Blog Claire Suggs K-12 Education Time for Lawmakers to Choose Students Over Tax Cuts February 26, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Claire Suggs Lawmakers are racing to pass a risky tax package that drains $1.4 billion a year from the state treasury once fully implemented. A better choice is to hit the pause button and send school districts the full amount of money the state’s own K-12 funding formula calculates they should get. The General Assembly is underfunding […] Read more » Budget Budget & Taxes Education education-funding funding-formula HB 918 K-12 public-schools tax cuts
Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe Governor’s Tax Plan Carries $1 Billion Price February 14, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe | 1 Comment on Governor’s Tax Plan Carries $1 Billion Price – GBPI press statement issued Feb. 20 in response to governor’s revised tax cut plan introduced earlier that day: “Gov. Nathan Deal’s rushed tax cut plan is worrisome because slashing the income tax rate holds the potential for unintended consequences. Nobody knows what the effect of December’s federal tax cuts will be on Georgia next year […] Read more » Budget Budget & Taxes general-assembly Gov. Nathan Deal HB 918 revenues State Budget State Taxes
Cash and Safety Net Reports Taifa Smith Butler Overview: 2019 Fiscal Year Budget for Human Services February 13, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler Foster Care Services Get Increases for Foster Parents, Child Placement Agencies Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposed $788 million Department of Human Services budget for the 2019 fiscal year includes new support to meet the growing needs in the state’s foster care system and to help ensure the safety and protection of Georgia’s most vulnerable children. The […] Read more » Budget Department of Human Services Division of Family and Children Services foster-care Safety Net Taifa Smith Butler
Health Justice Laura Harker Reports Overview: 2019 Fiscal Year Budget for Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities February 13, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Laura Harker Gov. Nathan Deal’s budget proposal for the 2019 fiscal year adds $50.6 million more than last year’s budget in state general funds for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. The budget directs $14.9 million in state funds toward waiver programs and community support services. This helps continue implementation of a 2010 settlement with […] Read more » Budget Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities health opioids substance abuse
Claire Suggs K-12 Education Reports Shrinking State Funds Trigger Student Bus Safety Concerns February 12, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Claire Suggs Shrinking state funding for student transportation and rising costs are making it more difficult for school districts across Georgia to get children to and from school safely. The worsening financial pinch leaves districts with aging bus fleets on the road past their intended life, concerns about student safety and far fewer dollars to invest in […] Read more » Budget bus Claire Suggs Education K-12 Transportation
Health Justice Laura Harker Reports Overview: 2019 Fiscal Year Budget for the Department of Community Health February 6, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Laura Harker Gov. Nathan Deal proposes a 2019 budget of $2.79 billion in state general funds for the Department of Community Health. This is an increase of $249.2 million from the 2018 fiscal year, mostly to replace non-recurring court settlement funds in last year’s budget and to offset a decrease in the federal matching rate for Medicaid. […] Read more » Budget Department of Community Health health medicaid Medicaid Expansion PeachCare Rural hospitals
Higher Education Jennifer Lee Reports Overview: 2019 Fiscal Year Budget for Higher Education January 31, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Jennifer Lee Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposed $2.4 billion budget for the university system and $367 million for technical colleges includes money for enrollment growth and an increase in the employer share of the Teachers’ Retirement System. The proposed 2018 amended budget adds $10 million for graduate medical education and $10.7 million to meet dual enrollment needs. Per-student […] Read more » Budget Education Higher Education Technical College System of Georgia tuition University System of Georgia
Budget and Taxes Health Justice Higher Education K-12 Education Reports Overview of Georgia’s 2019 Fiscal Year Budget January 24, 2018 / February 26, 2021 by Taifa Smith Butler The $26 billion state budget proposed by Gov. Nathan Deal for the 2019 fiscal year starting July 1, 2018 lays out Georgia’s spending priorities for the coming year. It represents a $1.03 billion increase in total state spending over the 2018 budget approved last year. The budget is based on a very lean estimated growth […] Read more » Budget Budget & Taxes economy health Higher Education K-12 Legislature medicaid
Blog Budget and Taxes Higher Education K-12 Education Worker Justice State of the State Highlights Recent Gains, But Major Needs Remain for Georgia January 11, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by GBPI Admin Gov. Nathan Deal gave his eighth and final State of the State address, titled Orchards of Opportunity, Thursday morning, highlighting accomplishments and challenges throughout his tenure, taking a focus on business and looking ahead in 2018. The GBPI team provided commentary on Twitter throughout his address, offering insight on progress made in recent years and focusing […] Read more » Budget Budget & Taxes economy Education Higher Education HOPE Scholarship K-12 medicaid Medicaid Expansion
Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe Lopsided Tax Plan a Bad Deal for Georgians November 9, 2017 / January 14, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Georgia’s delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to consider a large-scale tax package next week, which in its current form provides a windfall to a few wealthy taxpayers at the top while putting the long-term well-being of regular families in jeopardy. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, introduced in the U.S. House […] Read more » Budget Budget & Taxes Tax Cuts and Jobs Act tax reform Taxpayers