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Revised school safety plan, controversial gun tax holiday advance in the wake of Apalachee shooting

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3 months ago

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georgiarecorder.com – Jill Nolin, Ross Williams – 2025-03-31 02:00:00

by Jill Nolin and Ross Williams, Georgia Recorder
March 31, 2025

A bill originally designed to encourage safe gun storage now includes a controversial tax break on firearm purchases, and a proposed database that was seen as the central element of a school safety bill has been dropped in response to privacy concerns.

The compromises were forged as lawmakers head into the final week of the 2025 legislative session – the first since a 14-year-old accused gunman killed two other students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in September.

Lawmakers have until this Friday to send bills to the governor, who then has 40 days to decide whether to sign them into law.

Safe storage incentive spliced with sales tax holiday for guns, accessories

A House bill that would have created a $300 income tax break for firearm safes and other safe storage devices now only applies to gun safety training.

And the bill – which had passed overwhelmingly in the House and with bipartisan support – has been spliced together with a Senate bill creating a sales tax holiday in October for the purchase of firearms, ammunition and other accessories, like scopes and magazines – as well as gun safes.

The Senate Finance Committee advanced the measure Friday.

Rep. Mark Newton (right), an Augusta Republican, and Dallas Republican Sen. Jason Anavitarte talk about a compromise they struck over rival proposals to offer tax breaks for gun safes and firearms. The Senate Finance Committee advanced the bill over the objection of some Democrats. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder

A similar version of the Senate bill, sponsored by Dallas Republican Sen. Jason Anavitarte, passed in the Senate this session with a party-line vote. The proposal originally called for an 11-day tax holiday, but it has been shrunk to a four-day window under the compromise.

The House proposal stalled largely over concerns among Second Amendment advocates that the tax incentive would create a registry or a record of who benefited from it. 

Rep. Mark Newton, an Augusta Republican who is the bill’s sponsor, said Friday that the proposal is a way to promote gun safety training in a “Second Amendment-friendly way” while also saving taxpayers money.

Democrats immediately objected.

“We took a responsible gun ownership bill and turned it into a gun proliferation bill,” Sen. Jason Esteves, an Atlanta Democrat, said after the committee vote Friday.

Republicans dismissed those concerns.

“Isn’t true if you’re going to buy a safe that you need to buy a gun to put in it,” said Sen. Steve Gooch, a Dahlonega Republican who serves as Senate majority leader.

Not all Democrats opposed the bill, though. Sen. Michael “Doc” Rhett, a Marietta Democrat, voted for it because he said sees it as “a start.”

“Anything that will promote gun safety is a good start,” Rhett said.

House Speaker Jon Burns, a Newington Republican, told reporters Friday that he still thought “the larger picture is being accomplished, and that’s to ensure that we have gun storage, gun safety devices that are available to Georgians.”

“I just want to see us get something done,” Burns said.

Gun safety advocates who spoke at an already-planned press conference at the state Capitol Friday blasted the compromise. Rep. Michelle Au, a Johns Creek Democrat who has pushed for gun storage requirements, said HB 79 has been “essentially completely neutered.”

“I’m not exactly sure what this bill aims to do at this point,” Au said Friday. “I don’t know if they think that the activists who are here and the students and the families that are listening are stupid enough to think that this is action on gun safety.”

Heather Hallett, the founder and director of Georgia Majority for Gun Safety, said the House measure went from a promotion of safe storage to “a tax bill related to guns and related gun products.”

“We have a problem with safe storage (in Georgia) and the fact that our Legislature, after the worst school shooting in Georgia’s history, cannot unequivocally take up some legislation to say Georgians should adopt safe storage practices – that’s a real statement of where our Legislature stands on gun safety,” Hallett said. 

House Republicans have also revived a controversial Senate proposal that targets a Savannah ordinance penalizing gun owners who leave their firearms in unlocked vehicles. If passed, someone facing a fine would be able to sue the city for as much as $25,000 in damages. That measure was added to Senate Bill 204 last week.

Database cut from high-priority school safety bill

Burns’ signature school safety bill passed unanimously through a Senate committee Thursday, but with some key elements stripped out.

One of the most controversial aspects of House Bill 268 was the creation of a statewide database of information on students who might pose a threat to school safety. That provision was removed after an outcry from parents and child advocates who worried that youthful mistakes or behaviors caused by disabilities could follow a student and harm their future opportunities.

Sen. Bill Cowsert. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

“An amazing number of parents, particularly of teenage boys, who, by definition, they are immature and compulsive and do dumb things were fearful that their child might end up having a stigma attached to them of having a record that would go with them permanently about some stupid comment, threat, or behavior they had done as a teenager when, in fact, they were really not criminal, never engaged in criminal behavior, just immature behavior,” said Athens Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert, who is sponsoring the bill in the Senate.

The bill, which is 57 pages long, still touches myriad aspects of school safety. It would require public schools to implement a panic button system and share data with local law enforcement including school maps.

It would also require schools to more quickly share data when a student transfers, a response to the Apalachee shooting in which the accused gunman had allegedly been interviewed by the FBI in connection with shooting threats at a different school in another district more than a year before the attack.

