The Georgia Public Policy Foundation’s 2021 publications are listed below by date of publication.
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Click on this link for a list of publications from 2020.
June 11: How Georgia is ‘Amazon-izing’ Healthcare and Fixing What’s Wrong with the Affordable Care Act, by Randy Pate.
While Republicans nationally struggle to agree on solutions in healthcare and Democrats push for more government control, Georgia is taking a major step forward in altering key aspects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to empower consumers and put them at the center of their own healthcare.
June 4: For Schools to Return to Normalcy, Community Must Do Its Part, by Ben Scafidi
Georgians want school campuses open for face-to-face, in-person learning with no masks. To do that, the community needs to do its part to keep rates of COVID-19 and its variants low.
May 28: A Day of Honor, A Sacrifice of a Lifetime, by Benita Dodd
Nearly 5 million people died in the Korean War, a conflict that began in June 1950 and ended in July 1953. Among the dead were more than 40,000 American troops; another 100,000 were wounded.
May 21: Highway Robbery and Civil Forfeiture, by Benita Dodd
In most states, the person who loses property to a law enforcement agency does not have to be convicted of a crime first. Just 16 states require a criminal conviction. Georgia is not one. It was only in 2015 that Georgia began to require a “preponderance of evidence;” efforts to require a criminal conviction have been thwarted by law enforcement agencies.
May 14: National Charter Schools Week a Reminder Georgia has Much to Celebrate, More to Do, by Tony Roberts
The Georgia General Assembly continues to recognize the contribution of public charter schools and has taken significant steps to ensure charter students are receiving more equitable funding and resources. More is needed, however, to achieve true parity.
May 6, 2021: Don’t Make ‘Work’ a Four-Letter Word, by Benita Dodd
Promoting the work ethic that is foundational to America extends beyond getting Americans off the taxpayer dime – although that is an added benefit.
April, 30, 2021: Quarries Hold Water for a Regional Quandary, by Harold Brown
The most practical solution for water supply in a future, more populated area may involve water transfer from other river basins or development and improved usage of smaller storage basins.
April 23, 2021: Auto Insurance Provides a Model for Health Insurance Reform, by Ron Bachman
The basic principles everybody accepts and welcomes in auto insurance, then, are choice, rewards and incentives, personal responsibility, competition and universal access. Non-partisan health reform can follow the lead of auto insurance.
April 16, 2021: Tesla & Nikola: A 21st-Century Fairy Tale, by Dave Emanuel
Although battery-powered electric vehicles have no tailpipes, they emit CO2 just like vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. The difference is that they do it remotely.
April 8, 2021: 2020’s Baggage Weighs Down Legislative Session, by Chris Denson and Kyle Wingfield
The aftermath of November’s election and the COVID-19 pandemic carried over well into the new year.
March 26, 2021: Don’t Let Strings on Covid Cash Make Georgia Feds’ Puppet, by Kyle Wingfield
You can land yourself in financial trouble by receiving a windfall, as too many lottery winners can attest.
March 19, 2021: Sunshine Week, a Vital Disinfectant in Pandemic and Always, by Benita Dodd.
Sunshine Week is a welcome reminder that government transparency is necessary.
March 12, 2021: COVID-19: What a Difference a Year Made, by Chris Denson
While certain aspects of the past year are likely to continue post-COVID – more teleworking, for example – Georgians will have to examine the challenges.
March 5, 2021: Adding Up the Benefits of Education Options, by Ben Scafidi.
Arguing that private schools are not beholden to public accountability is silly. Each parent who sends a child to a private school is a member of the public who holds that school accountable.
February 26, 2021: Get on Board with Buses for Equitable Transit, by Baruch Feigenbaum
Communities of color are often lower-income and lower-income residents tend to use the bus far more frequently than rail.
February 19, 2021: Cents and Sensibility in Georgia Energy Policy, by Benita M. Dodd
Millions of residents in Texas struggled to cope without electricity in homes and businesses this past week as an Arctic blast led to widespread power blackouts across the state. Could such a deadly disaster take place in Georgia, another Southern state with its own, unique challenges in extreme weather?
February 12, 2021: Chalking Up Successes in Georgia School Choice, by Benita M. Dodd
At the very least, evidence indicates education options save money and have no negative impact.
February 5, 2021: Unhealthy Blockage Constricts Certificate-of-Need Relief, by Chris Denson.
Governor Kemp issued an executive order that Georgia’s CON law be suspended. The implementation of this mandate fell short of its directive, especially when it came to offering Georgians a safe option during a pandemic.
January 28, 2021: Where have all the Children Gone? by Chris Butler and Cindy Morley
Some parents choose to bypass Georgia’s traditional public schools in favor of alternative methods of education, including public charter schools, private schools and homeschooling. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began its U.S. spread early in 2020, has added to those numbers. Tracking those students, however, is difficult.
January 27, 2021: Funding Students Instead of Institutions, by Corey DeAngelis
Funding students, as opposed to systems, would benefit families by empowering them to choose the education provider that best meets their needs – public or private, in-person or remote. But what kinds of economic impacts would such a policy have overall?
January 15, 2021: State of the State as Varied as Georgia’s Landscape, by Benita M. Dodd.
As he discussed budget amendments for the fiscal year ending in June, the governor made some perplexing promises. Bear in mind: The state still could founder in deep waters despite Kemp’s valiant – and heretofore successful – efforts to keep it afloat amid the COVID-19 crisis.
January 8, 2021: Hearing Opportunity Knock Amid Winds of Change, by Benita M. Dodd.
President Biden’s ambitious agenda is certain to expand further with majorities in both chambers. All is not lost, however, for states who prefer to continue on a fiscal conservative track. Georgia, first to open its economy and to keep it open after COVID-19 struck, is one.
