tax relief. I believe that both priorities, income tax relief and property tax relief, are correct, and also believe that we must do this in a responsible way that makes sense. The leading Senate proposal would phase out the state’s income tax over six years, while the current House plan prioritizes property tax cuts over generally same amount of time. A Senate study committee researching the elimination of the income tax reported a proposal that provides substantial relief for taxpayers, eliminating the income tax by 2032. That proposal will be eliminating income taxes on the first $50,000 of income for individuals, or $100,000 for couples, starting in 2027.

We are also proposing a budget that features another $1 billion tax rebate to return or save the average individual filer $250 and a married couple up to $500. We are also supporting a 20-basis point reduction in the state’s personal and corporate income tax rate, bringing it to 4.99 percent.

This week, the House unveiled a proposal to address the rising cost of living with a property tax relief plan for homeowners, gradually eliminating homeowner property taxes on primary residences by 2032. This initiative aims to deliver relief from unsustainable property tax burdens while increasing transparency through a more direct line-item approach to funding local services.

In an effort to help school children across Georgia, the Senate is focusing on affordability for higher education and providing need-based financial aid for students who meet the academic requirements to attend college but lack enough money to pay for it. The Governor’s budget has proposed $325 million for a scholarship program for students with limited means.

In addition, the Senate is reviewing school absenteeism. One option is to make students ineligible for sports if they miss too many days of school. The Senate Study Committee on Combatting Chronic Absenteeism in Schools also has proposed suspending driver’s licenses of students who were chronically absent, with absenteeism generally described as missing at least 10% of the school year.

I will keep you updated on legislation affecting our community as we progress through the session. Thank you for your continued interest in the work of our General Assembly. As your public servant, feel free to visit me at the Capitol or to reach out to me by phone or email. I am in 325A, Coverdell Legislative Office Building. My office phone number is (404) 656-7880, and my email is ben.watson@senate. ga.gov. I look forward to continuing to serve you.