“You can see this is an extraordinarily comprehensive approach to addressing the known problems we have with school violence,” Cowsert said Thursday to his Senate colleagues. “And hopefully, with God’s help, we won’t have another Apalachee in this state.” 

The bill will have to go back to both the House and Senate by April 4 if it is to become law this year.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Burns was comfortable with the bill’s chances and about the database being removed from the bill.

“This is a great process we have up here,” he said. “I think we all come together, we deal with the facts, sometimes we have a little different viewpoints, and final passage of anything is never the final statement on it. So, we look forward to working with the Senate next week, and I believe they’ll get school safety across the finish line, and I know that it will offer protections for our students in Georgia for a safe learning place.”

Though the measure passed the Senate committee unanimously, some still hope to see the bill changed before it heads to the chambers.

Rep. Michelle Au speaks at a press conference Friday. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

Some child advocates say parts of the bill calling for trial as an adult for teenagers charged with making terroristic threats against a school could sweep children, especially children of color, into the justice system for youthful behavior.

Au said she is grateful that Burns is prioritizing safety in schools, but she’s disappointed the bill makes no mention of firearms despite concerns about the danger of shootings. 

“When we talked about the cell phone bans in schools, which was presented as a bill to increase student performance and concentration and reduce distractions in schools, most of the objections I heard about that bill reverted back to the argument about school safety and how are kids going to call us if there’s a school shooting?” she said.

Au was referring to House Bill 340, a ban on personal devices for students through middle school, which passed both chambers and is awaiting Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature. Several lawmakers indicated that they agree with the principle of removing cell phones in schools to increase student focus but said the idea of a child not being able to call 911 or text loved ones in case of an emergency gave them pause.

“Everyone’s thinking about it,” Au said. “I it’s a really conspicuous omission therefore to have any legislative push, an omnibus bill that has many different aspects to it addressing school safety, but to leave out the most obvious piece of it that any parent or any student will tell you is top of mind.” 

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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.

The post Revised school safety plan, controversial gun tax holiday advance in the wake of Apalachee shooting appeared first on georgiarecorder.com

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News from the South - Georgia News Feed

Rising utility bills, clean energy on the minds of Georgia voters as they choose energy regulators

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4 hours ago

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June 17, 2025

By

georgiarecorder.com – Stanley Dunlap – 2025-06-17 02:00:00


Two Georgia Public Service Commission seats are on the ballot for the first time since 2020, following delays from a voting rights lawsuit. Voter turnout remains low, with only 1% participation after three weeks of early voting. Frustration over rising Georgia Power rates, fossil fuel use, and environmental concerns is fueling interest. The Democratic District 3 race includes Keisha Waites, Peter Hubbard, and Robert Jones. A runoff may occur if no candidate wins over 50%. Republican incumbent Tim Echols faces Lee Muns in District 2. Winners will serve shorter terms and face major energy policy decisions, including a proposed rate freeze.

by Stanley Dunlap, Georgia Recorder
June 17, 2025

Clayton County father of three Arterio Clements said he felt sticker shock after receiving a $400 electric bill while also paying more for other expenses such as homeowner’s insurance.

The 46-year-old Riverdale resident voted Friday for Robert Jones, a former utility executive in California in the Democratic primary for the Georgia Public Service Commission. But he said he will support whoever the Democratic nominee is this fall.

“I can’t believe how much my bill has gone up,” Clements said. “I’m doing everything I can to save money. Nothing’s going to change unless we can send a message (this) election.”

Clements’ frustration is common among many Georgians who have watched state regulators approve a series of Georgia Power rate hikes and sign off on the utility’s increased reliance on fossil fuel sources in recent years.

The Clayton County Board of Elections Registrations welcomed residents during three weeks of early voting. Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder

Even so, turnout has been ultra low in the primary election for a pair of commission races on the ballot this year. After three weeks of early voting, turnout sits at 1% – with about 75,000 voters casting a ballot so far. Tuesday is the last chance to vote in the primaries.

This year’s commission races represent the first time since 2020 that voters will have a chance to change the makeup of the panel. The elections were delayed for several years due to a lawsuit challenging the statewide method for the district-based seats, which plaintiffs argued dilutes the strength of Black voters.

The commissioners have faced criticism for allowing Georgia Power to raise rates by an average of $43 per month since 2023.

Georgians who vote Tuesday will need to choose a Democratic or Republican ballot.

Unsure where your polling place is? You can check here.

Georgia’s polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the Republican and Democratic primaries that will decide who will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.

A runoff will be held July 15 between the top two vote-getters in the Democratic District 3 race if nobody receives more than 50% of votes Tuesday.

The winners of November’s election will begin their term in a year when commissioners are expected to consider requests from Georgia Power to recoup costs from storm damage and overrun fuel costs. These expenses fall outside of the proposed rate freeze announced last month.

