WINGFIELD: Foundation’s guide seeks to inform voters, candidates, elected officials

Published 8:00 am Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Informed citizens are always looking for trustworthy information. That’s why the Georgia Public Policy Foundation has released its 2024 “Guide to the Issues,” summarizing the policy areas most important to Georgians.

By publishing the Guide, we offer Georgia’s candidates and elected officials a policy platform based on research, facts and common sense. Candidates are often motivated to run for office based on a single issue or cause. If a candidate is a teacher, for example, and primarily focuses on education issues, the Guide provides that candidate with background information on issues like tax policy, healthcare and housing.

The Guide also provides a helpful and timely summary for Georgia’s citizens. With elections and a new legislative session just around the corner, it is important for voters to be informed on how these issues affect their lives.

Since our last Guide was published in 2022 we have seen advances in several policy areas. Still, Georgia faces several challenges.

Notably in education, the passage of Promise Scholarship Accounts was a huge win for Georgia students and families. Beginning in 2025, this new program will expand choice and access for students, but that work is far from over. Lawmakers and administrators must oversee accountability from the new Georgia Education Savings Authority and ensure the program is fully funded. Policymakers should also work toward expanding the program to help all Georgia families. Issues also remain concerning Georgia’s Quality Basic Education funding formula, which will turn 40 years old next year, and the equitable funding of charter schools.

Georgia lawmakers improved access to healthcare by repealing certain certificate of need requirements, but they could have gone further. Healthcare access remains an issue in both rural and urban areas. Allowing medical professionals to practice to the full extent of their training and curbing licensing restrictions would ease provider shortages and expand access to patients.

This year’s Guide includes some new chapters on issues of increased relevance in Georgia.

One of these is tech policy. Just like the tech industry, tech policy is in a constant state of change and rapid innovation. Artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to affect how we work and drive, the provision of healthcare, scientific research and agriculture, just to name a few areas. While sensible guardrails are important, Georgia lawmakers should ultimately adopt an optimistic approach to AI as Atlanta emerges as one of the country’s top tech hubs. Tech policy by nature frequently sees new and unfamiliar challenges, and Georgia should not jettison free market and growth principles in this context.

Another new entry is tort reform. Georgia has become one of the worst judicial environments in the country, a haven for lawsuit abuse and excessive tort costs. Exorbitant damage awards in “nuclear verdicts,” phantom damages and litigation tourism all add to tort costs. Premises liability also unfairly punishes business owners and limits their ability to operate. Lawmakers can maintain Georgia’s competitiveness by creating a fairer legal environment.

Georgia also has many opportunities to reduce burdens and provide freedom for workers. Freedom to work means freedom from overly restrictive licensing practices, union demands and regulatory infringements on individual prosperity. The state should review and repeal unnecessary occupational licensing restrictions that frequently go beyond simply ensuring safety and quality. In addition, Georgia should follow the example of other states by reducing the size of its regulatory code. Provisions that trigger an automatic review of proposed regulations if they exceed certain cost thresholds, or at a certain point after their enactment, would help to eliminate a wide range of burdens to prosperity.

“Guide to the Issues” has been a staple of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation since our founding in 1991. Many of its entries have been co-opted and codified by Georgia lawmakers. We believe that in order to fulfill our mission to improve the lives of Georgians we must maintain the principles of growth and liberty that have served us since then.

Dalton native Kyle Wingfield is president and CEO of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation (www.georgiapolicy.org).