Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Inclusive Economy for Immigrants Melissa Johnson Policy Areas Drivers’ ID Bill Would Squander Big Bucks to Target Immigrants February 26, 2016 / April 2, 2020 by Melissa Johnson A Senate bill threatens to spend hundreds of thousands of Georgia taxpayer dollars to compel work-eligible immigrants to carry both a drivers’ privilege card and a special identification card. If this bill passes, Georgia is obligated to waste effort and expense to address unproven problems while it further stigmatizes immigrants. Senate Bill 6, up for […] Read more »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Policy Areas Bill Aims at Nonexistent Problem to Target Georgia’s Poor February 19, 2016 / January 17, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Georgia House Bill 1006 proposes to rip another hole in the state’s frayed safety net, cutting lifetime eligibility for cash assistance for the poorest of Georgia’s poor by 75 percent. Lawmakers assigned the bill to the House Health and Human Services Committee this week. At stake: Georgia parents could only receive cash aid from the […] Read more » Melissa Johnson TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Policy Areas Services for Georgia’s Vulnerable Lifted but Challenges Remain February 11, 2016 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson The evening news confronts us with the plight of Georgia’s most vulnerable people almost nightly, the fragile children, older adults and people living in poverty. The crafting of the state budget is one of few opportunities during the year for lawmakers to spell out concrete steps to protect and assist these Georgians. This year, according […] Read more » Department of Human Services FY2017
Author Cash and Safety Net Library Melissa Johnson Policy Areas Reports Overview: 2017 Fiscal Year Budget for Human Services February 11, 2016 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Services for Georgia’s Vulnerable Get Needed Lift Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposed $634 million Department of Human Services budget for the 2017 fiscal year marks a clear change in direction after years of cuts and public criticism of the agency’s ability to protect and assist Georgia’s most vulnerable children and families. The spending plan adds substantial […] Read more » Budget Overview Department of Human Services Economic Security FY2017 Safety Net
K-12 Education Melissa Johnson Georgia Lawmakers Can Still Create Opportunity for State’s Young Immigrants February 5, 2016 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson The Georgia Supreme Court ruled Monday against a group of young immigrants seeking in-state tuition at the state’s colleges and universities. The court’s ruling leaves the option for Georgia lawmakers to allow young immigrants to pay in-state tuition if they are eligible to work without threat of deportation. The court decision is based on a […] Read more » Education immigration Melissa Johnson Tuition Equity
Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Georgia Missing Opportunity to Strengthen Workforce January 15, 2016 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson While most adults who rely on cash and food assistance in Georgia lack any education beyond high school, not enough of the state’s workers are trained for so-called middle-skill jobs. Middle-skill jobs require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree. A new Georgia Budget and Policy Institute report shows how […] Read more » Economic Security Safety Net SNAP TANF
Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Untapped Potential January 15, 2016 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Georgia is missing out on key opportunities to strengthen its workforce because it does not fully leverage the potential of safety net programs Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T). Read the full report. Read more » Economic Security Safety Net TANF
Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Worker Justice Workforce Legislation Can Increase Economic Opportunity in Georgia December 17, 2015 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson The state is working on a new plan to better leverage federal resources to provide training and work support for Georgians and there is room for improvement in the draft it recently published. The plan is required by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014. The legislation and draft plan offer many opportunities […] Read more » economic development economy training workforce
Blog Melissa Johnson Georgia Misses Opportunity to Improve Child Care November 6, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson | 1 Comment on Georgia Misses Opportunity to Improve Child Care Georgia is one of 16 states where families are worse off because of its child care policies, according to a new report by the National Women’s Law Center. Families fare worse in Georgia because the state turns away parents who apply for child care financial assistance due to worries the program could run short of […] Read more » Melissa Johnson
Featured Higher Education Inclusive Economy for Immigrants K-12 Education Melissa Johnson Worker Justice Open College Entry to Undocumented Students to Bolster Georgia’s Workforce September 29, 2015 / April 2, 2020 by Melissa Johnson | 1 Comment on Open College Entry to Undocumented Students to Bolster Georgia’s Workforce Many Georgia students started college for the first time this fall. That’s good news for Georgia as the state says it needs 250,000 additional college graduates to meet its workforce needs by 2020, according to Gov. Nathan Deal’s Complete College Georgia Initiative. The bad news is that the state is excluding an estimated 5,000 potential […] Read more » Higher Education Tuition Equity
