Alan Essig GBPI In The News Georgia to mark 25 years of lottery, HOPE grants June 21, 2018 / May 19, 2020 by Alan Essig State leaders are scheduled Wednesday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of the most important decisions by voters and government in recent history: the start of the Georgia Lottery, which funds the HOPE Scholarship and its pre-kindergarten program. Read the full article in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Read more » Higher Education HOPE Scholarship Jennifer Lee
Alan Essig Blog And Now it’s Time to Say Sine Die April 2, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig | 10 Comments on And Now it’s Time to Say Sine Die As the 2015 legislative session comes to an end so does my time in Georgia. After 25 years in Georgia, the last 11 as executive director of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, I move to Michigan in a few weeks. It certainly has been a long, strange trip. It’s hard to believe how far […] Read more » Alan Essig Medicaid Expansion State Budget
Alan Essig Blog Senate Transportation Bill Escalates Pain for Education, Other Needs March 19, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Alan Essig | 1 Comment on Senate Transportation Bill Escalates Pain for Education, Other Needs Georgia’s state senators could inflict more than twice the pain contemplated by their House counterparts if they move forward with plans to fix roads and bridges with a raid on the general fund to the tune of $442 million. The version House members sent to them proposes a “mere” $168 million whack from the general fund, […] Read more » Alan Essig Budget Budget & Taxes Budget Cuts Education State Budget State of Working Georgia State Taxes
Alan Essig Blog Budget and Taxes House Budget Squeezes Schools, Health Care Providers February 27, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig | 1 Comment on House Budget Squeezes Schools, Health Care Providers 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 for a pending plan to raise $1 billion for road and bridge maintenance. House Bill […] Read more » Alan Essig Budget Budget & Taxes Budget Cuts Department of Human Services FY 2016 medicaid PeachCare State Budget
Alan Essig Author Blog Budget and Taxes Swapping penny from schools, other state needs is not small change February 11, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig As published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Feb. 11, 2015. Some powerful Georgia lawmakers are floating a plan to move $180 million out of the state account used for schools, public safety and other general needs to redirect the money solely for roads and bridges. The $180 million may not sound like a lot in […] Read more » State Taxes
Alan Essig Author Budget and Taxes Library Policy Areas Reports Overview of Georgia’s 2016 Fiscal Year Budget January 21, 2015 / January 16, 2020 by Alan Essig The $21.8 billion budget proposed for Georgia’s 2016 fiscal year projects revenue growth of about 4.2 percent in the state’s main account for services such as education and public safety, the general fund. That’s $834 million more than the recently revised 2015 revenue estimate. State revenues are above pre-recession levels, but the proposed budget still […] Read more » State Budget
Alan Essig GBPI In The News States use big tax breaks to lure companies January 16, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Alan Essig Georgia’s business and political circles have been buzzing about Mercedes’ planned move since the German car company announced plans to move its U.S. headquarters to the state last week. Read more. Read more » economic development economy tax-break Wesley Tharpe
Alan Essig Author Blog Budget and Taxes Now’s time for strategic fixes January 12, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig | 1 Comment on Now’s time for strategic fixes As published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution For the first time in years, state leaders are sending signals before the January General Assembly that they might raise revenues to fix a challenge Georgia needs to address, in this case its neglected transportation system. A new legislative committee report outlines a menu of options to raise more […] Read more » State Budget State Taxes
Alan Essig Budget and Taxes Mediocre Revenue Growth Won’t Fix Georgia’s Transportation, Education, Other Challenges December 11, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig It was good to hear state leaders acknowledge the need to bolster the state’s finances this week at an Athens conference attended by veteran and newly elected lawmakers preparing for next year’s legislative session. A state study committee spent months to determine that Georgia’s years of neglect of its transportation system is now a detriment […] Read more » Alan Essig State Budget State Taxes
Alan Essig Author Blog Worker Justice Marriage Equality is Good for Business in Georgia August 29, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig Creating marriage equality in Georgia is not just a matter of basic justice and fairness, but according to a just-released study by the Williams Institute in the UCLA School of Law, the state’s economy would also benefit. Revenue from same-sex wedding planning and spending by out-of-state guests on goods and services will add $78.8 million […] Read more »
