Lawmakers mulling reviving the grocery tax

ATLANTA - Georgia lawmakers are talking about reviving a sales tax on groceries to pay for a tax cut for homeowners. <br> <br> A four-percent statewide sales tax on take-home food sales could net up to $700 million a year. That&#39;s more than enough to pay for a property tax relief plan that Governor Perdue first proposed scaling back because of the state&#39;s budget problems. He later relented but wants lawmakers to help him find the money to make it permanent. <br> <br> A bill proposed in the House Monday would bring back the sales tax on groceries in 2005. Georgians haven&#39;t paid state sales taxes on take-home food since 1998. <br> <br> The grocery taxes would come back only if voters approved the idea on ballots next year, with half the money earmarked for property tax relief.