A proposed new tax credit program that benefits insurance companies would cost Georgia an estimated $139 million in lost revenue by 2023. The credit is part of a complicated finance program designed to create investment in low-income communities. But the
An income tax shift proposal released last week proposes to eliminate Georgia’s credit for child and dependent care, the state’s second largest income tax credit. Many low-income parents trying to raise young children in Georgia struggle to afford the high cost
Georgia fell further behind nearly all other states in ensuring access to health coverage for its residents in 2014, according to a new Gallup Health-Ways Well-Being Index report. Georgia ranked sixth in the 2013 Gallup survey. More than 19 percent
Are state lawmakers ready to have “the talk” about new revenue? After hearing state lawmakers dismiss anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist’s comments and efforts to influence Georgia’s legislative process earlier this week, I thought so. For more on the Norquist flap,
The Georgia House of Representatives this week rearranged the state’s 2016 budget plan for education, health care and human services from the one the governor unveiled in January. The new version still does not include budget cuts required to pay
Tossing non-certified school district workers who work less than 30 hours per week off the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) could unnecessarily push more Georgians into the insurance coverage gap. Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposal to remove more than 11,500 part
This month I spoke to a state senate committee about the merits of Senate Bill 15, legislation that could boost Georgia’s minimum wage to $10.10 per hour from its current effective rate of $7.25. The senate bill is similar to
Georgia lawmakers are sounding out a kinproposal to create Education Savings Accounts to allow parents of private and home school children to pay expenses with state money. A new Georgia Budget and Policy Institute analysis shows using state money to
GBPI Executive Director Alan Essig’s op-ed is featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; read full article here.
The proposed 2016 state budget directs $3.6 billion from the general fund to Georgia’s three health care focused agencies, the departments of community health, public health, and behavioral health and developmental disabilities. The total reaches $4.2 billion when you add
The Georgia Budget Primer is GBPI’s signature annual examination of state revenues and investments. It outlines Georgia’s budget changes, trends and impacts regarding taxes, education, health care, human services and criminal legal systems. This year we are taking special care to describe how federal funding contributes to Georgia’s budget.
Submit public comment on Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage program extension by February 20th – just complete this easily fillable form:
