Melissa Johnson Reports Worker Justice Laying the Foundation: A Wealth-Building Agenda for Georgia Women October 19, 2017 / April 25, 2023 by Melissa Johnson Why a Wealth-Building Agenda for Georgia Women? Building and growing the wealth of women is a necessary concern for Georgia lawmakers striving to keep the state growing and prospering. Women are a majority of Georgia’s adult population[1] and are the primary or co-breadwinners in more than half of Georgia households with children.[2] Women help shoulder the weight […] Read more » caregiving entrepreneurship gender gap homeownership paid leave wages wealth gap weath-building women of color
Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Planned Federal Budget Cuts Likely to Increase Hunger Risk for Georgians July 27, 2017 / January 14, 2020 by Melissa Johnson The U.S. House Budget Committee passed a resolution last week calling for deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly called food stamps). If these cuts took effect, nearly 1.6 million Georgians who rely on the program will face a greater chance of hunger. That includes children, seniors, people with disabilities, workers and […] Read more » Food Assistance food stamps Safety Net SNAP
Budget Primer Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Reports Georgia Human Services Budget Primer for State Fiscal Year 2018 July 12, 2017 / March 23, 2021 by Melissa Johnson Human Services Budget Overview Georgia’s Department of Human Services oversees state spending to protect children and seniors, as well as provide non-medical assistance to people with low incomes. The agency’s state funding is $757 million in 2018, or 3 percent of state spending. Child welfare-related services represent the largest share of the department’s responsibilities, accounting […] Read more » Budget Primer child care Safety Net
Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Reports Worker Justice Career Pathways Can Strengthen Georgia Families June 15, 2017 / January 14, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Georgia parents work hard every day to put food on the table and provide a brighter future for their children. Yet more than one in three of the state’s working families with children are likely to find themselves struggling to make ends meet due to low income.[1] Nearly 392,000 working families with children are considered […] Read more » economy Jobs Melissa Johnson Report Safety Net TANF
Cash and Safety Net Fact Sheets Melissa Johnson Work Requirements, Time Limits Constrain Food Assistance May 25, 2017 / January 14, 2020 by Melissa Johnson This year the state informed nearly 12,000 Georgians that they were at risk of being cut off from food assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly called food stamps). Georgia terminated this help for some because of time limits built into the program’s rules. Observers often refer to these time limits as the […] Read more » Food Assistance food stamps Melissa Johnson Safety Net SNAP
Blog Budget and Taxes Health Justice Melissa Johnson Uplifting Georgia Moms this Mother’s Day May 11, 2017 / January 14, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Mother’s Day invites us to reflect on the importance of mothers and show our appreciation for them. One of the best ways Georgia can demonstrate commitment to moms is to bolster their economic opportunities and provide more tools to help their families succeed. In 2016, the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute released an Economic Opportunity […] Read more » EITC health medicaid
Melissa Johnson Reports Worker Justice Underfunded English Training Limits Contribution from Georgia’s College-Educated Immigrants April 21, 2017 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson The strength of Georgia’s workforce is undermined by a lack of funding for English language programs. About 55,000 immigrants in Georgia hold a bachelor’s degree or higher and also struggle to speak English, an impediment that prevents many from fully putting their expertise to work here.[1] Georgia’s English language programs enrolled only about 12,000 adults […] Read more » immigration
Blog Budget and Taxes Melissa Johnson Worker Justice Immigrant ID Bills Amount to $1 Million in Waste February 17, 2017 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson One Senate bill and two House bills threaten to waste more than $1 million in state taxpayer dollars to change driver’s license and identification cards issued to immigrants, including refugees and legal permanent residents. If any of these bills pass, Georgia will spend valuable time and money tilting at windmills, while taking an unwelcoming stance […] Read more » immigration
Budget and Taxes Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Reports Overview: 2018 Fiscal Year Budget for Human Services February 7, 2017 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Services for Children and Older Adults Get Substantial Boost Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposed $732 million Department of Human Services 2018 budget takes another significant step forward to restoring and fortifying the agency after recession-era cuts. The spending plan adds substantial money for child welfare and other human services. Still, more money is needed to ensure […] Read more » Child Welfare Department of Human Services FY2018
Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Hunger Risk for 21,100 Georgians in New Year December 8, 2016 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson People in about one in seven Georgia households struggle with hunger, which often leads to costly health complications, lower energy levels and a diminished ability to concentrate. But as 2017 rapidly approaches, an estimated 21,100 Georgians will be at an increased risk for hunger due to a geographic expansion of time limits on food assistance. […] Read more » food stamps SNAP
