Georgia
Georgia to distribute $638M settlement through grant program to combat deadly opioid epidemic • Georgia Recorder
The state has launched a grant program for awarding the hundreds of millions of dollars in opioid settlement funds coming to Georgia.
A total of $638 million will flow into Georgia, with three-fourths of the funds being distributed through the grant process unveiled Monday. Another 25%, or $159 million, will be shared among the city of Atlanta and the state’s largest counties.
Starting next Monday, groups can begin applying for the first round of grant funding. More information can be found on the website for the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust. A series of workshops are being held across the state to explain the grant criteria and process, with the first one drawing a crowd Monday in downtown Atlanta.
Georgia has lagged other states in establishing the protocols to apply for the funds.
“We have one opportunity to get this right,” said Kevin Tanner, commissioner of the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. “So, we want to be slow and methodical to make sure 18 years from now when the last dollar is received and spent by the state of Georgia, that we have truly turned the tide on developing a continuum of care that stops the opioid epidemic.”
The funding is part of a multistate $26 billion settlement agreement with the three largest pharmaceutical distributors, McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen, and manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals and its parent company Johnson & Johnson.
In Georgia, the number of opioid-related overdose deaths increased by 207% from 2010 to 2020. The federal government officially declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency in 2017.
Since then, the illegal drug market has continued to evolve, with fentanyl now creeping into drugs like marijuana. Mixing the tranquilizer drug xylazine with fentanyl has also been labeled an emerging threat nationally.
“People who are in the manufacturing and drug business are very smart, very crafty about how they use the supply side and the demand side to market to people and change those formulas up to continue to get people addicted,” said Cassandra Price, director of DBHDD’s Office of Addictive Diseases.
Of the money coming to Georgia, $479 million will be distributed through Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust using the grant process announced Monday. Groups can either apply for a regional grant or a state level grant if they can show the proposed project has broader impact.
The potential uses for the money are varied but all related to curbing the opioid crisis. For example, the funding could go toward medication-assisted treatment distribution, prevention programs, expanding the use of opioid-reversing drugs, recovery supports or harm-reduction programs.
An inventory of existing services was created to identify where the gaps are and will influence the grant-awarding process, Tanner said.
Each application will go through a multi-layered review process that will land before what’s called the Georgia Opioid Settlement Advisory Commission. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed four members and a non-voting chairperson, Evan Meyers, who is deputy executive council for the governor’s office. Four other members are chosen by local governments.
Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk was one of the governor’s picks, which Sisk says likely has something to do with how outspoken he has been about the impact of drugs on his northwest Georgia community.
Just Monday, Sisk said he heard a call go out about a likely overdose just before his radio signal cut out on his way to Atlanta. And he estimated that about two-thirds of his 248-bed jail population has some connection to drugs, likely opioids, even if indirectly.
“What’s so frustrating about this issue and this addiction is we can want all the help for these people, and we can build any buildings and build any programs. But if their heart’s not in the right spot, and their mind is not ready to get pale, then it’s not likely to do any good,” Sisk said.
“So, it is a tough situation, and we’ve got our work cut out for us,” he said. “Because we had said we want to spend this money wisely and spend it to where it is actually going to make an impact, but I don’t think there’s a single answer.”
Tanner was appointed by the governor to serve as the trustee, meaning he has the final say on which projects are funded.
The commissioner pledged to keep the distribution process transparent partly by posting key documents on the trust’s website.
“Our goal is to try to cut down on the number of open records requests, because we’re going to be so transparent. Anything you want to know will be available on the website,” the commissioner said at Monday’s workshop.
One member of the crowd Monday pressed the program’s leaders on what the vision is for the funding, arguing that an individual must first want to overcome their addiction to get better.
“Addiction is a baffling, cunning disease. We all know that,” Price said in response. “But what we also know is that people get well, people get in recovery every single day.
“But when people don’t have access to those services, then they definitely aren’t going to choose to get it, and we have stigma. So, I think us putting out this strong effort in building up access using our clinical tools to engage those individuals, make them feel welcome, reduce stigma. That’s how we do it, guys. That’s how we get people to recover,” she said.
