Georgians Have Many Reasons to Give Thanks
In a year of landmark policy successes, the 2019 Georgia Legislative Policy Forum was a reminder of how far Georgia has come and how much Georgians have to be grateful for.
Regulatory excess takes a toll on taxpayers and results in bloated and unnecessary government. Millions of dollars could be saved by considering technological and contemporary efficiencies, not to mention unnecessary regulations – business licensing requirements, occupational licensing requirements and auto emissions regulations, to name a few.
Zoning Regulations Hinder Housing Affordability
Fair housing policy should protect Americans from discrimination when purchasing or renting a home – but it also means making sure they can afford that home.
Good News on Georgia Economic Freedom and Opportunity
An annual, international analysis ranks Georgia sixth in the nation for economic freedom, up one position from last year.
Shining a Light on the Administrative State
In total, roughly 20 states have initiated some form of red tape cutting effort in recent years.
Occupational Licensing, an Issue Overdue for Review
Georgia falls short in many aspects of occupational licensing, and the Georgians First Commission may be just what the state needs to spearhead improvement.
Federal Tax Reform Opens Opportunities for Georgia and for Rural Georgia
Most experts agree that recent federal tax reforms will put pressure on high tax states to either reduce taxes or continue to lose residents fleeing to lower tax states.
New Study Finds Innovative Waivers Could Improve Healthcare Access, Affordability
A new report offers ways Georgia can utilize waivers to lower healthcare costs, improve access to better insurance options, restore the primacy of the doctor-patient relationship, and ultimately blaze a trail for other states to follow.
Reason Foundation
Reason Foundation advances a free society by developing, applying and promoting libertarian principles, including individual liberty, free markets and the rule of law.
Institute for Justice
The Institute for Justice – the National Law Firm for Liberty – litigates to limit the size and scope of government power and to ensure that all Americans have the right to control their own destinies as free and responsible members of society.
Mercatus Center at George Mason University
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is the world’s premier university source for market-oriented ideas—bridging the gap between academic ideas and real-world problems.
Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)
CEI is a non-profit public policy organization dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government, free enterprise and individual liberty. CEI's mission is to promote both freedom and fairness by making good policy good politics.
A Telecommunications Policy Primer
A guide to understanding telecommunications laws and regulations in Michigan and the United States. Telecommunications technology has undergone tremendous leaps of progress throughout the past century
A Dream Deferred – Legal Barriers to African Hairbraiding
A first-of-its-kind nationwide study on African hairbraiders uncovers the tangled world of cosmetology laws. The District of Columbia government once threatened hairbraider Pamela Ferrell and her husband Talib-Din Uqdah with fines and jail time for practicing their craft without an unnecessary government license.
Aggressive Occupational Licensing Hurts Job Creation and Raises Consumer Costs
The supposed purpose for occupational licensing is to ensure safety and quality, but in practice, it protects current members of a profession from competition, while driving up the price of labor and services.
How to Keep the Unemployed Out of Work
Licensing is often just a way to thwart competition, and occupational licensing laws have a direct impact on economic growth and job creation. More than 200 years ago, Thomas Jefferson wrote: “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.”
Licenses to Kill – Regulations Stymie Job Growth
Occupational licensing mandates undermine job creation and income growth, in particular for the least skilled and educated workers.
Occupational Licensing: A Barrier to Entrepreneurship
Occupational licensure requirements result in fewer practitioners, who can demand higher wages, while also stifling new business creation and innovation.
Breaking Down Barriers: State and Local Governments Can Improve the Lives of the Poor
One key factor preventing upward mobility is state and local regulations that make it more expensive and time-consuming for the poor to open new businesses or enter a new profession.
How Occupational Licensing Harms the Young
Occupational licensing, the requirement that people pass tests to gain government permission to work, is making it harder for young people to begin their careers. By keeping young people out of certain industries, or by making it prohibitively expensive and time-consuming for them to work, occupational licensing increases costs for all Americans and limit opportunity for those looking to enter the field of their choice.
A Much-Needed Move on Licensing
Occupational licensure laws require people to pay a fee and complete state-approved training before they are legally allowed to practice a trade. The public benefits of these laws have widely been found to be dubious, and Michigan's governor is taking action to address the problem.
