Georgia is in the news these days, as hundreds of millions of dollars pour into the state for two runoff elections on January 5th that will determine control of the U.S. Senate. The fast-growing, friendly Peach State will get even more attention in the weeks and months ahead.

Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) has come under intense criticism for taking steps to re-open Georgia. The criticism is peculiar. Reading the reactions on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and elsewhere, one would think that Kemp is forcing businesses to re-open and making consumers begin visiting stores and restaurants. The reality is that it’s up to business owners whether they re-open, and it’s up to consumers whether they leave their homes. It’s a choice, which is the very basis of liberty.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently released its annual crime statistics report. There hasn’t been much media coverage of the report, but it does show the violent crime rate in 2018 was at its second-lowest point since this particular crime metric peaked in 1991. Generally, crime rates fell across the board compared to 2017.

FreedomWorks sent a coalition letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp urging him to support the reauthorization of the Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform. The text of the letter and signers are below and a PDF of the letter can be found here.