Many of the people at Monday’s workshop were people in recovery who now work as peers in the behavioral health field. Jeff Breedlove, advocacy strategist at the Georgia Council for Recovery, was one of them.
Breedlove praised the state for including the recovery community in the process of developing the grant program before any money was spent. Each regional council set up to handle the local grants also includes a person in recovery, he said.
“By having the peer voice represented in this process, it legitimizes this process. The survivor voice is the voice that will bring reality to the discussions,” Breedlove said.
“We need all stakeholders. We need our clinicians, we need our law enforcement, we need our academics, we need our elected officials, but they need the voice of lived experience to tell them what is real and not real in the real world,” he said.
The Georgia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 20, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 20 drawing
16-20-44-48-50, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 20 drawing
Midday: 0-9-2
Evening: 9-6-9
Night: 2-4-6
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 20 drawing
Midday: 0-1-2-5
Evening: 1-8-1-5
Night: 5-4-6-0
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 20 drawing
Early Bird: 06
Matinee: 03
Drive Time: 09
Primetime: 06
Night Owl: 02
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Georgia FIVE numbers from June 20 drawing
Midday: 4-0-5-8-9
Evening: 3-3-9-2-2
Check Georgia FIVE payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from June 20 drawing
01-09-10-15-42
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 20 drawing
01-10-16-30-31, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes under $601: Can be claimed at any Georgia Lottery retail location. ALL PRIZES can be claimed by mail to: Georgia Lottery Corporation, P.O. Box 56966, Atlanta, GA 30343.
- Prizes over $600: Must be claimed at Georgia Lottery Headquarters or any Georgia Lottery district office or mailed to the Georgia Lottery for payment.
When are the Georgia Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash 3 (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash 3 (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash 3 (Night): 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash 4 (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash 4 (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash 4 (Night): 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash Pop (Early Bird): 8 a.m. ET daily.
- Cash Pop (Matinee): 1 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash Pop (Drive Time): 5 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash Pop (Primetime): 8 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash Pop (Night Owl): 11:59 p.m. ET daily.
- Georgia FIVE (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
- Georgia FIVE (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
- Fantasy 5: 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
- Jumbo Bucks Lotto: 11 p.m. ET on Monday and Thursday.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. ET daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Georgia editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Georgia
Democrats block local property tax referendums as Georgia lawmakers clash over affordability – The Current
House Republicans are attempting to pass a wave of local property tax measures during an ongoing special session that would allow communities to vote on whether to raise their sales taxes to give homeowners a tax break.
But Democrats have so far successfully blocked the effort, stymying GOP lawmakers from putting the question before voters this November. They argue the change represents a new tax that shifts the burden of paying for local services from homeowners to lower income Georgians – and they question the rush to put it before voters this year.
An attempt to pass dozens of local property tax measures failed Saturday in both the House and Senate, but Republicans say they aren’t giving up. Lawmakers will be back Monday for a special session that has no set end date.
“We still have a chance to get this right,” said Rep. Shaw Blackmon, a Bonaire Republican who has led the House GOP’s efforts to target local property taxes.
House Republican leaders have prioritized property tax relief this year, saying it is needed to curb rising property taxes and help people who are struggling to stay in their homes. They unsuccessfully pushed to eliminate local property taxes statewide earlier this year, instead settling for a last-minute compromise that Democrats say is unconstitutional because of how it was passed.
The ongoing special session was originally called to redraw Georgia’s political maps – although those redistricting plans were abandoned – and to address a looming deadline for the state to stop using ballot QR codes to count votes. Gov. Brian Kemp later opened the door for lawmakers to tee up local property tax referendums. House Majority Chuck Efstration and other House Republicans criticized Democrats for voting against local property tax measures Saturday. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder
Dozens of referendums are in the works for communities all across the state, from Fannin County in north Georgia to Lowndes County in south Georgia.
“We missed an opportunity to help our neighbors today,” said Rep. Gerald Greene, a Cuthbert Republican who had sponsored several tax referendums for south Georgia communities.
