NEWS & OPINIONS
GCO releases report card grading lawmakers on school choice support
33 state lawmakers recognized for outstanding support of school choice in 2018 PEACHTREE CORNERS – On Wednesday, the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) released their 2018 Legislator Report Card, a scorecard recognizing state lawmakers according to their voting...
New Study on Black Men Shows Improvement in Achieving American Dream
There’s an old saying that a rising tide lifts all boats. This seems to be true in today’s booming economy—with low unemployment rates at the state and national levels translating into historical lows in communities that often lag behind. For example, economic...
Tight job market calls for creative educational solutions
By now, you’ve probably seen the headlines and read the stories—America’s economy is booming. Just last month the national unemployment figures came in for May and the rate dipped to 3.8%—a level that ties a half-century low dating to 1969, and which economists...
Congress should end marriage penalties in the tax code and welfare system
By Erik Randolph, GCO Contributing Scholar Last December, President Trump signed into law changes to the federal income tax. One of the supposed achievements was the elimination of the marriage penalty. This is not entirely correct. I recently analyzed marriage...
Two ways to build on the success of the special needs scholarship program
What goal is more important than ensuring our most vulnerable students have the best shot at success? That’s what Georgia’s Special Needs Scholarship Program is all about. Now in its 11th year, the scholarship enables children who have special needs to transfer to...
Desperate for options, Jan turns to school choice
Imagine the challenge of raising two children with special needs. That’s the task that Jan—a small business owner in Georgia—faces in bringing up her two girls. Katie has ADHD, dyslexia, and autism spectrum disorder, and Jessica has an auditory processing disorder and...
Helping Seth live up to his potential
Of the many bills that will be under consideration by the Georgia legislature in 2019, one that we are particularly excited about is a piece of legislation creating “Individualized Education Accounts” (IEAs), which aim to improve our state’s Special Needs Scholarship...
Randy Hicks Addresses Compassionate, Commonsense Welfare Reform on FoxNews.com
President Trump recently signed an order aiming to streamline welfare in the U.S., which is leading lawmakers to take a deeper look at the many programs that make up the complex system. It's a positive first step, as the current structure reinforces dependency and...
The federal government is tackling welfare reform, and Georgia needs to follow
You’ve probably heard the old adage, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day … Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” And while this nugget of age-old wisdom seems like common-sense compassion to most folks, in reality most governmental welfare...
Session Wraps With Two Key Victories for School Choice
Expanded education options will soon be available to thousands of Georgia families, thanks to two measures approved in the closing hours of the General Assembly’s session last week. The last-minute approvals came at a time when school-choice advocates were losing hope...
Time is Running Out to Expand Tax Credit Scholarships
As Georgia’s 2018 legislative session marches to a close this week, will lawmakers act to expand Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program? Legislation pending in the state Senate, if passed, would yield huge benefits for families in desperate need of educational...
School Choice Expands the ‘Success Sequence’
According to scholars, America is increasingly becoming a society polarized between higher- and lower-income people. Whereas until recently a majority of Americans were considered middle class, now good jobs for those who only have a high school diploma are rapidly...
MEDIA MENTIONS
Need a job? Drive-thru job fair to offer hundreds of positions | AJC
More than 20 employers are looking to fill hundreds of jobs and are making the interview process as safe and easy as possible. Jobseekers will have the opportunity to meet employers from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday at the Infinite Energy Center Parking Deck during a...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Clock ticks as feds threaten to remove work requirement from Georgia’s partial Medicaid expansion | HENRY HERALD
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could decide in a matter of weeks whether it will remove the work or activity requirement in Georgia's partial Medicaid expansion plan. The CMS said the plan, which was approved by former President Donald...
Clock ticks as feds threaten to remove work requirement from Georgia’s partial Medicaid expansion | CENTER SQUARE
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could decide in a matter of weeks whether it will remove the work or activity requirement in Georgia's partial Medicaid expansion plan. The CMS said the plan, which was approved by former President Donald...
Push to increase foster care adoption tax credits could cost Georgia $4.8M | CENTER SQUARE
A measure that would increase foster care adoption tax credits could result in a state revenue loss of $4.8 million over the next five years, according to fiscal researchers. House Bill 114, introduced by Rep. Bert Reeves, R-Marietta, would increase the annual tax...
