News from the South - Georgia News Feed

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

Published

3 months ago

March 31, 2025

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

Yes, the chance of rain is a true percentage of when you might see rain

Published

19 hours ago

June 29, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – 11Alive – 2025-06-29 22:59:55

SUMMARY: Meteorologist Jennifer Bellamy and chief meteorologist Chris Holcomb clarify that the chance of rain percentages shown on 11 Alive forecasts represent the true likelihood of measurable rain (0.1 inch or more) occurring in a specific area during a given timeframe. A 40% chance means there is a 40% probability that you personally will experience rain—not that 40% of the area will get rain or that it will rain for 40% of the day. Their calculations consider factors like area size, expected rainfall amount, and confidence in precipitation reaching the location. So, when you see a rain percentage on 11 Alive, it’s a real chance you might encounter rain.

It’s that time of year again! Georgia is seeing many pop-up showers and storms. Here’s what a chance of rain actually means.

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News from the South - Georgia News Feed

North Carolina US Sen. Thom Tillis announces retirement after drawing Trump wrath

Published

24 hours ago

June 29, 2025

Staff Editor

georgiarecorder.com – Jennifer Shutt – 2025-06-29 18:32:00

by Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder
June 29, 2025

WASHINGTON — North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis announced Sunday he won’t seek reelection when his term ends next year, opening up a seat that will become central to control of Congress during next year’s midterms.

Tillis’ announcement came just hours after he voted against moving forward with Republicans’ tax and spending cuts package, eliciting a wave of criticism on social media from President Donald Trump.

Tillis wrote in a statement that it “has been a blessing to go on a journey from living in a trailer park and making minimum wage as a young man to having the honor of serving as U.S. Senator for North Carolina.”

His proudest accomplishments, he wrote, were the “bipartisan victories,” including “working across the aisle in the Senate to pass the largest investment in mental health in American history, passing the Respect for Marriage Act and monumental infrastructure investments, and reestablishing the Senate NATO Observer Group.

“Sometimes those bipartisan initiatives got me into trouble with my own party, but I wouldn’t have changed a single one.”

Tillis wrote he looks “forward to continuing to serve North Carolina over the next 18 months. I look forward to solely focusing on producing meaningful results without the distraction of raising money or campaigning for another election. I look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as I see fit and representing the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability.”

Targeted by Trump over vote

Tills’ announcement followed several hectic days on Capitol Hill, where GOP leaders sought to sway him to support the party’s “big, beautiful bill,” though he ultimately voted against advancing the tax and spending cut legislation toward final passage on Saturday night.

That vote elicited a torrent of rebuke from Trump on social media.

“Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against ‘Senator Thom’ Tillis,” Trump wrote in one post. ‘I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Tillis, 64, became a member of the state House of Representatives in 2007 before rising to become speaker in 2011. He held that position until 2014, when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Tillis secured reelection in 2020 with 48.7% of the vote compared to his Democratic opponent’s 46.9%. The two were separated by fewer than 96,000 votes out of more than 5.2 million cast.

His term will officially expire in January 2027, but the contest to replace him is expected to begin quickly.

2026 election

Republicans will want whoever emerges from their primary well positioned to fend off a general election challenge. Democrats will be just as focused on the state as they look to regain control of the Senate following the 2026 midterm elections.

Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate and while the map is highly favorable to the GOP, Democrats are expected to spend a considerable amount of time and money trying to flip seats.

North Carolina and Maine are the two most likely pick-up opportunities for Democrats and an open seat in North Carolina could help them a bit. But Democrats still face long odds to flip other seats in deeply red states like Alabama, Florida, Montana and West Virginia.

The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter had rated both Maine and North Carolina as leaning toward Republican wins next year, though its analysts moved North Carolina into the “toss-up” category a few hours after the Tillis retirement announcement.

Jessica Taylor, the Senate and Governors editor for CPR, wrote that Tillis’ retirement “officially makes the Tar Heel State Democrats’ top pickup opportunity.”

“The vulnerability of this seat, however, does not alter the overall Senate math for 2026,” Taylor added. “Even if Democrats were to win here in 2026, they’d still need to flip three more seats, including at least two in deep red states, in order to win a bare majority.”

Democrats not only need to pick up several seats to regain control of the Senate but will need to defend an open seat in Michigan and Sen. Jon Ossoff’s seat in deeply red Georgia.

The Cook Political Report rates both Georgia and Michigan as “toss-up races.”

Campaign committees react

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., wrote in a statement he expects North Carolina will stay red following the midterms.

“President Trump has won North Carolina three times, and the state’s been represented by two Republican Senators for over a decade,” Scott wrote. “That streak will continue in 2026 when North Carolinians elect a conservative leader committed to advancing an agenda of opportunity, prosperity, and security.”

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Maeve Coyle released a written statement just minutes after the announcement that “Tillis’ decision not to run for reelection is another blow to Republicans’ chances as they face a midterm backlash that puts their majority at risk.

“Even Tillis admits the GOP plan to slash Medicaid and spike costs for families is toxic — and in 2026, Democrats will flip North Carolina’s Senate seat.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said during an interview with NC Newsline just a few days before Tillis’ announcement that the state represented “one of our best pickup opportunities in the Senate” in 2026.

Martin said he had spoken with former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper about potentially running for the Senate seat.

The post North Carolina US Sen. Thom Tillis announces retirement after drawing Trump wrath 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: Centrist

This article presents a balanced and factual overview of Senator Thom Tillis’s retirement and the political implications for the 2026 Senate elections in North Carolina. It neutrally covers Tillis’s career, his bipartisan accomplishments, and his recent vote against a GOP tax and spending package without editorializing. The coverage includes perspectives from both Republican and Democratic figures, quoting each side’s statements about the seat and the upcoming election. The tone remains informative without promoting a particular ideology or framing events to favor one party, adhering to objective political reporting.

News from the South - Georgia News Feed

One killed, three injured in shooting at southeast Atlanta park

Published

24 hours ago

June 29, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – FOX 5 Atlanta – 2025-06-29 18:28:51

SUMMARY: A shooting at Cone Park in southeast Atlanta during a fraternity gathering left one man dead and three others injured. The incident began when an uninvited guest approached the group, sparking an argument that escalated to gunfire. Police arrived around 8 p.m. Saturday, finding two men shot; one died on the scene from a headshot, while another was hospitalized at Grady. Two additional victims were shot but are expected to recover. The park is a popular community space, making the violence shocking to residents. Authorities urge people to call police rather than confronting disputes themselves. Investigation continues.

Police said they believe one of the people injured in the shooting was the aggressor in the situation.

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