Georgia House approves state budget increasing teacher pay

ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) – Georgia teachers would get a 2 percent salary increase while state employees that handle child welfare cases will see a 19 percent raise under a House budget proposal.

The chamber approved the plan on Friday, largely agreeing with Gov. Nathan Deal’s recommended $49.3 billion spending plan. Of the total, nearly $25 billion comes from the state with the rest coming from federal sources.

The plan continues previously announced 20 percent raises for state law enforcement.

The plan also includes more than $1 billion of planned projects around the state, including local schools and colleges, a new crime lab in Savannah and construction of a new campus for Lanier Technical College in Hall County.

The Senate now begins working on its version of a spending plan.

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