Appropriations Committee: Judiciary, Economic Development, and Tourism Subcommittees

Appropriations Committee - Feb 09, 2026

Meeting Information

This meeting of the Appropriations Committee involved discussions from its Judiciary, Economic Development, and Tourism subcommittees regarding various budget allocations, infrastructure projects, and program funding across judicial services, housing, disaster recovery, environmental finance, tourism, arts, historical initiatives, convention centers, and energy regulation.

Created
Feb 09, 2026 at 09:16 PM
Last Updated
Feb 09, 2026 at 09:25 PM

Meeting Summary

Judicial Budget and Public Defender Services

  • •
    The Superior Court budget was discussed, focusing on adjustments related to 33 judges who opted out of a new pay structure, with the House removing half of the initially allocated funds. [Video 00:15:29]
  • •
    The Court of Appeals requested $40,000 to fund a new commuting judge from Northwest Georgia and discussed a shared security contract with the Supreme Court. [Video 00:21:04] [Video 00:22:52]
  • •
    The Georgia Tax Court reviewed its budget, noting economizing measures for its new court and funding for operational costs and staff attorney positions, with a decrease in funds for operations and contracts. [Video 00:27:09] [Video 00:29:11] [Video 00:30:59]
  • •
    The Georgia Public Defender Council highlighted the critical need for pay parity with district attorneys to address retention and vacancies, and discussed funding for conflict cases, including the use of monthly contractors. [Video 00:34:12] [Video 00:45:15] [Video 00:49:10]

Economic Development and Tourism Initiatives

  • •
    Commissioner Nunn discussed funding for the State Housing Trust Fund to support local solutions to homelessness through flexible, reimbursable grants requiring matching funds and data tracking via HMIS. [Video 00:07:05] [Video 00:10:20] [Video 00:15:16]
  • •
    Updates were provided on disaster recovery programs, including repurposing $11 million for timber-related disaster issues, and a $15 million allocation for rural site development to rebuild economic development infrastructure. [Video 00:24:24] [Video 00:26:03]
  • •
    The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) presented its role in providing low-interest loans for water, sewer, and natural gas infrastructure projects, with a new $35 million fund for natural gas projects. [Video 00:28:29] [Video 00:30:42]
  • •
    The Department of Economic Development detailed tourism marketing efforts, including a $3 million allocation for the FIFA World Cup, support for small businesses, and a $250,250 increase for community arts grants. [Video 00:35:43] [Video 00:40:04] [Video 00:45:45] [Video 00:47:03]
  • •
    The Georgia Humanities Council outlined its 'America 250' initiatives for the 250th anniversary of American independence, including community grants, the Museum on Main Street program, National History Day, and the Georgia Circuit program. [Video 00:52:04] [Video 00:53:59]

Convention Centers and Infrastructure

Energy Regulation and Data Centers

  • •
    The Public Service Commission (PSC) addressed the unprecedented 45% growth in the power grid due to data centers, emphasizing its mission to prevent cost shifting to existing ratepayers through new rules for large customers. [Video 01:21:34] [Video 01:23:09] [Video 01:28:43] [Video 01:30:39]
  • •
    The PSC requested funding for two construction monitors (an engineer and a financial analyst) to ensure prudent spending on Georgia Power's new infrastructure projects, including three new units at Plant Yates and expansions at three other plants. [Video 01:23:44] [Video 01:26:30]
Generated by agent_v2 on Feb 09, 2026

Attached Documents (2)

02/09/2026 Senate Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Judiciary

Official video recording of a government meeting held on February 9, 2026, providing a complete visual and audio record of the proceedings.

Feb 09, 2026 at 12:00 AM

02/09/2026 Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development and Tourism

Official video recording of a government meeting, providing a complete visual and auditory record of the proceedings for public access and review.

Feb 09, 2026 at 12:00 AM

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