Politics
Politics

Dissecting Georgia’s tax clash

The ‘Politically Georgia’ team talks about the competing tax cut proposals from the legislative session.
By Natalie Mendenhall
Feb 19, 2026

On Thursday’s episode of the “Politically Georgia” podcast, Atlanta Journal-Constitution senior reporter Greg Bluestein and political columnist Patricia Murphy break down the competing tax plans being debated by state lawmakers.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is pushing to phase out the state income tax, House Speaker Jon Burns wants to eliminate property taxes on homesteads and Gov. Brian Kemp is urging a more incremental approach.

AJC reporter David Wickert walks through the math behind the proposals — including projected multibillion-dollar revenue losses and what they could mean for schools, local governments and the broader state budget.

ExploreWhy choose? Georgia Senate budget plan includes income and property tax cuts.

New episodes of the “Politically Georgia” podcast are available every week wherever you get your podcasts. If you haven’t yet, be sure to subscribe for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcast platform. You can also ask your smart speaker to “play the Politically Georgia podcast.”

Have a question or comment for the hosts? Call the 24-hour “Politically Georgia” podcast hotline at 770-810-5297.

About the Author

Natalie Mendenhall is an award-winning producer for the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She also steps in front of the mic, creating compelling segments for the show. Before joining the AJC, the Chicago native worked as a senior producer at Georgia Public Broadcasting.

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