It turns out $6,500 goes a long way — especially when you give it to parents instead of bureaucrats.
Georgia promised families more control over their children’s education – and it delivered. Thousands of families have already signed up for the new program, which gives eligible students $6,500 to use for private school tuition, tutoring, therapy or other education-related needs. And this is just the beginning — with more application windows ahead this year and funding already in place for up to 22,000 students, the interest is undeniable.
This wasn’t supposed to happen, at least not if you believed the critics.
Opponents of the program claimed that $6,500 wouldn’t make a difference – but try telling that to the thousands of Georgia parents who have eagerly applied to pursue better-fitting educational options for their children.
Far from falling flat, the Promise Scholarship launch has already outpaced the first-year results of many other states. In fact, national data show that almost all statewide choice programs begin with less than 1% participation. Georgia has already surpassed that mark, and the program isn’t even fully ramped up yet.
What does the future of the program look like? We look at that in this week’s commentary. We also have the latest news and analysis from the last week, including:
- Georgia adds 6,900 jobs in March
- Kemp signs tort reform bills
- Georgia saw 12.5% increase in retail businesses since 2020
- Texas is poised to launch the largest school choice program in the country
Have a great weekend,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest
Georgia’s economy is strong, but others are getting stronger
For years, Georgia has steadily improved in many ways. But other states are improving even faster. That’s the upshot of the 2025 edition of “Rich States, Poor States.” This annual publication measuring states’ economic outlook and performance came out on Tax Day – and it shows Georgia losing ground in the uber-competitive race among states.
Regulatory reform efforts stall in 2025 session
Senate Bill 28, labeled the “Red Tape Rollback Act,” was designated as a priority by the Lieutenant Governor’s office upon its introduction, and it passed the Senate 33-21, along party lines, in late February. Despite interest from the House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee, which also passed the bill, it ultimately never came to the House floor.
Southern tax reckoning: Georgia risks falling behind
Georgia is used to sitting at the top of the regional heap: the Empire State of the South, home to the unofficial capital of the South, even the “best state to do business” for umpteen years running. But when you occupy that perch, others try to dethrone you. Some of their efforts ought to jolt Georgia out of any complacency it may suffer.
Georgia legislature passes omnibus lawsuit reform bill
The highest priority on Gov. Brian Kemp’s legislative agenda has been signed into law. The General Assembly passed legislation aimed at curbing lawsuit abuse. Senate Bill 68 is a comprehensive tort reform package and is the culmination of an effort to reform Georgia’s judicial landscape.
What the 2025 legislative session means for Georgia taxpayers
No matter which issues dominate the headlines during a legislative session, tax policy remains a hardy perennial. Whether a debate over eliminating the income tax, rising property taxes or special interests fighting for lucrative credits, taxes are always on the table under the Gold Dome. Similarly, no matter the strength of Georgia’s economy, its taxpayers will always judge effective governance at least partly by how their money is spent.
The Latest
Economy
Georgia saw 12.5% increase in retail businesses since 2020
Traditional retail has faced major headwinds over the past two decades, first driven by the rise of e-commerce and then accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As online shopping grew, physical retailers struggled to compete. The pandemic dealt a final blow to many, but Georgia saw the third highest retail business growth in the country over the past five years.
Georgia unemployment rate remains under national level, 6,900 jobs added in March
Georgia’s unemployment rate for March remains unchanged at 3.6%, six-tenths of a point lower than the national rate of 4.2%, according to a press release from the state Department of Labor. The data shows a 6,900-job increase in March and a 23,100-job increase over the year.
CRH to expand Metro Atlanta footprint
CRH, the leading provider of building materials solutions, plans to create more than 300 new jobs in metro Atlanta and invest $1.7 million in a new Finance & Accounting Shared Services Center (SSC) in Fulton County. The new SSC will support CRH’s Americas Materials Solutions business, which is also headquartered in Atlanta.
Education
Texas is poised to create a massive private school choice program
After nearly 30 years of stalled efforts, Texas is in line to become the largest state with a universal private school choice program. The Republican-controlled state House of Representatives approved a $1 billion measure last week—which gets the legislation closer than ever to the governor’s desk. Open to all K-12 students, it would be the largest initial foray into school choice a state has made yet.
New police K9s help Fulton schools sniff out firearms
Fulton County Schools have deployed three trained police K9s—Ernie, Ducky and Delilah—to detect weapons and explosives on school premises. This $110,000 initiative aims to bolster school safety and prevent potential threats. The Labrador retrievers underwent six weeks of training with their handlers and are part of a broader investment in safety technologies.
Government Accountability
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill Monday that would change the state’s legal climate, supporters said. The tort reform package passed by the General Assembly would require attorneys to focus on actual pain and suffering during a civil trial but does not place a limit on a jury’s award, according to Kemp’s office. Businesses would only be held responsible for what they “directly control,” according to the bill.
House Speaker Burns forms three study committees
Georgia lawmakers will focus this summer and fall on some unfinished business left over from this year’s General Assembly session. House Speaker Jon Burns announced the creation of three “blue-ribbon” study committees that will consider further reforms to Georgia’s election procedures and examine the state’s hemp policies and insurance rates.
Housing
Gov. Kemp announces five rural workforce housing awards from the OneGeorgia Authority
Gov. Brian Kemp announced the next round of grant recipients for the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative, totaling more than $11 million in infrastructure development and supporting 542 housing units in five communities. The awards went to the cities of Cairo, Hagan, Swainsboro, as well as the Douglas-Coffee County Industrial Authority and the Augusta Economic Development Authority.
DCA project based voucher properties to open waitlists on April 30
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs announced that several properties that have received Project Based Vouchers through the Housing Choice Voucher program, formerly known as Section 8, will open several property-maintained wait lists on April 30. This will provide rental subsidies to low-income families.
Mobile homes gain popularity amid housing crisis
While they don’t get a lot of attention, mobile homes are the country’s biggest source of unsubsidized low-income housing, providing shelter to 21 million Americans. As the nation’s housing crisis grows, they’re becoming increasingly attractive to people who can’t afford a traditional site-built home. Between 2014 and 2024, the number of new manufactured homes shipped across the country increased by over 60%, according to census data.
Bonus
Texas school choice triumph calls for celebration and a shift for the movement
Texas school choice opponents are strong. There were well over 100 lobbyists on retainer by groups opposed to choice dating back to the 2013 legislative session. If you observe social media, you might be tempted to conclude that Texas choice opponents were run-of-the-mill, rent-a-reactionary types, but many of the people on this list were deadly professionals holding close relationships with lawmakers, knocking on doors and stuffing envelopes during campaign season and more. So what changed and what’s next?
Earth Day is broken—only private conservation can fix it
With this week’s 2025 Earth Day came the usual media and progressive lawmaker fanfare lauding government programs and regulatory solutions to environmental concerns. But the real story of environmental stewardship remains underappreciated: The most sustainable, long-lasting conservation efforts stem not from top-down command but from private initiative and secure property rights.
Are federal spending laws subject to private lawsuits? SCOTUS to decide
In 2018, the governor of South Carolina issued an executive order terminating existing Medicaid enrollment agreements—and prohibiting future ones—for abortion clinics, with the goal of avoiding subsidizing the abortions they provide. Planned Parenthood and a Medicaid-eligible woman seeking contraceptive services sued, arguing that this order violated the Medicaid Act’s free-choice-of-provider provision. Now that question is before the Supreme Court.
Quotes of Note
“The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.” – Pope Francis, 1936-2025
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. That is resilience in motion.” – Winston Churchill
“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen R. Covey
