Deal: Agenda trimmed back because of budget

ATLANTA (AP) Gov. Nathan Deal told Georgia lawmakers his legislative agenda will be less elaborate because a still-weak economy is curtailing state spending.

The Republican governor on Tuesday presented his changes to the state's current budget and a $40.8 billion spending plan for the coming fiscal year. That plan includes roughly $19.9 billion in state funds.

Deal told lawmakers that the state's tax and other collections have not kept pace with estimates, leading him to trim the budget of many state agencies.

His budget plan would leave room for some relatively small spending initiatives, including $5 million to encourage local governments to develop alternatives to incarceration for juvenile offenders.

Deal also asked lawmakers to renew a tax on hospitals that is used to win Medicaid funding for the health care system.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2013/1/257455