Posted by Timothy Sweeney

Georgia would lose billions of dollars and thousands of children, seniors and modest-income workers could lose access to needed health care under a plan to radically alter Medicaid that was recently passed by the U.S. House. If the House plan developed by Congressman… [Read more]

Next week, the House of Representatives is expected to pass deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – previously known as food stamps. 
Every Georgia family that participates in SNAP would see their food assistance eliminated or cut.  Children, seniors, and people with disabilities would be among the… [Read more]

Categories: Blog, Clare S. Richie | Comments (1)

Last week, Governor Deal announced a seemingly major development on Georgia’s job front:  Baxter International, a large biomedical company, has agreed to open a new facility here that will create 1,500 jobs over the next ten years. In exchange for the investment, Georgia’s taxpayers will provide the company with [Read more]

Categories: Blog, Wesley Tharpe | Comments (1)

With Georgia’s economy still lagging behind, state leaders are desperate for solutions. In recent years, some have called for repealing or significantly reducing the state’s income tax, arguing that shifting toward a “consumption tax” – in other words, the sales tax – would make Georgia more competitive. While lowering income… [Read more]

Categories: Blog, State Taxes | Comments (1)

Looking to grow their economies and create jobs, lawmakers across the country spend billions each year on various tax credits, exemptions, and deductions for businesses in their state. Georgia is certainly no exception, with business tax incentives currently costing taxpayers more than $100 million each year. But according to a… [Read more]

Categories: Blog, State Taxes, Wesley Tharpe | Comments (2)

Georgians living in counties with higher median household incomes receive a disproportionate share of HOPE dollars.
The number of HOPE awards doesn’t give an accurate account for how HOPE dollars are distributed.  The amount of HOPE dollars flowing to Georgia’s 159 counties must also be considered.
GBPI’s report, “HOPE… [Read more]

As posted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia’s commitment to graduate 250,000 more college students by 2020 is a worthy goal — and a necessary one if the state wants to remain competitive in an economy that increasingly requires knowledgeable, highly skilled workers.
Ensuring that Georgians can afford to attend… [Read more]

Categories: Blog, Education, Taifa Smith Butler | Comments (3)

As posted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As we look back at the 2012 legislative session, it’s clear that Georgia lawmakers missed opportunities to make much needed reforms.
Instead of taking up comprehensive tax reform that would modernize the tax code and help grow Georgia’s economy, the General Assembly passed… [Read more]

To hard-working Georgians, it may come as a surprise that the state taxes many of them pay on their wages aren’t going toward local schools, roads, health care or public safety —they’re going right back into their employer’s pockets. Georgia is one of only 16 states that divert public money… [Read more]

Categories: Blog, Wesley Tharpe | Comments (1)

In order to grow jobs and maintain a strong economy Georgia policy makers need to get Georgia’s fiscal house in order. Maintaining our AAA bond rating and making the investments in education, transportation, and healthcare are vital for a strong state economy and robust job growth.

The March revenue… [Read more]

Categories: Alan Essig, Blog, State Budget | Comments (1)