Welcome lawmakers to Atlanta for the opening of the 2023 session
The Georgia Center for Opportunity issued the following media statement welcoming lawmakers to Atlanta for the opening of the 2023 session of the Legislature on Jan. 9.”We’re excited to see what the new session holds for our state, and we stand ready to assist lawmakers in passing an agenda that serves all Georgians,” said Buzz Brockway, executive vice president of public policy for GCO. “GCO has served our state for nearly 25 years, and has dedicated itself to expanding opportunity by helping increase access to quality education, fulfilling work, and healthy family life. We know that by addressing these critical barriers we can help pull communities out of poverty and expand opportunity to every community in our state.”As an organization, GCO stands ready to provide resources and education to lawmakers on the impact policies have on underserved communities and the opportunities available (and not available) to all Georgians. Here are three key area:
Eliminating benefits cliffs
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- Some workers find themselves torn between taking steps toward a more secure future, but ultimately forced into making decisions that traps them into long-term dependence on government benefits. These are known as benefits cliffs. We’ll be working to educate lawmakers on this reality and propose reforms to ensure all workers have the opportunity to climb the economic ladder. Learn more
Expanding educational freedom
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- We are still uncovering the extent of learning loss experienced by kids during the pandemic. We know that expansion of educational opportunityis a key solution to this problem. Passing Education Scholarship Accounts, or ESAs, will be a big step forward in helping all Georgia students achieve their full potential.
Promoting an anti-poverty agenda
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- GCO is part of the Alliance for Opportunity, a three state network of policy organizations built around furthering an anti-poverty agenda. We will be working with lawmakers to promote solutions to poverty that lift Georgians up into the middle class.