GBPI In The News Georgia parents pushed to make IRL/online school choice soon July 8, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Caitlin Highland School districts around Georgia are announcing plans to reopen in a few weeks and many parents are agonizing over a choice between sending their children into close-quarters in-person classes as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, or — if their work schedule allows — keeping them at home to study online, potentially slowing their academic and […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts COVID-19 federal funds K-12 local and state funds
GBPI In The News State Budget Cuts $1.2 Billion From Education July 8, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Alex Welch Georgia K-12 schools will lose nearly $1 billion and public colleges and universities $250 million under the budget approved by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp last week. But at least there will be no furloughs. […] “As these cuts go into effect and Georgia’s schools, health care institutions and more are […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts Higher Education K-12 raising revenue
GBPI In The News Political Rewind: Uncertainty For Families, School Kids Looking Ahead to Fall July 7, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Alex Welch […] Under a cloud of the pandemic, school systems are asking parents to decide whether to send their children back to classrooms or continue online learning. […] Dr. Stephen Owens, with the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, said budget cuts risk exacerbating the situation. “The uncertainty of how many students will be in the classroom […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts COVID-19 K-12
GBPI In The News Mayor Bottoms, Councilmember Farokhi explore guaranteed income for citizens July 4, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Caitlin Highland Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has joined a new group of mayors calling for a guaranteed income to their citizens. The Mayors for a Guaranteed Income coalition “will explore cash payment programs in their cities for guaranteed income programs,” according to a city press release. The idea of a guaranteed income is an unrestricted cash […] Read more » COVID-19 income-inequality racial equity
GBPI In The News Tobacco tax increase surfaces in General Assembly July 1, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Caitlin Highland […] “Lifting the tobacco tax will simultaneously help our state fund critical priorities, such as health and education, and boost health outcomes,” said Danny Kanso, a GBPI policy analyst. “GBPI commends Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, R-rome) and the Senate Finance Committee for their leadership in passing legislation that will generate several hundred million dollars per year […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts Higher Education Unemployment
GBPI In The News State legislature, Kemp passes fiscal year 2021 budget with no mandatory furloughs for USG employees June 30, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Alex Welch Gov. Brian Kemp signed the fiscal year 2021 budget into law Tuesday morning. The final budget doesn’t include mandatory furloughs for University System of Georgia employees. […] On Friday, the state legislature passed a final budget with around a 10% reduction from last fiscal year, instead of 14%. The USG will take a $242 million […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts Higher Education Unemployment
GBPI In The News Kemp signs $26 billion budget as Georgia faces uncertain fiscal future June 30, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Caitlin Highland A day before the start of the new fiscal year, Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday signed a $26 billion budget that cuts $2.2 billion in spending amid an uncertain financial future for the state. […]Danny Kanso, a budget analyst for one of the groups promoting the cigarette tax hike — the Georgia Budget and Policy […] Read more » 2020 legislative session Budget Budget Cuts danny kanso raise revenue
GBPI In The News State passes bill to give non-violent former felons a ‘Second Chance’ for jobs June 29, 2020 / June 30, 2020 by Alex Welch They’ve done their time behind bars and been on good behavior since their release, but advocates say some of Georgia’s 4.2 million former felons are still shackled by their past deeds. While the state’s unemployment rate was around 3.4% before the pandemic, the unemployment rate for residents with criminal records was close to 15% during […] Read more » incarceration Unemployment unemployment rate
GBPI In The News Georgia House sends pared-down state budget to Gov. Kemp June 29, 2020 / June 30, 2020 by Alex Welch The Georgia House of Representatives gave final passage Friday night to a $25.9 billion fiscal 2021 budget scaled back by the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on state tax collections. House lawmakers approved the spending plan 104-62 in one of the final actions the House took before adjourning the 2020 legislative session. The state […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts COVID-19 Jennifer Owens raise revenue
GBPI In The News Considerable action on health bills puts cap on interrupted session June 28, 2020 / June 30, 2020 by Caitlin Highland State Rep. David Knight had a triumphant look Friday when talking about his quest for more oversight and restrictions on the PBM industry. Pharmacy Benefit Managers are basically corporate middlemen between health insurers or large employers and drugmakers in handling pharmaceutical benefits. The Georgia General Assembly approved a group of bills in recent days to […] Read more » Budget health-care Laura Harker revenue Tobacco Tax