Lawmakers agree on Georgia budget with big funding boosts

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers agreed Monday on a budget with boosts in spending for K-12 education, universities, mental health and public safety. They're reaping the rewards of a big increase in state revenue as Gov. Brian Kemp and legislators seek reelection this year. The budget beginning July 1 continues $5,000-a-year pay raises that begin this month for state and university employees and turns a $2,000 bonus that K-12 teachers are getting this year into a pay raise. The plan spends $30.2 billion in state revenue and $57.9 billion overall. More than $1 billion in new money would flow to education next year compared to this year’s original budget.