ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - On Wednesday, Georgia lawmakers debated and voted on numerous bills, but not the only one they are legally required to pass — the fiscal year 2026 budget.

Georgia lawmakers must agree on a budget for the upcoming year and the clock is ticking — Friday is the last day of the current legislative session.

Negotiations over the budget are reaching a critical point as lawmakers struggle to find common ground on how to allocate the state’s funds.

On Tuesday, House and Senate Appropriations met to go over discrepancies in their budget bills.

Despite the playful banter among legislators, House and Senate leaders remain far apart. There is a difference of $383 million between their respective plans.

The Senate’s position is that the state must fully fund the Georgia Promise Scholarship, according to Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery.

The Promise Scholarship is a program that provides $6,500 vouchers for students in the state’s lowest-performing schools.

“We want to fully fund the Promise Scholarship,” Tillery said. “We also want to make sure we’re paying for things now rather than putting future generations in debt.”

The Senate’s proposal removed a House provision to include $300 million for infrastructure improvement projects.

House Appropriations Chairman Matt Hatchett and House Speaker Jon Burns have been vocal in their support for prioritizing strategic investments in the state’s infrastructure.

“We’re going to continue to make strategic investments in Georgia, and that’s what we should be about,” Burns said.

SINE DAY: What does it mean for the end of this year’s legislative session

As both sides remain entrenched in their positions, the process of ironing out the budget’s details continues.

Lawmakers are carefully combing through the budget’s hefty 127-page bill, scrutinizing every line item to ensure their priorities are reflected.

If the differences persist, they could be working late into the weekend, with negotiations potentially extending late Friday night and Saturday morning.

With no option but to reach a compromise, Georgia lawmakers are racing against the clock.

They cannot adjourn until both chambers come to an agreement on the budget, and the pressure is mounting.

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