Kemp Calls For Second Teacher Pay Raise In 2020 State Of The State Address

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp told lawmakers during his State of the State address Thursday that his budget proposal for the next fiscal year includes an additional $2,000 pay raise for teachers and school employees, completing a campaign promise to boost teacher pay and adding another layer of complication to a tight budget discussion.

In his second annual address to lawmakers, Kemp also said the General Assembly should continue to fully fund the state’s education formula.

“Let’s fully fund public school education for the third year in a row, accounting for growth and resources needed to properly educate,” he said.

The raise, which is estimated to cost about $350 million, will enhance retention rates and improve outcomes in schools, Kemp said.

If the increase makes it into the final budget, Kemp would fulfill a campaign promise to boost the base pay rate for teachers by $5,000, including last year’s $3,000 increase.

That change added $530 million to the record-setting $27.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2020. In total, the teacher pay raise would represent close to $900 million in new spending since Kemp took office.

The governor’s call for a funding increase to education comes as many other state agencies are being asked to cut back.

In September, Kemp asked departments to submit proposals to cut budgets by 4% for the rest of this fiscal year and 6% for the next fiscal year as the state’s revenue collections lagged.

Lawmakers could also pass a further cut to the state’s income tax rate, which could decrease the state’s revenue by about half a billion dollars.

Later Thursday, Kemp will unveil his full budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2020.

Other priorities the governor mentioned in his speech include tripling the adoption tax credit, tackling surprise medical billing and announcing a new research position at the University of Georgia to study Parkinson's disease in honor of the recently-retired U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA).

GPB is a state agency funded in part by the state of Georgia