NEWS & OPINIONS
Key GCO priority bills make crossover deadline
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...
Benefiting Low-Wage Workers without Minimum Wage Laws
Strategies to help everyone If it is a bad idea to raise the minimum wage, or even have a minimum wage law to begin with, where does this leave the low-wage worker? We already examined the empirical evidence showing that minimum wage laws reduce employment among the...
Why the Minimum Wage is Bad News for Small Business
Why that’s bad for everyone else, and how raising costs can have disastrous economic consequences. In a prior blog, I explained how empirical research supports the side of the debate asserting negative consequences due to minimum wage laws. Now we’ll look under the...
Magnifying Positivity
Maginifying Positivity My husband and I only had her in our care for two-weeks. She is a seven-year-old full of spunk and sass at the same time! We adore that about her and looked forward to providing some stability and positivity in her life for the time she spent...
Let’s Take Politics Out of Healthcare
The federal government’s surprise move against Georgia In a raw political move, the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) removed the approval of Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage, labeling the program as “pending.” Despite the fact that the COVID-19...
Reflections of a Newlywed
Reflections of a Newlywed: Lessons Learned From One Year Of Marriage A little more than a year ago you all reached out to my husband, Harold, and me on our exciting new journey as a married couple. We are so grateful for all of the wisdom that you shared with us....
Is it time for voting rights reform for felons?
Coming off the contentious 2020 election, the issue of voting rights has been in the news lately. That is likely why, this year, there is a renewed push among some lawmakers in the Georgia legislature to reform voting-rights laws for those convicted of a felony. This...
Does the Minimum Wage Hurt or Help the Poor?
What economic research really tells us Finally, we have the definitive answer on a longstanding debate on whether empirical studies show that minimum wage laws negatively impact employment. You may have heard conflicting summaries, perhaps from economists themselves,...
School closures, a job loss, and health emergencies: How the pandemic is impacting one family of a student with special needs in Georgia
Students are missing the magic that happens in a classroom that cannot be replicated on a Zoom call When the pandemic came home to DeKalb County in March 2020, Jennifer Sheran and her husband never expected that it would touch off a year-long stint of trials. It all...
The importance of the African American family in our history
A focus on the contributions of the African American family As we head into February, we at the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) are proud to celebrate Black History Month and the experience of the African American community. In particular, we plan to take this...
New Hope For ALL Georgian Students With Special Needs
New legislation is being introduced that could help expand support for parents of special needs students. For the past 14 years Georgia's Special Needs Scholarship Program (SB 10) has provided support to parents with special needs. This support allowed parents access...
Welcoming Dr. Cayanna Good to the Georgia Center for Opportunity board of directors
Welcoming Dr. Cayanna Good to the Georgia Center for Opportunity board of directors The Georgia Center for Opportunity team is thrilled to announce that Dr. Cayanna Good, assistant commissioner of adult education for the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), has...
MEDIA MENTIONS
Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average
Georgia officials said Thursday the state’s October unemployment rate remained lower than the national rate, news that follows a new finding that nearly half a million Georgians have dropped out of the workforce.
Civil Asset Forfeiture and its Impact on Communities of Color in Georgia
The Georgia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights submits this report regarding civil asset forfeiture and its impact on communities of color in Georgia.
Report finds thousands of Georgia residents ‘missing’ from the labor force
While Georgia officials routinely tout the state’s low unemployment rate, a new report found hundreds of thousands of residents are "missing" from the labor force. According to a Georgia Center for Opportunity analysis, 454,100 Georgians are not in the labor force and...
Georgia ranks 8th nationally in economic freedom
Georgia is the 8th most economically free state in the country, according to the report Economic Freedom of North America 2022 by the Fraser Institute. The report tracks freedom across three variables — government spending, taxes, and regulation — and focuses on the...
GCO analysis: Nearly half a million Georgians have given up on work
PEACHTREE CORNERS—A new analysis from the Georgia Center for Opportunity shows that around 454,100 Georgians are missing from the labor force. This figure comes even as pundits celebrate a statewide and national unemployment rate that remains at historic lows. ...
Less than a third of fourth and eight-grade Georgia students score proficient in reading
Georgia officials touted Peach State students' scores on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, saying they were in line with the national average. However, a leading Georgia nonprofit says news that less than a third of fourth and eighth-grade students...
Less than a third of fourth and eight-grade Georgia students score proficient in reading
Georgia officials touted Peach State students’ scores on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, saying they were in line with the national average.
BETTER WORK Columbus hosting job fair for MCSD parents
BETTER WORK Columbus will host a job fair on Thursday, Oct. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for parents of children in the Muscogee County School District (MCSD). It will take place at Victory Mission at 3448 North Lumpkin Road in Columbus, according to an MCSD press...
