People-Powered Prosperity

People-Powered Prosperity

It is clearer than ever before that our state’s economy is not inclusive of every Georgian–and our entire state suffers as a result. People-Powered Prosperity details a vision for how state lawmakers can pursue strategies to help Georgians recover and thrive, as well as how the state can responsibly pay for the services our families rely on. Our state boasts a successful business community and an attractive place to work, but problems and barriers across Georgia persist, including poverty, sky-high costs for college and child care, the maternal mortality crisis and inequities among women and people of color. These problems existed before COVID-19, but the pandemic has underscored them. Recovery is only possible if we invest in every Georgian and ensure no one is left out. This campaign, led by GBPI, 9to5 Georgia, Faith in Public Life and Small Business Majority, offers policy solutions to these issues and explains how Georgia can fund statewide prosperity. During the 2023 Legislative Session, several PPP priorities advanced through the Legislature, and though this campaign will end in 2023, the work towards advancing a proactive revenue agenda and policies that strengthen economic security for Georgians continues. Read our latest progress report here.

The Roadmap to People-Powered Prosperity Runs Through Four Key Pillars

Georgia Can Afford an Ambitious Investment in its People

Fully funding our state’s shared priorities requires balancing Georgia’s state budget with sustainable revenue sources that fairly tax residents across the state. It is also important to reverse tax policies that cause the lowest-income families to pay the highest percentage of their earnings in state and local taxes and to make certain that the state avoids costly and inefficient loopholes or unnecessary tax breaks.

By modernizing the state’s tax code and implementing common-sense policies with demonstrated success in other states across the nation, Georgia’s leaders can both increase the state’s ability to fund its priorities and more equitably tax households. In order to achieve this goal, state leaders can:

  • Preserve and strengthen the income tax for households and corporations by defending against cuts that largely benefit top earners and scaling back the double deduction to stabilize revenues and recover quickly during times of economic downtown
  • Evaluate tax breaks for big business in order to trim back those that do not deliver enough benefit to offset the state’s lost revenue
  • Increase the cigarette tax to the national average in order to raise over $500 million in annual revenues while discouraging tobacco use
  • Extend the sales tax to cover all online purchases and some services

Recent Work

Photo credit: Herald Post Blog

Keeping Pre-K Stable Helps Georgia Children and Parents

Key Takeaways Agency budget proposals for lottery-funded programs included no cuts to HOPE and $53 million in cuts ...
Protect GA families Budget and Taxes

Raise Revenue to Protect Georgia Families

Dear Governor Kemp and Members of the Georgia General Assembly, Thank you for your work in service of ...
Tearing the Fabric of Georgia’s Safety Net Guarantees an Uneven Recovery Alex Camardelle

Tearing the Fabric of Georgia’s Safety Net Guarantees an Uneven Recovery

Key Points: The current COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic decline have underscored the problems of disinvestment in Georgia’s ...
doctor and baby Coronavirus

Make Public Health a Priority in Georgia During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

The state of Georgia plans to spend about $4 billion in state funds on health care programs in ...
TANF-sign-on Alex Camardelle

Unlock TANF Reserves to Serve Families in Need

Dear Governor Kemp and Director Rawlings, Thank you for your service and dedication to our state during this ...
Georgia-Can’t-Afford-Another-Lost-Decade Budget and Taxes

Georgia Can’t Afford Another Lost Decade: Options to Increase State Revenues to Close Budget Shortfalls

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia is facing an economic and fiscal crisis that threatens the ...

Learn More About People-Powered Prosperity

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