Georgia
SNAP benefit cuts in ‘big, beautiful’ bill and impact on Georgia explained
‘Big, beautiful bill’ impact on SNAP benefits
President Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda bill now passed by Congress could leave thousands of Georgians without food benefits. Why Atlanta’s largest food bank says this should worry everyone and why Republican lawmakers say they concerns are overblown.
As President Donald Trump prepares to sign the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into law, Atlanta’s largest food bank warns that cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will dramatically increase the demand for food assistance in Georgia.
How many Georgians receive SNAP benefits?
Local perspective:
With 1.4 million Georgians receiving SNAP benefits, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of Georgians will lose their primary way of buying food. The Atlanta Community Food Bank, which supplies hundreds of food pantries in the state, says that would harm a lot of families.
Kyle Waide, CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, says the demand for food across metro Atlanta has increased significantly in just a short time.
“Our demand has increased by 60% over the last three years,” Waide said. “We have about 4-5 million pounds of food in inventory right now.”
‘Big, beautiful’ bill SNAP requirements
Dig deeper:
The bill requires parents of children 14 or older to meet work requirements. It also bumps up the work requirement age to 64. It cuts nutrition funding by nearly 200 billion dollars by 2034.
“To replace that food, we would essentially have to double our volume overnight,” Waide said. “And obviously, that’s not possible.”
He worries families will be forced to start making difficult decisions.
“People are going to stop buying medication so that they can afford food. They’re going to start putting their kids in childcare so that they can afford food. They’ll stop seeking medical treatment so they can afford food.”
What’s in the new ‘big, beautiful’ bill?
Big picture view:
The 940-page “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” as it is now formally titled, cuts spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending tax cuts.
The spending bill’s priority is $4.5 trillion in tax breaks passed in President Donald Trump’s first term, in 2017, that would expire if Congress failed to act, along with new ones. This includes allowing workers to deduct tips and overtime pay, and a $6,000 deduction for most older adults earning less than $75,000 a year.
There’s also a $350-billion investment in national security and Trump’s deportation agenda and to help develop the “Golden Dome” defensive system over the U.S.
To neutralize the costs of lost tax revenue, the spending bill includes $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to Medicaid healthcare and food stamps, largely by imposing new work requirements, including for some parents and older people, and a massive rollback of green energy investments.
According to the Associated Press, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the spending package will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the next decade and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage.
Republicans aren’t concerned over SNAP cuts
What they’re saying:
Republican State Rep. Buddy Carter (GA-1) believes those who lose SNAP benefits under the bill will be the ones who didn’t need them.
“I’m not in the least way concerned that people who are deserving to be on the program aren’t going to be on the program,” Carter said.
He says the financial benefits, like no taxes on tips and overtime and a decrease in taxes on Social Security, from the bill will make up for any lost benefits to Georgians.
Who will lose SNAP benefits?
What’s next:
Carter says it’s going to be up to the state to make sure those losing the benefits can actually live without them.
“Only people who are eligible should be on those programs,” Carter said.
But Waide says in his experience they don’t see a lot of people using SNAP benefits who don’t really need them.
“The vast majority of people who receive SNAP benefits are kids and seniors and folks who have disabilities,” he said.
He worries especially that a lot of children will not get the nutrition they need.
Waide said the food bank is currently working on a plan to try and increase their inventory to help more people, but he says they likely will never be able to help everyone who loses their SNAP benefits.
The Source: Information for this story came from The Congressional Budget Office, The Georgia Department of Human Services, the Atlanta Community Food bank and from interviews conducted by Fox 5’s Eric Mock.
Georgia
Georgia OC Mike Bobo gets giant pay raise, salary matches DC Glenn Schumann
Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann will be paid equally in 2026 after receiving raises, according to an Athens Banner-Herald report.
Coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are coming off a second consecutive SEC championship season and College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal appearance.
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Georgia
Georgia Lt. Gov. announces bill inspired by Charlie Kirk to protect student speech
Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones on Monday unveiled legislation inspired by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk that he says would expand students’ free speech rights in public schools, making Georgia the first state in the nation to pursue such a measure.
