GNB Weekend Update

The weekend is here...Here's what happened in Georgia news for Friday...

As the gavel banged one last time on the 2009 legislative session, lawmakers reached an agreement on Georgia's budget for fiscal year 2010. They agreed to that deal late Friday night, on the final day of the session. The teacher furloughs that were supposed to have become part of the budget didn't make it. Lawmakers also came to terms on the full funding of Medicaid. But that didn't come without a price, as funding for other state departments was slashed in hopes that Georgia would get more money from the stimulus package. In all, the total amount for the 2010 budget stands at more than $18 billion. That depends upon whether or not the state will get an additional $1.4 billion from the federal stimulus package.

Over $12 billion.

That's the amount of money the 35 institutions of the University System of Georgia brought in for fiscal year 2008. The information came from a report released by the University of Georgia released earlier this week. The $12 billion of revenue generated represents a more than $1 billion increase from fiscal year. That's about a $4 billion increase from 1999, the first year of the study. Georgia's public higher education system has created more than 108,000 jobs statewide. That accounts for more than two and a half percent of such positions.

From our blog files, Peach Pundit reveals the "biggest loser" of this year's legislative session: the Georgia State Senate. Read on to find out why. Also, Drifting Through The Grift will travel to a "destination unknown". And Mostly Media has a preview of a dinner honoring two former Georgia governors.

That's the news. Remember to log to GNB at georgianewsbeat.blogspot.com for the Georgia-related news you can use. Have a good weekend.