ATLANTA — President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” means Georgia lawmakers will have to deal with potential changes to federal funding for education and Medicaid.
Channel 2’s Richard Elliot sat down one-on-one with Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns. He said he is still happy about getting tort reform, school safety and IVF protections passed last session.
He wants to tackle other things including literacy and rural healthcare.
“Look, there will be challenges here, there’s no doubt about it,” Burns said.
Like other states, Georgia will face challenges down the line with cuts to federal education funding and cuts to Medicaid.
Critics worry the cuts to Medicaid could kick hundreds of thousands of Georgians off healthcare.
Burns believes it will eliminate waste, fraud and abuse.
He also acknowledges Trump’s tax and spending cuts will bring changes that Georgia lawmakers will have to deal with, including rural healthcare and hospitals.
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“We’re doing what we always do. We’re taking a thorough look at the bill that was passed, and certainly believe that many of the concepts of the bill are important. I know they’re important to Georgians,” Burns told Elliot.
The speaker also talked about touring the state to speak to voters about key legislation passed last session, including IVF protection, the legal colossus tort reform and all-important school safety.
Georgia schools are already working to get compliant with the law that takes effect next July and funds $68,000 worth of safety upgrades for each and every school in Georgia.
He said after the Apalachee High School shootings, that was a prime concern.
“The local systems do a great job. Teachers do a great job, administrators, but they need that support, that back-up, whether that be from a policy perspective, but a lot from a financial perspective,” Burns said.
Critics worry that four rural hospitals in Georgia are in danger of closing because of the Medicaid cuts.
Burns believes there is money in the bill to help rural hospitals and he said rural health care, along with literacy and economic development remain their top priority.
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