Author Claire Suggs K-12 Education Library Reports Transparency for Private School Scholarships Improves March 8, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Claire Suggs Senate Bill 243 (SB 243), unlike the related House Bill 140 (HB 140) introduced earlier in 2013 legislative session, would bring overdue focus, transparency and accountability to the private school scholarship tax credit program. But it does not end its annual expansion. The proposed changes would encourage making students with the greatest financial need a […] Read more »
Author Reports Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice “Invest Georgia” Has Merit, Cannot Take Priority Over Other Needs March 5, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Two bills under consideration by the General Assembly would create an ambitious new economic development program, “Invest Georgia.” It would direct $100 million in state money over five years to improve Georgia businesses’ access to venture capital – an important form of financing for new companies and entrepreneurs. Senate Bill 224 (SB 224) and House […] Read more »
Author Claire Suggs K-12 Education Reports Private School Scholarships to Divert $30 Million More in Revenue February 20, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Claire Suggs Championed as a quasi-voucher bill by its author, House Bill 140 would expand Georgia’s private school scholarship tax credit program from $50 million to $80 million, diverting an additional $30 million in potential state revenue from the general fund. The program provides dollar for dollar tax credits to taxpayers who contribute to private school scholarships […] Read more » Education HOPE Scholarship
Budget and Taxes Reports Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice “Georgia Renaissance Act” is Well-Intentioned, but Costly | Bill Analysis: House Bill 128 February 15, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Dubbed the Georgia Renaissance Act, House Bill 128 would create $30 million worth of new tax credits aimed at revitalizing local downtowns, making it one of Georgia’s costliest economic development programs. The proposal calls for a mix of tax incentives to entice Georgia businesses and real estate developers to renovate existing buildings or launch new […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Budget and Taxes Health Justice Reports Timothy Sweeney Overview: Georgia’s 2014 Fiscal Year Public Health Budget February 8, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Georgia’s Investment Does Not Keep Pace With Growing Needs The governor’s proposed budget includes about as much general fund support for Georgia’s public health programs as it did in 2001. Meanwhile, Georgia’s population grew by 21.2 percent from 2000 to 2012, a rate nearly twice that of the country as a whole during the same […] Read more » health State Budget Tim Sweeney
Budget and Taxes Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Reports Overview: Georgia’s 2014 Fiscal Year Human Services February 8, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson State Spending Cuts Borne Most Heavily by Most Vulnerable The governor’s budget proposals for the next 17 months do not meet the growing needs of Georgia’s most vulnerable children and adults. In some cases they place them even more at risk. The state’s spending plans will make it more difficult for the Department of Human […] Read more » Department of Human Services Economic Security Melissa Johnson Safety Net State Budget
Author Budget and Taxes Reports Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice Overview: Georgia’s Fiscal 2014 Economic Development February 7, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe State Raises Commitment to Economic Development, Shifts Money Around The overview of Georgia’s 2014 fiscal year budget for economic development report reviews the proposed 2014 budget and the impact it has on economic development. The governor’s proposals for the remainder of the current budget year and for fiscal 2014 maintain the status quo for economic […] Read more » economic development economy State Budget Wesley Tharpe
Author Budget and Taxes Library Reports Wesley Tharpe Overview: Georgia’s 2014 Budget for Business Tax Breaks February 7, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Tax-Side Spending for Economic Development Continues to Swell In addition to the nearly $100 million that Gov. Nathan Deal proposes to spend on economic development during the 2014 fiscal year, Georgia is also scheduled to commit another $289 million through 16 business tax credits that companies in Georgia are eligible to claim. These additional “tax […] Read more » economic development economy State Taxes Wesley Tharpe
Author Budget and Taxes Health Justice Reports Timothy Sweeney Overview: Georgia’s 2014 Fiscal Year for Department of Community Health February 6, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Department of Community Health Plan Underfunds Medicaid The governor’s budget recommendations may not include enough funding to cover the health care needs of Georgia’s growing population in the next two years. Because the original 2013 budget fails to include enough money to pay for new Medicaid and PeachCare patients expected to enroll this year, new […] Read more » Medicaid Expansion State Budget Tim Sweeney
Author Budget and Taxes Claire Suggs Featured K-12 Education Reports Overview: Georgia’s 2014 Fiscal Year Budget for PK-12 February 5, 2013 / January 17, 2020 by Claire Suggs New Plan Continues $1 Billion Underfunding of QBE The overview of Georgia’s 2014 fiscal year budget for K-12 education report reviews the proposed FY 2014 budget and the impact it has on early childhood and K-12 education. Georgia continues to shortchange its K-12 students. The Quality Basic Education (QBE) program, the primary mechanism for distributing […] Read more » Claire Suggs Education K-12 Pre-K State Budget
