Author Budget and Taxes Reports Wesley Tharpe How to fix flawed “New Markets” Bill March 19, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe The Georgia Senate is now considering House Bill 439, legislation supporters claim will help small businesses in low-income urban and rural areas. But the proposal is poorly designed and is unlikely to help Georgia businesses or the state’s economy. It creates an overly complex investment scheme that delivers tax credits solely to insurance companies, rather […] Read more » State Taxes
Claire Suggs K-12 Education Reports Opportunity School District Needs Transparency, Community Role March 13, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Claire Suggs | 1 Comment on Opportunity School District Needs Transparency, Community Role A new legislative proposal to create a statewide “Opportunity School District” aims to boost student achievement at Georgia’s most challenged schools. Close scrutiny of the measure is warranted before its proposed drastic and permanent remedies are passed into law. Georgia Senate Bill 133 sets out the parameters of Gov. Nathan Deal’s plan to allow the […] Read more » Education K-12
Blog Claire Suggs Key Questions for House Members about Opportunity School District Plan March 13, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Claire Suggs | 2 Comments on Key Questions for House Members about Opportunity School District Plan This week members of Georgia’s House are set to debate the merits of Gov. Nathan Deal’s plan to create a statewide “Opportunity School District” that aims to boost student achievement at persistently low-performing schools. Let’s hope the debate delivers answers to questions that still linger after state senators approved Senate Bill 133 last week 38-17. […] Read more » Education K-12
Blog Wesley Tharpe Transportation Plan Takes Positive Turn, Has a Few Miles to Go March 13, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe | 2 Comments on Transportation Plan Takes Positive Turn, Has a Few Miles to Go The Georgia House of Representatives passed House Bill 170 last week, legislation that could generate nearly $1 billion a year in extra state funding for transportation. Its passage comes after more than a month of spirited debate that delivered several important changes, many for the better. The improving bill now lies in the hands of […] Read more » State Budget State Taxes Transportation Wesley Tharpe
Budget and Taxes Library Reports Wesley Tharpe House Transportation Package Takes Promising Turn March 13, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe House Bill 170 includes a number of provisions designed to generate additional revenues for improving Georgia’s gridlocked transportation system. The package that passed the Georgia House of Representatives on March 5, 2015 reforms Georgia’s gas tax, alters the way local governments apply sales taxes to motor fuel, creates new fees for alternative vehicles and eliminates […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe Proposed Insurance Industry Tax Credit a $139 Million Budget Drain March 10, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe 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 experiences of other states offer cautionary tales that should give Georgia lawmakers pause before they […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Budget and Taxes Library Policy Areas Reports Wesley Tharpe “New Markets” Tax Credit is a Bad Investment March 9, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Bill Analysis: House Bill 439 (LC 37 1964ERS) House Bill 439 proposes a costly new tax break called the Georgia New Markets credit that would drain state coffers when lawmakers already struggle to find enough revenue for transportation, education and other vital needs. The goal of the credit is to increase private investment in low-income […] Read more » State Taxes
Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Threats to Child Care Affordability Undermine Georgia’s Workforce March 5, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Melissa Johnson 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 of quality child care even under today’s tax rules. A new Georgia Budget and Policy […] Read more » child care Economic Security Safety Net
Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Reports Worker Justice Increase Child Care Assistance to Strengthen Georgia’s Families, Economy March 5, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Many low-income parents raising young children in Georgia are not able to afford the high cost of quality child care. Going without such care can prevent them from keeping jobs, focusing at work, and getting a job if they do not have one. Georgia offers a child care assistance program to help families afford child care, but […] Read more » child care
Author Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Georgia Falls to Second Worst Uninsured Rate in U.S. March 3, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney 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 of adults in Georgia went without health insurance in 2014, which is more than 5 […] Read more »
