by Dave Williams | Feb 3, 2025 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns introduced school-safety legislation Monday stemming from last year’s school shooting in Barrow County that killed two teachers and two students.
The comprehensive proposal calls for improvements in information sharing among schools through a new anonymous app, increases penalties for those who make terroristic threats, and provides tax incentives to encourage gun owners to purchase firearm safety storage devices.
“The Georgia House is committed to taking strong action to ensure no parent, student or teacher ever has to fear for their safety when they drop their children off at school, go to class or go to work,” Burns, R-Newington, said during a news conference at the state Capitol. “This school safety plan is a comprehensive approach to securing our school buildings, prioritizing the mental health of our children and keeping Georgia’s students safe.”
A 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School, Colt Gray, was arrested at the scene of the shooting last September and charged with the murders. Gray had just transferred from another school, leading to a provision in the House bill requiring the establishment of a statewide student information sharing database to allow the timely transfer of pertinent student data between school systems, law enforcement officials, and mental health-care professionals.
The legislation also would require schools to use an anonymous reporting app where tips could be evaluated quickly and provided to law enforcement and the necessary personnel across the state as needed.
The measure would provide for the mandatory suspension of students who make threats until law enforcement and school personnel determine the student is cleared to return to school.
And the legislation would offer tax incentives for the purchase of safe gun storage equipment including firearm safes and trigger locks.
Apart from the school safety bill, the House mid-year budget would include funding to establish the student database as well as an additional $50 million for one-time school safety grants, which Gov. Brian Kemp announced last month. Every public school in Georgia would get $68,000 to spend as local school officials see fit.
“Each school system has unique needs and challenges,” said House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, R-Dacula.
Burns and Efstration were joined at Monday’s news conference by Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith, Barrow County School System Superintendent Dallas LeDuff, and the parents of Coach Richard Aspinwall, one of the victims of the Apalachee High shooting.
by Dave Williams | Feb 3, 2025 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – PBS Aerospace, a designer and manufacturer of world-class small turbojet engines, will invest up to $20 million to establish its North American headquarters in Roswell, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Monday.
The new operation, including manufacturing and research and development components, will create at least 95 new jobs in metro Atlanta, growing the company’s presence in the Peach State.
“Aerospace is one of the Georgia’s top industries thanks to innovative companies like PBS Aerospace that call Georgia home,” Kemp said. “By preparing strategic, new ready-for-development sites and supporting workforce development initiatives in high-demand careers, we will keep building on our success and creating opportunities for hardworking Georgians.”
“Atlanta has proven to be an exceptional base for our operations, offering access to an excellent education system, skilled workforce, robust infrastructure, and a thriving business environment,” PBS Group Owner William Didden added. “The positive experiences and success in Atlanta have undoubtedly influenced our choice as they reflect Georgia’s ability to support our continued growth.”
PBS Aerospace’s footprint will include an existing, renovated building and a new facility that will be constructed in Roswell. Hiring is underway for open roles, with projections to meet full operations in April. Interested individuals can learn more and apply at www.pbsaerospace.com/career.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Global Commerce team worked on the project in partnership with the city of Roswell, Select Fulton, Metro Atlanta Chamber, the Georgia Center of Innovation, Georgia Power, and the Technical College System of Georgia’s Quick Start program.
by Dave Williams | Jan 31, 2025 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Georgia Power will continue to rely on coal and natural gas to generate electricity in the coming years while increasing investments in renewable energy.
Those are among the commitments included in the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) the Atlanta-based utility submitted Friday to the state Public Service Commission (PSC).
IRPs, typically updated every three years, outline the mix of energy sources Georgia Power intends to rely on for power generation during the next two decades.
The 2025 IRP acknowledges a soaring growth in demand that has come from power-hungry industries that have set up shop in Georgia in recent years, notably data centers. Georgia Power projects it will need an additional 8,200 megawatts of generating capacity during the next six years, an increase of more than 2,200 megawatts compared to updated projections in an IRP the commission approved just last spring.
“As Georgia continues to grow, this state is well-positioned for the future thanks to proactive planning, policies, and processes like the Integrated Resource Plan,” said Kim Greene, Georgia Power’s chairman, president, and CEO. “The 2025 IRP provides a comprehensive plan to support Georgia’s continued economic growth and serve Georgians, with clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy well into the future.”
The new IRP calls for Georgia Power to continue operating coal-burning plants at Plant Bowen near Cartersville and Plant Scherer near Macon, which would provide about 4,000 megawatts of electricity. Those are among the most advanced coal units in the world, equipped with state-of-the-art technology that reduces their carbon footprints, according to a news release from the company.
Georgia Power also plans improvements in natural gas production at Plant McIntosh near Savannah, which would produce an additional 268 megawatts of capacity.
