Georgia

Bill for $6,500 vouchers creeps toward Georgia House passage

Published

2 years ago

March 22, 2023

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Bill for ,500 vouchers creeps toward Georgia House passage

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(Picture by Michael Loccisano/Getty Photographs)

ATLANTA – Georgia conservatives are getting nearer to a long-held purpose of broadening state funding for personal college tuition and residential education, with a Home committee passing a invoice Tuesday that will give $6,500 instructional vouchers to college students who would in any other case attend low-performing faculties.

The Home Training Committee handed a revised model of Senate Invoice 233 on a break up voice vote, sending it to the complete Home for extra motion.

Voucher payments have traditionally gotten cool receptions within the Home, however Republican Home Speaker Professional Tem Jan Jones, of Milton, a longtime proponent, has been within the forefront of this yr’s push. The second-ranking member of the Home, Jones helped clear the best way for Republican Jon Burns, of Newington, to grow to be speaker earlier this yr .

The Georgia push is a part of a nationwide GOP wave for what supporters name schooling financial savings accounts following the COVID-19 pandemic and amid contentious tradition struggle fights over what kids ought to study in public faculties.

Supporters argue that the vouchers for personal college tuition, dwelling education provides, remedy, tutoring and even early school programs for highschool college students would assist college students who aren’t well-served by poor-performing faculties.

“This might be a wonderful funding by the state to have improved outcomes,” stated Republican Sen. Greg Dolezal, of Cumming, who’s sponsoring the measure.
Opponents say the trouble will divert wanted funding from public faculties and can subsidize establishments that discriminate towards individuals who do not share their social and non secular views. Additionally they argue that even at $6,500, boosted from the $6,000 handed by the Senate, that poor recipients will not get sufficient cash to pay non-public college tuition, successfully making a subsidy for wealthier mother and father.

“Now we have to take a look at what is sweet for the entire of Georgia,” stated Rep. Miriam Paris, a Macon Democrat. “Nearly all of kids are going to public college, so we’re basically defunding schooling by persevering with to cross these voucher payments.”

This system would solely be funded in years during which the state absolutely funds its $12.5 billion Okay-12 funding formulation. Native public college districts would preserve their property tax {dollars} allotted for public schooling.

Solely kids who stay within the attendance zones served by the faculties scoring within the lowest 25% of the state’s educational score system may gain advantage below the Georgia measure, and the Home invoice was additional amended Monday to say a pupil will need to have been enrolled in a public college for greater than a semester earlier than their mother and father might apply.
The invoice can be funded yearly in an quantity to be decided by lawmakers, possible establishing a yearly struggle over funding. If even 1% of Georgia’s 1.75 million public college college students got cash, that will price greater than $110 million a yr.

If there is not sufficient cash to satisfy demand, the state would prioritize giving the $6,500 to college students with sure instructional disadvantages.

Georgia already has applications giving vouchers for particular schooling college students in non-public faculties and $120 million a yr in state earnings tax credit for donors to non-public college scholarship funds. An effort to extend the tax credit to $130 million appeared to stall in a committee Monday.

One of many massive criticisms of Georgia’s present college alternative applications is that it is inconceivable to inform how beneficiaries are doing academically. However the brand new invoice mandates that kids who use cash to enroll in non-public faculties must take Georgia’s standardized check in third via eighth grade and as soon as in highschool, similar to public college college students.

Republican Rep. Todd Jones, of Cumming, stated that would supply a “benchmark” permitting comparisons between the tutorial performances. In different years when state exams aren’t given, in addition to for all years for many who are home-schooled, college students must take one other nationwide standardized check accredited by the state.

Proponents have historically resisted having college students take state exams as a result of faculties have to show alongside the strains of the state educational requirements for college students to carry out nicely, limiting non-public faculties’ means to decide on their very own curriculum.___

Observe Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy .

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Georgia

If Georgia is going to do a better job supporting its QB, Mike Bobo says it starts with the run game

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25 minutes ago

January 13, 2025

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If Georgia is going to do a better job supporting its QB, Mike Bobo says it starts with the run game

Georgia will have a new quarterback next season. Carson Beck is headed to Miami, leaving Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi to battle it out to replace the two-year starter.

Stockton got the start in the College Football Playoff loss to Notre Dame. Georgia coach Kirby Smart recognized that Stockton did some good things in his first start, in addition to how he helped Georgia in the SEC Championship game.

