ATLANTA – The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan infrastructure spending bill Tuesday that would steer more than $11 billion toward highways, transit, airports and electric vehicle charging stations in Georgia.
The $1 trillion legislation, which cleared the Senate 69-30 and now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives, includes $8.9 billion for highway projects in the Peach State, $1.3 billion for transit expansion, $225 million to repair bridges, $619 million for airport improvements and $135 million to build EV charging stations.
It also contains at least $100 million to expand broadband connectivity in Georgia.
“Today’s historic bipartisan vote to upgrade our infrastructure, promote clean energy, and create good-paying jobs will benefit Georgians for generations to come,” said Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who voted for the bill along with fellow Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock.
“The investments we make now will set us forward on a path toward sustainability, innovation, and world-class transit and transportation across our state. And we have proven that America’s elected leaders can rise above partisanship to serve the national interest.”
The vast majority of the transit funding earmarked for Georgia – $923 million – would go to transit systems in metro Atlanta. However, 15 other transit agencies across the state would receive allocations ranging from $5.8 million to $33 million, including systems serving Augusta, Savannah, Athens, Macon, Columbus, Brunswick and Rome.
Georgia also would share in funding for repairs and upgrades of public schools, port improvements, flood mitigation and replacement of lead pipes.
While 19 Republicans voted for the infrastructure bill in the Senate, it’s unclear whether it will pass in the House. Progressive Democrats in the House have vowed not to support the legislation unless the Senate passes a $3.5 trillion bill aimed at funding investments in “human” infrastructure including free community college tuition, subsidized child care, housing and health care.
Senate Republicans who opposed the infrastructure bill argued it would further increase an already huge federal deficit.
ATLANTA – The University System of Georgia (USG) awarded a record 72,929 degrees during the last fiscal year despite the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
That’s 2,050 degrees more than the system awarded in fiscal 2020, representing a 3% increase.
“Students continue to show incredible fortitude despite the challenges of the pandemic, and I am incredibly grateful for their hard work and the support given to them by USG’s 26 public colleges and universities,” Acting Chancellor Teresa MacCartney said Tuesday.
“Institutions understand how critical it is for Georgians to complete their degrees and join the state’s highly skilled workforce. As we look forward to a new academic year on campus, USG remains focused on fulfilling that mission and helping students succeed.”
The number of degrees awarded annually has increased every year since the university system joined the Complete College America program in 2011 and refocused efforts on raising educational attainment in Georgia.
As a result, the number of degrees awarded annually has increased nearly 33% during the last decade.
In her first report to the university system’s Board of Regents since taking on the role of acting chancellor last month, MacCartney supported Gov. Brian Kemp’s position of recommending that students and faculty wear masks to discourage the spread of COVID-19 without imposing a government mandate.
MacCartney said wearing masks and getting vaccinated against the virus will help the system provide in-person instruction during the school year beginning this month, which she said is important “for the mental health of our students.”
MacCartney said some campuses are doing their part to combat COVID-19 by setting up vaccine sites.
MacCartney took over as acting chancellor with the retirement of former Chancellor Steve Wrigley.
ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp called on Georgia businesses Tuesday to join him in the fight against violent crime.
The recent rise in crime across the state, but particularly in metro Atlanta, poses a threat to Georgia’s economy, Kemp told the state’s top political and business leaders gathered in Columbus for the annual Congressional Luncheon sponsored by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
“If crime is rampant on the streets of your local community, businesses will look elsewhere, workforces will leave, visitors won’t show up and investment will stop,” he said. “Chambers of commerce … have a responsibility to speak up about crime and work toward meaningful solutions.”
The growth in violent crime has become a high-priority issue for Kemp and legislative leaders in recent weeks. The governor announced last month that he would add addressing crime to the agenda of a special session the General Assembly will hold this fall to redraw Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts.
Kemp also has committed up to $7 million from the Governor’s Emergency Fund to help finance the activities of the state Department of Public Safety’s Crime Suppression Unit.
Top legislative leaders also have floated proposals to combat violent crime. House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, has proposed putting $75 million toward boosting law enforcement and mental health services in Georgia.
Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who presides over the state Senate, is calling for a $250 million tax credit to raise funds for crimefighting. The money raised through donations made in exchange for the tax credit would go to police officer pay raises, to hire more officers and to increase training.
Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, said chamber officials have been working on the crime problem for the last several months.
“We know public safety impacts every one of our employees, customers, clients, families and suppliers,” Clark said to Kemp after the governor finished his remarks. “You can count on us.”
ATLANTA – The University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved a $2.57 billion fiscal 2023 budget request Tuesday.
Although Gov. Brian Kemp has asked state agencies not to ask for more money next year, the system’s budget represents a $108.1 million increase over the current $2.46 billion spending plan.
The additional spending covers items that were exempted from the governor’s order, Tracey Cook, the system’s executive vice chancellor for strategy & fiscal affairs, told the regents Tuesday.
Those items include $99.4 million to account for growth in student enrollment, nearly $9 million for changes in employee and retiree health insurance plans and $460,569 for a slight increase in square footage at the system’s colleges and universities.
The regents also approved a capital budget request of $278.8 million. The biggest chunk of those funds – $108 million – would go toward four major building projects: $37.1 million for the first phase of modernization at the University of Georgia’s Science Hill, $30.6 million for the third phase of the expansion of Tech Square on the Georgia Tech campus, $28.8 million for the Gateway Building at Georgia Gwinnett College and $11.5 million for an academic building at the University of North Georgia’s Cumming campus.
The capital budget request also includes $70 million for major repair and rehabilitation projects and $44.1 million for smaller building projects at 11 campuses.
The operating and budget requests will be reviewed by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget. Kemp will present his spending recommendations to the General Assembly in January.
ATLANTA – A professor at Georgia State University has received federal grants to study two coronaviruses, the school announced Monday.
Christopher Basler, director of Georgia State’s Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, will use a $387,534 grant to focus on Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and a $429,000 grant to study SARS-coV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
MERS has a much higher case fatality rate than SARS-coV-2. However, MERS also spreads less easily between infected and uninfected people.
“The goal of the MERS coronavirus study is to understand how the virus defeats the body’s innate immune response that is designed to provide rapid protection from viral infections,” Basler said. “The findings of this work should help explain why this virus is so deadly.”
The second study Basler will undertake seeks to understand how SARS-coV-2 relies on fats within an infected cell to grow and spread. The hope is that understanding what features of the cell the virus relies on will provide insight into how the virus causes disease and suggest new treatment strategies.
Early data from the study indicates the virus relies on cellular pathways that are also of interest to drug makers trying to treat cancer, diabetes and obesity.
Both grants are being underwritten by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
