by Dave Williams | Sep 5, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Georgia lawmakers should use Wednesday’s school shooting in Barrow County as a catalyst to make it harder for children to gain access to firearms, the chairman of a state Senate study committee said Thursday.
“We have an opportunity in Georgia,” said Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur, chairman of the Senate Safe Firearm Storage Study Committee. “Now is the time for us to take advantage of this opportunity and seize the moment.”
Two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School were shot to death Wednesday and nine others were injured. Authorities identified the victims as assistant football coach Richard Aspinwall, math teacher Christina Irimie, and students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn.
A 14-year-old student, Colt Gray, was arrested and charged with murder. He is accused of using an AR-15 rifle with a collapsible stock.
The latest in an epidemic of school shootings that have shaken the nation in recent years has drawn national attention to Georgia’s lax gun laws.
In a state that allows adult gun owners to carry their weapons openly without a permit and imposes no safe storage requirements to keep guns out of the hands of minors, more than 300 children have been treated in a Georgia emergency room for a firearm wound so far this year, according to the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Georgia House Democrats introduced several bills aimed at safe storage last year, including a proposed tax credit for expenses incurred buying firearm storage devices such as trigger locks and safes. But none made any headway in the Republican-controlled House.
This year, a Republican-backed tax credit measure did clear the House but was tabled in the Senate.
On the Senate side, a resolution passed this year created a study committee to determine if changes to state laws relating to firearms storage and access to guns by children are needed. Thursday’s meeting was the second of four the panel plans to hold later this year.
Thursday’s discussion renewed a longstanding debate over whether stricter gun laws or improving mental health services are the better approach to reducing gun violence.
Heather Hallett, who organized the group Georgia Majority for Gun Safety, said a child access prevention law requiring gun owners to keep their weapons locked and stored in a secure location would significantly reduce not only homicides but suicides and accidental shootings.
“We’re in a state of gun owners,” Hallett said. “[But] there are common-sense solutions and regulations that can save lives while protecting our Second Amendment rights.”
Sen. Frank Ginn, R-Danielsville, a member of the study committee, said reducing gun violence committed by young people is going to require identifying and counseling those with mental health issues who might perpetrate such acts.
“Firearms are not the enemy,” said Ginn, who represents the Senate district where Wednesday’s school shooting occurred. “The enemy is the mentally deranged.”
Jordan Murphy, executive director of Girassol Wellness, which works with children who survived firearm injuries and families who have lost young people to gun violence, said both approaches are necessary. Her group is recommending both a safe storage law for firearms and expanding resources for mental health counseling.
“We have to hold people accountable,” Murphy said. “If you want to have a gun, be responsible about it.”
by Dave Williams | Sep 4, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Two students and two teachers at a Barrow County high school were shot and killed Wednesday morning by a 14-year-old student, state and local law enforcement authorities said.
Colt Gray, a student at Apalachee High School near Winder, surrendered to two school resource officers responding to the shootings shortly before 10:30 a.m., Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said late Wednesday afternoon during a news conference outside the school.
Nine others who were shot were transported to various hospitals, Hosey said.
“Law enforcement had a very, very swift response to this incident,” he said. “I am extremely grateful for that quick response.”
“Pure evil happened today,” said Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith, who followed Hosey to the microphone. “My heart hurts for these kids. My heart hurts for our community. But I want to make it clear that hate will not prevail in this county.”
Investigators did not release the names of the dead or wounded. Smith said he wasn’t aware of any warning the school may have received prior to the shootings, how the suspect got into the building or what weapon he used.
Federal and state leaders reacted with horror and sadness in the hours following the shootings.
“Jill and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence and thinking of all of the survivors whose lives are forever changed,” President Joe Biden said. “What should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart.”
“Marty, the girls, and I are heartbroken by today’s tragedy at Apalachee High School,” Gov. Brian Kemp said. “This is a day every parent dreads, and Georgians everywhere will hug their children tighter this evening because of this painful event.
“We continue to work closely with local, state, and federal partners to make any and all resources available to help this community on this incredibly difficult day and in the days to come.”
“My heart and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those affected and the entire Barrow County community,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “This is an unimaginable loss for Barrow and for our entire educational community across the state.”
“Today is tragic for our community and the state of Georgia,” said state Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, whose Senate district includes portions of Barrow County. “The senseless act of violence at Apalachee High School has left us grieving for the innocent lives affected and the families shattered by this unimaginable tragedy.”
Democrats at the state and federal levels are certain to renew their calls for laws curbing access to firearms in the wake of the latest school shooting. Coincidentally, a Georgia Senate study committee formed to consider safe firearm storage legislation will meet Thursday at the state Capitol.
“I am committed to finding solutions to stop these tragedies before they occur,” Sen. Emmanuel Jones, D-Decatur, the committee’s chairman, said Wednesday. “This is not infringing on Second Amendment rights but protecting our children and our safety.”
Hosey said Gray will be charged with murder and tried as an adult.
As the investigation continues, Hosey asked anyone with information related to the shootings can call an anonymous tips line at 1-800-597-8477 or download the GBI’s See Something Send Something app.