On Tuesday’s District 3 Democratic primary ballot, three candidates are vying to challenge Republican Commissioner Fitz Johnson later this year. The Democratic candidates are Keisha Waites, a former Atlanta City Council member and ex-state representative; Peter Hubbard, founder of the clean nonprofit Center for Energy Solutions; and Robert Jones, a former utility executive in California.

Commissioners are normally elected to six-year terms, but the winners in this year’s elections will serve shorter terms to get things back on schedule after the delay. The District 3 winner will be up for election again next year, while the District 2 seat is set to go back up in 2030.

Candidates must live in a given district but are elected statewide, meaning Georgians across the state decide who represents a district on the commission.

In the District 2 Republican primary, incumbent Commissioner Tim Echols is seeking re-election to serve a third term against Lee Muns. The winner of the GOP primary will face Savannah Democrat Alicia M. Johnson in November. District 2 includes a large swath of east Georgia.

Georgia Public Service Commissioners Fitz Johnson, left, and Tim Echols listen to expert witnesses testify at May 27 hearing for Georgia Power’s 2025 long-term energy plans. Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder

The metro Atlanta Democratic primary was upended June 11 when likely frontrunner Daniel Blackman was disqualified for not meeting the commission’s residency requirement. Candidates must live within the boundaries of the district for 12 months to be eligible to run for office.

The ruling means that Blackman’s votes will not be counted, potentially resulting in thousands of ballots being discarded. Voters in Georgia will be notified of Blackman’s eligibility by signs posted in voting precincts Tuesday.

In 2020, Blackman came close to winning a seat on the commission, later going on to serve as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Southeast regional administrator under the Biden administration.

Atlanta’s Joe Hornbuckle said he was aware of Blackman’s ineligibility when he voted Friday in the Democratic primary. The EMT said he’s worried about the long-term damage to the environment if state regulators allow Georgia Power to continue investing in fossil fuel energy sources.

“Why are we still using coal if there’s a way for other options that would be better,” Hornbuckle said. “I’m not the biggest expert on something like this but it makes sense to me.”

Later this summer, the commission will make key decisions on Georgia Power’s plan to invest heavily in fossil fuels and renewable energy to meet what the utility says is its forecasted demand, which is primarily driven by data centers.

Additionally, the commission is set to hold a June hearing on Georgia Power’s request to freeze its base electric rates for the next three years.

Kennesaw State University professor of political science and former Cobb County Republican Party Chair Jason Shepherd said the low turnout is disappointing but understandable, considering the election centers on a utility commission that’s not well known statewide by the average person.

Shepherd said he voted for Echols because of Echols’ efforts to promote the state’s solar and electric vehicle industries.

“Having a market-based view of green energy, rather than having the government force the hand, helps create all the incentives that allow for innovation,” Shepherd said Monday. “In addition, yes, it took forever to get Plant Vogtle online after overrun costs, but it finally happened, and that’s going to secure Georgia’s energy supply for the next several decades.”

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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 Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.

The post Rising utility bills, clean energy on the minds of Georgia voters as they choose energy regulators appeared first on georgiarecorder.com


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

This content leans toward a center-left perspective as it highlights voter concerns about rising utility costs and the approval of rate hikes by regulatory commissioners, while giving attention to Democratic candidates advocating for change and clean energy solutions. The article provides critical views of fossil fuel reliance and features voters expressing frustration with current policies. However, it also includes balanced input from a Republican commissioner supporting market-based green energy initiatives, suggesting an effort at fair coverage while maintaining a slight left-leaning emphasis on consumer protection and environmental issues.

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Kayak safety, staying safe this summer

Published

7 hours ago

on

June 16, 2025

By

www.wjbf.com – Isabella Moody – 2025-06-16 23:01:00

SUMMARY: As kayaking gains popularity in Augusta, safety remains a top priority, especially during the summer. Steve Wright, owner of Savannah Rapids Kayak, emphasizes the importance of knowing your route, being comfortable in water, knowing how to swim, staying hydrated, and wearing sun protection. Savannah Rapids offers two routes: a calm canal for beginners and families, and a more challenging upriver path for experienced paddlers. Life jackets are legally required, and matching kayaks to individuals is standard practice. Wright advises learning proper paddling techniques and considering a guide for rapids. On-site staff and emergency support are available for added safety.

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The post Kayak safety, staying safe this summer appeared first on www.wjbf.com

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President Trump pushes ICE to focus on major cities

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12 hours ago

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June 16, 2025

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www.youtube.com – FOX 5 Atlanta – 2025-06-16 18:04:09

SUMMARY: President Trump announced that ICE will intensify arrests and deportations in major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, aiming for the largest mass deportation program in history. This follows nationwide protests, including in Atlanta and New York, against his immigration policies during the “No Kings” rallies. ICE’s daily arrest target has increased from 650 to 3,000. New York City Mayor Adams supports these efforts, highlighting that 79% of Democrats agree undocumented individuals who commit crimes should be deported after serving time. Trump also paused planned raids on hotels, restaurants, and farms to avoid economic disruption.

President Donald Trump on Sunday said ICE must “expand efforts to detain and deport” illegal immigrants in “America’s largest cities,” including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York

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