Ga. lawmakers agree to $18 billion budget

ATLANTA - The Georgia House has adopted an $18.3 billion fiscal year 2012 budget that pours additional state dollars into tax investigators, Medicaid and domestic violence shelters.

The House gave its final approval to the spending plan by a 143-32 vote Tuesday afternoon. The state Senate is set to vote on the blueprint later Tuesday.
It covers the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Gov. Nathan Deal bumped up the revenue estimate, effectively giving legislators $47 million more to spend.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Terry England said some of the money will be used to pay for additional tax auditors and investigators to go after tax cheats.

Georgia is also funneling $1 million in new state funds to domestic violence shelters, supplementing federal money.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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