Dallas LeDuff, superintendent of the Barrow County School District, said Barrow schools will be closed for the rest of this week. Grief counseling will be available at the district office, he said.
“As a school system, we’re here for you,” he said in a message to students and families. “We support you … as we grieve together.”
by Dave Williams | Sep 4, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – State energy regulators authorized Georgia Power Wednesday to reduce customer rates by $122 million to reflect the Atlanta-based utility’s savings from corporate tax cuts the General Assembly enacted this year.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed two bills last spring reducing Georgia’s income tax rate from 5.49% to 5.39% and setting corporate income taxes to match the tax rate imposed on individual taxpayers.
The state Public Service Commission required Georgia Power in the company’s 2022 rate case to pass any savings from future tax cuts to customers.
“Recent rate increases and increases in the cost of fuel have put a strain on Georgia Power customers,” said Commissioner Fitz Johnson, who made the motion to pass on the savings from lower taxes to ratepayers. “I want to make sure that savings we know are coming will come as soon as possible. I thank my fellow commissioners for joining me to approve this rate relief.”
“We applaud members of the Georgia legislature and Governor Kemp for revising the state’s tax code, and the members of the Georgia PSC for working with us to quickly return these funds for the benefit of customers,” added Kim Greene, Georgia Power’s president, chairman, and CEO.
The rate reduction will save Georgia Power’s average residential customer an estimated $2.25 a month. The new rates will take effect Jan. 1.
by Dave Williams | Sep 4, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted Wednesday to let Sandersville Railroad Co. condemn 43 acres of privately owned land in Sparta through eminent domain.
The unanimous vote upheld a recommendation from a hearing officer last spring to make way for a spur the freight rail line plans to use to ship locally mined granite, farm products and timber along a CSX line to markets.
The case began in March of last year when Sandersville moved to condemn and take land owned by Don and Sally Garrett, which has been in Don Garrett’s family for generations.
In May of last year, the Garretts, Blaine and Diane Smith, and Marvin and Pat Smith teamed up to challenge the condemnation. In July 2023, more property owners joined the suit.
The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit public interest law firm, vowed to appeal Wednesday’s decision to Fulton County Superior Court on behalf of the property owners.
“Georgia law does not permit a private company to take land through eminent domain unless the land will be put to public use,” said Bill Maurer, a senior attorney for the institute. “Building a rail spur that will only be used by a few private companies, and not the public at large, is not a public use.”
Robert Highsmith, a lawyer representing Sandersville Railroad, argued last month during a hearing before the PSC that eminent domain reform legislation the General Assembly passed in 2006 law states that business conducted by railroads qualifies as a public purpose.
Five business owners who plan to use the spur provided testimony to the hearing officer.
The Hanson Spur is expected to generate more than $1.5 million in annual economic benefits for Sparta and Hancock County, Sandersville Railroad wrote in a news release following Wednesday’s vote.
“Although we do not take the use of eminent domain lightly, without it we would not have roads,
airports, electrical lines, gas lines, or a host of other infrastructure that allows our communities
to thrive,” said Ben Tarbutton III, president of Sandersville Railroad.
“We are grateful for the PSC’s decision, which not only supports the Hanson Spur project but also upholds the vital role of railroads in Georgia’s economic future.”
by Dave Williams | Sep 4, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Two years ago, chemical producer The Chemours Company stated publicly it had no plans to mine titanium near the environmentally fragile Okefenokee Swamp.
Now, 20 investors representing nearly $700 billion in assets are asking Chemours to make that commitment permanent.
A letter spearheaded by mutual fund company Green Century Capital Management and signed by 19 other investors praises Chemours for its 2022 pledge not to do business with Twin Pines Minerals, the Alabama-based company planning to mine titanium oxide at a site along Trail Ridge near the largest blackwater swamp in North America.
The letter points out that since then, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has released draft permits for the project for public comment, potentially raising the stakes.
“Investors agree that the Okefenokee is the last place Chemours should set up shop,” said Leslie Samuelrich, president of Green Century. “Mining at this ecological gem would expose the company to a whole lot of business risks that, quite simply, aren’t worth the reward.”
Specifically, the letter cites scientific studies released since Chemours made its 2022 commitment that show the proposed mine would significantly damage the Okefenokee by drawing down its water level, increasing the frequency of drought and wildfires.
The investors also argue the project could be blocked in the General Assembly by legislators who have introduced a bill prohibiting mining on Trail Ridge. While the measure made no headway this year, supporters are expected to reintroduce it in 2025.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has put the EPD on notice that federal law prohibits diverting water from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
Another potential obstacle to opening a mine near the swamp is that the Okefenokee was nominated last year as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
“The Okefenokee is a precious resource worthy of protection over profit,” said Sister Jean Sliwinski, provincial sustainability coordinator for the Felician Sisters of North America, a co-signer of the letter. “We are grateful for Chemours’ commitment and ask that they take the next step to prevent mining in this area.”
Twin Pines executives have said the proposed mine would not harm the swamp.
