ATLANTA — The House rejected many of Gov. Brian Kemp’s budget reductions and cut his teacher pay raise in half in its amended Fiscal Year 2021 budget.

The FY21 budget includes $1,000 teacher pay raise, a 2% merit-based raise for state employees and additional targeted raises for some of the state’s high turnover jobs.

The $28 billion budget ignores many of Kemp’s proposed reductions and adds targeted raises for many positions where low salaries and high training expenses have cost the state dollars.

Positions with historically high turnover rates such as food safety inspectors, mental health workers, school bus drivers, social caseworkers and correctional officers are just some of the jobs that will see a bump in salary.

House leaders slashed Kemp’s promised teacher pay raise in half. Starting Sept. 1, teachers would see a $1,000 salary increase as per the House budget.

Appropriations Chairman Terry England, R-Auburn, said legislators will circle back next session to see if they can follow through with the rest of the raise.

“We understand that at this point it is going to be a disappointment to some,” he said during Appropriations committee meeting on Monday morning. “… Remember, we’re charged with taking care of all 10.7 million residents in the state of Georgia and that’s what we seek to do here.”

House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, said the House will take steps to fulfill the remaining $1,000 of Kemp’s promised teacher pay raise in the future.

“Gov. Kemp believes our teachers deserve that raise. And I agree,” he said during a speech at an Atlanta Press Club event Monday. “I’ve always agreed. But we have other priorities that we as a state must meet.”

Ralston highlighted a number of budget restorations including funds added back to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation forensic crime lab responsible for testing rape kits.

“We will not cut, not even by $1, the funding for GBI forensic sciences,” he said.

Funding was also added back to heavily criticized cuts to the state’s accountability courts, mental health services and county health departments.

The House amended budget adds money for new positions in the Environmental Protection Division and allots money for third-party testing of coal ash pollution. 

The House added $19.6 million to expand Medicaid coverage from two to six months following the birth of a child for low-income women.

The House proposed an additional $24.8 million for K-12 school counselors and added 1,000 pre-K slots to Department of Early Care.

“I’m proud that the House budget maintains critical services and rewards the hard work of all of our public employees in Georgia,” Ralston said.

Kemp ordered state agencies in August to cut their budgets by 4% in FY20 and 6% in FY21 to adjust for a state revenue collection decline and make room for his budget item priorities. But both House and Senate leaders pushed back against millions in cuts to programs and jobs in the FY20 budget.

The amended FY21 budget will be up for a vote on the House floor Tuesday.