Month: March 2019
Bills Set Stage to Divert Hundreds of Millions of Dollars From Public to Private Schools
Stephen Owens
March 28, 2019
March 28, 2019 Update – The original voucher expansion bill, SB 173, failed on the Senate floor before Crossover Day. This week, as session winds down, the language was added as an amendment to HB 68 (LC 46 0162S), which had
Higher Education: Legislative and Budget Updates
Jennifer Lee
March 27, 2019
The Senate Higher Education committee passed HB 218 and HB 444. HB 218 would extend the time that students have to earn HOPE after high school to ten years from the current seven. This bill would not affect HOPE award
School bus drivers: This job shouldn’t be a dead end
GBPI Admin
March 26, 2019
Georgia has been shifting more of the cost of student transportation, including bus driver health insurance, to school districts, many of which are still suffering from the recession. GBPI’s Stephen Owens offered his thoughts on how the state should reconsider
Georgia Lawmakers Should Renew Their Commitment to Student Transportation
Stephen Owens
March 22, 2019
In House Bill 31, the state of Georgia continues a pattern of shortchanging pupil transportation that triggers safety concerns and significant costs for local school districts.[1] In FY 2019 the state allotted $131 million for pupil transportation through the Quality
Medicaid waiver proposal clears Georgia House panel
GBPI Admin
March 22, 2019
Legislation authorizing Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to pursue a Medicaid waiver was recently approved by a state House panel, potentially giving Georgia more flexibility to use federal funding but also capping who’s covered by an expansion. GBPI’s Laura Harker said
GBPI Continues to Weigh In on Patients First Act
Laura Harker
March 21, 2019
Access to Quality Health Care Hearing for SB 106 – ‘Patients First Act’ Though our Georgia legislators are confident the federal administration will support a partial Medicaid waiver, the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute still believes a better waiver design will
Legislation Curbs Growth of Dual Enrollment Costs | Bill Analysis: House Bill 444 (LC 33 7896S)
Jennifer Lee
March 13, 2019
Updated on May 8, 2019: Though House Bill 444 did not pass during the 2019 legislative session, the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) used its regulatory authority to change Dual Enrollment payment rates to colleges. GSFC eliminated awards for books
Adding Up the Fiscal Notes: Crossover Day 2019
Danny Kanso
March 13, 2019
The Georgia General Assembly approved 16 major tax bills between January and “Crossover Day,” the deadline for legislation to clear at least one chamber to be eligible for final passage this legislative session. Georgia’s constitution requires any measures raising revenue
Georgia Legislative Session Update: Crossover Day Recap
Jennifer Owens
March 8, 2019
This week lawmakers hit a legislative session milestone. Thursday, March 7 marked Crossover Day, the day a bill originating in one chamber must pass to the other to have a chance at becoming law during the remainder of the legislative
