What Happened Under the Gold Dome 2015

A post-Sine Die update on legislation related to Foundation proposals.

A quick summary of key economic issues:

Education:

• Increase in the cap on the tuition tax credit scholarship that was hit in a matter of hours on January 1 of this year: No action
• Education Savings Accounts, similar to those in Arizona and Florida, that allows parents to tailor education spending to meet the unique needs of their children: Passed committee, no vote in the House
• Creation of a Opportunity School District for failing schools: Passed
• Move on When Ready 2.0 allowing high school students to take college level classes while still enrolled in high school: Passed
• Address state charter and virtual school funding: No action
• Allow workplace charter schools: Passed committee, no vote in the House
• Allow charter school students access to extracurricular activities at their home school if not available at their charter school: Passed committee, no vote in the House

Health Care

• Market-oriented alternative to Medicaid Expansion: No bills introduced
• Medical malpractice reform: No action
• Tax credit for private donations to charity care clinics: No action, but the Senate included $1 million in the budget

Regulation

• Reform of professional licensing restrictions to improve economic opportunity for low- and middle-income Georgians: No bill introduced
• Allow direct sale of small quantities by distilleries, breweries and brewpubs: Passed, but direct sales by brewpubs are still prohibited 
• Ride sharing services: Bill supported by Uber and Lyft passed
• Unlimited direct sales of Tesla automobiles: Passed

Criminal Justice

• Civil Asset Forfeiture reform: Passed

Transportation

• Transportation Funding: Passed
• Fractional SPLOST: Passed

Fiscal

• Pension reform: Bill introduced creating hybrid pensions for all new teachers, similar to hybrid pension plan created for all state employees hired after 2009 (Note: Pension bills cannot be passed in the year they are introduced.)
• Allow local governments to participate in Public Private Partnerships: Passed
• Tax Reform: Several bills introduced, but no action

A quick summary of key economic issues:

Education:

• Increase in the cap on the tuition tax credit scholarship that was hit in a matter of hours on January 1 of this year: No action
• Education Savings Accounts, similar to those in Arizona and Florida, that allows parents to tailor education spending to meet the unique needs of their children: Passed committee, no vote in the House
• Creation of a Opportunity School District for failing schools: Passed
• Move on When Ready 2.0 allowing high school students to take college level classes while still enrolled in high school: Passed
• Address state charter and virtual school funding: No action
• Allow workplace charter schools: Passed committee, no vote in the House
• Allow charter school students access to extracurricular activities at their home school if not available at their charter school: Passed committee, no vote in the House

Health Care

• Market-oriented alternative to Medicaid Expansion: No bills introduced
• Medical malpractice reform: No action
• Tax credit for private donations to charity care clinics: No action, but the Senate included $1 million in the budget

Regulation

• Reform of professional licensing restrictions to improve economic opportunity for low- and middle-income Georgians: No bill introduced
• Allow direct sale of small quantities by distilleries, breweries and brewpubs: Passed, but direct sales by brewpubs are still prohibited 
• Ride sharing services: Bill supported by Uber and Lyft passed
• Unlimited direct sales of Tesla automobiles: Passed

Criminal Justice

• Civil Asset Forfeiture reform: Passed

Transportation

• Transportation Funding: Passed
• Fractional SPLOST: Passed

Fiscal

• Pension reform: Bill introduced creating hybrid pensions for all new teachers, similar to hybrid pension plan created for all state employees hired after 2009 (Note: Pension bills cannot be passed in the year they are introduced.)
• Allow local governments to participate in Public Private Partnerships: Passed
• Tax Reform: Several bills introduced, but no action