This weekend, we hope our readers will take a moment to pause and celebrate Memorial Day with reverence and gratitude for the members of America’s military who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defending our nation.
We believe all of our work, whether it’s fighting for access to education and healthcare, encouraging government accountability or strengthening our state’s economy, is important and worthwhile. We also recognize that our work is entirely conditional on a free society.
From Lexington and Concord to the War on Terror, Americans have fought and died to defend our nation and our liberties. We express our deepest thanks for their sacrifice.
Read Greet them ever with grateful hearts
Friday’s Freshest
Is Georgia serious about licensing reform?
A new commission will review Georgia’s occupational licensing practices and implement a framework to accommodate the state’s changing economy. Do we have reason to believe progress is coming?
📺 WATCH: Why universal licensing matters
North Carolina’s absurd state of emergency
If you’re reading this, we can only hope and pray you’ve found safety from the “Public Education Crisis” currently taking place in North Carolina. We are still waiting for confirmation that the emergency is contained as Georgia closes its northeast border. This is only partially a joke.
It’s wrong to think of the nature of this change the same way as before: moving away from one concept – such as a public school a student attends all day long – to another concept – say, a full-time private school. That just doesn’t fit with the way most of the rest of our lives are changing.
📺 WATCH: The future of education will look different
Are three Georgia cities still guilty of taxation by citation?
A 2019 report found three Georgia cities that rely far too heavily on fines for their reviews. We checked in to see if anything has changed in Morrow, Riverdale or Clarkston.
The separation of powers is working
Gov. Brian Kemp recently vetoed nine items in the fiscal 2024 budget and ordered agencies to “disregard” another 134 legislative instructions about state spending.
Economy
Georgia agriculture leaders pitch priorities for Farm Bill
Peach State lawmakers will have a lot to say about the next Farm Bill. It was in that spirit that state Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper led a group of Georgia farm industry leaders to Washington, D.C. to advocate for priorities that include reforming crop insurance, updating “reference prices” – which are government-mandated minimum prices for certain crops – and stepping up technological research.
Two Georgia cities rank in top 100 best places to live in U.S.
A U.S. News & World Report has ranked two popular Georgia cities among some of the best places to live in the country. Savannah was ranked 37th and Atlanta came in at 64th.
Education
School choice chalking up more wins across country
The momentum for school choice continuinues to build nationwide. Eight states have either enacted new education choice policies or expanded existing ones so far this year. Those states include Indiana, Montana, and South Carolina earlier this month alone.
Cherokee Schools celebrates 36 skilled-professions graduates
The Cherokee County School District is celebrating 36 graduating seniors who plan to pursue careers in skilled professions. Be Pro Be Proud Georgia and the Cherokee Workforce Collaborative is an initiative of the Cherokee Office of Economic Development that includes CCSD, local businesses and industries and colleges.
Government accountability
Georgia Senate study committee to tackle state’s foster care system
A Georgia Senate study committee will explore ways to improve the state’s maligned foster care system. The move follows reports of widespread, systemic breakdowns within Georgia’s foster care system and questions about the agency’s ability to ensure the safety of the children it is tasked with protecting.
Georgia launches digital driver’s licenses
The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) will begin to offer residents the option to reproduce any valid, Georgia-issued driver’s license or ID digitally. According to the DDS, customers will be able to securely present their digital driver’s license or ID using their iPhone or Apple Watch at select Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints.
Housing
Atlanta’s developing permanently affordable housing via a land trust model
Since 2009, the Atlanta Land Trust has worked with the mayor’s office to create permanently affordable housing. Members of both offices recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the latest project in Atlanta’s East Lake neighborhood.
Gainesville ranked top housing market
A new analysis of nearly 200 housing markets around the country found that Gainesville, Georgia, was the top market. Bankrate based its ranking on factors such as which cities had the strongest job growth, fastest population growth, largest home value appreciation, lowest unemployment rate and highest rate of homes for sale.
Quotes of the Week
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God such men lived.” – George S. Patton
“Liberty is never inalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Of all the so-called natural human rights that have ever been invented, liberty is least likely to be cheap and is never free of cost.” – Robert A. Heinlein
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” – Arthur Ashe