News from the South - Georgia News Feed
Georgia Senate passes ban on DEI in schools and colleges as 2025 session winds down
by Maya Homan, Georgia Recorder
April 3, 2025
Lawmakers in the Senate concluded the 39th legislative day of the 2025 session in the early hours of Thursday morning by advancing a bill that would ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs or policies from all state public schools and universities.
The bill, which effectively hollowed out legislation originally aimed at increasing sick days and maternity leave for public school teachers, passed in a contentious 33-21 vote, restricting the freedom educational institutions have to discuss racial justice issues even as lawmakers across the hall voted to expand First Amendment protections based on religion only hours before.
House Bill 127’s sponsor in the Senate, Sylvania Republican Sen. Max Burns, argued that the bill was aimed at preventing discrimination in Georgia’s public educational institutions.
“DEI is the antithesis of equality,” Burns said on the Senate floor. “If you believe in equality, if you believe in equal opportunity, this bill does not strip you of that. It enhances it.”
Democrats swiftly condemned the bill, arguing that a ban on DEI would be a return to an era of “state-sponsored discrimination.” They also feared it could be used to censor topics like slavery’s role in the civil war and other ways that race and racism have shaped American history.
“I don’t want to say DEI, I want to talk about diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Derek Mallow, a Savannah Democrat. “If there is a need to ban DEI, then what is the opposite to diversity? Well the opposite to diversity is uniformity, and to be uniform means that you lack any other options for anyone to be different, to look different, to talk different, to walk different, to be different.”
They also proposed a total of 20 amendments — the most on any individual bill in living memory — but all 20 amendments were dismissed without a vote by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.
“This is a sad day for the Georgia state Senate, one of the saddest I’ve ever been in in 10 years, quite frankly,” said Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II, an Augusta Democrat.
“This doesn’t represent the people of Georgia,” he continued. “Tonight was a night the Republican Party said they’re going to take Georgia backwards — backwards to days when people did not have full rights.”
The bill now returns to the House, which must agree to the Senate’s amendments before the bill can advance to the governor’s desk.
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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. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John McCosh for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.
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SUMMARY: Ramon Diaz Soria went missing in Lake Lanier after jumping from a boat during a birthday party around 7 p.m. despite wearing a life vest, as he couldn’t swim. Rescue crews, including Forsyth County Sheriff’s and Georgia DNR teams, searched through the night and resumed efforts today, but rough conditions halted sonar use. Ramon’s family, devastated, describes him as their light and father figure who cared for them and the community. They found a life vest floating but no sign of Ramon. The family pleads for prayers and community help in continuing the search if he isn’t found by tonight.
The family says he was boating with friends when he jumped in to swim. Family members told FOX 5 the man was wearing a lifejacket.
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SUMMARY: Krystal Crawford, new CEO of Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, oversees troops in 125 counties across three states. She champions a bold vision emphasizing leadership, legacy, and authenticity for girls. Crawford draws parallels between sports and Girl Scouts, citing shared values like teamwork and respect. She encourages troops nationwide to visit Savannah, the birthplace of Girl Scouts, to experience its inspiring history. Crawford highlights the Girl Scout cookie program as the top youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy initiative in the U.S., teaching essential business skills. Her favorite cookie? Thin Mints—but she insists there’s no such thing as a bad one.
The post Meet the new CEO of the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia appeared first on www.wsav.com
SUMMARY: Teens across the U.S. are searching for summer jobs, but employers like Morey’s Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey, are finding it increasingly difficult to hire enough local teens. The amusement park hires over 1,500 part-time workers each summer, often relying on international students with J-1 visas due to a shrinking domestic workforce. Summer job participation among teens is trending downward, despite decent pay in some sectors like construction. Still, resort jobs like those at Morey’s offer a fun and engaging environment. The challenge remains: while summer jobs exist, fewer teens seem interested in filling them.
Now that school is out, teenagers will be looking to make a little extra money. Here’s a look at some of the best jobs out there.
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