Alan Essig Blog Budget and Taxes House Budget Squeezes Schools, Health Care Providers February 27, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig | 1 Comment on House Budget Squeezes Schools, Health Care Providers 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 for a pending plan to raise $1 billion for road and bridge maintenance. House Bill […] Read more » Alan Essig Budget Budget & Taxes Budget Cuts Department of Human Services FY 2016 medicaid PeachCare State Budget
Author Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Tossing More Than 20,000 Georgians off State Health Plan a Bad Remedy February 24, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney 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 time school district employees and 10,300 of their dependents from the plan threatens hardship for […] Read more »
Author Blog Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice Lift Georgia’s Economy with a Higher Minimum Wage February 23, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe 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 a proposal GBPI described in 2014 in our report “Better Pay for Honest Work.” Our […] Read more »
Blog Claire Suggs Private School Subsidy Bill Promises Sticker Shock February 19, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Claire Suggs | 8 Comments on Private School Subsidy Bill Promises Sticker Shock 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 subsidize education outside Georgia’s public schools will drain nearly $18 million from the state budget […] Read more » Education K-12 State Budget
Blog Tax Swap Brings No Small Change February 17, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by GBPI Admin GBPI Executive Director Alan Essig’s op-ed is featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; read full article here. Read more »
Author Blog Timothy Sweeney Georgia’s Planned 2016 Health Spending – Modest Changes, Big Challenges February 12, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney 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 in provider fees levied on hospitals and nursing homes in Georgia and Tobacco Settlement money, […] Read more » Affordable Care Act health medicaid Medicaid Expansion Tim Sweeney
Author Blog Claire Suggs K-12 Education Higher Class Sizes, Enrollment Drops Still a Drag on Lottery-funded Pre-K, HOPE Programs February 11, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Claire Suggs The governor’s proposed $978 million budget for Georgia’s lottery funded programs in the 2016 fiscal year falls short of meeting the needs of the state’s youngest students and some of its oldest. High class sizes and low teacher salaries threaten the quality of Pre-Kindergarten. Fewer students are getting the HOPE Scholarship and the HOPE Grant, […] Read more » K-12
Alan Essig Author Blog Budget and Taxes Swapping penny from schools, other state needs is not small change February 11, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig As published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Feb. 11, 2015. Some powerful Georgia lawmakers are floating a plan to move $180 million out of the state account used for schools, public safety and other general needs to redirect the money solely for roads and bridges. The $180 million may not sound like a lot in […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Young and Old Georgians Still Vulnerable in 2016 Spending Plan February 3, 2015 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson The good news is the governor’s proposed 2016 budget contains new state money to hire more child protective services workers, more money to manage the growth in the number of children placed in foster homes and even a modest amount aimed to help protect older Georgians. The not so good news, according to GBPI’s analysis […] Read more »
Author Blog Claire Suggs K-12 Education Recession-Era Cuts Remain for Georgia Schools, Despite Gains January 28, 2015 / January 16, 2020 by Claire Suggs The $8.49 billion for public schools in Governor Deal’s budget proposal shrinks some of the austerity cut in state K-12 funding. That’s the good news. But our overview of the proposed budget shows school districts will receive between $450 and $500 million less than called for in the state’s funding formula for public schools. Class […] Read more » K-12
