Georgia lawmakers have signed off on a $17.9 billion budget for the next fiscal year that slashes education spending and balances the budget with more than $90 million in new
fees and more than $200 million in taxes on hospitals.

The measure adopted Thursday also infuses about $800,000 to the Georgia Council for the Arts, which had been slated to be eliminated.

It also provides $10 million to buy land for the new College Football Hall of Fame, which is moving to Atlanta.

There are no mandated furloughs in the spending plan, but it slashes funding for Georgia's schools and colleges by more than $600 million for the fiscal year, which begins July 1.

The measure passed the Senate by a 47-2 vote and the House by 137-33. It goes to Gov. Sonny Perdue.

Tags: education, lawmakers, budget cuts, state Capitol, Georgia Council for the Arts, Arts funding, 2011 state budget