Op-ed: Here’s how we kept Georgia open for business

Op-ed: Here’s how we kept Georgia open for business

One year ago, none of us could have imagined the challenges we would face as a nation. Here in Georgia — similar to the rest of the country — our economy was growing at a rapid pace, unemployment was at its lowest in state history, and more Georgians were finding high-quality, sustainable jobs.We had no clue that a worldwide pandemic would soon shutter businesses, cause jobless claims to skyrocket, and uproot our lives and livelihoods.The past year brought unforeseen, unprecedented challenges to Georgia and our citizens. Faced with a deadly pandemic, my administration took decisive actions early to ensure our state had the resources necessary to combat Covid-19 and protect both lives and livelihoods.Despite the challenges of 2020, I am proud of what we were able to accomplish together.Working with the State House and Senate on a bipartisan basis, we were able to avoid drastic cuts to our state budget and continue funding essential services.We fulfilled a cardinal obligation of our state government and passed a balanced budget that reflected our priorities – health care, public safety, education, and economic opportunity.Last week, my administration proposed a new budget for the remaining months of the 2021 fiscal year, which includes no