This week, Republicans held their convention in Milwaukee, where they officially nominated former President Donald Trump. Next month, Democrats will gather in Chicago to, presumably, nominate President Joe Biden for a second term as the leader of the free world.
Besides the festivities and formalities that happen at conventions, delegates also get a chance to adopt a party platform. Parties do this at the state level as well. They’ll touch on everything from taxes to the border to healthcare to abortion, and everything in between. There’s usually not much in common.
But as American Enterprise Institute Scholar Steven B. Kamin writes in this week’s commentary, we have seen unified consensus between the parties — and not in a good way. But instead in favor of protectionist policies that are harming our economy.
What does this mean? And what has been the effect of these tariffs on the average American? You can find out in this week’s commentary how protectionist policies have failed the American economy. We also have the latest news and analysis from the last week, including:
- New Georgia residents brought in $715 million in adjusted gross income
- State ends fiscal year with a slight uptick in June
- HOPE Scholarship awards reach over $15 billion
- Republican Party platform calls for universal school choice
Have a great weekend,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest
New residents resulted in new revenue for Georgia
Georgians have been getting a lot of new neighbors. Our population boom reflects tens of thousands of people moving here each year from other states, particularly high-tax states. But these new Georgians don’t arrive empty-handed. They bring their family, their belongings – and their incomes. Over 51,000 more people moved into Georgia than out of it between 2021 and 2022. And they brought with them about $715 million more in adjusted gross income than ex-Georgians took.
Nontraditional homes face maze of regulations in Georgia
Many people are interested in nontraditional homes because of their unique look or because they are trying to save money. But in Georgia, those house types often clash with a maze of government regulations that make constructing unique housing types difficult and costly. Innovative housing solutions often face substantial regulatory challenges that hinder their feasibility.
How do we provide the best health coverage for Georgians?
In 2019, Gov. Kemp signed the Patients First Act into law, which authorized the Department of Community Health to pursue two waivers from the federal government to address both Medicaid and the private health insurance marketplace. This has led to a widespread expansion of health insurance options throughout the state.
🗒️ New policy brief: Examining Georgia’s health insurance marketplace
Congress should increase oversight on runaway bureaucrats
Although estimates of the cost of regulation vary, they invariably are large. The latest edition of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s annual publication, “Ten Thousand Commandments,” put the cost of regulation at just under $2 trillion in 2022, or about 8% of the U.S. economy. The National Association of Manufacturers estimated this cost was nearly $3.1 trillion, closer to 12% of economic output. By either estimate, the cost of U.S. regulations is a heavy burden. And if the agencies won’t reform themselves, other branches of government can do something about this.
Supreme Court returns checks and balances to governing
For four decades, the judiciary has ceded the important power of reviewing executive agencies’ rules and regulations to the agencies themselves. Reasserting the court’s preeminence in interpreting the law is a key step toward more constitutional balance with the executive branch, which is merely meant to carry out laws.
The Latest
Economy
State ends fiscal year with revenue uptick after months-long slide
Georgia tax collections rose last month compared to June of last year, but the state ended fiscal 2024 with lower tax revenues than the previous year. The state brought in $3.03 billion in June, up 6.5% compared to the previous June, the Georgia Department of Revenue reported last week.
Southwest Georgia farmers struggling with dry weather, poor crop prices
A drive through parts of Mitchell County reveals lush, green stands of blooming cotton in a number of fields. But a short distance down the road there are other fields where the plants are obviously struggling. Among the worst is one where the plants are stunted, and large portions of the field have no visible stand of plants. Few of the wilting plants were displaying blooms, and flowers were dropping from the spindly plants that stood only a few inches high.
Analyst estimates big windfall if Georgia legalizes sports gambling
Georgia could generate nine figures in taxes from sports betting over 12 months, a sports betting analyst estimated. One measure lawmakers considered during the last session was Senate Bill 386, which — had voters approved — would have allowed sports betting under the purview of the Georgia Lottery Commission.
Education
Republican platform calls for universal school choice
This week, delegates at the Republican National Convention adopted the Party’s 2024 platform, which includes a ringing endorsement of universal school choice. “Republicans believe families should be empowered to choose the best education for their children. We support Universal School Choice in every State in America,” the platform reads.
School districts work to fill teacher openings as first day of classes approach
Classes will be back in session in less than a month for students, and local districts are ramping up their efforts to fill hundreds of openings. DeKalb County currently has about 250 openings, which is fewer than the 600 they had at this time last year. The district is offering prospective teachers a $2,000 signing bonus.
State of choice: 2024 legislative session in review
This year, five states, including Georgia, created new programs and five expanded existing programs. Of the new programs, two, Alabama and Louisiana, offer universal eligibility after phase-in. Education savings account (ESA) proposals continued to dominate statehouse debates, with about 77% of 2024 school choice legislation relating to this type of program.
Government accountability
Civil liberties groups settle lawsuit over Fulton County Jail population
Civil liberties groups have settled a lawsuit that proponents say could help reduce the Fulton County Jail’s population. Earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Georgia sued Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, arguing that the DA’s office did not comply with a court rule that mandates that prosecutors notify the circuit’s chief judge when someone charged with a felony is in custody for more than 45 days but not indicted.
Artificial Intelligence on the minds of Georgia Senate study committee
The Georgia Senate Artificial Intelligence Study Committee will work on modeling AI legislation across realms including health care, education, infrastructure, business and labor in as many as 12 total meetings to be held around the state before the 2025 legislative session is set to begin in January.
Transportation
Georgia announces $238.8M for transportation projects in May
State transportation officials said they awarded 15 projects totaling $238.8 million in May 2024. The largest project is roughly $122 million to widen and reconstruct six miles of State Route 20 in Forsyth County from Post Road to east of North Corners Parkway. With the May projects announced, transportation officials said the state has awarded $2.4 billion in construction contracts for fiscal 2024.
Atlanta transportation chief affirms southside projects to be city’s top priority
The head of the Atlanta Department of Transportation says aging infrastructure and even supply chain issues in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have delayed projects on the city’s southside. He vows streets and neighborhoods in southwest Atlanta are the top priority for the city.
Bonus
JD Vance could become first vice president with facial hair in decades
Republican Senator JD Vance of Ohio could become the first vice president with facial hair in nearly a century if former President Donald Trump retakes the presidency in November. Former President Harry Truman sported a goatee while in office in 1948. Charles Curtis, the VP to President Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933, had a mustache and was the last vice president to have facial hair.
HOPE Scholarship awards reach over $15 billion
Gov. Brian Kemp announced this week that the HOPE Scholarship Program has awarded over $15 billion to more than 2.1 million Georgia students since its inception in 1993. In the first year of the HOPE program, $21 million was awarded to nearly 43,000 Georgia students. This year, the program has grown to award $841 million for scholarships and grants to more than 178,000 Georgia students.
This Georgia suburb ranks No. 1 among best in US
Travel magazine Travel + Leisure rounded up the best suburbs in the nation to live in, and one city in Georgia took the top spot on the list. The rankings were based on feedback from expert realtors and livability. Johns Creek, a suburb nearly 30 miles north of Atlanta, is ranked number one among the top 10 suburbs in the US.
Quotes of the Week
Any player that says they don’t want to go to an All-Star Game is lying to you. It’s something everyone wants to be a part of. – Derek Jeter
“In times of crisis, it is the strength of our community that will lift us up.” – Zell Miller
“Mamaw and Papaw believed that hard work mattered more. They knew that life was a struggle, and though the odds were a bit longer for people like them, that fact didn’t excuse failure.” – JD Vance