Reports

By essentially any measure, Georgia is a low-tax, low-regulation, business-friendly state. So, why does Georgia’s business tax climate rank 34th in the nation in the Tax Foundation’s latest report?
The Tax Foundation’s business climate rankings are not a meaningful measure of a state’s overall business friendliness. The rankings do not… [Read more]

The Georgia Lottery has provided more than $13 billion toward education programs in Georgia. The  program has enabled more than 1.4 million students to pursue higher education through the Helping Outstanding Pupil’s Educationally (HOPE) Program and provided 1.1 million four-year-olds access to early childhood education through Georgia’s Pre-K Program.  Today, the… [Read more]

The governor’s budget recommendations for FY 2013 increase state General Funds to the Department of Community Health (DCH); however, the increase is misleading. The bulk of the new funding restores funding originally diverted from the DCH budget in FY 2011 and FY 2012.
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The governor’s FY 2013 budget recommendations increase state General Funds to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) by $45.3 million (5.1 percent) compared to FY 2012. The bulk of this increase funds the continued implementation of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Settlement Agreement reached in 2010.… [Read more]

Funding for the new Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) began in FY 2012. The agency houses public health programs and activities that were previously embedded in other state agencies. For FY 2013, the governor’s budget recommendations increase state support to DPH compared to FY 2012, however, the new funds… [Read more]

The governor’s FY 2013 budget recommends $2.8 million less in state General Funds compared to FY 2012. Secondly, there are shifts in state funds for program transfers in and out of the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) budget to cover administrative expenses ($11 million) and replace federal TANF funds… [Read more]

The FY 2013 Budget Analysis: Budget Overview report examines the Governor’s FY 2013 budget  and its impact on the public resources that matter most to Georgians. The policy brief also provides an overview of specific areas of the Governor’s budget including lottery funds, tobacco settlement funds, and the reserve shortfall reserves.
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 Amidst a tenuous economic recovery, Georgia remains far from its fiscal position prior to the economic downturn. The FY 2013 Budget Analysis: PK-12 Education discusses the governor’s FY 2013 budget recommendations for the Department of Education and Bright from the Start: Department of Early Care and Learning, which administers… [Read more]

The FY 2013 budgets for higher education provide modest spending increases compared to FY 2012. The budgets provide funding for enrollment growth within both the university and technical college systems; however, the University System’s Teaching program and the Technical College System’s Technical Education program experience funding cuts.
The higher education system… [Read more]

Many Georgia policymakers and business leaders contend the state has a shortage of venture capital, a form of business financing that helps fund early stage companies.  To remedy this problem, some Georgia leaders are considering CAPCO legislation, an expensive tax credit program advertised as a jobs and economic development bill.… [Read more]