Lawmakers cut Department of Community Health by $236.8 million and increased support for the Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities by 9.3 percent. There are no cuts to Medicaid or PeachCare eligibility; the budget has new revenue from a provider fee to increase reimbursement rates to hospitals. The budget… [Read more]

The Great Recession has resulted in the worst fiscal crisis in more than 70 years, resulting in multi-billion dollar deficits. Although Recovery Act funds help, lawmakers’ strategy to slash impacts every facet of state government, resulting in severe service cuts as well as layoffs/furloughs of thousands of teachers/employees. The irony… [Read more]

In response to continued revenue declines and limited new revenue measures, lawmakers cut education — K-12, University System, and Technical College System — by 13 to 15 percent for fiscal year (FY) 2011 when compared to the Original FY 2009 General Budget, which preceded the recessionary budget cuts. [Read more]

Both the House and Senate largely kept the governor’s cuts for this current fiscal year and what he proposed for next year in their FY 2011 budgets. This report highlights the differences between the two chambers. Download PDF.

The House’s version of the FY 2011 budget balances the budget by incorporating additional budget cuts than that of the governor’s proposed FY 2011 budget. Compared to the pre-recession FY 2009 budget, the House version includes cuts totaling 17.8 percent, or $3.6 billion. In the long term, and in light… [Read more]

The House of Reps’ FY 2011 budget cuts General Fund spending in the Department of Community Health (DCH) by $285.4 million relative to the originally enacted FY 2010 budget. In addition, the House budget reflects lost state funding from the Tobacco Settlement and from the Care Management Organization fee totaling… [Read more]

The House of Reps’ FY 2011 budget cuts K-12, University System, and Technical Colleges — by an additional $318 million more than the governor’s January proposal. It increases funds for Pre-K. Accounting for inflation, per student state funding for K-12 will drop to its lowest point in a decade, even… [Read more]

The House of Reps’ FY 2011 budget proposal cuts the Department of Human Services budget by an additional $11.4 million over the governor’s January proposal. DHS now faces a $33 million cut in state General Funds for FY 2011 compared to this year’s enacted budget. This is a 6.1 percent… [Read more]

Georgia’s Medicaid program needs nearly $1 billion for FY 2011 and FY 2012. This shortfall is not due to a program out of control, but rather is a result of the steep revenue decline from the current recession. One option lawmakers can pursue is enacting House Bill 307, which generates… [Read more]

Georgia’s Tobacco Revenue is likely to more than double if HB 39 passes, despite declining sales without new revenues, Georgia is facing multi-billion dollar deficits in FY 2011 and FY 2012. The state is already experiencing deep cuts to essential services. Lawmakers should pass House Bill 39 as part of… [Read more]