GFC BULLETIN

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To receive the GFC Bulletin, click the Supporters Rally for School Choice; Committee Passes Reform Bill Last Thursday morning, more than 200 school choice supporters braved the cold on the steps of the State Capitol to urge legislators to support expanded school choice in Georgia.   The enthusiastic crowd was joined by several lawmakers, religious Governor Perdue Declares Marriage Week "God ordained the sanctity of marriage as a holy and sacred union between two people who promise to love, honor and respect each other and to give themselves faithfully to each other for as long as they both shall live..."   GFC Director Speaks to the Georgia Chamber of Commerce The Center for an Educated Georgia (CEG) continues to spread the word about the benefits of school choice and education reform in Georgia.   On Monday, January 11, the Center's Director, Dr. Ben Scafidi delivered a speech to about 300 business leaders... Want to get an insider's view of the 2010 legislative session? Stay up-to-date with what is happening at the General Assembly by subscribing to our weekly Capitol Update email that will be delivered each Friday during the legislative session. The... GA Lawmakers Return - GFC Prepared for Another Session And so it begins. The Georgia General Assembly returns to work today, kicking off another legislative session fraught with challenges and opportunities. Chief among them is the more than $1 billion that lawmakers must cut from the budget... Health Reform Should Solve Problems – Not Create Them While reforming our healthcare system is necessary, the questions of how to reform and what to reform are open to considerable debate.  Georgia Family Council’s view is that the present healthcare bill being considered by Congress represents, at... Former GFC Policy Director's Book Making Waves Former GFC Policy Director Hunter Baker has authored a new book called "The End of Secularism." We recently interviewed Hunter about the inspiration for his book, how secularism affects our culture and his experiences at Georgia Family Council. What made you decide... Tackling Different Views Among Economic and Social Conservaties Georgia Family Council President Randy Hicks has joined with more than a dozen conservative leaders contributing to a unique set of essays published by the Washington D.C.-based Heritage Foundation.   Each author, whether typically identified as a social conservative or an economic... GFC Co-hosts Education Summit Headlined by Former Gov. Jeb Bush On Friday, October 30, GFC's Center for an Educated Georgia (CEG) co-hosted a summit on education reform with the Heritage Foundation and the Foundation for Excellence in Education. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush headlined the event, which featured many... The Transformation has Begun Thursday, October 15, marked the beginning of a transformation in the City of Columbus, Georgia. On that day, more than three hundred people gathered to launch an initiative aimed at reducing divorce and out-of-wedlock pregnancies and increasing father involvement throughout... Indicators Measure the Slide in U.S. Marriages Given the current economic conditions, much research and attention has been paid to developing Leading Economic Indicators--basic and essential measurements that reveal the state of the U.S. financial system. The results of this index are important and useful to lawmakers... We've Moved! Georgia Family Council has moved to a new office space in Norcross to accommodate the growth we've experienced over the past 18 months.   Our new address is:   3500 Parkway Lane, Suite 460 Norcross, GA, 30092   Our phone number will stay the... The Drug of Choice for Georgia Teens Results from a Youth Risk Survey of Georgia are in, and the findings are sobering. According to a recently released survey of over 2,400 Georgia high school students, alcohol is the drug of choice for teens... GFC President Attends World Congress of Families Georgia Family Council president Randy Hicks and other marriage and family leaders from 63 countries convened earlier this month for the World Congress of Families in Amsterdam, the... Saving Black Marriages The institution of marriage is in a fragile state. This is why Georgia Family Council decided years ago to take a local approach to tackling the problem. Our Community Marriage and Family Initiative is training trainers in... Starting the School Year Off Right Back-to-school can be a hectic time. With all the preparations that must be made and schedules to be juggled, it is easy to switch over to autopilot and race through the year. But spending time together as a family is... Community Impact Day Coming Soon On Saturday, August 15th, Georgia Family Council is co-hosting "Community Impact Day" in an inner-city Atlanta community that is part of our Center for Community Initiatives. It's a chance to let the local residents know there are organizations in the community... "Shacking Up" is Rarely a Test Drive for Marriage Somewhere between 60 and 70 percent of couples now live together before getting married. Across the country, 13.6 million unmarried couples are currently cohabiting.   Even more widespread than cohabitation, however, is the common belief that living together is a great way... Inexpensive Summer Fun Summer break is in full swing, and that means more time to plan some family fun. Fortunately, there are plenty of budget-friendly options. All it takes is some creative thinking and a little planning to create some quality time together. Below... See the Faces of School Choice School choice has changed the lives of countless children and their families in Georgia. A video recently released by Georgia Family Council's New Law Allows Parents to Pick Public School It just got easier to pick your public school, thanks to a bill passed by the General Assembly and recently signed by Governor Perdue.   