ATLANTA – Two years ago, the Republican-controlled General Assembly passed legislation letting parents petition school principals to ban from school libraries books they consider obscene.
This year, the state Senate is considering two additional bills aimed at making it easier to ban books from school libraries.
But a third bill before the Senate would take the push against material considered harmful to minors on a different front. Senate Bill 390 would prohibit city, county, and regional libraries from using either tax dollars or private funds on any materials offered by the American Library Association (ALA).
“They have expanded beyond school libraries,” said Lisa Morgan, president of the Georgia Association of Educators. “Now, they’re going after public libraries as well.”
The ALA has become controversial in right-wing circles in recent years for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the selection of library materials and for opposing book banning and other forms of censorship. Its president, Emily Drabinski, became a lightning rod in 2022 when she characterized herself as a “Marxist lesbian.”
“The ALA has proven it is not an organization of political neutrality,” Taylor Hawkins, director of advocacy for FrontLine Policy Action, a Christian advocacy group, told members of the Senate Government Affairs Committee Feb. 7. “This is an organization that cannot be trusted.”
Sen. Larry Walker III, R-Perry, Senate Bill 390’s chief sponsor, told committee members the ALA came to his attention when the Houston County Library sought a $20,000 grant from the organization, only to be told any materials the money was used to purchase had to promote DEI or deal with LGBTQ+ issues.
“That was not a reflection of the morals and values of our community and was inappropriate, especially in the children’s section,” Walker said. “They (the ALA) should be apolitical. They should not weigh into these controversial arenas.”
Walker’s characterization of the ALA grant drew pushback from a grassroots group called STOP Moms for Liberty, which bills itself as a defender of public education.
The group contended in a news release that the materials the grant purchased were E-books and E-audios not on the library’s physical shelves and were for adults and young adults. The ALA did not direct the selection of the materials, STOP Moms for Liberty also asserted.
Julie Walker, vice chancellor for libraries and archives with the University System of Georgia, which oversees the state’s public libraries. said local library boards determine what materials to place on their shelves.
“Selection of materials is not influenced by the ALA,” she told the Senate panel.
Sen. Walker told the committee an “unintended consequence” of his bill needs to be worked out as it makes its way through the General Assembly. Since the bill would essentially dissolve the state’s relationship with the ALA, it would leave working librarians and students of library sciences without a way to gain certification.
David Slykhuis, dean of the College of Education & Human Services at Valdosta State University, home to Georgia’s only master’s degree program in library sciences, said graduating students need ALA certification to get jobs.
“Losing accreditation would eliminate Valdosta State as a viable program for most students,” he said.
Walker said the states of Texas, Missouri, Montana, Alabama, Wyoming, and South Carolina have left the ALA. He suggested Georgia library officials work with their counterparts from other states to identify an alternate organization that could be used to accredit library sciences degree programs and certify graduating students.
“Other options will spring up more in line with Georgia values,” Hawkins said.
The committee did not vote on Walker’s bill at the Feb. 7 hearing, but it stands a good chance of passage. It enjoys the backing of influential Republican cosponsors, including Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega.
City Mills Hotel in Columbus is a rehabbed 19th century grist mill built with the help of a state tax credit.
ATLANTA – Georgia low-income housing and historic rehabilitation tax credits are critical for the financial and social wellbeing of residents across the state, a series of witnesses testified at a legislative hearing Wednesday in Columbus.
Builders, financial experts, and nonprofit executives defended the two types of tax credits before the Joint Tax Credit Review Panel, a committee of state representatives and senators formed this year to examine the various tax incentives Georgia offers and determine whether the state is getting a healthy return on the lost revenue.
Since its first meeting in June, the panel has heard representatives of Georgia manufacturers and the film industry advocate on behalf of their respective tax credits as well as officials from public policy organizations discuss the pros and cons of the tax incentives the state uses to attract certain types of businesses that might not otherwise set up shop in Georgia.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs used the state’s low-income housing tax credit to help finance 32,000 affordable housing units between 2019 and 2022, Philip Gilman, the agency’s deputy commissioner for housing and development, told the committee Wednesday.
While the federal government funds one-third of the cost of those units and banks provide another one-third, the state’s one-third match is vital, said Chris Hite, a board member of the Georgia Affordable Housing Coalition and president of Sugar Creek Capital.
“You take away our money and none of these deals work,” Hite said. “But for the state credit, nothing gets built.”
