The Georgia Public Policy Foundation has released our 2024 “Guide to the Issues,” in which we summarize the policy areas most central to our work and most important to the people of Georgia. Each issue page offers a policy summary and gives the Foundation’s recommendations for effective solutions.
In publishing Guide to the Issues, we hope to provide Georgia’s candidates and elected officials with a policy platform based on research, facts and common sense. Candidates are often motivated to run for office based on a single issue or cause. If a candidate is a teacher, for example, and primarily focuses his or her platform on education issues, the Guide provides that candidate with background information on issues like tax policy, healthcare and housing.
Guide to the Issues also provides a helpful and timely summary for Georgia’s citizens. With elections and a new legislative session just around the corner, it is important for voters to be informed on how these issues affect their lives.
Since our last Guide was published in 2022, we have seen advances in several policy areas. Lawmakers and private citizens have worked hard toward growth and prosperity, but Georgia still faces several unique challenges.
We hope you will check out the latest version of Guide to the Issues, which includes some issues the Foundation has been working on for years and others that are relatively new.
And one week after Hurricane Helene devastated large portions of Georgia, we know many of our fellow Georgians are still struggling and have a long road to recovery. But Georgians are among the most charitable people in the country and have a history of supporting one another in times of trouble. As we come together to support those in need, we encourage you to contribute to relief and recovery efforts in Georgia. If you aren’t sure how to help, we outlined a few organizations to consider.
Have a great weekend,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest
The brave souls that step into chaotic situations to restore order
Hurricane Helene left a wide scar centered on a line running from Valdosta to Augusta. The pictures from news reports and social media were devastating: uprooted trees, downed utility lines and scattered bits of buildings that once fit together. But amid the loss – which was still being discovered and tallied in parts of Georgia – what is certain is the gratitude we owe those brave souls who step out into these chaotic situations to restore order.
Rethinking transportation for Georgia’s K-12 schools
There is a disparity among Georgia schools when it comes to transporting students to and from their homes. Rural areas with sparse populations deal with long ride times, urban areas frequently have overcrowded school buses, and a nationwide shortage of bus drivers affects everyone. In addition, the transportation for Georgia’s public schools and public charter schools is also regulated differently.
Report: A Review of K-12 Transportation in Georgia
Where are people in Georgia moving?
People vote with their feet, as numerous studies about migration among the states have shown. But they don’t only do this by crossing state lines. The IRS publishes data every year about migration not only from state to state, but from county to county. The nonpartisan Tax Foundation analyzed the most recent data, which cover people who filed taxes in one jurisdiction in 2021 and another in 2022. What it found about Georgia’s counties is illuminating.
Georgia’s childcare providers say out of control lawsuits could put them out of business
Members of Georgia’s childcare industry say it’s increasingly difficult to find companies that will insure them. Given Georgia’s high demand for professional childcare services, most people might naturally guess the industry is in no danger of going away. But there actually is a danger. A rise in lawsuits and excessive judgments are making insurance for childcare providers too expensive or too difficult to find.
School choice opponents continue to mislead
In a recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, education researcher Josh Cowen is quoted several times making claims about programs that allow families to choose private schools for their children. His claims would almost be convincing, if they weren’t so easily refuted.
The Latest
Economy
Gov. Kemp suspends gas tax following Hurricane Helene
Gov. Brian Kemp has issued an executive order suspending the state’s gas tax following Hurricane Helene. The order says Helene “has negatively impacted the supply chain of goods and services to impacted areas and the social and economic well-being of Georgia’s residents.” The suspension will save drivers about 30 cents per gallon for gas and 33 cents per gallon for diesel.
Georgia dockworkers now on strike; what it could mean for consumers
A strike by 45,000 dockworkers represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association has shut down ports along the East Coast, including major hubs in Savannah and Brunswick. The work stoppage, which began earlier this week, threatens to snarl supply chains and could result in product shortages and higher prices for consumers if it drags on.
Education
Homeschool enrollment increases even after pandemic
New data from John Hopkins Institute for Education Policy’s Homeschool Research Lab found that 90 percent of states that report homeschooling enrollment found increases for the 2023-24 academic year despite assumptions many made that home instruction would fizzle out after the pandemic.
Georgia Gwinnett College receives $400,000 for scholarships from Georgia Banking Company
Georgia Gwinnett College recently received a $400,000 gift from Georgia Banking Company to provide scholarships to students studying exercise science and wellness. The scholarship will provide students with up to $2,000 per semester and can be renewed for up to four years. Eligible students must have a 3.0 GPA and be enrolled full time and in good standing at GGC.
Government accountability
Georgia prisons ‘horrific and unsafe’ with homicides rampant: Justice Department
The Georgia Department of Corrections houses inmates in “horrific and unsafe conditions” in violation of the Constitution’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment, a Justice Department report released Tuesday alleges. The report found the state “deliberately indifferent to these unsafe conditions” for nearly 50,000 prisoners.
Georgia Hemp Farming Act now in effect
The Georgia Hemp Farming Act went into effect on Tuesday, placing restrictions on hemp products made and sold in the Peach State. The law now imposes age restrictions on the possession of consumable hemp products and requires consumable hemp retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers to obtain a license to operate in Georgia, among other testing and regulatory requirements.
Transportation
Most Georgia roads reopened after Hurricane Helene
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is working to restore roadways and traffic infrastructure impacted by Hurricane Helene, according to GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry. At the peak of the storm, more than 300 state routes, including three major interstates, were blocked and impassable.
Preparing states, cities and the transportation sector for federal insolvency
Many transportation organizations seem to assume that the federal funding levels of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act legislation will be the new baseline in the 2026 reauthorization of the Highway Trust Fund. For example, the American Society of Civil Engineers recently reported that not renewing IIJA would cost the U.S. economy $637 billion in worse infrastructure.
Bonus
Diamond Sports Group plans to drop all MLB teams except the Braves
Hours before the Braves were eliminated from the playoffs, Diamond Sports Group on Wednesday told the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas that it has informed its remaining MLB partners that it plans to void its legacy media contracts, with the exception of a standalone rights deal with the Atlanta Braves.
Delta Air Lines scores high in USAT 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
Delta Air Lines has once again demonstrated its commitment to excellence, securing top positions in multiple categories in the USAT 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for 2024. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta Air Lines is the United States’ oldest operating airline.
Mableton cityhood headed to Georgia Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Georgia has tentatively scheduled oral arguments on the challenge to the existence of the City of Mableton for Nov. 6. Previously, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Sonja Brown dismissed the case filed by a group of plaintiffs challenging the legality of the referendum that created the City of Mableton.
Quotes of Note
“February (when Spring Training starts) can’t come soon enough.” – Travis d’Arnaud
“The images coming out of Israel are alarming, and on behalf of all Georgians, we are praying for the safety and well-being of the people of Israel. Now more than ever, we must be clear, resolute and unwavering in our support of Israel against adversaries who seek only hate, violence and absolute destruction.” – Gov. Brian Kemp
“Infrastructure organizations, including state departments of transportation and metro area transit agencies, need to start thinking about, planning for, and implementing self-help measures to reduce and perhaps eliminate their dependence on federal funding.” – Bob Poole, Reason Foundation Director of Transportation Policy