The new law allows parents to enroll their child in any public school in their local school... Public Opinion Shifts Away from Abortion There has been a dramatic shift in public opinion against abortion in the past 12 months.    Recent data from both Gallup and the Pew Research Center shows that fewer Americans support legal abortion and more identify themselves as "pro-life."    In just the... Nearly a Quarter of GA Teen Girls Give Birth Teen pregnancy is once again on the rise in the U.S. after having declined for the past several years. And more than one in six teen girls is estimated to give birth. According to a recent... Running Down the Bills The Georgia General Assembly cleared a significant hurdle last week as the crossover deadline came and went. Crossover is the day that legislation must have been approved by either the House or Senate in order to... School Choice Bill Approved by GA House The Georgia House of Representatives passed new school choice legislation on Thursday by an overwhelming vote of 139 to 23. "Sexting" is No Laughing Matter A troubling new trend is sweeping middle schools and high schools across the country. Using a practice referred to as "sexting," students are sending and receiving nude or partially-nude photos via cell phones as a joke or way of flirting... Taxpayers Taking Advantage of Student Scholarship Program Thousands of taxpayers have taken advantage of Georgia's new Tuition Tax Credit Scholarship program, and are getting a tax credit for donations they have made to allow public school students to attend private school. That's good news for parents who... Betting on a Casino in Georgia Georgia is not known as a gambling destination, but that could soon change.   Recent reports revealed that the Georgia Lottery Board has been quietly exploring a casino for downtown Atlanta since spring of last year.   And more recently, leaseholders for struggling... Legal Summit Hears Benefits of GFC Marriage Initiative At first, it seems like an odd topic for a gathering of judges and lawyers. However, when Georgia Family Council was invited by Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears to present at the recent "For the Children's Sake... Respected Expert Joins GFC Team Georgia Family Council is proud to announce that respected economist and Georgia education expert Dr. Ben Scafidi has joined our staff to serve as Director of the Center for an Educated Georgia. Dr. Scafidi is an... Commentary: Education, the Family and a Healthy Society This is the first in a two-part series looking at the central role education plays in the formation of healthy families and, ultimately, the proper functioning of our society. Education, the Family and... More Women Having Fewer Babies Family structure in America has been changing, and that trend has once again been confirmed by new data released by the Census Bureau. An analysis of fertility patterns found that an increasing number of women who are... Not in My Town You Don't It wasn't cheap, but the small northeast Georgia city of Lavonia was finally able to eliminate a strip club from their community. Now, one of the most prominent sexually oriented businesses along the northern stretch of Interstate 85 is closed... Looking for Ways to Serve the Families of Georgia? Volunteer opportunities at Georgia Family Council abound!   GFC is putting together a team of volunteers to help further the efforts of GFC. Are you interested in joining with us to help wit Broken Engagement Verdict Raises Concerns Breaking off his engagement proved costly to a Hall County man after a jury awarded $150,000 to his former fiancé. Not surprisingly, the verdict is getting widespread attention, but it also raises serious... Punished for Her Beliefs, Fired Employee Goes to Court A Georgia woman has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against her former employer who she says denied her religious freedoms.   Marcia Walden was a professional counselor working for the Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), which offers an Employee Assistance Program... Screening What's on the Screen With the extra free time kids have during the summer, it's possible a trip to the movie theatre may be on your list of things to do. So with the myriad of films to... List Grows of Schools Accepting Special Needs Scholarships Georgia's first foray into the world of publicly-funded private school choice continues to be a resounding success.  Entering its second year, the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (SB 10) Are You Looking for Budget-Friendly Summer Fun? It's summertime and we all know what that means -- it's time to get outside and have some family fun.    