Republicans control both chambers of the Legislature, but since the measures involve homestead exemptions, they need two-thirds support to pass. That means Democratic votes are needed in both chambers.
“Today what we witnessed once again was Republicans cosplaying a care for affordability in this state,” said Rep. Tanya Miller, an Atlanta Democrat who chairs the minority caucus and is the party’s nominee for attorney general.
“What they are trying to do is a bait and switch. What they propose today was nothing more than a tax increase on the people who are already hit the hardest,” she said, referring to the sales tax.
Republicans criticized Democrats for denying communities a chance to decide for themselves whether to lean more on sales tax revenue to offset property taxes on homeowners.
“This bill is very simple. It’s giving voters the chance to vote to lower their property taxes. Give voters that chance to do that,” said Rep. Scott Hilton, a Peachtree Corners Republican.
“I believe the minority party deep down knows this would overwhelmingly pass if put on the ballot, but voters are being denied that chance right now, denied the chance to have a more affordable life, to be able to afford their home, to stay in their homes,” he added.
House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley, a Columbus Democrat, said GOP leaders are manufacturing a crisis by pursuing the tax measures during the special session instead of waiting until lawmakers return for their regular session in January.
She framed the proposed local tax referendums as a GOP ploy to turn out conservative voters in November.
“There is no reason for us to rush through this,” Hugley said. “The other thing is that you’re asking people to raise a sales tax on themselves so that homeowners can get a relief. You’re picking winners and losers, and that’s not what we should be doing here.”
Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
Related
Should you rent a car for your summer trip? There are pros and cons
Rising car and gas prices are pushing some Americans to consider renting a car for their summer road trip instead of driving their own vehicle.
Two Georgia destinations have landed on a new list highlighting some of the South’s best lake communities for year-round living.
In a recent feature, Southern Living asked real estate professionals across the region to identify Southern lake towns that offer a strong mix of natural beauty, community amenities and full-time residential appeal.
Among the eight communities selected were Greensboro and Clayton.
Best lake towns in Georgia
Greensboro, located along Lake Oconee, was recognized for offering residents a blend of lake living and small-town charm.
According to experts interviewed by Southern Living, the area combines boating, fishing and outdoor recreation with golf courses, restaurants and a historic downtown district.
Real estate professionals also pointed to continued residential growth and a range of housing options, from cottages and condominiums to luxury waterfront properties.
Farther north, Clayton was highlighted as a gateway to several popular North Georgia lakes.
While not directly located on a lake, the mountain community provides access to Lake Burton, Lake Rabun, Seed Lake and Tallulah Falls Lake.
Southern Living noted that Clayton’s location in the Southern Appalachian foothills gives residents easy access to outdoor recreation while still offering restaurants, shops and other amenities in town.
Which Southern lake towns made the list?
Southern Living’s list included:
- Greensboro, GA
- Clayton, GA
- Seneca, SC
- Hot Springs, AR
- Chapin, SC
- Guntersville, AL
- Dandridge, TN
- Cornelius, NC
The feature focused on communities that combine lake access, outdoor recreation, local amenities and year-round livability, according to Southern Living.
For more information, visit southernliving.com/southern-lake-towns-to-live-in-year-round-11983242.
Vanessa Johns is the Trending Topics Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team Georgia, covering food and entertainment. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.
-
Maine1 minute ago4-year-old girl flown to hospital after near drowning at hotel pool in Maine
-
Maryland8 minutes ago
Piper PA-28 crashes in Maryland, killing all three Israeli occupants | The Jerusalem Post
-
Michigan11 minutes agoRemembering soccer matches at Michigan Stadium
-
Massachusetts16 minutes agoHowie Carr: Meet another Massachusetts ‘resident’ lugged by the feds
-
Minnesota23 minutes agoMinnesota bans crypto ATMs after scam surge
-
Mississippi26 minutes agoIconic Mississippi foods and top US foodie states
-
Missouri31 minutes agoMan shot, killed after argument spills out of south Kansas City home
-
Montana38 minutes agoPhotos: Montana East-West Shrine Game
