GOP proposal would reduce income tax rate, but raise sales tax rate
GBPI Admin
February 28, 2015
Republican legislative leaders feel they have a surefire way to stimulate job creation: tax reform. Read more.
Month: February 2015
Hopes for New Approach to Revenues Dampened by New Income Tax Plan
Taifa Smith Butler
February 27, 2015
Are state lawmakers ready to have “the talk” about new revenue? After hearing state lawmakers dismiss anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist’s comments and efforts to influence Georgia’s legislative process earlier this week, I thought so. For more on the Norquist flap,
House Budget Squeezes Schools, Health Care Providers
Alan Essig
February 27, 2015
The Georgia House of Representatives this week rearranged the state’s 2016 budget plan for education, health care and human services from the one the governor unveiled in January. The new version still does not include budget cuts required to pay
Tossing More Than 20,000 Georgians off State Health Plan a Bad Remedy
Timothy Sweeney
February 24, 2015
Tossing non-certified school district workers who work less than 30 hours per week off the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) could unnecessarily push more Georgians into the insurance coverage gap. Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposal to remove more than 11,500 part
Health Plan Financial Challenges Remain if State Ends Coverage for Part-Time School Workers and Their Dependents
Timothy Sweeney
February 24, 2015
Georgia’s governor proposes in the 2016 fiscal year to eliminate State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) coverage for bus drivers, school nutrition workers and other “non-certified” school district employees who work fewer than 30 hours per week. This move could take
Georgia still high in unsinsured
GBPI Admin
February 24, 2015
Nearly one in five people in Georgia still lack health insurance while other southern states that expanded Medicaid saw dramatic improvement of uninsured rates, according to the director of health policy for the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute. Read more.
Lift Georgia’s Economy with a Higher Minimum Wage
Wesley Tharpe
February 23, 2015
This month I spoke to a state senate committee about the merits of Senate Bill 15, legislation that could boost Georgia’s minimum wage to $10.10 per hour from its current effective rate of $7.25. The senate bill is similar to
Lawmakers acknowledge its hard to mend problems with tax breaks
GBPI Admin
February 21, 2015
Call them tax incentives, exclusions, loopholes, carve-outs or breaks, but there are nearly 200 exceptions in Georgia tax law that individuals and corporations can claim, according to the 2016 state Tax Expenditure Report. Read more.
Private School Subsidy Bill Promises Sticker Shock
Claire Suggs
February 19, 2015
Georgia lawmakers are sounding out a kinproposal to create Education Savings Accounts to allow parents of private and home school children to pay expenses with state money. A new Georgia Budget and Policy Institute analysis shows using state money to
Education Savings Accounts Carry Big Sticker Shock
Claire Suggs
February 19, 2015
Georgia lawmakers are considering legislation to allow parents to take state dollars for private educational use. House Bill 243 proposes to create Education Savings Accounts (ESA) to set public money aside for educational services, including private school tuition, textbooks and