So what can you do? Hectic schedules and strained family budgets may make it... "Shacking Up" Around the World Living together before marriage has become increasingly acceptable in America, especially among young people. In fact, the number of cohabiting couples in America has increased more than 1,000 percent since 1970. In Georgia, there are... It's Official! More School Choice for Georgia The past few days have brought significant education reforms to Georgia as Governor Sonny Perdue has approved several pieces of legislation. Now parents will have more options as they consider how to best educate their children. -Tax Credit Scholarship- Supporting Leaders Who Change their Communities Confronting divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing is no small task. It takes a community level effort and people committed to dealing with these issues for the long term. With the help of Georgia Family Council, local leaders and concerned citizens across Georgia... Creating Quite a Stir The buzz about the groundbreaking research released by Georgia Family Council and three other organizations has spread throughout the media and acros White House and Press Club Events Launch National GFC Study Astonishing figures make national headlines Taxpayers are shouldering at least $112 billion in annual costs related to divorce and unwed childbearing--that is the conclusion of a first-ever study released by Georgia Family Council and three other partnering organizations. GFC Participates in White House Roundtable on the Family While in Washington, D.C., for the press conference to release the "Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing" study, Georgia Family Council President Randy Hicks moderated a panel discussion at a White House Roundtable event. The monthly... Legislative Session a Success for Georgia Family Council On Friday, April 4, the Georgia General Assembly closed out its 2008 Legislative Session after nearly three months of work.While some have been critical of the legislature in the days Victory for Parents at the General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly has given final approval to one of the most significant pieces of school choice legislation in the country this year--a bill that Georgia Family Council's policy team has been working diligently to get approved before lawmakers... GFC President Addresses Govt's Response to Family GFC President Randy Hicks spoke to the 64th Annual Symposium on the Family at Morehouse College on Thursday, March 20. His speech addressed the government's responsibility related to the family and what government can do in its limited role to encourage... GFC Op-Ed Defends Education Reform The Georgia House has passed legislation that would provide tax credits for businesses or individuals who contribute to scholarships for public school students who want to attend private school. This bill is at the top of GFC's legislative agenda... House Approves One of GFC's Top Legislative Priorities Georgia Family Council gained a major victory this week as the House passed key education reform legislation on Tuesday. HB 1133 would provide a tax credit to any individual or company that donates money to a private school... Religious Freedom Victory for Georgia Man Justice has prevailed for a Cumming, Georgia, man who was arrested and jailed for passing out religious tracts. As you may recall from previous editions of this bulletin, 67-year-old Fredric Baumann filed a federal civil... The Pace Quickens Under the Gold Dome There are a lot of adjectives that could describe the atmosphere at the Georgia General Assembly right now, but "tranquil" is certainly not one of them. Now that the legislative session... Advocates Aim to Improve Columbus Marriages Another community-based effort to improve marriages got off to a rousing start on February 8 as Georgia Family Council joined an impressive group of advocates gathered to launch a Community Marriage Initiative in Columbus, Georgia. Georgia Chief Justice Leah Ward... Tax-Credit Scholarships Would Save Georgia Money Georgia state and local government would save millions of dollars a year if public school students have access to scholarships to transfer to private schools, a new study cosponsored by Georgia Family Council has found. GFC joined... Chief Justice Recognizes GFC in Capitol Speech Georgia Family Council President Randy Hicks was recognized on February 13 before a joint session of the House and Senate by Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears. Randy was invited by the Chief Justice to attend her State of the Judiciary... Preteen Drinking Linked to Suicide New research from Georgia State University’s Institute of Public Health has found a disturbing link between use of alcohol by young people and violent behavior such as suicide. According to the study, those who begin drinking alcohol when... Marriage Week Comes to Georgia Each year at this time Marriage Week USA is observed. What began in the UK a decade ago has more recently come to the U.S. as a way to promote healthy marriage and encourage couples to focus on improving their... House Moves Quickly on Charter School Bill Legislation that would create the Georgia Charter School Commission, a state-level alternate authorizer of charter schools, has cleared its first major hurdle in the Georgia General Assembly. HB 881 has advanced very quickly through the House, moving out... Charter School Bill Charges Ahead Legislation of great importance to GFC passed the Georgia House on Thursday, January 31 by a vote of 120 to 48. HB 881 creates the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, essentially providing for a state-level alternate authorizer of charter schools and... Adoption Bill Off and Running There is big news on the adoption front. The pre-placement home study bill, which would require that all prospective adoptive parents (with a few exceptions including stepparents or other relatives) complete a home study before taking custody of a child... Poll Shows Support for Charter School Changes On January 24, the Georgia Charter School Association and