NEWS & OPINIONS
“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...
Religious Freedom Next Year and Beyond
I recently attended a conference that included a number of participants who have thought deeply about religious freedom and have acted effectively in its defense. Naturally, everyone was talking about the high-profile legislative battle in Indiana. That got me...
Debt as a Barrier to Reentry: Jonathan O’Neill’s Story
Jonathan O’Neill, a humble and soft-spoken man, is 46 years old and the father of fourteen children. He has been incarcerated since 2012 and currently resides at a transitional center where he works and takes various classes to prepare for his release that is set for...
Capitol Update – April 1, 2015
We are happy to provide you with this update on some of the bills that GCO is following this session. Should you have any questions or comments, please email Eric Cochling. House Bill 243 - Education Savings Accounts - sponsored by Rep. Mark Hamilton, R-Cumming The...
Religious Liberty and “Big Business”
This past week, Indiana enacted a religious freedom law much like the one that remains under consideration here in Georgia. Despite Governor Mike Pence’s assurances that the bill has nothing to do with discrimination, there was a swift—and very negative—reaction on...
The Religious Liberty Endgame
I have been following the legislative peregrinations of Georgia’s religious liberty (notice that, unlike the Atlanta newspaper, I don’t use “scare quotes” to describe it) legislation with a great deal of interest and concern. There are just a few days left in this...
New GCO Report: Fortifying Pathways
While education plays a tremendous role in shaping individual life outcomes, the number of students in Georgia who do not advance beyond K-12 remains astronomically high. Over 1 in 5 young adults in Georgia are not attending school, not working, and have no degree...
Michael Bowers’ Religious Freedom Contretemps
I used to admire and respect Michael Bowers, Georgia’s Attorney General from 1981 to 1997, but his recent intervention in the debate over the religious freedom bills ought to embarrass him. To be sure, losing my respect won’t cost him any sleep and the mainstream...
Gov. Deal “Banned the Box” in Georgia
It's official. Governor Nathan Deal signed an executive order on February 23rd to "ban the box" on applications for state employment in Georgia. This order will remove the question about felony convictions from the initial job application and postpone it to a later...
MEDIA MENTIONS
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...
Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | THE TELEGRAPH
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 | INSIDE SOURCES
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...
PRESS RELEASE: GCO signs on to federal policy recommendations to provide educational opportunity for all schoolchildren
PEACHTREE CORNERS—The Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) announced today that it has signed on to policy recommendations to Congress that would expand educational access for more schoolchildren. The recommendations were jointly issued by GCO in partnership with...
Lawrenceville creates a center to help vulnerable residents during COVID-19 | 11 ALIVE
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Lawrenceville's response to the coronavirus is now up and running, offering short-term emergency assistance to residents. City council members, alongside Lawrenceville Mayor David Still, approved an agreement with Impact46, Inc. to create...
Georgia Enters into May with a New Executive Order and Guidelines for Georgians
Georgia's Gov. Brian Kemp issued a new executive order today outlining guidelines as Georgia resumes more of a pre-coronavirus lifestyle. Many of the guidelines come with strict stipulations for businesses to follow in order to remain open. GCO's Vice President of...
Inside a week that could define Kemp’s political career | AJC
Gov. Brian Kemp’s brutal week started with the threat of a protest at the Capitol urging him to lift coronavirus restrictions as he was planning to do just that. It ended with a cacophony of horns from a caravan of demonstrators outside the Governor’s Mansion who were...
