Moderator’s introduction

Today’s moderator: Rick Badie

Rick Badie joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as an education reporter in 1997. A South Georgia native, he’s covered the region’s immigrant communities, was a feature obituary writer and opinion columnist for the AJC’s Gwinnett edition.

»Join the discussion online today: Weigh in below with your thoughts and opinions.

State officials opposed expanding Medicaid when widening the health program became an option last summer. Today, a college professor calls that an unwise move economically, while a conservative political advocate considers it fiscally prudent.

Guest columnists:

Medicaid expansion helps economy by William S. Custer

Reject Medicaid expansion by Virginia Galloway

About the Author

Rick Badie

When ICE takes breadwinners, it takes a toll on families ... and on the economy

For immigrant families, brushes with ICE can result in financial precarity that could have implications for the broader economy.

‘I’m a bad kid,’ he told himself. How Georgia’s special ed program failed one child.

Parents find that it's easy to get into the GNETS program, but in some districts, difficult to leave.

‘A lot of blame, but not enough action’: Atlanta leaders lack path to fix jail

Stakeholders across Atlanta and Fulton County grapple with a complex web of issues that contribute to overcrowding, crumbling structure.