Georgia
‘Religious freedom,’ advances on Legislature’s deadline day, Georgia culture wars rage on • Georgia Recorder
Thursday was Crossover Day in the Georgia Legislature, the deadline for bills to easily pass from either the House or the Senate, and culture war partisans had a few reasons to celebrate, or mourn, depending on point of view.
After years of trying, the Senate passed the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, a longtime dream of conservative politicians and activists.
Conservative politicians and activists also made one of their newer dreams come true with the passage of a bill cutting ties with the American Library Association, a library support and accrediting body some Republicans say has become too progressive.
Other culture war issues did not make the cut, including bills aimed at school bathroom and library use.
Religious Freedom
Eight years after then-Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed a controversial religious freedom bill, a different bill with the same aim passed the state Senate.
Acworth Republican Sen. Ed Setzler’s Senate Bill 180 states that the government may
“substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion” only if it does so “in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest” and “the least restrictive means of furthering such compelling governmental interest.”
Setzler gave examples including a Muslim woman in Florida who could not remove her facial covering to be photographed for a driver’s license. Setzler said Florida’s religious freedom law allowed her to be photographed in a private room by a woman.
“It largely helps people in minority religious space, but it doesn’t provide everybody of course, to make sure the government has to prove a compelling reason, and in accomplishing the compelling reason, they do that in the least restrictive means possible. The decency, the human decency, of allowing the Muslim woman, who piously believes she needs to wear a full face guard in public, allowing her to have her photo for her driver’s license made in a private room by a female photographer.”
Decency wasn’t the word on Stone Mountain Democratic Sen. Kim Jackson’s mind. Jackson, the state’s first and only openly LGBTQ+ senator, called the bill a “permission slip” to discriminate against families like hers.
“This is my reality and my fear,” she said. “My fear that my child’s daycare can turn us away. That a hotel can refuse me entry. That we can be denied access to any number of services that every other Georgian has rights to. The gas station that refuses service, the restaurant that won’t seat us, the physician who denies care for my child, all because they have a religious objection toward me and my family. Across the country, RFRAs have already opened the door for discrimination in public health, child welfare and adoptions, marriage-related services, employment, and public accommodations.”
Deal’s veto of the previous religious freedom legislation came amid pressure from major Georgia-based businesses that said the legislation could make it harder to attract workers to the state.
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce released a joint statement opposing Senate Bill 180.
“For decades, Georgia has benefited from a positive working relationship between the business community and our elected leaders to promote our state as a center for global commerce. Georgia’s stable governance attracts industry and has served our citizens well, and we oppose any efforts, including SB 180, that would undermine the state’s strong reputation we have built together,” the business group’s statement said.
Cole Muzio, president of the influential conservative lobbying group Frontline Policy Action, celebrated the bill’s passage.
“Passage of RFRA by the state Senate brings us one step closer toward restoring our nation’s founding right,” he said in an email to supporters. “The balancing test provided in SB 180 is fair, right, consistent with federal law and in accordance with what Gov. Kemp campaigned on.”
If Gov. Brian Kemp is to sign or veto the bill, it will first need to pass the state House. It will have until the legislative session is set to gavel out March 28 to do so.
Libraries
A watered-down version of a bill pulling Georgia out from the American Library Association made it through the Senate. Author Sen. Larry Walker, a Perry Republican, said he got clued in on the ALA after his local library used an ALA grant to buy books about diversity and LGBTQ+ issues, some of which he said were in the children’s section.
He said he went on to find out the current ALA president described herself in a tweet as a Marxist lesbian.
“Prior to taking on this issue, I put libraries in the same category as mom and apple pie, and I was shocked to find that the havens for learning that I envisioned where children’s imaginations could run free and unhindered to find inspiration for their future and the legacy of knowledge accumulated by civil society could become a political battleground for a radical agenda pushed down by this Chicago organization, the American Library Association.”
The ALA accredits the schools that train librarians, and Walker said under his bill, Georgia universities must pay for that accreditation with private funds rather than state money. Libraries in the state cannot use private funds or state money to become members of the ALA.
Atlanta Democratic Sen. Elena Parent characterized the bill as a political ploy and referenced data showing Georgia near the bottom of the rankings for child literacy by state.
