Georgia lawmakers have raised transparency concerns over federal “guidance” communicated to the state Department of Education (GaDOE). While this issue might seem like the ultimate in esoteric “inside baseball,” it reflects a serious challenge to state and local governance in education, and has far-reaching consequences for Georgia’s students, parents and educators.
Federal guidance is a catch-all term for many types of communications – such as “Dear Colleague” letters, FAQs or various memoranda – that explain to state administrators how the federal government interprets and intends to enforce federal law. The very existence of such communication is often a sign that either the law is unclear, or that it is so broad or vague as to give federal bureaucrats the need – or simply the opportunity – to create their own interpretation of the law.
Unlike statutes or formal regulations, federal guidance is not, strictly speaking, legally binding. Courts have consistently held that guidance cannot create new legal obligations on its own. In theory, states and school systems remain free to depart from guidance so long as they comply with the underlying law.
In practice, however, federal guidance often carries significant weight. Schools and state agencies frequently adjust their policies to align with federal expectations rather than risk compliance reviews, investigations or potential consequences tied to federal funding. Over time, guidance can function as de facto rulemaking, shaping education policy even though it was never formally enacted or adopted through a legislative process.
Read more in this week’s commentary.
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest 🗞️
The Promise Scholarship is enjoying a successful first year with 7,744 participating students. Each one gets $6,500 for private school, homeschooling or another non-public educational option.
At the beginning of each year, thousands of taxpayers rush to support Georgia families by submitting a tax credit application for the Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit. Through the Tax Credit and participating scholarship organizations, Georgia is expanding K-12 educational access, increasing diversity in private school communities and saving Georgia taxpayers millions.
When it comes to the rising cost of housing in Georgia, there is a hidden driver in the lack of affordability that has nothing to do with workforce or building materials: the cost of time. While Georgia continues growing rapidly – adding over a million residents each decade dating back to 1980 – bureaucratic review has become a costly bottleneck for building homes.
Georgia continues to grapple with a complex, outdated and steadily expanding regulatory environment. Debates over the state’s regulatory burden, including proposals such as the “Red Tape Rollback Act” introduced last year, are not occurring in isolation.
The 2026 legislative session marks both an endpoint and the eventual transition to come. As with the 2018 session before it, the final year of the legislative cycle and a term-limited governor will bring the prevailing political order to a close, ultimately altering the proceedings and priorities of the legislature.
Peach Picks 🍑
Gov. Kemp announced that Dongwon Autopart Technology, a Korean automotive supply company, plans to invest $30 million in a new production facility in Emanuel County. The automotive project is anticipated to create 200 new jobs over the next several years.
State leaders are pumping a new round of funding into select rural Georgia communities to prepare their development sites for the needs of industry. Gov. Kemp announced $4.3 million in grants that will be split among a half dozen projects in far-flung corners of Georgia that typically don’t land large economic development projects.
A bill capping annual property tax increases advanced through the Georgia Senate. The bill cleared the Senate on a 31-19 vote, with one Democrat, state Sen. Jaha Howard, D-Smyrna, crossing party lines to vote with Republicans in the majority.
Georgia’s Fulton County has gone to federal court seeking the return of all ballots and other documents from the 2020 election that were seized by the FBI last week from a warehouse near Atlanta. Its motion also asks for the unsealing of a law enforcement agent’s sworn statement that was presented to the judge who approved the search warrant, the county chairman, Robb Pitts, said Wednesday.
Out of the 232 U.S. athletes who are part of Team USA’s final roster for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor serves as the sole representative from Georgia. Meyers Taylor grew up just outside of Atlanta in Douglasville.
In the Media
An interview with Foundation President Kyle Wingfield was featured in Georgia Trend’s Power Plays: 2026 Legislative Guide, highlighting the major issues shaping this year’s legislative session. Kyle shared his perspective on key policy debates and what they mean for Georgia’s economic future.
Quote of the Week 🌟
One More Fact 💡
Even as federal and local governments poured billions into transit systems after the pandemic, ridership hasn’t rebounded in most regions, including in Georgia.
A recent analysis from Reason shows that from 2019 through 2024, increased short-term federal funding did not reliably bring riders back to mass transit in the majority of metro areas examined. Across the U.S., most systems remain well below pre-pandemic ridership levels despite historic funding boosts.
In Georgia, statewide transit trips dropped sharply during the pandemic and have only partially recovered, showing a 44% drop from 2019 to 2024 — despite elevated funding and continued operations.
This disconnect highlights a core lesson for policymakers: simply increasing spending isn’t enough to draw riders back. Instead, success depends on aligning service with how people actually travel today — frequent, reliable routes that serve everyday needs beyond traditional commuter peaks.