ATLANTA — The Georgia Senate passed a bill on Thursday to define antisemitism in state law, putting the measure on track for final passage, with Republicans uniting in support of Israel’s war on Hamas and some Democrats splitting over fears of suppressing support for Palestinians.
Georgia
Georgia Senate passes bill to define antisemitism despite free-speech concerns of opponents
A House vote to agree with changes to the bill could come later Thursday, sending it to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto.
Sponsors say adopting the definition put forward by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance would help prosecutors and other officials identify hate crimes and illegal discrimination targeting Jewish people. Georgia has a hate crimes law that allows higher criminal penalties for crimes motivated by some types of bias.
The definition, which is only referred to in the bill, describes antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
Some lawmakers opposed the bill, saying they thought it would be used to censor free speech rights.
“The First Amendment guarantees our rights as citizens to criticize any government, foreign and domestic,” said Sen. Nikki Merritt, a Lawrenceville Democrat. “Does our Constitution not mean anything? Do our federal laws not mean anything?
But supporters say the definition will only come into play after someone has committed a crime.
“This legislation is not about stifling free speech,” Kennedy said. “Nor is it about the government stopping someone from simply sharing their views. It is about safeguarding the dignity and the safety of our Jewish friends and neighbors.”
In at least eight states nationwide, lawmakers are working on measures to define antisemitism, part of an upsurge of legislation motivated in part by the Israel-Hamas war. Arkansas passed such a law last year, and like in Georgia, a South Carolina measure passed one chamber in 2023. New bills are pending this year in Indiana, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and South Dakota.
Sponsors say adopting the definition put forward by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance would help prosecutors and other officials identify hate crimes and illegal discrimination targeting Jewish people. Georgia has a hate crimes law that allows higher criminal penalties for crimes motivated by some types of bias.
What was already a fraught topic in early 2023 has become downright raw with the Israel-Hamas war. Some protesters chanting “Free Free Palestine!” were dragged from the committee room Monday by police officers after the vote and one was arrested. That came after some Jewish residents of Georgia testified they had experienced a surge of bias incidents, including an antisemitic group that hung a Jew in effigy outside a Macon synagogue over the summer.
Some opponents said Thursday that the bill feels like choosing sides in the Israel-Hamas war.
“We can mourn the loss of both Israeli and Palestinian lives,” said Sen. Kim Jackson, a Stone Mountain Democrat. “We can both condemn the unacceptable acts of antisemitism that are plaguing the Jewish community around our state and acknowledge that our citizens have the right to voice their dissent about the tremendous harm being visited upon Palestinian civilians.”
Some Democrats said that if Georgia moves to define antisemitism, then it should also define what prejudice against Muslims, African Americans or LGBTQ+ people looks like.
“If we’re going to define antisemitism in the law, then there a lot of other groups that experience racism, and they should also have definitions and explanations of what racism looks like,” said Sen. Sally Harrell, an Atlanta Democrat who didn’t vote on the bill.
But other Democrats said they wanted to support their Jewish constituents and allies, with some recalling the historic support of Jewish people for Black civil rights. An Atlanta synagogue was bombed in 1958 by racists striking out against a rabbi’s opposition to segregation.
“The Jewish community stood hand-in-hand with us,” said Senate Minority Gloria Butler, a Stone Mountain Democrat. “Today I return their favor and stand with them.”
GEORGIA, Ga. (WALB) — A new bill introduced to the Georgia Senate could create a constitutional amendment to restrict voting to legal U.S. citizens.
The bill, Senate Resolution 4EX says, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people.”
If passed, Georgians will vote on the constitutional amendment in the November election.
Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger said “I have been calling on the legislature for years to pass this amendment to the state constitution. I am glad to see the legislature finally act to ensure only American citizens are voting in our elections.”
According to Raffensperger, Georgia was the first state in the nation to conduct citizen verification of voter rolls. Since 2022, Raffensperger’s office conducted two citizenship audits of Georgia’s voter rolls.
SR 4EX Text
“Casting a vote is one of the most important elements of American citizenship. Any illegal vote dilutes the value of a citizen’s lawfully cast ballot. U.S. Citizens should decide Georgia elections. Period. I urge the legislature to pass this important legislation.”
The state uses information from the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) to identify people who are non-citizens. This data is based on documents provided to DDS, through its REAL ID drivers licenses or state identification cards.
That information is also ran through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify an individual’s citizenship status.