“I really, colleagues, do find it deeply ironic, in a state where two-thirds of kids cannot read on grade level, that we have so many more bills addressing what children should or should not be able to read, instead of focusing on the actual five-alarm fire problem, the problem that many of them cannot read well, if at all. That is the problem that we should be discussing today. That is the money we should be discussing putting into our budget.”
Ahead of their time
Several bills hoped for or dreaded by culture warriors failed to make it to the all-important deadline.
Bills ending sex education for elementary schoolers, making school librarians liable for distributing materials deemed harmful to minors and restricting transgender students to the bathroom matching the gender listed on their birth certificates did not move forward.
But fans of culture clashes should not grieve or celebrate just yet. Crossover day marks the end of a bill’s ability to pass the smoothest way, but “dead” bills can find new life if grafted to other legislation, sometimes in surprising ways.
Troy’s season-long improvement continued on Saturday, resulting in a 28-20 victory at Georgia Southern.
Matthew Caldwell passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more for the Trojans, who won their second straight game. Troy (3-7, 2-4 Sun Belt Conference) outscored the homestanding Eagles 21-10 in the second half, knocking them out of first place in the Sun Belt East Division.
“It doesn’t get any better than this,” first-year Troy coach Gerad Parker said in his post-game interview on ESPN+. “I hold back tears and everybody called me soft, but this is an emotional game.
“We’ve been at the depths of hell (at) the start of this year. When you visit a place like that, there’s only one choice. You got to get your team out of it and have belief from these guys. … These guys have been unbelievable. Our staff and our players, how they’ve been resilient at all tells you something that’s good about college football.”
Caldwell’s 2-yard touchdown run gave Troy the lead for good at 21-17 with 13:34 left in the game. After the Eagles (6-4, 4-2) pulled within 21-20 on Gavin Stewart’s 45-yard field goal with 10:34 to play, the Trojans killed most of the clock with a 16-play, 75-yard drive ending in Caldwell’s 1-yard run and an eight-point lead with 2:32 remaining.
Caldwell ended the game 26-for-32 for 288 yards and two touchdowns, a 6-yarder to Brody Dalton in the second quarter and a 4-yarder to Devonte Ross in the third. The Trojans outgained the Eagles 441 yards to 246, with ill-timed penalties contributing to the first three Georgia Southern scores.
Georgia Southern went up 7-0 late in the first, with Josh Dallas scoring on a 4-yard run. That drive was kept alive by five Troy penalties, including a pass interference call in the red zone.
Stewart’s 21-yard field goal gave the Eagles a 10-7 lead at the half. After Troy went up 14-10 on Caldwell’s second TD pass, Georgia Southern took back the lead at 21-17 on Jalen White’s 1-yard run with 2:34 left in the third.
Georgia Southern never came close to tying the game in the final minutes, as Justin Powe’s diving interception gave Troy the ball back at the Eagles’ 48 with 1:56 left. Caldwell connected with Dalton on a 23-yard pass to convert third-and-7 and help run out the clock.
Ross caught 10 passes for 95 yards, while Damien Taylor ran for 92 yards on 18 carries. Gerald Green added a 33-yard run to help set up a touchdown, with tight ends Dalton and Ethan Conner combined for six receptions for 87 yards.
Troy went 11-for-14 on the third down in the game and ran 73 plays to just 48 for Georgia Southern. Linebacker Jordan Stringer led the Troy defensive effort with seven tackles and a sack, while freshman linebacker Jabril McNeil had two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry.
Troy began the season 1-7, but beat Coastal Carolina 38-24 on Nov. 2 before its bye week. Since halftime of a 34-31 loss to Arkansas State on Oct. 26, the Trojans have outscored their opponents 82-55.
“They played team football and played for Troy and each other,” Parker said. “They’re starting to really feel that together and it feels great to sleep, but I’m just so happy for our guys.”
Troy is back in action at Louisiana next Saturday. That game kicks off at 4 p.m. and will be streamed live via ESPN+.
The No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs have a huge game against the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers and Carson Beck’s sister Kylie Beck is certainly hyped for it.
The 19-year-old sophomore UGA cheerleader and sister of the team’s star quarterback has been crushing it all season in and out of her uniform.
