Friday Facts: April 24, 2026

Georgia’s education debate often centers on school choice and funding, but important changes are happening inside the classroom too. 

This week’s commentary looks at one of the most foundational challenges in education policy: early literacy. With too many Georgia students still struggling to read proficiently by fourth grade, lawmakers are putting renewed focus on reading instruction, early intervention and stronger support for teachers through Georgia’s new Early Literacy Act.

This legislation fits into a broader movement across the South, where states such as Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee have pursued literacy reforms that improved student outcomes. It also highlights an important lesson from those states: Better reading results do not come from slogans or one-off policy changes alone, but from sustained implementation, accountability and support over time.

Read this week’s commentary here.

– Kyle Wingfield

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With most Americans recently submitting their income tax filings, it’s an opportune time to review where exactly those tax dollars go in the federal budget these days. Spoiler: It’s mostly going to our entitlement programs, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. But what should also be alarming is how much tax revenue is being used at this point just to pay interest on the national debt.

Ronald Reagan reportedly once observed to his chief of staff James Baker, “I’d rather get 80% of what I want than go over the cliff with my flags flying.” But with the business of the General Assembly likely concluded until 2027, the 2026 legislative session may be defined by its missed opportunities, both in the final version of the bills passed and in those that didn’t make it across the finish line.

If you’ve spent any time scrolling through social media or watching the evening news lately, you’ve likely heard a familiar villain blamed for the skyrocketing cost of housing in Georgia: the “institutional investor.” But if housing affordability is one of your concerns, the “investor” issue is a distraction.

Georgia is one of many states that has recently begun to look critically at its growing regulatory code. Lawmakers, business leaders and policy advocates have pointed out how regulations enacted by unelected bureaucrats in the executive branch have placed an unnecessary burden on the state’s workers and industries.

For four decades, the American regulatory state operated under a convenient, if constitutionally dubious, doctrine: When a federal law was “ambiguous,” the tie went to the regulators. Changing this practice would require Georgia courts to decide questions of law without defaulting to an agency’s preferred interpretation.

Peach Picks 🍑

Gov. Kemp declared a State of Emergency for 91 Georgia counties in response to the ongoing wildfires in South Georgia. The governor also directed the Georgia Forestry Commission and other relevant state agencies to mobilize all necessary resources to assist with active response efforts in the southern region of the state. The State of Emergency will remain in effect for 30 days, unless otherwise renewed. 

Work on the massive Ga. 400 express lanes project, one of the most expensive the state has ever pursued, officially kicked off Wednesday. It’s a public-private partnership valued at $11 billion that will rebuild one of metro Atlanta’s most congested corridors over the next five years, adding 16 miles of express lanes and a dedicated busway.

The Atlanta City Council passed two resolutions addressing immigration two months after Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said he hoped U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s presence during the World Cup games would be “small” or “nonexistent.” One resolution opposes the construction of a large-scale detention center within the city limits.

Gov. Kemp announced that Blue Ops, Inc. will invest $30 million in its new manufacturing facility in Valdosta, which is expected to create 200+ jobs over the next several years in Lowndes County. Blue Ops is the maritime division of Red Cat Holdings, Inc., a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security.

Rep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat who served nearly three decades in the state’s legislature before being elected to Congress, has died, his office announced on Wednesday. Mr. Scott represented Georgia’s 13th Congressional District for more than 20 years.

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One More Fact 💡

Juliette Gordon Low, the Savannah native who went on to found the Girl Scouts of the USA, was one of Georgia’s great institution-builders. Born in 1860, she helped create an organization aimed at forming character, teaching practical skills and preparing girls for lives of service and citizenship. She is remembered less as a political figure than as a woman who believed young people should be equipped to lead, contribute and take responsibility. More than a century later, her legacy endures as a reminder that Georgia has helped shape the nation not only through elected officials, but through builders of civic institutions.