The IRP also proposes increasing the utility’s renewable energy capacity by 4,000 megawatts by 2035 to a total of 11,000 megawatts. Renewable sources of power would include new utility-scale and rooftop solar projects, battery storage, and modernizing Georgia Power’s fleet of hydroelectric plants.
Additional investments at the company’s Plant Hatch and Plant Vogtle nuclear facilities would add another 112 megawatts of carbon-free energy.
Critics attacked the new IRP Friday as over-reliant on coal and gas. Groups including the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) have called on Georgia Power to retire both Plant Bowen and Plant Scherer.
“We’re the No.-1 state to do business and one of the U.S.’s fastest growing tech hubs. Are we really going to power progress with gas and coal?” said Jennifer Whitfield, a senior attorney at the SELC’s Georgia office. “Coal hasn’t been economic for years, and paying for even more methane gas is incompatible with the future Georgians want and businesses are demanding.”
Brionté McCorkle, executive director of Georgia Conservation Voters, questioned whether Georgia Power actually needs the additional 8,200 megawatts it is requesting.
“By asking for far more generation than is needed, Georgia Power and the Georgia Public Service Commission will end hearings by accepting less than requested, allowing everyone to claim a win for an expensive plan that is unreasonable,” she said.
Opponents also argued that fossil fuels leave customers vulnerable to costly spikes in utility bills. The average residential bill for Georgia Power customers already has increased by more than $43 a month during the last two years.
On the other hand, environmental organizations praised the utility’s proposal to increase its investment in demand-side management programs, which would allow Georgia Power to move closer to its Southeastern peer utilities in conserving energy usage.
The PSC will vote on the new IRP later this year following several rounds of hearings.
by Dave Williams | Jan 30, 2025 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled comprehensive tort reform legislation Thursday aimed at reining in huge jury verdicts Republicans say are making it hard for Georgia citizens and businesses to afford insurance premiums.
“Georgians should have every opportunity to pursue their constitutionally guaranteed day in court, and if were wronged, they should be made whole,” Kemp said during a news conference at the state Capitol. “(But) our businesses and hardworking Georgians need relief from the increased costs of doing business, having car insurance, and getting access to health care. I believe this package accomplishes those goals and strikes the right balance.”
The tort reform legislation the governor is proposing is based on a report the state insurance department released last fall that showed the five-year average of claims has increased by 25%, much faster than Georgia’s population growth. The number of large claim awards of more than $1 million also has grown steadily.
Kemp has vowed repeatedly in recent months to make tort reform a top priority of his 2025 legislative agenda.
Among other things, the governor’s tort reform package would:
- shield property owners from liability claims stemming from criminal acts committed by third parties outside of the owner’s control.
- allow lawyers for defendants in suits stemming from car accidents to introduce evidence showing the injured party was not wearing a seatbelt.
- require plaintiffs in liability cases to show the jury their actual medical costs when the jury is deliberating on compensation.
- limit third parties, including foreign adversaries like China and Russia, from financing tort litigation.
Legislative Democrats argued the tort reform package is aimed at the wrong target.
House Minority Caucus Chair Tanya Miller, D-Atlanta, said natural disasters fueled by climate change – not lawsuits – are what’s driving up insurance premiums. She said Kemp’s tort reform legislation would deny Georgians injured by the negligence of others their day in court.
“We’re open to conversations, to trying to find a compromise,” Miller said. “But we’ll oppose anything that hurts Georgians and their families.”
by Dave Williams | Jan 29, 2025 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Legislation named in honor of a Georgia nursing student murdered by an illegal immigrant Wednesday became the first bill signed into law by President Donald Trump.
The Laken Riley Act requires federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest, detain and deport illegal immigrants who commit nonviolent crimes including theft, burglary, larceny or shoplifting.
Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was murdered last February while jogging on the campus of the University of Georgia. An illegal immigrant from Venezuela was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Jose Ibarra had previously been detained on shoplifting charges but was released from custody.
“This horrific atrocity should never have been allowed to happen,” Trump said during a ceremony at the White House. “As president, I’m fighting every single day to make sure such a tragedy never happens again.”
Both of Georgia’s Democratic senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, supported the Republican-sponsored bill, as did two of the state’s five Democratic representatives – Lucy McBath of Marietta and Sanford Bishop of Albany. All nine Republicans in the state’s congressional delegation also supported the measure.
Riley’s parents and a sister attended Wednesday’s bill-signing ceremony, as did Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who presides over the state Senate.
Trump pledged on the campaign trail last year to clamp down on illegal immigration, making the issue a centerpiece of his successful bid for a second nonconsecutive term in the White House. Since taking office last week, he has ordered the nation’s southern border closed.
“There’s nobody waiting to get in,” he said. “That’s what we’ve been working on for a long time.”