My School, My Choice Georgia held a news conference on Capitol Hill to release the results of a new study regardi Event Honors Lasting Love A recent event honored Clayton County couples who have dedicated themselves to each other--for life. Eight such couples were recognized last Tuesday at a Marriage Celebration luncheon hosted by the Clayton County Marriage and Family... A Solemn Anniversary Tuesday, January 22, marks the 35th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Each year at this time we look back upon the legacy of that ruling and the consequential influence... Legislative Session Hits the Ground Running The 2008 Legislative Session started with a bang this week and the Georgia Family Council policy team was there for all the action. First thing Monday morning, the House of Representatives set the Legislature on track to override a governor's... GFC Anticipates New Legislative Session This Monday, January 14, the Georgia General Assembly will convene for the 2008 legislative session. And as always, Georgia Family Council will have a full-time presence at the State Capitol working with public officials to inform and persuade them... Decatur City Schools Move Toward Historic Switch Last month, Georgia Family Council and education reform supporters statewide were excited to see Decatur City Schools move one step closer to making charter school history in Georgia. In a unanimous vote, school board members elected to send a petition... GFC Forums Enlighten Curious Parents and Schools On November 29th, Georgia Family Council completed the first round of community forums about the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship. The events, geared toward spreading information about the program to non-participating private schools and parents of children with special needs, were... Save the Planet! Stay Married! It is well established that reducing divorce benefits children and families, and society at large. Now it appears there is another reason to discourage divorce--saving the environment. According to Breakthrough Signals Hope for Ethical Stem Cell Research Newly released research has sent shockwaves throughout the world of stem cell research. Scientists have announced a new technique that produces stem cells with the same qualities as embryonic stem cells, but that do... Are Parents More Likely to Monitor their Kids These Days? If someone asked you whether or not you thought parents these days are taking a more active role in their child's life, what would you say? If your answer is "yes," then you're correct, at least according to new data... Overwhelming Response to GFC Marriage Program Eager to build stronger marriages and families in their community, dozens of pastors, business owners and concerned citizens gathered in Lithonia last week to support one of Georgia Family Council's burgeoning marriage initiatives in the metro Atlanta area. A kickoff celebration... Lawmakers Investigate Illegal Abortions at Grady Hospital Several Georgia lawmakers suspect that Grady Hospital in Atlanta has been performing abortions at taxpayer expense and are pressuring hospital officials to turn over records to dispel their concerns. Current law forbids the use of tax dollars to pay for... Georgia Court Sides with Man Jailed for Passing out Tracts A Cumming, Georgia man who was put in jail for passing out religious tracts alone on a public sidewalk and found guilty of violating that city's parade ordinance has won another victory in court. U.S. District Court Judge William O'Kelley ruled... Play it Safe: A mom's story A few days after our latest "Play it Safe" Internet safety seminar we received an email from a mother who had attended. She thanked GFC for the seminar and our encouragement for her and her husband to take further steps... Governor Declares November "Family Month" Governor Sonny Perdue has declared November as “Family Month” and is calling on all Georgians to strengthen the ties between parents and children by spending quality time together. Click here to read the entire proclamation. Lawmakers Discuss Charter School Changes Yesterday, a joint committee of state Representatives and Senators met to discuss making very important changes to Georgia’s charter school law. Georgia Family Council was on-hand to monitor the meeting. The two main issues are: Who should have the authority to approve... GFC Joins Expert Panel on School Choice Jamie Self, GFC vice-president of Public Policy, joined a panel of experts last weekend as part of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s School Choice Academy. Ms. Self has emerged as one of the foremost authorities on the topic in this... Hundreds of Families Already Benefiting from Scholarship One of the biggest education reforms in Georgia history is proving successful, according to enrollment numbers just released by the Georgia Department of Education. Despite only a few months to get the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship program up and... GA City Sued for Denying Man Religious Freedom Georgia Family Council has been reporting on the legal case of a Cumming, Georgia man arrested for passing out religious material. Now the case has taken a new direction. A federal civil rights lawsuit was filed Wednesday by attorneys from... Lives Being Saved by Georgia Abortion Law Thousands of unborn children have been spared in Georgia because mothers are being given information prior to having an abortion and choosing not to go through with the procedure, according to reports from legislators. In 2005, legislation was passed by...