Cathy Williams, president and CEO of the nonprofit NeighborWorks Columbus, said the benefits of helping low-income Georgians obtain affordable housing go beyond bricks and mortar.
“When you’re housing-vulnerable, it creates toxic stress,” she said. “It leads to crime. It leads to truancy. It is in our social interest to make sure our people are cared for.”
Historic preservation advocates said offering tax credits to help finance the rehabilitation of historic properties also provides broader benefits to communities across Georgia.
The state offers two types of historic rehabilitation tax credits: a credit of up to $5 million for individual income-producing commercial projects and a smaller credit capped at $100,000 for each residential project.
Ben Sutton, director of preservation for the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, said something as seemingly modest as restoring one historic home in a blighted area can increase property values throughout an entire neighborhood.
“The catalytic effect of these projects cannot be understated,” he said.
Sutton said income-producing commercial projects financed with the help of the historic rehabilitation tax credit have sparked downtown revitalization in cities and towns across the state, including Bainbridge, Brunswick, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah.
“It is the driver for letting these secondary and tertiary towns in Georgia – which is anything other than Atlanta – develop themselves,” said Pace Halter, president and chief operating officer of W.C. Bradley Real Estate in downtown Columbus.
State Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, said the cost of the state’s low-income housing tax credit is running well above the rate of inflation.
“It seems like a pretty generous program,” he said. “Is it not overly generous?”
Gilman said it’s more expensive to build affordable houses with the housing tax credit than through the market because the program requires that the houses be kept in good condition for 15 to 30 years.
“There’s a larger investment upfront so we don’t have an eyesore 15 to 30 years later,” he said.
The review panel is due to recommend any potential changes to the state’s tax incentives in time for the 2024 General Assembly session starting in January.
ATLANTA – Legislative Democrats and social services advocates have long complained that Georgia doesn’t spend enough money to meet the educational, health-care, and public-safety needs of a growing population.
But there’s something different about the latest fiscal numbers that prompted the left-leaning Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) to release a 15-page report Oct. 31 calling for the state to loosen its purse strings.
The state was sitting on $16 billion in unspent funds at the end of the last fiscal year in June, including $11 billion in undesignated reserves.
“It’s uncharted territory,” said Danny Kanso, the GBPI’s fiscal analyst and the report’s author. “I don’t think it serves anyone to have $11 billion sitting there in an account with no plan for it.”
While news of that much tax money not going toward any purpose is sure to stir debate during the 2024 General Assembly session beginning in January, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and GOP legislative leaders are sticking with their determination to maintain fiscal discipline.
“The governor looks forward to working closely with the General Assembly on priorities for how the state’s one-time funds will be utilized in a strategically responsible way that does not commit short-term revenue gains to long-term obligations,” Garrison Douglas, a spokesman for Kemp, said back in July as initial word of a third straight year of large budget surpluses was surfacing.
“Everyone’s foaming at the mouth over $16 billion,” state Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, said Nov. 2. “They forget that’s only six months of revenue for the state. You have a rough time and that money will burn very quickly.”
The GBPI report attributes the huge pile of unspent dollars to “repeated underestimations of annual state revenue collections” that resulted in the state bringing in far more tax money than was being spent for three consecutive years. On the other side of the equation, state spending was failing to keep pace with inflation and population growth, according to the report.
“There are several unique areas in which surplus funds present a rare opportunity to address deficits built up over time and projected needs in the future – all while strengthening Georgia’s economy, supporting job creation, and benefiting families statewide,” the report stated.
Specifically, the report suggests the state use undesignated reserves to:
create a $7.5 billion, self-sustaining Child Care Trust Fund to promote access to affordable, quality child care.
modernize Georgia’s school bus fleet by making long-deferred investments to help cash-strapped local school districts maintain and replace aging buses.
provide bonuses to state employees to help agencies providing vital services reduce turnover.
Kanso said the Child Care Trust Fund could pay for itself by being managed in the same way the state handles its teacher and employee retirement system funds. The balance of the fund would compound each year at a rate higher than the annual payout, the report said.
Kanso said one-third of the school buses plying Georgia highways are more than 15 years old because state funding for the buses has been cut significantly in recent years. His report recommends spending $850 million to $2.7 billion to modernize the school bus fleet.
“If we don’t address that, it’s going to be more and more costs for local school districts,” he said. “The state can help local school districts catch their breath.”
