by Dave Williams | Nov 13, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – A company that provides automated warehouse services to businesses of all sizes will invest $144 million in a new distribution facility in Butts County, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday.
GreenBox Systems LLC will create more than 300 new jobs in the Jackson area.
“Innovative job creators in every industry continue to choose Georgia,” Kemp said. “We’re proud GreenBox is adding their name to that long and growing list.”
GreenBox’s new 1-million-square-foot automated distribution facility will employ automation operators and managers, forklift operators, material handlers, shipping and receiving clerks, logistics coordinators, and maintenance technicians to serve retailers across the region. Job opportunities will be posted to http://www.symbotic.com/careers/open-positions as they become available.
Operations are expected to begin late next year.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Global Commerce team worked on the project in partnership with the Butts County Development Authority, Georgia Power, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Technical College System of Georgia’s Quick Start program.
by Dave Williams | Nov 12, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The Georgia House Republican Caucus voted Tuesday to reelect the entire GOP leadership team to serve in those roles during the two-year term starting in January.
Rep. Chuck Efstration, R-Mulberry, will return as House majority leader, while Rep. James Burchett, R-Waycross, will continue as majority whip.
The rest of the reelected leadership team will include Reps. Bruce Williamson, R-Monroe, as majority caucus chairman; Houston Gaines, R-Athens, as caucus vice chairman; and Ginny Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, as caucus secretary and treasurer.
House Republicans also renominated Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, to retain the gavel, and chose Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, R-Milton, to continue in that role. The full House will elect a speaker and speaker pro tempore when the General Assembly convenes for the 2025 legislative session on Jan. 13.
“I am deeply grateful for the unwavering trust and support of my colleagues and friends,” Burns said Tuesday. “I’m more confident than ever that our caucus will continue to deliver meaningful results – whether it’s passing historic tax cuts, investing in education, expanding access to health care, or making our communities safer.”
While the House GOP lost two seats in last week’s election, Republicans still hold 100 seats to 80 seats controlled by Democrats.
The House Democratic Caucus will meet on Thursday to elect the minority leadership team.
by Dave Williams | Nov 12, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The University System of Georgia has hit an all-time high for student enrollment this fall.
Nearly 365,000 students are enrolled at the system’s 26 public colleges and universities, an increase of more than 20,000, or 5.9%, compared to last fall, Angela Bell, the system’s vice chancellor for research and policy analysis, told the Board of Regents Tuesday.
The enrollment growth since the pandemic year of 2020 has been most dramatic among out-of-state students, Bell said. Out-of-state enrollment has increased by 27% since the pandemic year of 2020.
“Students are looking to the South for a number of reasons, whether it be winning football or the weather,” she said.
Bell said another reason for enrollment growth in the university system is that Georgia remained open for business during the pandemic while other states shut down.
Other highlights of Bell’s report included a huge 53.5% increase in dual enrollment students since 2020.
The university system also has become increasingly diverse in recent years. While enrollment among white students declined from 47% in 2020 to 42% this fall, enrollment among Latino students has grown from 10% to 12%, and Asian enrollment is up from 11% to 14%. Enrollment among Black students has held steady at 25%.
In other business Tuesday, board members unanimously approved a series of policy changes aimed at basing student admission and faculty hiring decisions on merit. Among other things, the changes prohibit requiring prospective students or professors to submit “diversity statements,” typically one or two pages that outline how the applicant plans to advance the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
“These (policies) all make clear the employees and students are evaluated on their merits, not on any ideological tests,” board Chairman Harold Reynolds said.
While encouraging individual freedom of expression, the policy changes assert that the university system “shall remain neutral on social and political issues unless such an issue is directly related to the institution’s core mission.”
“Our mission is education – not politics,” system Chancellor Sonny Perdue said.
The board also voted to authorize a $25 million renovation and expansion of Georgia Tech’s basketball facilities. The project will be funded by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association.
by Dave Williams | Nov 11, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Georgia tax collections fell by 3.4% last month compared to October of last year.
The state Department of Revenue brought in $2.53 billion last month, down $89.7 million from the same month a year ago.
The decline was due in part to an extension of the state income tax and filing deadline announced Oct. 3 because of disruptions caused by Hurricane Helene. Return and payment deadlines for both individual and corporate income taxes from that date through next April have been extended until May 1.
Individual income tax revenue declined by 8.7% in October, mostly due to a sharp drop in tax return payments of 36.5%.
Net sales tax receipts also were down, but only by 1%.
Corporate income taxes fell last month by 47.4%, with payments down and refunds up.
by Dave Williams | Nov 8, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – State Senate Democrats Friday elected Sen. Harold Jones of Augusta to serve as Senate minority leader.
Meeting in Savannah, the Senate Democratic Caucus chose Jones, who has been serving as minority whip, to succeed retiring Minority Leader Gloria Butler. Sen. Kim Jackson, D-Stone Mountain, will take over as minority whip.
Senate Democrats reelected the rest of their leadership team. Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, will return as caucus chair, with Sen. Sonya Halpern, D-Atlanta, as vice chair.
Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta, will serve as vice chair of finance, and Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, will continue as caucus secretary.
This week’s elections didn’t change the makeup of the Senate. The upper legislative chamber again will consist of 33 Republicans and 23 Democrats.
