The 2020 Georgia Legislative Policy Forum, described as “the opening shot” to the Georgia legislative session, takes a new and exciting format this year as the state and the nation cope with COVID-19.

Held since 2010 as a daylong, in-person event, the Forum's format has been reshaped after the state’s response to the pandemic included a limit on the size of public gatherings. This year, a series of six sessions and two keynote speeches over eight weeks begins July 15. Each will be a live-streamed webinar on Zoom and available at no charge to the public and media.

The Forum brings state and national experts from the private sector and public policy arena to highlight the opportunities in innovation and transformation that Georgia's leaders can embrace. In an acknowledgment of the education challenges families face because of the pandemic, the July 15 opening keynote is “An Education Conversation” with U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, followed on July 21 by the first  policy session: an education panel discussion.

Appropriately, the theme for the 2020 event is “Wisdom, Justice, Adaptation,” a play on Georgia’s motto: “Wisdom, Justice, Moderation.” Six weekly sessions will tackle Education, The Budget, Land Use and Transportation, The Economy, Housing, and Healthcare.

Speakers include economist Stephen Moore, "uber-geographer" Joel Kotkin of Newgeography.com, U.S. Rep. Tom Graves of Georgia, legislative leaders and experts. Experts from nine think tanks across the nation will participate. The 2020 Georgia Legislative Policy Forum is a must for Georgia policymakers and legislators, candidates and citizens interested in practical, commonsense lessons for success in the state.

SESSIONS:

July 15: "An Education Conversation," with Betsy DeVos, U.S. Education Secretary(Opening keynote)
July 21: Session 1 – Opportunities for Education Adaptation
July 28: Session 2 – Budget Calisthenics
August 4: Session 3 – The Changing Views of Land Use and Transportation
August 11: Session 4 – The Economy: Effects and Expectations
August 18: Session 5 – Affordable Housing or Housing Affordability?
August 25: Session 6 – Healthcare: The Diagnosis, The Prognosis
Closing Keynote TBA

While these sessions are offered via Zoom at no charge, all registrants must have a verified Zoom account. Register for individual sessions here or for the entire eight-week series here.

Read more about the 2020 Georgia Legislative Policy Forum here.