Georgia House Democrats Defeat GOP Plan to Let Localities Add a One-Cent Sales Tax

Overview

• House Democrats defeated a bundled package of more than 80 local referendums by a 95-67 vote on Saturday, preventing those measures from going to voters this fall.
• The measures stem from Senate Bill 33, which Gov. Brian Kemp signed in May to let cities and counties seek a one-cent local sales tax to fund cuts to property tax bills.
• Republican lawmakers say the extra penny could raise large sums in some counties (for example, roughly $250 million in Gwinnett and $60 million to $70 million in Forsyth) and would reduce homeowner property-tax bills.
• Democrats oppose the swap as regressive and say it would raise costs on everyday goods for lower- and middle-income families; they also argue SB 33 may violate the state rule that tax bills must originate in the House.
• No independent, county-level fiscal analyses or final ballot language have been released, officials say homeowners would not see relief before 2028 if measures move forward, and lawmakers signaled they may revisit the issue.