Alan Essig Author Blog K-12 Education Georgia Can Learn About Higher Ed’s Importance From Volunteer State February 10, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig While Tennessee pursues free tuition for all students to attend community colleges and technical schools, Georgia is moving in the opposite direction. If Tennessee follows through on a proposal by Gov. Bill Haslam in his State of the State speech, the Volunteer State will be the only one in the country that doesn’t charge tuition […] Read more »
Alan Essig Author Blog K-12 Education Teachers, Other State Workers Should Temper Raise Expectations February 6, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig | 18 Comments on Teachers, Other State Workers Should Temper Raise Expectations With all the talk about pay raises being included in the 2015 state budget, state employees and teachers are already counting the extra money. Unfortunately for many teachers and state employees the celebration is premature. To be sure, the governor’s proposal does include money for salary adjustments for state employees, Board of Regents staff and […] Read more »
Author Budget and Taxes Fact Sheets Library Policy Areas Wesley Tharpe Tax Resolutions Could Put Georgia Lawmakers in a Bind February 5, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Bill Analysis: Senate Resolution 415 Georgia legislators are proposing a constitutional amendment that would limit the state’s ability to adequately meet the needs of its people in the future. The proposal, Senate Resolution 415, would call for a referendum to create a permanent income tax cap in the state Constitution. Adopting this amendment could deliver […] Read more » State Taxes
Alan Essig Author Blog K-12 Education Revenues rise, but Georgia’s policies still stuck in recession mode February 3, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig As published in the Saporta Report on February 3, 2014 The good news for Georgia is the state’s economy continues to recover from the recent recession and state revenues are heading in a positive direction. The not-so-good news is the state’s leaders continue to put a strong economy and job-growth at risk through spending decisions […] Read more »
Author Budget and Taxes Claire Suggs K-12 Education Library Policy Areas Reports Overview: 2015 Fiscal Year Budget for Higher Education January 29, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Claire Suggs Funding Inches Up, Gaps Persist Georgia’s proposed $1.94 billion budget for higher education in the 2015 fiscal year adds some much needed money for several key initiatives compared to the prior year. However most of the increase just keeps pace with growth and rising health care and retirement costs. This means funding for Georgia’s university […] Read more » State Budget
Author Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe Reckless Budget Proposal Has Unintended Consequences January 28, 2014 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe | 1 Comment on Reckless Budget Proposal Has Unintended Consequences State lawmakers are considering a misguided proposal that could help put Georgia and our entire nation on a very dangerous path. Senate Resolution 736, sponsored by Senator Cecil Staton, would call on Congress to convene a national constitutional convention to enact a balanced budget amendment and other stiff restrictions on federal spending. Similar proposals are […] Read more » Federal Budget & Taxes
Author Budget and Taxes Library Policy Areas Reports Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice Overview: 2015 Fiscal Year Budget for Business Subsidies January 24, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe State Support for Private Sector Remains High Georgia plans to spend about $683 million on various tax breaks and economic development programs to subsidize private businesses in the upcoming 2015 fiscal year. This high level of support for Georgia’s private sector is an annual recurrence. Each year, state lawmakers spend hundreds of millions of dollars […] Read more » State Budget State Taxes
Author Budget and Taxes Health Justice Library Policy Areas Reports Timothy Sweeney Overview: 2015 Fiscal Year for Medicaid and PeachCare January 22, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney The governor’s budget proposal for the 2015 fiscal year adds a net increase of $143 million more than 2014 in new state money for Georgia’s Medicaid and PeachCare programs, which are administered by the Department of Community Health. The state plans to spend $2.9 billion to pay for health care services for nearly 1.9 million […] Read more » State Budget
Author Budget and Taxes Claire Suggs K-12 Education Library Policy Areas Reports Overview: 2015 Fiscal Year Budget for Lottery-Funded Programs January 22, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Claire Suggs Funding for Pre-Kindergarten and HOPE Falls Short of Students’ Needs The governor’s proposed $948 million budget for the state’s lottery-funded programs in the 2015 fiscal year falls short of what is needed to provide Georgians broad access to pre-kindergarten and higher education programs. Georgia’s 20-year-old system that uses lottery proceeds to make education more affordable […] Read more » State Budget
Author Budget and Taxes Cash and Safety Net Library Melissa Johnson Policy Areas Reports Overview: Georgia’s 2015 Fiscal Year Human Services Budget January 21, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Strategic Additions Made to DHS Budget; Service Cuts Since Recession Retained The governor’s $516.1 million budget proposal for the 2015 fiscal year makes strategic additions to help protect Georgia’s children and adults, but falls far short of restoring funds to pre-recession levels. The state’s spending plan makes it somewhat easier for the Department of Human […] Read more » State Budget
