Design flaws in the federal food stamp program hinder recipients’ upward economic mobility and effectively force them into governmental dependency.
That’s the upshot of a new Georgia Center for Opportunity report exploring possible solutions for addressing the benefits cliffs in safety-net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
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Proponents say a pair of proposed bills would cut down on the red tape facing providers of services that require occupational licenses.
House Bill 155 would provide a pathway for the spouses of firefighters, health care providers and law enforcement officers who move to Georgia to immediately secure an occupational license if they hold a license in their previous state of residence and are in good standing.
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Georgia lawmakers are almost certain to discuss school funding and even school choice legislation during this year’s legislative session.
“I think we’re going to have a very robust discussion when it comes to school funding, when it comes to vouchers and other issues that come before us,” House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, said during a press conference this week. “I believe we have … a very diverse state when it comes to education funding, whether you’re from rural Georgia, or whether you’re from urban Georgia, and how funding impacts us all and comes into this equation.”
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While the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers dropped 0.1% in December and the year-over-year inflation rate stands at 6.5%, a Georgia nonprofit says Peach State residents may not be feeling the good news.
“We keep seeing positive headlines about the inflation rate, but that good news is lost on average Georgians who are continually pinched on the cost for everyday necessities like groceries and gas,” Erik Randolph, Georgia Center for Opportunity’s director of research, said in a statement. “Although there was some positive news in the December numbers, it’s important to keep in mind that core inflation remained elevated, including for food. If policymakers in Washington truly want to help the most economically vulnerable in our country, they must return to fiscal sanity and rein in the spending.
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The slight drop in the rise of consumer prices may only be a momentary bit of relief as federal policy could make matters worse, a Georgia nonprofit said.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers Increased 8.5% over the past 12 months. That is down from a 9.1% year-over-year increase in June.
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While many pundits lauded Friday’s job numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a Georgia nonprofit is raising a red flag.
On Friday, the feds announced higher than expected job numbers, showing that total non-farm payroll employment increased by 528,000 in July.
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Georgia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic saved it from severe economic downfall, according to a recent report from the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO).
The GCO measured the impact of local and state governments’ actions in response to the pandemic on each state’s economy in a 510-page report, Assessing Each State’s Response To The Pandemic: Understanding The Impact On Employment & Work.
Each state had to temporarily close businesses and implement COVID-19 restrictions, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of people being unable to work. The GCO noted Georgia had been less severe in shutting down its economy when compared with other states.
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A Georgia nonprofit is among a coalition of more than 70 organizations calling on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee to restore proposed cuts to charter school funding.
The committee voted to cut $40 million from the federal Charter Schools Program. The budget they approved for fiscal year 2022 also includes language that would prevent federal funds from being awarded to charter schools ran by for-profit entities.
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