Alan Essig Author Blog Budget and Taxes State Closes Fiscal Year with Sluggish 2014 Revenues August 14, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig Georgia’s revenues grew 4.8 percent for the 2014 fiscal year that ended June 30. Such growth is well below the 8.2 percent average of the 13 non-recession years between 1993 and 2007. The difference between 4.8 percent growth and 8.2 percent growth is $623 million. Georgia could accomplish a lot of good things with $623 […] Read more » State Budget
Alan Essig Author Blog New GBPI Budget Primer Tells Story of Shortchanged Citizenry August 6, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig | 2 Comments on New GBPI Budget Primer Tells Story of Shortchanged Citizenry GBPI is proud today to publish the latest edition of our annual comprehensive analysis of the state’s financial blueprint, the “Georgia Budget Primer 2015.” This primer is a clear explanation of the state’s revenue collections and its current spending plan through next June. The 2015 edition tells the story of a state that continues to […] Read more »
Alan Essig Author Blog Budget and Taxes Hold off Celebration for Modest State Revenue Growth June 11, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Alan Essig Georgia’s revenues are up 4.5 percent over the first 11 months of the 2014 fiscal year. Still, revenues are stubbornly sticking to levels below the historical average for a non-recession year. In the 13 non-recession years between 1993 and 2007 Georgia’s revenue growth averaged 8.2 percent. Georgia takes in $675 million more in revenues with […] Read more » State Budget
Alan Essig Author Blog Scorched Earth Politics of 2014 Will Hurt Georgia Families for Years March 21, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig | 7 Comments on Scorched Earth Politics of 2014 Will Hurt Georgia Families for Years The 2014 Georgia General Assembly is mercifully over now, but its legacy of lost opportunity will haunt Georgia families for a long time to come. Politics repeatedly trumped sound policy decisions this legislative session, as the governor and other state leaders blew an opportunity to put Georgia on a better path. Let me start my […] Read more »
Alan Essig Author Blog Budget and Taxes Georgia Senate Proposes New Venture Capital, Other Small Changes to 2015 Budget March 7, 2014 / January 17, 2020 by Alan Essig Georgia’s state senators continue to usher a proposed budget for the 2015 fiscal year through the legislative process at a record pace. Senators approved their version of HB 744, better known as the state budget, on March 6, 2014 the thirty-third day of this year’s legislative session. The budget bill will is now in the […] Read more » State Budget
Alan Essig Author Blog Budget and Taxes Health Justice False Choices Cloud Medicaid Expansion Debate March 3, 2014 / January 17, 2020 by Alan Essig | 1 Comment on False Choices Cloud Medicaid Expansion Debate Who says Georgia can’t have first-rate schools, a quality health care system and a public safety net that offers support to some of the most vulnerable Georgians? Some state leaders who oppose Medicaid expansion in Georgia, that’s who. Bills to make Medicaid expansion more difficult are rushing through the Legislature, rationalized by claims that the […] Read more » State Budget
Alan Essig Author Blog Budget and Taxes Lawmakers Tinker Slightly with Governor’s 2015 Budget as Session Speeds Along February 14, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig Neither snow, nor sleet seem likely to slow Georgia’s 2014 legislative session.The sine die gavel is now scheduled to drop March 20, 2014. The General Assembly is set to return from its snow break Monday to resume its work on its only constitutionally required bill, the 2015 fiscal year budget, or HB 744. The state […] Read more » State Budget
Alan Essig Author Blog K-12 Education Georgia Can Learn About Higher Ed’s Importance From Volunteer State February 10, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig While Tennessee pursues free tuition for all students to attend community colleges and technical schools, Georgia is moving in the opposite direction. If Tennessee follows through on a proposal by Gov. Bill Haslam in his State of the State speech, the Volunteer State will be the only one in the country that doesn’t charge tuition […] Read more »
Alan Essig Author Blog K-12 Education Teachers, Other State Workers Should Temper Raise Expectations February 6, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig | 18 Comments on Teachers, Other State Workers Should Temper Raise Expectations With all the talk about pay raises being included in the 2015 state budget, state employees and teachers are already counting the extra money. Unfortunately for many teachers and state employees the celebration is premature. To be sure, the governor’s proposal does include money for salary adjustments for state employees, Board of Regents staff and […] Read more »
Alan Essig Author Blog K-12 Education Revenues rise, but Georgia’s policies still stuck in recession mode February 3, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig As published in the Saporta Report on February 3, 2014 The good news for Georgia is the state’s economy continues to recover from the recent recession and state revenues are heading in a positive direction. The not-so-good news is the state’s leaders continue to put a strong economy and job-growth at risk through spending decisions […] Read more »
