NEWS & OPINIONS
Reality is Likely to be Far Less Rosy
Reality is likely to be less rosy... Some economists are hoping that inflation has peaked and will tick down in the coming months, after the pace of inflation slowed slightly in April. But Erik Randolph, director of research for the Georgia Center For Opportunity...
Why Nonprofits Should Care and What to Do
Key Takeaways: Welfare cliffs and marriage penalties are discouraging people from work and forming families. The cliffs and penalties may mean that our clients are locked into poverty for much longer than they would be otherwise and despite our best efforts. GCO has...
U.S. Gross Domestic Product Update
U.S. Gross Domestic Product update U.S. Gross Domestic Product declined at a 1.4% rate in the first quarter of 2022. The numbers surprised economists, who had predicted a 1% gain.The Georgia Center for Opportunity's (GCO) take: "The tab is coming due for all the...
An epidemic of teen depression (and what to do about it)
An epidemic of teen depression (and what to do about it) Key Takeaways: In the last 10 years, the number of teens identifying as having "experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness" doubled. School connectedness was a key barometer of how well teens...
The U.S Reaches Highest Unadjusted Monthly Rate of Inflation Since March 1980
A look at the highest unadjusted monthly rate of inflation Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that in March the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.3%, not seasonally adjusted. This is the highest unadjusted monthly rate of inflation since March 1980....
Passed: House Bill 517
The Georgia General Assembly passed a bill, which increases the cap on our state's Tax Credit Scholarship Program On Monday, the Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 517, which increases the cap on our state's Tax Credit Scholarship Program from $100 million to...
Randy Hicks on taking a bottom-up strategy to state policy reform | Overton Window Podcast
GCO's CEO, Randy Hicks speaks with fellow think tank podcast, The Overton Window Below is an excerpt from the Mackinac Center in Michigan. The Mackinac Center recently invited GCO's CEO, Randy Hicks to discuss GCO's take on State Policy Reform on their regular...
State Unemployment Rate Stands At a Record Low of 3.2%,
Unemployment rate stands at a record low of 3.2% On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released state employment numbers for Georgia. They show that our state unemployment rate stands at a record low of 3.2%, the lowest since the BLS began tracking in 1976....
Georgia Senate Failed to Pass Senate Bill 601, The Georgia Education Freedom Act
The Georgia Senate failed to pass Senate Bill 601, the Georgia Education Freedom Act, by a vote of 20-29. Today, the Georgia Senate failed to pass Senate Bill 601, the Georgia Education Freedom Act, by a vote of 20-29. The bill would have created Promise Scholarships,...
Promise Scholarships would help adoptive families like mine | Gwinnett Daily Post
The life of an adoptive parent is tough in normal times, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated those challenges. Even so, our family wouldn’t trade the adoption life for anything. The trouble is, not everyone sees or acknowledges the struggles that adoptive...
Update: State Employment Numbers Includes Major Revisions Going Back to 1990
A look at the state employment numbers. Yesterday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released state employment numbers that included major revisions going back to 1990. According to the revisions, Georgia had recovered all its jobs lost during the pandemic in...
Consumer Price Index Increased 7.9% Over the Last 12 Months
The CPI is up 7.9% over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. On March 10th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that in February the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis. The CPI is up 7.9% over the last 12 months, not...
MEDIA MENTIONS
Josh Crawford, Conservative Criminal Policy Solutions | The Steve Gruber Show
Josh Crawford is a policy leader for Public Safety Solutions for America and the Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives with the Georgia Center for Opportunity where he leads their public safety and re-entry work. Listen to the podcast here
Legislation to improve the expungement process in Kentucky heard in committee
The Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary heard testimony Thursday on legislation that would help automate the expungement process for eligible Kentuckians as they have reentered society. During the testimony, Representative Kim Moser said that this legislation would...
Violent crime is up. We need a smart plan to keep our country safe.
Josh Crawford is a policy leader for Public Safety Solutions for America and the Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives with the Georgia Center for Opportunity where he leads their public safety and re-entry work. Listen to the discussion as Josh shares his...
Democratic representative’s move could prompt school choice passage in Georgia
Could a state lawmaker’s jump from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party lead to the passage of school choice in Georgia? Rep. Mesha Mainor of Atlanta announced her intention Tuesday to switch to the Republican Party, drawing expected responses from her new and...
The Bryan Hyde Show – June 20, 2023
Having a society without punishments might sound like a good idea, but in reality, it's causing a lot of problems. Joshua Crawford explains why progressive prosecutors and the Democratic Party's approach are creating difficulties. Read the full article here...
Murder Is Actually Going Down—Wherever They’re Paying Cops More and Targeting Gangs
Since 2015, American cities have experienced elevated levels of homicide and shootings resulting in thousands more lives lost and families torn apart. Then, in recent weeks, good news arrived: Nationally, cities had experienced a 12.5 percent reduction in homicides in...
Georgia uses $83.5 million in COVID relief money for public safety grants
Georgia is giving out more than $83.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief money as grants to fund 118 public safety projects across the Peach State. Departments can use the funds to augment law enforcement staffing and support violent crime reduction initiatives...
Opinion: A path that could reduce Atlanta’s juvenile crime
In January, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens launched the “Year of the Youth” plan to combat juvenile crime rates in the city. The issue is a pressing one. Consider that in 2022, 19 of the 170 homicide victims in Atlanta were children. Deshon DuBose, a 13-year-old, is...
