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State revenue up over past year
Income beat projections
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Georgia Department of Revenue online: https://etax.dor.ga.gov/

ATLANTA — Georgia's economy showed fresh signs of life on Wednesday as tax collections for the fiscal year that ended June 30 beat budget projections, allowing the state to begin to restock its rainy day fund.

State money managers reported on Wednesday that tax collections are up 8 percent from the previous year, an increase of $1.1 billion. That's above the projected growth of 4 percent for the year.

The increase was fueled by a 9 percent rise in individual income tax collections, and a nearly 7 percent increase in net sales tax collections. Corporate income tax revenues dipped 2 percent for the year.

"The upward movement in Georgia's revenue numbers is a clear indication that our state can and will advance as long as we continue the practice of maintaining a fiscally conservative state budget," Gov. Nathan Deal said in a statement.

The extra cash will be used to bolster the state's reserve fund, depleted by the recession.

Deal spokesman Brian Robinson said the state expects to put between $250 million and $310 million into the fund.

"We're woefully short in reserves," Jack Hill, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee said Wednesday. What's in the rainy day fund would only pay state bills for about a week, he said.

The state's overall budget is about $18 billion, down from a high of more than $21 billion before the economic downturn.

But while state coffers show signs of rebounding, the state's unemployment rate of 9.8 percent remains above the national average of 9.1 percent

State Fiscal Economist Kenneth Heaghney, of Georgia State University, said jobless rates traditionally lag behind other signs of economic recovery and it could be some time still before unemployment posts significant improvement.

"The growth we've seen is very moderate," he said. "It's a slow steady improvement."

Heagheney said the most encouraging signs in the year-end revenue figures are within the individual income tax returns. Withholding taxes have grown every month, meaning wages and the number of employed rising. There has also been an uptick in estimated tax payments, meaning self-employed professionals, like doctors and lawyers, are seeing business come back.

In June, revenues ticked up by 6.2 percent compared with June 2010. That's a jump of $87.5 million and marks the 12th consecutive month that revenues have improved.

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Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program announces grant
Funds earmarked for Share the Road initiatives
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Grant funding totaling $93,458 has been awarded to the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP) by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The approved funding will be used to increase motorcycle safety awareness and outreach by encouraging all motorists and motorcyclists to Share the Road.

“The need for motorcycle safety programs is greater than ever, and this support from GOHS enables motorcycle safety programs and impaired riding initiatives to reach riders and non-riders alike” said Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “Thank you GOHS for helping (the Department of Driver Services) and GMSP educate and encourage all Georgia drivers to ‘Share the Road.’”

The grant allows DDS to further develop the Motorcycle Safety Outreach Program by continuing to fund a position to promote state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP outreach coordinator researches, coordinates and helps maintain an adequate presence at industry events, local schools and colleges, regional meetings and festivals to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and provide the most current information on motorcycle safety initiatives.

Visitors to a GMSP event display are also encouraged to sign up for regular newsletters which provide additional safety information, as well as review the motorcycle safety message on other social media platforms.

GMSP regulates motorcycle training for new riders, as well as seasoned riders, who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle legally and safely. The program is based on a continuum of learning and therefore offers three entry points to rider education.

Students participating in the Basic Riders Course do not need specialized motorcycle equipment, as the GMSP provides both a motorcycle and a helmet to class participants. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a 90-day license waiver card that exempts them from both the written and on-cycle skills tests needed to obtain a Class M license in the state of Georgia.

Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov for many online services including the convenience of enrolling in a GMSP training class and accessing many licensing services.

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