Jones announced the “True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act,” known as the TPUSA Act, on Monday as a priority for the 2026 legislative session. The proposal, sponsored by State Sen. Ben Watson (R–Savannah), would strengthen First Amendment protections for public school students by safeguarding their right to speak, organize, and express political and religious views on campus.
The bill is explicitly shaped around the work and legacy of Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA and its political arm, Turning Point Action. Jones and others have framed the legislation as a way to honor Kirk’s efforts to mobilize young conservatives and defend free speech in schools and on college campuses.
“In the spirit and memory of Charlie’s work, the TPUSA Act in Georgia would ensure that students’ First Amendment rights to organize, gather and speak are protected, regardless of their religious, political, or social viewpoints,” Jones said in a press release. “Georgia is leading the way as the first state in the nation to do it.”
Jones, who is running for governor and is endorsed by both former President Donald Trump and Turning Point Action, also emphasized his broader commitment to free speech rights as part of his campaign rhetoric.
“Georgia is building on the work of Charlie Kirk to ensure students can speak, organize and express their beliefs freely,” Jones posted on social media.
The TPUSA Act would require public schools in Georgia to permit political expression before, during and after the school day to the same extent that non-political expression is allowed. It also would let students form political clubs and groups during non-instructional time, bar discrimination against groups based on viewpoint, and guarantee that students could wear politically themed clothing and accessories under the same standards that apply to other permitted attire.
Supporters say the legislation would ensure that school administrators cannot block students from engaging in peaceful political activities and that all viewpoints, partisan and nonpartisan, would have equal access to meeting spaces and facilities.
Sen. Watson said the move reflects the belief that schools should not restrict students’ free speech or prohibit them from organizing around their beliefs.
“School officials should not have the power to enforce their own ideologies on students,” he said.
Josh Thifault, senior director at Turning Point Action, praised Georgia’s effort, asserting that Kirk “lived and died for the First Amendment.” He added that the legislation will benefit students “for decades to come” by removing barriers to student expression.
Georgia
Georgia lawmakers stall car boot ban, leaving frustrated drivers with no relief from predatory parking enforcement
Daryl Terry II had exited a popular wing restaurant, only to discover a heavy metal boot clamped to his car’s wheel. “I think booting should be banned because it’s predatory. You’re preying on people who are just trying to visit business establishments,” Daryl said, shaking his head while holding a $100 boot removal receipt.
Daryl explained that the parking lot was confusing, with faded signs barely visible even in broad daylight. “At night, you can’t see the sign at all,” he said. “By the time I got to my car, there were already two boots on it. The guy told me I left the property and didn’t pay, so he was entitled to boot my car.”
He’s not alone. Maddie Yoder, who works at a nearby bakery, has experienced the same fate. “I’ve worked here for five years. One morning, I quickly grabbed a spot and came back to a boot. The attendant literally waits for people to make a mistake,” she said, pointing out the tricky signage that designates spots for specific businesses.
Both drivers are among many Georgians who hoped a recent State Senate bill would end what they call predatory booting. Democratic State Senator Josh McLaurin, the bill’s sponsor, says the practice is a form of extortion. “Georgia needs to ban the boot. You’re trapped when it happens.”
Despite gaining bipartisan support, the bill was abruptly killed in a procedural move. It was sent to a committee that, due to the chairman’s resignation, couldn’t hold hearings or move bills forward.
“That committee is essentially dead,” McLaurin explained. Efforts to get comment from the Lt. Governor’s office about the bill’s demise went unanswered.
McLaurin isn’t giving up. He plans to reintroduce the legislation later this session, hopeful that relief is still possible for Georgia drivers. He also points out an inconsistency: “Towing companies in Georgia are regulated and can’t just wait in a lot for you to mess up. Booting, on the other hand, is barely regulated at all.”
For now, drivers like Daryl and Maddie keep a closer eye on the signs—and their wallets—hoping that lawmakers will finally put the brakes on predatory booting.
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