Georgia
Kemp unveils plan to to spend millions intended to restore order in Georgia prisons • Georgia Recorder
The Georgia Department of Corrections and Republican Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled a plan Tuesday to spend an additional $600 million on the state prison system, which has suffered from inadequate staffing, violence, and facilities in disrepair.
During a joint meeting of House and Senate appropriation subcommittees Tuesday, state corrections department Commissioner Tyrone Oliver presented the wide ranging list of budget recommendations, describing them as necessary investments for strengthening prison security, increasing staffing levels, increasing compensation for correctional officers and other staff and renovating facilities. The conditions of Georgia’s prisons were so poor that the United States Department of Justice threatened a lawsuit if the state did not shore up a myriad of problems it found to violate the constitutional rights of inmates.
The federal report contains descriptions of numerous assaults, including beatings, stabbings, rapes and acts of torture. It finds that the homicide rate in Georgia prisons is nearly triple that of the national average, and that other serious and life-threatening incidents are “exponentially more frequent.”
According to Oliver, the additional money is needed to address the near-term challenges of the prisons, which often leave staff and inmates in dangerous situations.
“Staffing levels for correctional officers are low all around this, all around the country and also at the federal level,” Oliver said. “This leads to insufficient staffing patterns and existing staff do not feel safe. Staffing patterns and training needs need to be updated to meet the needs of the modern workforce.”
The corrections department is requesting an additional $6.1 million for the current budget in order to begin the process of hiring an additional 882 correctional and security officers over the next several years. In order to reduce the current staff-to-offender ratio of 14 to 11, the corrections department aims to add 330 correctional and security officer positions over the next year.
The department is also requesting several million dollars for a 4% salary increase for correctional officers and staff working in education, chaplain, food service and maintenance. The governor’s recommendations also call for an 8% salary hike for behavioral health counselors, which would put them close in line with statewide averages in surrounding states.
The department is also pushing for potential officer promotions every six months that will provide better pay as a way to retain staff.
Several legislators on Tuesday’s panels addressed the department’s plans to significantly increase staffing over the next several years, referencing the current hiring and retention challenges that have resulted in a system-wide deficit of about 2,600 personnel.
“While adding new positions sounds great, and we should strive for that, we’re having a devil of a time trying to get there to begin with in our current ones,” said Sen. John Albers, a Roswell Republican.
Kemp said the corrections budget proposal is the latest in a series of significant spending on public safety designed to reduce crime by targeting violent offenders and improving training and compensation for law enforcement officers.
The budget recommendations included input from independent consulting firm Guidehouse Inc., appointed by Kemp in June to create an in-depth assessment of a Georgia prison system that houses about 50,000 inmates and employs about 9,000 people.
“Public safety is the number one priority of the state government, and that is why we have taken a comprehensive and deliberate approach to strengthening law enforcement and improving our corrections system,” Kemp said in a statement Tuesday.
The governor’s budget proposal also includes money addressing inmate overcrowding in state prisons. Kemp’s recommendations include spending $40 million to design and plan a new prison facility, adding 446 beds to an existing private prison contract, and adding 126 bed units to ease inmate movement while capital and security improvements are underway.
The corrections department is also requesting an extra $50 million to install new contraband interdiction technology, including equipment to detect cell phones and drones, which prison officials say is the most common method of smuggling drugs and weapons into prisons.
Another $77 million would be used to replace locks inside the facilities as well as perform other major infrastructure improvements. The corrections department is also recommending spending an additional $86 million for emergency repairs and maintenance at facilities.
The $600 million budget plan will be split between this year’s budget and the budget for next year, which will both be voted on by the Legislature this spring.
The Georgia corrections department has labeled the Justice Department’s accusations as a misunderstanding of the systemic challenges of operating expansive prison systems, and also criticized the federal department for its poor record of overseeing federal prisons.
Dublin Republican Rep. Matt Hatchett said holding a state department’s budget subcommittee meeting the week prior to the start of the Legislative session is a sign of pressing needs to address within the state corrections department.
“It is out of the ordinary, and I think it shows the emphasis that (Kemp) and us collectively are putting on this issue,” said Hatchett, chairman of the House Special Subcommittee of Appropriations on State Prisons, “I do appreciate him agreeing to do that. You can study things for a long time and hope that you get the right answer and the right path forward. Well, this has been studied and studied, and I think it’s time to get something done.”
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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.
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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.
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