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By Clint Thompson
The amended budget for Georgia’s ’25 fiscal year is currently under review by the state Senate. It is expected to vote on the budget soon, believes Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC) President Will Bentley.
Bentley discussed the budget situation as the 2025 Georgia State Legislative Session continues in Atlanta.
“The House added, I believe, an additional $25 million to the governor’s initial money that he put in the budget to go towards low interest loans to the Georgia Development Authority. The Senate is now taking a crack at the budget, and we’ll see what changes they make to it, and hopefully, only in additions. That’s moving through the process, nothing final yet,” Bentley said.
“I know the House and Senate are both committed to trying to help farmers out with these low interest loans. That’s really the best offering that the state can do just by the way our constitution is set up. The state has stepped in and acted quickly to do these bridge loans to get farmers back on their feet as fast as they can, and now they’re adding more money in there, because they had additional requests for these loans above the amount that was initially appropriated.
“We’re seeing them respond to that and are very appreciative of their response.”
The budget for fiscal year ’25 will expire the end of June.
Additional Assessment
“The process typically works with the governor putting out his amended budget items that he would like to see changed in the budget. That’s really based on how the state’s doing in revenue. We are currently in that process,” Bentley said. “The House has made changes to the governor’s budget. They passed that amended budget out of their chamber (two weeks ago). Now the Senate is reviewing that. I would expect them to take votes on it as early as the end of this week or possibly the week after that. They’ll then have to turn focus back to the big budget which would be for FY ’26.”