Blog Hopes for New Approach to Revenues Dampened by New Income Tax Plan February 27, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler 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, check out the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Political Insider blog. This public breaking with Norquist stems from […] Read more »
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 Fact Sheets Health Justice K-12 Education Library Policy Areas Timothy Sweeney Health Plan Financial Challenges Remain if State Ends Coverage for Part-Time School Workers and Their Dependents February 24, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Georgia’s governor proposes in the 2016 fiscal year to eliminate State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) coverage for bus drivers, school nutrition workers and other “non-certified” school district employees who work fewer than 30 hours per week. This move could take insurance away from more than 21,000 people while leaving the plan’s more substantial financial challenges […] 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
Author Claire Suggs K-12 Education Library Reports Education Savings Accounts Carry Big Sticker Shock February 19, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Claire Suggs Georgia lawmakers are considering legislation to allow parents to take state dollars for private educational use. House Bill 243 proposes to create Education Savings Accounts (ESA) to set public money aside for educational services, including private school tuition, textbooks and curriculum materials, private tutoring and contributions to a college savings plan. Kindergarten and first grade […] Read more » K-12
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
