NEWS & OPINIONS
Be Careful What You Ask For
In 1952, Patrick Skene Catling wrote The Chocolate Touch, a retelling of the King Midas fable that reminds us we can have too much of a good thing. In Catling’s story, the main character finds that everything he eats turns to chocolate (with King Midas, everything he...
When Giving a Helping Hand Hurts – Part 2
Computational model exposes severe problems with the welfare system Previously, it was shown how a single mom with two kids in Gwinnett County could lose welfare program benefits by earning more money. This explained why $9 + $1 can equal negative $6,000. The Gwinnett...
When Giving a Helping Hand Hurts – Part 1
Computational model exposes severe problems with the welfare system Pop quiz: When does $9 + $1 equal –$6,000? This may look like new math, but it is not. This seemingly nonsensical equation illustrates the challenges faced by families who receive assistance from...
A Marriage Problem In Norcross and Peachtree Corners
A new report released by The Institute for Family Studies finds that 69 percent of 18-45 year olds in Peachtree Corners and Norcross think single parents can raise children just as well as two parents. Furthermore, 63 percent approve of divorce when married people...
Amid Shootings and Violent Protests, Georgians Consider Solutions
Something happened in College Park Wednesday night that hasn’t really garnered much attention but should be front-page news. Thanks to the College Republicans at Morehouse College, I was able to participate in a panel* focused on how to constructively respond to...
Criminal Justice Reforms: Increasing Access to Work
On April 27th, Governor Deal signed into law the most recent round of criminal justice reforms in Georgia. Senate Bill 367 enacts many of the recommendations of the state's Council on Criminal Justice Reform. Among the reforms are a number that will improve the...
Give a Little, Get a Lot!
Now is an especially good time to support GCO financially. Thanks to the generosity of a key supporter and GCO’s Board, every donation given between now and May 31st – up to $87,000 – will be matched dollar-for-dollar. This means if we reach our goal, GCO will have an...
The Economy: What’s Love Got to Do With It? Turns Out, a Whole Lot!
Earlier this month, GCO hosted a lunch and learn with Dr. Brad Wilcox, one of the nation’s leading sociologists. Dr. Wilcox has devoted his work to understanding family formation and the effect it has on our social structure and economy. His new report, “Strong...
“Discrimination” or Religious Freedom? Religious Hiring Rights and Government Contracts
Recently, a broad coalition of groups sent a letter to President Obama urging him to require the Attorney General to “review and reconsider” a “flawed” Office of Legal Counsel memo—issued in 2007 (i.e., during the Bush Administration)—that argued that the Religious...
Religious Freedom in a New Age
On July 25th, AJC columnist Jay Bookman dismissed Georgia House Speaker David Ralston’s “Pastor Protection Bill” as an essentially meaningless symbolic gesture. I’m uncharacteristically inclined to agree with him. In its current form the bill simply states that...
Religious Liberty and the Constitution in the Wake of Obergefell
I have to confess that I wasn’t all that surprised by the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which held that the 14th Amendment Due Process and Equal Protection clauses imply a right to marry (due process) and require that that right be extended to...
Faith-Based Organizations, SOGI, and the Federal Government
Last summer, the Obama Administration proposed a rule adding sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI—get used to the acronym) to the list of classes protected against discrimination by federal contractors. In so doing, it built upon other anti-discrimination...
MEDIA MENTIONS
Criminal record expungement bill clears Georgia House | Marietta Daily Journal
A bill that would increase the number of criminal records that can be sealed was approved unanimously Wednesday by the Georgia House. Senate Bill 288 would allow certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify for expungement. The legislation is "an important...
Criminal record expungement bill clears Georgia House | Cherokee Tribune & Ledger
A bill that would increase the number of criminal records that can be sealed was approved unanimously Wednesday by the Georgia House. Senate Bill 288 would allow certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify for expungement. The legislation is "an important...
99 Nonprofits to Receive Funding from ECMC Foundation Employee-Nominated Grant Program | YAHOO FINANCE
LOS ANGELES, June 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ninety-nine nonprofit organizations will receive funding from ECMC Foundation as part of an annual program designed to give back to the communities where employees live and work. For the first time, ECMC Foundation will...
Georgia think tanks call on Congress for more COVID-19 education support | CENTER SQUARE
Two Georgia organizations are among a group of think tanks calling on Congress to expand access to education amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Free market nonprofits Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) and Georgia Public Policy Foundation and 16 other think tanks have...
Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | PRESCOTT NEWS
Georgia recently began the long process of reopening its economy in the wake of what it is hoped will be the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in late April, certain categories of businesses were allowed to open in Georgia, including restaurants and barber...
Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | JOURNAL COURIER
Georgia recently began the long process of reopening its economy in the wake of what it is hoped will be the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in late April, certain categories of businesses were allowed to open in Georgia, including restaurants and barber...
Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | NEWSDAY
Georgia recently began the long process of reopening its economy in the wake of what it is hoped will be the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in late April, certain categories of businesses were allowed to open in Georgia, including restaurants and barber...
Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | HOUMA TODAY
Georgia recently began the long process of reopening its economy in the wake of what it is hoped will be the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in late April, certain categories of businesses were allowed to open in Georgia, including restaurants and barber...