by Dave Williams | Aug 14, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved a $3.6 billion fiscal 2026 budget request Wednesday.
The 2026 budget, which takes effect next July, represents a $221.1 million increase over this year’s spending plan. By far the largest increase – $167.8 million – would cover projected enrollment growth.
The regents also adopted a $193.1 million capital budget request, down slightly from the $198 million the university system sought for the current fiscal year. The largest portion of the capital budget – $91.8 million – would go toward five proposed building projects.
The wish list includes $31 million for a new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) building at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega. Another $23 million would go toward modernizing a building in the Science and Ag Hill area of the University of Georgia campus in Athens.
In fact, most of the capital spending request for construction involves renovation projects as opposed to new construction, Tracey Cook, the system’s chief fiscal officer, told board members Wednesday.
Both the operating and capital budget requests move next to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget for review. Gov. Brian Kemp will present his spending requests to the General Assembly in January.
In other business Wednesday, the regents heard results from an internal audit showing the system’s institutions are still not fully complying with a policy issued in May of last year prohibiting the schools from requiring job applicants to submit a diversity statement, typically a one- or two-page document outlining how applicants plan to advance diversity.
All 26 of Georgia’s public colleges and universities either have implemented compliance plans or are in the process of developing a plan, Ted Beck, the university system’s assistant vice chancellor for internal audit, told board members. However, there remain “opportunities for improvement,” he said.
The audit recommended that the schools adopt a system-wide process for ensuring that all job postings ban references to affirmations, ideological tests, or oaths by applicants. The report also suggested the university system adopt uniform mandatory training procedures to be applied to all of the schools.
System Chancellor Sonny Perdue said he was pleased with the audit.
“They are doing their best to comply with the wishes of the board,” he said.
by Dave Williams | Aug 13, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – A transformer fire at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle caused the Atlanta-based utility to declare an “alert” at noon Tuesday, which was terminated shortly after 2:30 p.m. when the fire was extinguished.
“Plant conditions DID NOT threaten public safety,” the company wrote in a news release issued at 3:10 p.m.
The incident affected units 1 and 2 at the nuclear plant south of Augusta, which went into service in the late 1980s. It did not affect the newer units 3 and 4, which began commercial operation last summer and in April, respectively.
Trained personnel are working on recovery efforts in close coordination with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as state and local agencies.
“Georgia Power’s top priority is the safety of the public and employees at the plant,” the utility wrote in the news release. “We are committed to the safe operation of our nuclear facility.”
Nearby residents were advised to stay tuned to their radio and television for the latest updates. Georgia Power announced Information on recovery efforts will be provided as it becomes available.
by Dave Williams | Aug 13, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The state began a new fiscal year on a positive note last month, with July tax collections increasing 2.7% over July of last year.
The Georgia Department of Revenue brought in $2.56 billion in taxes last month, up $66.3 million over July 2023.
However, individual income tax receipts in July declined slightly, down 0.4% from the same month a year ago. The decrease was driven by a 3.6% increase in refunds issued by the revenue agency, combined with a 1% drop in payments.
The slight decrease in income tax revenues was offset by a 4.8% increase in net sales tax collections.
Corporate income tax receipts also rose, increasing 28.4% last month compared to the previous July. The biggest factor responsible for the increase was a 110.1% drop in tax refunds, while payments were up by 17.1%.
The overall increase in tax revenues in July followed a 6.5% increase the state posted in June, the last month of fiscal 2024. However, that came at the end of a fiscal year that saw a net downturn in tax collections of 3.4%.
The good news is that decrease came even as Georgia’s tax collections ended the fiscal year more than $2 billion ahead of Gov. Brian Kemp’s conservative revenue projections.
by Dave Williams | Aug 13, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Legislative Democrats urged Gov. Brian Kemp Tuesday to accept federal funding for a program that provides low-income children with free meals during the summer when school is not in session.
Georgia is one of 12 states that did not participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer EBT Program this summer and isn’t planning to participate next summer. The state faces a deadline of Aug. 15 to commit to the program.
“I’m enraged that Governor Kemp is choosing to disregard the needs of some of the most vulnerable families in Georgia,” U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, said Tuesday. “The state has to do better.”
The Summer EBT Program provides pre-loaded cards to families with eligible school-aged children worth $40 a month, totaling $120 for the months school is not in session.
Georgia suffers from one of the nation’s highest rates of food insecurity, said state Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta, a former teacher and former member of the Atlanta Board of Education.
“In some counties, one in four children live in food-insecure households,” he said. “Sixty-four percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.”
McBath and the other six Democrats in Georgia’s congressional delegation sent a letter last week asking Kemp to change his mind about opting out of the federal program.
On Tuesday, a spokesman for the governor cited the program’s cost to the state, $4.5 million a year to cover 50% of the administrative expense.
“While it is disappointing that the Biden administration continues to ignore reasonable concerns surrounding the program’s lack of nutrition standards and fiscal sustainability, we will continue to promote the many successful programs Georgia already has in place,” Garrison Douglas said.
The state Department of Education’s Seamless Summer program provided more than 2.5 million breakfasts and more than 3.2 million lunches in 2023, with the majority of school districts participating. Another state program, Happy Helpings, served 2.8 million meals at 997 sites in 2023.
But children in 59 of Georgia’s 159 counties did not have access to a Happy Helpings summer meal site last year, the congressional Democrats wrote in their letter to Kemp, citing numbers from the state Department of Early Care and Learning.
“Committing to participate in Summer EBT in 2025 is a simple, common-sense step that will ensure every child in our state, regardless of where they live, has access to food when they need it most,” the letter stated. “States that refuse to participate in Summer EBT for unsubstantiated reasons are needlessly putting children in jeopardy during the summer months.”
by Dave Williams | Aug 12, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – A Florida-based furniture chain that has been a fixture in Georgia and other southeastern states for more than a century is going out of business.
Badcock Home Furniture & More, with more than two dozen locations in Georgia, announced on Facebook Aug. 6 that it’s closing all of its more than 370 stores in eight southeastern states. Badcock’s announcement came after its parent company – Texas-based Conn’s – filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late last month.
“We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for being a valued customer of Badcock Home Furniture & More,” the company wrote on Facebook. “Regrettably, we are going out of business, and all stores will be closing over the coming months.”
In the bankruptcy filing, Conn’s officials indicated the company owes creditors more than $100 million. Its financial struggles are being felt throughout the retail furniture business, as sales that peaked during the pandemic dropped off afterward.
Badcock’s Georgia locations are scattered across the state, from Lakeland in South Georgia near the Florida line up through metro Atlanta, east to the Augusta region and up through Northwest Georgia all the way to Fort Oglethorpe near the Tennessee line.
Meanwhile, Conn’s has seven locations in Georgia, mostly in metro Atlanta but also including Columbus and Augusta.
Badcock has about 1,200 employees, all of whom will be out of work when the stores shut down by the end of October.
The company provided answers to “frequently asked questions” on its Facebook posting to help customers through the process.
While Badcock no longer is offering financing for purchases, customers who have financed purchases may continue to make payments online, by phone, by mail or at a store. Items may still be purchased, depending on inventory levels in the company’s warehouses.
