Buzz Brockway is a Guest on the Erick Erickson Show | WSB 95.5

Buzz Brockway is a Guest on the Erick Erickson Show | WSB 95.5

Buzz Brockway is a Guest on the Erick Erickson Show | WSB 95.5

On March 4, 2021 Buzz Brockway, VP of Policy, was a featured guest on WSB 99.5’s Erick Erickson Show to discuss legislation (HB 60) that would allow parents and students more education options.

Unfortunately, HB 60 will not come to fruition this year, but we’re not stopping the fight for our kids. 

Listen to Buzz explain the legislation and learn more about what state leaders are considering for our children’s education. 

Listen to Buzz Brockway explain the importance of House Bill 60 on WSB’s Erick Erickson Show.

Key GCO priority bills make crossover deadline

Key GCO priority bills make crossover deadline

Key GCO priority bills make crossover deadline

legislative update

The Georgia legislative session is halfway over, and already we’ve made some important progress in breaking down barriers to work and expanding opportunity for all Georgians.

We reached a key legislative mark on March 8: The crossover deadline. That means that any bill not passed by at least one chamber (either the Senate or the House) is likely dead for the remainder of the session.

The great news is that several key bills supported by the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) made the crossover deadline.

 

Get Buzz'd capitol update

Watch Buzz Brockway, VP of Policy for GCO, from the state Capitol as he updates us on what legislation is moving forward, and what is over for the year. 

Education

Heading up that list is a measure that would expand the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship. This program helps students with individualized education plans (IEPs) attend a private school that is a better fit for their individual needs. On March 3, the state Senate passed a measure, Senate Bill 47, that opens the scholarship to preschoolers in addition to students with a wide range of special needs, just not those with an IEP.

We’re continuing to work with lawmakers on the House side to pass the bill and send it to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for his signature. We’re hopeful that 2021 will be the year this important measure becomes law in order to better serve families of special needs students who have disproportionately suffered during the pandemic.

Occupational licensing

We’re also seeing progress on occupational licensing reforms. Occupational licensing is needed in some industries and job categories, but the laws on the books today in many cases are an unnecessary roadblock to employment for workers.

Two bills on this issue made the crossover deadline. The first, Senate Bill 45, allows people who move to Georgia and hold an occupational license to immediately be granted a provisional license. This will allow these new Georgians to immediately go to work and support their families.

A second measure, Senate Bill 27, extends the time (up to two years) a retiring military member may count their military training toward requirements for an occupational license

Both bills are now pending in the House.

 

Adoption reforms

We’re pleased that two adoption-reform bills passed the House before the crossover deadline. House Bill 114 would increase the annual tax credit available for adopting a foster child from $2,000 to $6,000. And House Bill 154 would lower the minimum age to adopt from 25 to 21.

Foster and adoptive families play a crucial role in creating stable environments for some of the most vulnerable children in our society. Anything we can do through policy reform to help these families should be a priority.

Justice reforms

In an attempt to address the type of tragic vigilante violence that occurred in the Ahmaud Arbery case, lawmakers unanimously passed House Bill 479 on March 8. The measure overhauls Georgia’s citizen’s arrest law to generally prevent bystanders from attempting to arrest an individual suspected of a crime. GCO believes this is a crucial piece of legislation to prevent unnecessary tragedies and foster greater racial justice in our state.

 

Bills that didn’t make the cut

Unfortunately, supporters of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) will likely have to wait another year before we see them become a reality. Although a measure (House Bill 60) to create ESAs passed the House Education Committee on Feb. 26, it never came up for a vote on the floor of the House.

ESAs are an important way to expand educational access and choice for Georgia students. They allow parents and kids—no matter their race, the circumstances of their birth, or their socioeconomic status—to have equal access to the funds needed for a great education. We’ll continue fighting for ESAs in the 2022 legislative session.

On a positive note, bills that would have legalized parimutuel horse-race betting and casino gambling in Georgia are now dead after failing to make crossover.

Georgia Senate approves special needs scholarship expansion | WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Georgia Senate approves special needs scholarship expansion | WASHINGTON EXAMINER

A bill that would expand the state’s special needs scholarship program was approved Wednesday by the Georgia Senate.

The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship program offers scholarships to students with individualized education plans to attend a private school or a public school of their choice. Senate Bill 47 would make the 58,000 public school students with 504 plans eligible to apply for the program…

Corey Burres, a spokesperson for the Georgia Center For Opportunity, said the measure is the first step to help the many special needs students looking for education options.

“This pandemic has shown a greater need for an expansion of customized services for students in underserved communities,” Burres said.

Buzz Brockway is a Guest on the Erick Erickson Show | WSB 95.5

Georgia Senate approves special needs scholarship expansion | CENTER SQUARE

Georgia Senate approves special needs scholarship expansion | CENTER SQUARE

A bill that would expand the state’s special needs scholarship program was approved Wednesday by the Georgia Senate.

The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship program offers scholarships to students with individualized education plans to attend a private school or a public school of their choice. Senate Bill 47 would make the 58,000 public school students with 504 plans eligible to apply for the program…

Corey Burres, a spokesperson for the Georgia Center For Opportunity, said the measure is the first step to help the many special needs students looking for education options.

“This pandemic has shown a greater need for an expansion of customized services for students in underserved communities,” Burres said.

Buzz Brockway is a Guest on the Erick Erickson Show | WSB 95.5

39 Renowned Policy Groups Urge U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Buckeye’s Case to End Forced Union Exclusive Representation | BUCKEYE INSTITUTE

39 Renowned Policy Groups Urge U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Buckeye’s Case to End Forced Union Exclusive Representation | BUCKEYE INSTITUTE

Thirty-nine renowned public policy organizations have filed amicus briefs with the United States Supreme Court in support of The Buckeye Institute’s case, Thompson v. Marietta Education Association (MEA), which calls for an immediate end to laws that force public-sector employees to accept a union’s exclusive representation…

The multi-organization brief was led by Alaska Policy Forum and included co-amici Americans for Fair Treatment, Association of American Educators, Center of the American Experiment, Citizen Action Defense Fund, Commonwealth Foundation, Empire Center for Public Policy, Inc., Georgia Center for Opportunity, Illinois Policy Institute, Independence Institute, James Madison Institute, John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy, John Locke Foundation, Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, Landmark Legal Foundation, Mackinac Center for Public Policy,…