“Gunner did some good things.” Smart said after the Notre Dame game. “Any time you don’t have pass pro, it’s tough. He had some tough moments out there. When it’s your backside and you can’t see it coming, it’s tough. I thought he tucked it down and ran. He got us out of a couple sacks with his feet and legs, threw the ball away. Did some good things there. But obviously it wasn’t enough with the two turnovers, and we’ve got to be better for sure.”

While pass protection was a major issue against Notre Dame, Georgia’s inability to run the ball was a season-long issue for the Bulldogs. Against Notre Dame, Georgia had 101 non-sack rushing yards.

The Bulldogs averaged 124 rushing yards per game, the lowest of the Smart era. That’s despite having talented running backs in Trevor Etienne and Nate Frazier.

Etienne did miss time this season due to a rib injury and suspension, while Frazier struggled with fumbles. While both had bright moments, the two running backs also know they needed to be better.

Etienne has yet to publicly announce his plans for next season, but the expectation is that he will be back. Whoever is handing Etienne and Frazier the ball, Georgia knows it needs to get more out of its ground game.

“You know, obviously, it is frustrating. We pride ourselves on being able to run the ball,” Gerogia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said prior to the Notre Dame game. “I could sit here and give you a lot of reasons, but all they’d be is excuses, point blank. You could sit here and say injuries, you can say this, bottom line, excuses.We got to be able to run the ball if we want to continue to win in these playoffs.”

At times, Georgia found success running the football. The wins over Texas came to mind for Bobo, especially after he challenged the offense.

Entering the 2025 season, that challenge will exist once again. Even with Georgia having to replace four starters on its offensive line.

“You know, we got to find ways to move the ball on the ground,” Bobo said. “You know, we’ve got to be committed to the run, whether things are going good or things are going bad, to still run that ball, to help us be balanced and run and pass.”

Etienne had a critical red zone fumble that took points off the board against Notre Dame. And with Georgia’s offense trailing 20-3 before it touched the ball in the second half, it ended up putting an even greater load on Stockton’s shoulders in the comeback effort.

The lack of a consistent running game put a lot on Beck’s shoulders this past season. With Georgia finding itself in more third-and-longs, Beck felt the need to make more plays, which in part led to more turnovers.

While Stockton is a more willing runner than Beck, he had just 16 rushing yards on 6 attempts against Notre Dame. Given the violent hits Stockton also tends to take, the Bulldogs may not be willing to run him as much as one might think.

Heading into 2025 with a new quarterback — most likely Stockton at this point — Georgia knows that the running game will be critical to help elevate the offense around its quarterback.

“We didn’t help him out a lot. He made his plays, and he’s really special,” tight end Oscar Delp said of Gunner Stockton. “Everyone saw a glimpse of what he can do. We didn’t help him out too much. He never doubted his team for a second. This is who he is and the kind of guy he is.”

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Georgia

Hurricane aid and transgender girls in sports top Georgia Legislature's agenda

Published

11 hours ago

January 13, 2025

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Hurricane aid and transgender girls in sports top Georgia Legislature's agenda

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s General Assembly is being sworn in for a new two-year term on Monday, with 180 state representatives and 56 state senators taking office after winning election in November.

Republicans will continue to control both chambers, returning to the Senate with the same 33-23 majority they had in the previous term. Republicans’ majority in the state House narrowed by two seats to a 100-80 edge after court-ordered redistricting.

There are only 18 new House members and four new senators taking their oaths.

Top issues will include Gov. Brian Kemp’s push to limit lawsuit verdicts and proposed responses to September’s deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder. Revenue growth is slowing, but Georgia has an $11 billion surplus lawmakers can spend if Kemp, a Republican, lets them.

Here’s a look at some other key issues:

Doing more to ease Hurricane Helene damage

Georgia leaders are generally applauding a relief package that Congress passed in December. But they say more needs to be done after Hurricane Helene cut a swath from Valdosta to Augusta in September, causing billions in damage.

After Hurricane Michael in 2018, Georgia allocated $470 million on top of federal spending. That included $200 million in income tax credits for timber and pecan farmers to replant trees and $69 million to help state and local agencies cover emergency response costs, $55 million to assist farmers suffering crop losses and $20 million for timberland cleanup.

State officials have already approved a plan for $100 million in loans to affected farmers and timber owners.

House Speaker Jon Burns in particular wants more money to clean up downed timber, saying fallen trees will become a wildfire risk if not removed.

Republicans push to ban transgender women in school sports

Georgia Republicans in both chambers, including Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Burns, have promised to prioritize banning transgender women and girls from competing in women’s school sports.

The General Assembly in 2022 left it up to the Georgia High School Association to make decisions about transgender women and girls in sports. The association, mostly made up of public high schools, then banned transgender women and girls from participating in its sports events.

