Blog Budget and Taxes Taifa Smith Butler Looking Ahead: A People-First Agenda for Georgia November 6, 2018 / May 19, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler While the final votes are being tallied, one thing is clear: this election year saw unprecedented engagement. Voters forced attention to issues at the heart of the debate including health care, education and economic opportunity. These subjects were top of mind for nearly all voters regardless of party affiliation, zip code, race, ethnicity or gender. In January, […] Read more » child care Education health people-first People-Powered Prosperity State Taxes Taifa Smith Butler tax breaks
Blog Budget and Taxes Taifa Smith Butler Georgians Say Yes to Our People-First Agenda August 1, 2018 / May 19, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler The public has spoken. It’s time to invest in Georgia’s people. Georgians struggling to make it to the middle class—not to mention stay in it—face unprecedented headwinds in today’s economy. Stagnant wages are stifling the middle class, and families are steadily losing buying power as living costs continue to rise. The lack of access to […] Read more » child care Education health people-first People-Powered Prosperity State Taxes tax breaks
Blog Budget and Taxes Taifa Smith Butler New State Budget Marks Progress, Leaves Important Work Undone May 7, 2018 / May 19, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler Georgia’s new annual budget signed into law by Gov. Nathan Deal last week marks a positive step forward on education and a few other crucial issues, yet also falls short of addressing some of the state’s most pressing needs. The approved spending plan for the 2019 budget year that begins July 1, 2018 includes a […] Read more » Budget & Taxes Education FY 2019 Governor Deal K-12 Legislature medicaid Medicaid Expansion State Budget
Cash and Safety Net Reports Taifa Smith Butler Overview: 2019 Fiscal Year Budget for Human Services February 13, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler Foster Care Services Get Increases for Foster Parents, Child Placement Agencies Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposed $788 million Department of Human Services budget for the 2019 fiscal year includes new support to meet the growing needs in the state’s foster care system and to help ensure the safety and protection of Georgia’s most vulnerable children. The […] Read more » Budget Department of Human Services Division of Family and Children Services foster-care Safety Net Taifa Smith Butler
Blog Taifa Smith Butler Worker Justice Make a $1 Billion Investment in Georgia’s Youth, Workers, Families and Communities January 29, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler As published by SaportaReport You’ve no doubt heard many times Georgia is the No. 1 place to do business, but what if the state can also be the top place to settle and raise a family? That is the audacious vision the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute unveiled at its Jan. 25 policy conference under […] Read more » economy Education EITC Georgia Work Credit health Higher Education medicaid Medicaid Expansion People-Powered Prosperity
Blog Health Justice K-12 Education Taifa Smith Butler Worker Justice Help Rural Georgians’ Health and Pocketbook January 15, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler | 1 Comment on Help Rural Georgians’ Health and Pocketbook Originally posted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Lawmakers appear poised to try something new to help struggling communities in rural Georgia and our neighbors from Blue Ridge to Thomasville are no doubt glad to receive the attention. Ideas floated recently by a state House study committee range from expanding broadband access to paying professionals to relocate […] Read more » EITC HOPE medicaid Op-Ed
Blog Budget and Taxes Community Impact Higher Education Taifa Smith Butler Albany, Georgia: Good people, great community, tremendous needs December 13, 2017 / April 14, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler Ursula looked me in my eyes and said “When you go back to Atlanta, the first thing that needs to come out of your mouth when you talk to them [policymakers] is that they need to increase the minimum wage.” She was just one of many students the GBPI team heard from at Family Literacy […] Read more » Budget & Taxes Economic Security economy Education health Higher Education
Blog Budget and Taxes Taifa Smith Butler Georgia’s Revenue Increase Trails Needs of Growing Population August 10, 2017 / January 14, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler For most Georgians July 1, 2017 was just another steamy summer day in the south. For state lawmakers and agency leaders, it marked the beginning of a new year, the annual restart of operating plans to track budget expenses against carefully prepared plans. Meanwhile, department heads close the books on the state’s 2017 fiscal year […] Read more » Budget Budget & Taxes State Budget State Taxes tax breaks
Blog Budget and Taxes Taifa Smith Butler Many Georgia Families Get Raw Deal in President’s Callous Budget May 26, 2017 / January 14, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler Georgians stand to lose a lot if the president’s proposed budget released this week is approved. Not only does the plan jeopardize Georgia’s fiscal stability, it also would diminish the ability of millions of Georgians to meet basic living standards, such as putting food on the table, maintaining a roof over their heads and accessing […] Read more » Budget Budget & Taxes Budget Cuts health health-care K-12 medicaid Taifa Smith Butler
Blog Budget and Taxes Health Justice K-12 Education Taifa Smith Butler Worker Justice Stabilizing Georgia’s Health System Tops 2017 Legislative To-do List January 10, 2017 / January 15, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler As published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution A reeling state health care system. Chronically underfunded public schools. Working families and communities that need a financial boost. State lawmakers convene in Atlanta this week with those pressing issues on their to-do list once again. Georgia’s 236 legislators also are required to pass a budget, expected to […] Read more » EITC K-12 medicaid
