The General Assembly gave final approval to a midyear budget Friday that would add $20 million in loans to farmers affected by Hurricane Michael and $2 million for rural hospitals damaged in the storm.
The measure now goes to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature.
The state allocated $55 million in loans during a November special session after the storm, but the money ran out. House Appropriations Chairman Terry England, R-Auburn, said the state had an additional 100 requests for assistance. The average loan is for about $290,000, so at that rate, the $20 million would be enough for almost 70 loans.
The new funding comes only a few months after lawmakers approved a $470 million package of grants, repair spending, loans and tax breaks for the area hammered by Hurricane Michael in October.
Last year's storm caused an estimated $2.5 billion in losses. Direct losses for pecan farmers alone were expected to reach $560 million. That includes likely losses for next year's crop and damage to trees.
Most of the rest of the extra money in the $26.9 billion midyear budget — which runs through June 30 — will go toward funding growth in the cost of k-12 schools and the state’s Medicaid health care program for the poor and disabled.
However, it also includes $69 million for safety grants to Georgia schools aimed at beefing up security on k-12 campuses. The grants were a priority for Kemp, who campaigned on the issue last year.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Hill, R-Reidsville, said the state will need 3.3 percent revenue growth through June 30 to pay for the budget. That means tax collections — mostly from sales and income taxes — will have to pick up in the last five months of the fiscal year. Through January, collections for fiscal 2019 were up 1.5 percent.
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