Georgia’s Economist Discusses The Pandemic’s Impact On State Budget

Jeffrey Dorfman, the state’s fiscal economist, is tasked with forecasting Georgia’s revenue collections, which form the basis for the state’s budget. That job, he said, has become “pretty much impossible,” given the current economic uncertainty.

WABE’s Emma Hurt spoke with Dorfman about that task and how the coronavirus could impact the state’s budget. He said federal relief very well might mitigate the necessity of budget cuts, and cautioned Georgia will likely have a much clearer picture of the impact of the pandemic on revenues in the next few weeks.

Find the full audio of the interview attached and an excerpted transcript below.