Over the next four years, the Georgia Department of Education and 26 local education agencies will invest nearly $400 million into the state’s public education system as part of the federal Race to the Top initiative. This report provides an overview of what outcomes citizens of Georgia can expect after $400 million are invested. Download the PDF.

Proposed state fund cuts for the Department of Human Services current budget and FY 2012 budget could prevent Georgia from meeting its state maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Older Americans Act (OAA) and cost the state millions in federal funds. Download the PDF.

All exemptions, credits, and deductions should be examined and weighed against each other and against the principles of tax reform. The grocery exemption, in particular, increases equity and should be weighed against other tax breaks with an equity lens. Eliminating the deduction for state income taxes offers an alternative worth considering. Download the PDF.

The new healthcare law (the Affordable Care Act) increases eligibility for Medicaid and provides states significant new funding to pay for the expansion. This fact sheet summarizes the Medicaid expansion and how the billions in new federal funding will help increase health coverage for hundreds of thousands of uninsured Georgians. Download the PDF.

Tax breaks are enacted each year and, once in the tax code, remain there without evaluation or scrutiny. These tax preferences shrink the tax base and many reduce fairness by shifting taxes onto other businesses and individuals who do not receive the exemption or cause lawmakers to reduce state services. Georgia can follow models other states have used to scrutinize these tax breaks. Download the PDF.