While Kylie has upstaged Carson’s girlfriend Hanna Cavinder in her cheerleader uni and showed off the full splits in her “Dance Dawgs basketball fit, she’s also slayed in a cowgirl look in Texas, and flaunted her flawless legs in Florida. On Friday, Kylie was even bold enough to show her makeup-free mirror selfie for the world to see.
Viral Alabama cheerleader Lily Garofalo stuns in uniform mirror selfie
For Saturday’s big game, Kylie posted another cheerleader shot and captioned it, “ We are 🔙 Sanford #noplacelikehome #gameday.”
Gracie Hunt’s sister Ava posts cheerleader selfie to hype SMU football game
She’s definitely game ready with those flawless abs and sparkly fit.
Georgia is coming off a crushing loss vs Ole Miss and is in an almost must-win game if it hopes to make the college football playoffs. Whether or not the team loses on the field, Kylie already secured a win Saturday with her cheerleader uniform selife.
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Georgia
What channel is Tennessee football vs Georgia on today? Time, TV schedule to watch Week 12 game
Tennessee football has a crucial game and a chance to take a step toward the SEC Championship Game when it plays Georgia on Saturday in Athens.
The Vols (8-1, 5-1 SEC) can ensure they finish ahead of the Bulldogs in the SEC with a win while also pushing their rivals on the brink of elimination from playoff contention. UT will secure a SEC title game berth by winning at Georgia and Vanderbilt. QB Nico Iamaleava is questionable to play on Saturday after suffering a concussion last week.
Georgia (7-2, 5-2 SEC) is coming off of a 28-10 loss to Ole Miss last week, slipping outside of the top 10 in the latest CFP rankings.
Here’s how to watch the Tennessee football vs. Georgia game today, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:
Watch Georgia vs. Tennessee live on Fubo (free trial)
Tennessee vs. Georgia will broadcast nationally on ABC in Week 12 of the 2024 college football season. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will call the game from the booth at Sanford Stadium, with Holly Rowe reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 16
- Start time: 7:30 p.m.
The Tennessee football vs. Georgia game starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday from Sanford Stadium in Athens.
Knox News reporter Mike Wilson’s prediction: Georgia 24, Tennessee 20
Tennessee’s offense is looking better lately, but the Vols haven’t played a road game since Arkansas in early October. Georgia was a house of horrors in 2022 for Tennessee and its CFP hopes. It will be that again.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Nov. 15
- Odds: Georgia -9.5
- O/U: 47.5 points
- Money line: Georgia -375, Tennessee +300
- Aug. 31: Chattanooga, W 69-3
- Sept. 7: vs. NC State in Charlotte, W 51-10
- Sept. 14: Kent State, W 71-0
- Sept. 21: at Oklahoma, W 25-15
- Sept. 28: OPEN DATE
- Oct. 5: at Arkansas, L 19-14
- Oct. 12: Florida, W 23-17 OT
- Oct. 19: Alabama, W 24-17
- Oct. 26: OPEN DATE
- Nov. 2: Kentucky, W 28-18
- Nov. 9: Mississippi State, W 33-14
- Nov. 16: at Georgia, 7:30 p.m. on ABC
- Nov. 23: UTEP, 1 p.m. on ESPN+ and SEC Network+
- Nov. 30: at Vanderbilt, TBD
- Dec. 7: SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, 4 p.m. on ABC
Record: 8-1 (5-1 SEC)
- Aug. 31: vs. Clemson in Atlanta, W 34-3
- Sept. 7: Tennessee Tech, W 48-3
- Sept. 14: at Kentucky, W 13-12
- Sept. 21: OPEN DATE
- Sept. 28: at Alabama, L 41-34
- Oct. 5: Auburn, W 31-13
- Oct. 12: Mississippi State, W 41-31
- Oct. 19: at Texas, W 30-15
- Oct. 26: OPEN DATE
- Nov. 2: vs. Florida in Jacksonville, W 34-20
- Nov. 9: at Ole Miss, L 28-10
- Nov. 16: Tennessee, 7:30 p.m. on ABC and ESPN+
- Nov. 23: UMass, 12:45 p.m. on SEC Network
- Nov. 29: Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m. on ABC and ESPN+
- Dec. 7: SEC Championship Game, 4 p.m. on ABC
Record: 7-2 (5-2 SEC)
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