The $23.7 billion state budget proposed by Gov. Nathan Deal for the 2017 fiscal year represents a high water mark for state spending in a single year. The governor proposes a $1.9 billion increase in total state spending compared to the 2016 budget, but only returns overall state spending to pre-recession levels measured on a per-capita basis. While the overall increase in dollars appears dramatic, more than 40 percent of the growth comes from a transportation funding overhaul passed during the 2015 legislative session. Read the full report.