Top Republicans now say that’s enough, after Donald Trump and others have made opposition a political issue.

“I have four granddaughters, and they’re engaged in athletics, and they work hard spending hours a week preparing themselves to participate,” Burns said at a recent press conference. “We want them to have the opportunity to excel and to win and to be first.”

Jones has said Senate Republicans will seek a ban at the college level as well as in high school athletics, but it is unclear if the House will go that far.

Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, noted there are no known instances of transgender athletes in Georgia participating in school sports.“They are really putting a lot of time and effort into solving a problem that does not exist,” Graham said.

Spending could improve conditions in Georgia’s prisons

Lawmakers in both chambers have said they will pursue legislation to address violence and deaths in Georgia’s prisons.

The U.S. Department of Justice said in November that conditions in state prisons are “inhumane” and prison officials are violating prisoners’ Eighth Amendment protections against cruel punishment.

In a meeting earlier this month with lawmakers, Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver said Kemp is proposing to spend more than $600 million to renovate prisons and hire more staff, among other investments. Oliver also said the state would build another new prison.

Lawmakers want to cut off access to cell phones and drones, which officials say bring contraband inside. Others have suggested increases in mental health staff.

Fighting over election rules may persist

Georgia’s 16 presidential electors met in December and cast their votes for Trump with nary a peep of opposition, much less the avalanche of activity that followed Joe Biden’s 2022 win in Georgia.

But that doesn’t mean fighting over election laws is over. The state Republican Party wants to cut off automatic voter registration when Georgians get a driver’s license and end no-excuse absentee voting.

Lawmakers could also consider some of the State Election Board rules that a court blocked. Those include include counting the total number of ballots by hand on election night and making it easier for county election board members to refuse to certify an election.

Other possibilities include requiring voters to fill out ballots by hand and having election officials count those ballots by hand, reflecting distrust of Georgia’s electronic voting system. Some lawmakers may want to make it easier to challenge a voter’s eligibility.

Can sports betting come up a winner?

Despite support from Jones, the Metro Atlanta Chamber and Atlanta’s pro sports teams, legalizing sports betting in Georgia has gone nowhere in recent years. Proponents will certainly try again to legalize it.

There are multiple issues that need to be resolved before legislation can move forward. Some argue that legalization requires an amendment to the Georgia Constitution, which would require a two-thirds vote in each chamber, followed by approval from a majority of those voting in a statewide referendum. Others say only a simple majority vote would be required if sports betting is regulated by the Georgia Lottery.

There are also disagreements about how the proceeds should be spent, and how heavily the state should tax the activity. ___

Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.

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Georgia

Louisville vs Georgia Tech score today: UofL women’s basketball game updates, highlights

Published

23 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

Louisville vs Georgia Tech score today: UofL women’s basketball game updates, highlights

Louisville women’s basketball has a chance at a resume-boosting win today when it hosts No. 13 Georgia Tech.

The squad is currently projected to be a 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament thanks, in part, to an 0-5 record against top-25 teams. But Louisville has been on a hot streak having won five straight games and will look to use the momentum to get its first ranked win of the season.

Georgia Tech had previously been unbeaten but fell to Virginia Tech, 105-94, in double overtime on Thursday. Louisville has the overall advantage against the Yellow Jackets with an 11-0 all-time series advantage.

“It’s going to be a great game,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. “It’s one I hope we can get a huge crowd for. I think it should be a lot of excitement. Tech’s been playing some really good basketball. They shoot the 3 extremely well, and they shoot a lot of them, and they’re rebounding. We’re going to have our hands full but it’s going to be a great game.”

It only gets more difficult from there. Ranking 16th nationally in strength of schedule, the Cardinals have five more ranked teams on their slate: a home-and-home series against third-ranked Notre Dame, home games against No. 25 California and No. 18 North Carolina, and road games at No. 24 Florida State and No. 14 Duke.

With a daunting backloaded schedule, Walz has been encouraged by how much growth his freshman-heavy squad has shown over the past month.

“We have a lot of youth that’s playing a lot of minutes,” he said. “That’s something where, with time and continuing to get experience, they’re getting better and better, and that’s what we have to have. We’ve got to continue to put building blocks, one on top of another, and keep this thing going.”

Stay tuned for updates throughout the ACC clash.

The game will be broadcast on ACC Network with Angel Gray and Helen Williams on the call. Qualified subscribers can stream the game on ESPN+.

Nick Curran (play-by-play) and Cortnee Walton (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9-FM and WGTK 970-AM in Louisville).

You can also listen online via GoCards.com.