Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Georgia’s Reaction to Reports of Welfare Waste Poses Administrative Nightmare February 27, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson This week the General Assembly began considering House Bill 138 (HB 138), legislation designed to discourage the misuse of cash benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Though seemingly well-intentioned, the bill could present a huge logistical challenge for retailers, all in an attempt to remedy a problem that may not be […] Read more » Melissa Johnson TANF
Author Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney New Jersey Governor Joins GOP Leaders Who Now Support Medicaid Expansion February 26, 2013 / January 17, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney | 1 Comment on New Jersey Governor Joins GOP Leaders Who Now Support Medicaid Expansion New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced today he will expand Medicaid coverage in his state, becoming the eighth Republican governor to change course and embrace the expansion. Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced last week his state will expand Medicaid coverage, joining Christie and New Mexico Gov. Susanna Martinez as members of the Republican Governors Association’s […] Read more » health medicaid Medicaid Expansion
Fact Sheets Featured Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Official Figures Overstate Fiscal Impact of Medicaid Expansion February 26, 2013 / January 17, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney State officials claim Medicaid expansion is unaffordable by overstating the real cost of covering newly eligible Georgians. State estimates claim it will cost $4.5 billion to expand Medicaid. But the official estimate includes more than $2 billion of future costs that are not caused by Medicaid expansion. Removing cost increases that occur with our without […] Read more » health medicaid Medicaid Expansion Tim Sweeney
Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe Georgia’s Upside-Down Tax System Hits Working Families Harder February 22, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe | 1 Comment on Georgia’s Upside-Down Tax System Hits Working Families Harder Contrary to rumors that working families don’t pay their fair share of taxes, Georgia’s state and local taxes actually take a much larger share of income from low- and middle-income families than from the wealthy. That’s among the findings of “Who Pays?” – a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), […] Read more » State Taxes Wesley Tharpe
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
Alan Essig Blog K-12 Education Improved Access to HOPE Grant a Start, but Georgia’s Higher Ed Goals Call for More February 13, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig Gov. Nathan Deal deserves a pat on the back for his support of state Rep. Stacey Evans’ proposal to lower the GPA requirement for the lottery-funded HOPE Grant, which will give more students access to workforce education at technical colleges. Still, much more needs to be done if the state is going to meet its […] Read more » Education HOPE Scholarship
Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Georgia’s Gov. Nathan Deal being left behind as other Republican governors endorse Medicaid expansion February 11, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney The Saporta Report features Georgia Budget and Policy Institute’s Director of Health Policy Timothy Sweeney’s op-ed on Medicaid expansion. As published in the Saporta Report. A rule of thumb holds that when something happens three times in short order, it’s a trend. So it’s fair to say that the melting resistance to Medicaid expansion among […] Read more » health Medicaid Expansion Tim Sweeney
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
