Bill Analysis Briefs Budget and Taxes Criminal Legal System Reform Economic Justice Ray Khalfani Overview: 2026 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Corrections February 17, 2025 / February 17, 2025 by Ray Khalfani For Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, Governor Brian Kemp proposed a $1.62 billion budget for the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC), the agency overseeing Georgia’s prison system. This proposed budget is $125 million higher than what was approved for FY 2025. [1] This increase is attributed to investments in infrastructure and security improvements; increases in prison […] Read more » Budget Overview
Bill Analysis Briefs Budget and Taxes Cash and Safety Net Economic Justice Ife Finch Floyd Overview: 2026 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning February 12, 2025 / February 12, 2025 by Ife Finch Floyd Introduction The Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) administers: Child Care Services; the Georgia Pre-kindergarten Program; Nutrition Services, which administers the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program; the Summer Meals program for low-income children in daycare facilities; and Quality Initiatives, which works to improve the quality and accessibility of child care programs. […] Read more » Budget Overview
Bill Analysis Briefs Budget and Taxes Health Justice Leah Chan Overview: 2026 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Public Health February 10, 2025 / February 12, 2025 by Leah Chan Introduction The Department of Public Health programs focus on health promotion and health-related disaster response and preparedness as well as disease and injury prevention. Governor Kemp’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 provides the Department with about $436 million in state funds. That includes $403 million in state general funds and about $13.9 million in […] Read more » Budget Overview
Bill Analysis Briefs Budget and Taxes Health Justice Leah Chan Overview: 2026 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities February 10, 2025 / February 12, 2025 by Leah Chan Introduction Among a range of duties, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities operates five state psychiatric hospitals, provides evaluation and treatment for individuals under the jurisdiction of the court system to determine their competency to stand trial and provides community-based services to Georgians living with mental health conditions, substance use disorders and […] Read more » Budget Overview
Bill Analysis Briefs Budget and Taxes Healthy Housing Hillary Dong Overview: 2026 Fiscal Year Budget for State Housing Programs February 7, 2025 / February 7, 2025 by Hillary Dong Introduction The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is the state’s lead agency for safe and affordable housing, community and economic development and local government assistance. DCA’s housing services include providing rental assistance to low- and moderate-income individuals, providing down payment assistance to moderate-income individuals and financing affordable housing development and supportive housing. Additionally, […] Read more » Budget Overview
Bill Analysis Briefs Budget and Taxes Health Justice Leah Chan Overview: 2026 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Community Health February 7, 2025 / February 12, 2025 by Leah Chan Introduction The Department of Community Health administers the state’s healthcare safety net, reimburses hospitals for services provided to uninsured and underinsured Georgians, manages health insurance coverage for state and school system employees and regulates health care and long-term care facilities. Governor Kemp’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 provides the Department with $5.5 billion […] Read more » Budget Overview DCH Department of Community Health
Briefs Economic Justice Ray Khalfani Worker Justice 2023 State of Working Georgia: Short-Lived Recovery Reflects Long-Term Barriers October 23, 2023 / October 23, 2023 by Ray Khalfani Executive Summary Ongoing reliance on state-level, race-neutral job market measures provide an incomplete picture of the health of Georgia’s workforce. On the surface, Georgia has maintained a robust job market with a low overall unemployment rate of 3.3%. This low unemployment rate is partially attributed to a hiring pace that has stayed ahead of layoffs […] Read more » child care Criminal Justice Reform Digital Skills Gap Economic Justice economic mobility economic opportunity economic policies Economic Policy Economic Recovery Economic Security Economic Vision Equitable Opportunity Financial Aid Food Assistance FY2023 GBPI GBPI Insights GBPI Report Georgia Georgia Budget and Policy Institute Georgia Economy Georgia Lawmakers Georgia Workers georgia-budget governor kemp Inclusive Economy Labor Market Minimum Wage Policy Change Policy Reform Postsecondary Education racial equity Social Justice State of Working Georgia Unemployment Insurance Wage Inequality Work Supports worker justice worker rights Workforce Justice Workforce Training Workforce Trends
Briefs Cash and Safety Net Economic Justice Federal Policy Ife Finch Floyd GBPI’s 2023 Farm Bill Recommendations to Improve the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program September 25, 2023 / September 25, 2023 by Ife Finch Floyd No one should go hungry simply because they cannot afford the cost of food. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as Food Stamps, helps about 700,000 Georgia households put food on the table and protects them against hunger. But the program needs to be strengthened and protected as federal lawmakers consider […] Read more » Benefit Adequacy Child Well-being Client Protections Customer Service Eligibility farm bill Federal Law food insecurity food stamps Georgia Health Outcomes hunger Policy Recommendations SNAP
