(The Center Square) – Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones fielded questions about sports betting, taxes and data centers next to an empty podium on Monday as his opponent participated in a campaign rally in Cobb County.
Rick Jackson declined the Atlanta Press Club debate, citing a prior commitment, a campaign rally in Cobb County with Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.
The lieutenant governor said he would look at corporate tax incentives when asked by a panelist how he would handle a budget shortfall that Gov. Brian Kemp said was caused by a bill reducing state income taxes. A report from the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute shows lawmakers may have to tap the state surplus to find $1 billion to meet budget allocations, even after the governor cut $344 million.
“We’ve got $30 billion in corporate welfare that we’ve been doling out for over two decades,” Jones said. “That’s where we need to address some of those issues, the ones you don’t have a good rate of return on, you need to get rid of those.”
Jones mentioned Georgia’s film tax credits, which give production companies up to 30% in tax credits with no limit on the amount that can be given in a year, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
“The movie business, you know, it’s been hit pretty hard here recently due to the strikes of actors and writers and everything else,” Jones said. “As so you can look at adjusting or getting rid of a tax credit, but those that do have a rate of return, you look at those and see about maybe adjusting or not touching them at all.”
Jones said he doesn’t think data centers should be supplemented at the local or state level. The General Assembly has considered bills during the past two sessions to eliminate the data center tax breaks, but the measures failed.
“And I don’t think that we should be charging the consumers more if there’s infrastructure that has to be done by the utility companies,” Jones said. “I’ve always been very clear about not supporting corporate welfare to data centers, nor passing the buck on to the consumers when the infrastructure has to be upgraded.”
Jones reiterated his support of sports betting in Georgia.
“I’ve always said that we should put sports betting under the Georgia lottery and allow it to be regulated and also allow us to be able to collect revenue dollars from that, Jones said. “You already have the mechanism in place with the Georgia lottery system.”
Jones also criticized Jackson’s absence.
“It just shows a man’s character when he won’t show up and tak questions and Q and A from journalists or whoever else wants to ask you the questions,” Jones said.
Jackson’s campaign said on social media that he would debate Jones on June 14, two days before the June 16 runoff. Jones has not accepted the invitation.
Early voting begins June 8.
By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square