Kemp and the General Assembly already have provided targeted pay raises to employees of state agencies suffering high turnover rates, including $11,000 increases for state law enforcement officers during the last two years and $2,000 raises this year for other state workers, teachers, and university system employees. Altogether, teacher salaries have gone up $5,000 since Kemp took office in 2019.
Kanso’s report pointed to annual turnover rates of 25% in state agencies Georgians rely on for vital services as evidence the state still needs to do more.
The governor and legislature also have used surplus funds to provide state income tax rebates to Georgians during the last two years, while Kemp has suspended the state sales tax on gasoline to curb rising prices at the pump.
Kanso said those tax cuts are just scratching the surface of the huge pile of undesignated reserves the state could use to beef up investments in ongoing needs.
But Tillery said the General Assembly’s Republican majorities aren’t about to suddenly change course on spending.
“It’s not the state’s money. It’s taxpayers’ money,” he said. “Individuals who think the session is going to be a money-raining-from-heaven free-for-all are mistaken.”
ATLANTA – Attorney General Chris Carr is warning Georgians of an imposter scam targeting faith-based communities in which fraudsters pose as religious leaders to try to trick congregants into sending them money.
There are different variations to these imposter scams. In one version, scammers set up Gmail accounts that display the actual name of a rabbi, priest, pastor, or imam. The fraudster then emails the members of the congregation asking for emergency donations to help someone in need.
In another version, scammers pose as real religious leaders and send texts or emails to congregants requesting they send money via gift cards.
“With advancements in technology, it’s easier than ever for criminals to hide their true identity, which is why we continue to hear about imposter scams,” Carr said Monday. “Consumers should be very suspicious of any emails or texts asking them to send money even if they appear to come from a trusted source.”
While it may be difficult to get money back once it’s in the hands of a scammer, victims can take steps to boost their chances of recovering lost funds. Carr’s office urges victims to report the fraud as soon as they become aware of a scam. Immediately contact the appropriate financial provider, money transfer company, or gift card provider.
Also, file a report with the appropriate law enforcement agency, the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division at (404) 651-8600 or consumer.ga.gov, and the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Those who find scam transactions are hurting their credit should visit AnnualCreditReport.com to request free credit reports from the three major credit reporting agencies – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Freezing credit is also a good way to stop unauthorized accounts from being opened.
ATLANTA – The Georgia Supreme Court Wednesday removed suspended Judge Christian Coomer from the state Court of Appeals.
In a unanimous decision, the justices upheld the recommendation of a state Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) hearing panel, which found Coomer’s misuse of campaign funds and dealings with a client before he became a judge undermined public confidence.
“The judiciary’s judgment will be obeyed only so long as the public respects it, and that respect will not long survive judges who act in a manner that undermines public confidence in their judgment and integrity,” the court wrote in a 49-page ruling.
Coomer, a Republican and former state legislator, was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2018 and elected to a full six-year term in 2020. Later that year, the JQC charged him with violating the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct, and he was suspended from the bench with pay in January 2021 pending the outcome of the case.
The JQC recommended removing Coomer from the bench following a three-month hearing early this year.
The charges against Coomer stemmed from his relationship with James Filhart, an elderly client he began representing in 2015. Filhart hired Coomer to pursue an action for guardianship of Filhart’s girlfriend, according to the court ruling.
After the matter was resolved successfully, Coomer continued to represent Filhart in other legal matters, including drafting a will that named Coomer and his heirs among the beneficiaries and Coomer as executor and trustee.
Coomer also accepted several loans from Filhart, including a loan of $130,000 in 2018 to a business Coomer controlled that lacked assets, the ruling stated. The loan was not secured, and Coomer provided no personal guarantee.
By 2019, the relationship between the two men had soured, and Filhart e-mailed Coomer demanding that the judge return the money he had borrowed. Coomer repaid the loan in 2020 after Filhart filed a lawsuit against him.
Coomer also was accused of transferring campaign funds to his law firm’s operating account and, in two instances, failing to report the transfers on his campaign contributions disclosure report. A third instance involved a trip to Hawaii before Coomer left the General Assembly that he said was for legislative business but ultimately was found to have been for leisure, according to the ruling.
Coomer reimbursed his campaign account for expenses from the trip after the state Campaign Finance Commission began investigating him.
Wednesday’s ruling prohibits Coomer from being elected or appointed to any judicial office for seven years.