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The Oklahoma Sooners left no doubt in their 11-4 win over the Georgia Bulldogs to advance to the College World Series finals. It is OU’s second trip to the finals since 2022 but this one feels far more improbable.
A bubble team toward the end of the regular season and down 8-2 in an elimination game against Georgia Tech, Oklahoma has defied the odds and powered its way to the finals in Omaha. On Wednesday night, the Sooners hit five home runs against a Bulldogs team that led the nation in home runs per game this season.
Jason Walk got the home run party started, and Dasan Harris hit a pair of two-run bombs to help Oklahoma separate from one of the best teams in college baseball.
From the mound, freshman Nick Wesloski put together a strong performance for the Sooners, allowing just one earned run in 5.2 innings pitched. L.J. Mercurius worked 3.1 and allowed just one earned run against the vaunted Georgia offense.
Everything is clicking for Oklahoma heading into the finals, which begins on Saturday. They’ll face a good North Carolina Tar Heels for all the marbles. But before we get to the championship series, here’s a look at how social media reacted to the Sooners win over Georgia.
Playing for a Natty
Incredible Job by Skip Johnson
Definition of Team
Just Unreal
Got Hot at the Right Time
The Moment from the Dugout
Freshmen Phenoms
Nothing Easy, Everything Earned
Team of Destiny?
Exceeding All Expectations
Dasan Harris is that Dude
Incredible Story
Sooner Magic is alive and well
Playing for a trophy
Time to lay it all on the line
Just doing ridiculous things
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
Georgia
Georgia runoff elections see turnout decline as much as 65%, showing need for reform – FairVote
On June 16, Georgia held closely watched runoff elections in Republican primaries for governor and U.S. Senate, as well as lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and the 11th Congressional District. There were also runoffs in Democratic primaries for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and three congressional districts.
Past statewide runoffs have cost Georgia taxpayers as much as $75 million. Turnout in this year’s runoffs fell by 24% statewide – with several races falling by more than 60%. These high costs and low turnout are predictable problems that could have been prevented if Georgia used ranked choice voting (RCV).
Turnout in key Georgia runoff elections
| Primary | Initial election turnout | Runoff election turnout | Turnout change |
| Governor (GOP) | 933,817 | 709,253 | -24.1% |
| U.S. Senate (GOP) | 912,696 | 702,209 | -23.1% |
| Lieutenant governor (GOP) | 889,130 | 691,624 | -22.2% |
| Lieutenant governor (Dem) | 1,030,951 | 383,845 | -62.8% |
| Secretary of state (GOP) | 851,794 | 667,090 | -21.7% |
| Secretary of state (Dem) | 1,028,197 | 383,830 | -62.7% |
| 1st Congressional District (Dem) | 57,159 | 23,813 | -58.3% |
| 7th Congressional District (Dem) | 49,421 | 17,221 | -65.2% |
| 11th Congressional District (GOP) | 80,165 | 68,915 | -14.0% |
| 12th Congressional District (Dem) | 61,284 | 30,139 | -50.8% |
Georgia held its initial primary elections on May 19. In 27 races where no candidate secured a majority of the vote, Georgia held runoffs between the top two finishers four weeks later.
Runoff elections are supposed to make government more representative by electing candidates with majority support. But in practice, runoffs usually shrink the electorate and come with a significant price tag for taxpayers and campaigns.
In the state’s Democratic primary runoffs, turnout fell so much that several candidates won their runoffs with fewer votes than they received in the May primary – entirely defeating the purpose of the runoff.
Votes for runoff winners
| Primary | Votes for winner in May primary | Votes for winner in June runoff | Change |
| Lieutenant governor (Dem) | 426,854 | 210,660 | -50.6% |
| Secretary of state (Dem) | 435,358 | 242,205 | -44.4% |
| 1st Congressional District (Dem) | 14,095 | 12,608 | -10.5% |
| 7th Congressional District (Dem) | 19,742 | 11,664 | -40.9% |
| 12th Congressional District (Dem) | 20,112 | 16,815 | -16.4% |
Ranked choice voting offers a better, faster, cheaper alternative. RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with an “instant runoff” determining a majority winner when necessary. This means winners are determined on Election Day, when participation is highest and voters still have access to the full range of choices. With RCV, voters wouldn’t need to cast a second ballot for the same offices, and taxpayers wouldn’t have to cover the cost of a second election.
To support RCV in Georgia, visit Better Ballot Georgia today!
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