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
GBPI In The News Georgia educators stand in solidarity against proposed $1 billion budget cut June 26, 2020 / June 30, 2020 by Alex Welch This week, teachers and educators gathered on the steps of the Capitol building in downtown Atlanta from as far away as Catoosa County in reaction to severe budgets planned for the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) for the upcoming school year and beyond. If the cuts to GaDOE’s budget are in the long run, agencies such as […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts COVID-19 Jennifer Owens K-12 revenue
GBPI In The News Lawmakers Approve Vaping Tax, Raises Age For Tobacco Products To 21 June 26, 2020 / June 30, 2020 by Caitlin Highland Lawmakers on the last day of the legislative session passed a bill taxing vaping products for the first time and raising the age to purchase tobacco products to 21. The move, when signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, means an estimated $9.6 million and $14.5 million in extra revenue for the state. However, that is far […] Read more » Budget danny kanso revenue tobacco tac vaping tax
GBPI In The News State House committee pushes for new tax on vaping products June 25, 2020 / June 30, 2020 by Alex Welch A key Georgia House committee approved a 7% tax on vaping products Wednesday but declined to take on a hike in tobacco taxes. Vaping products could be taxed at as much as 7% of the wholesale price, depending on the type of device. That would add about $6 million per year to the state’s general […] Read more » Budget revenue Tobacco Tax
GBPI In The News CCPS Shares Georgia Budget and Policy Institute Video Regarding Budget Cuts June 24, 2020 / June 30, 2020 by Alex Welch Clayton County Public Schools is proud to share the following video provided by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute as it details the budget cuts to K-12 public school funding fiscal year 2021 proposed in the State of Georgia Budget. Watch the video here at the CCPS site. Read more » 2013 budget Budget K-12
GBPI In The News Georgia lawmakers approve more generous jobless benefits June 24, 2020 / August 6, 2020 by Caitlin Highland Workers in Georgia would be allowed to earn several hundred dollars more a week while keeping their full unemployment benefits under a bill that passed the General Assembly on Wednesday. Employees also would potentially be eligible to receive benefits for a longer period of time under Senate Bill 408, which the Senate sent to Gov. […] Read more » Alex Camardelle COVID-19 jobs and economy Unemployment