Sunday Solutions — Jan. 28, 2024
Good morning! We’re closing in on Groundhog Day and, like in the movie, a few topics just keep circling around again: plans for Pre-K schools, child tax credits, sports betting bills, and another year’s passage without national recognition for the victims of the Thiokol Woodbine explosion in 1971. We end with a reminder of how humans may not be so different from other animals. Let’s go…
Plans for your (surplus) money
Sitting on a state budget with a $16 billion surplus, Speaker of the House Jon Burns announced the majority party’s tax plans for the session with the filing of 4 bills to lower income taxes, raise homestead exemptions for homeowners, and double the tax credit for families with children. It was the second press conference in two weeks where Speaker Burns (R-Newington) announced major pushes for the lower house. While the recent announcements were focused on taxes, the first gathering was focused on pre-kindergarten education. Components of that push included cutting class sizes, raising pay for teachers, helping fund start-ups and transportation. Of note, child tax credits have been a hot topic in recent weeks as the U.S. Congress negotiators reached an agreement to restore part of the expanded tax credit in the pandemic-fueled America Rescue Plan that researchers say cut the nation’s child poverty rate by nearly half. It expired in 2021.
Other issues on the table last week will also seem familiar:
- A sports betting bill that will avoid a popular vote on a constitutional amendment. Forms of gambling would be regulated by the current Georgia Lottery Corporation.
- A bill to address rising drug costs by providing half of discounts to customers: This bill drew a personal appearance by U.S. Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter to the hearing on its behalf.
Legislating the public bookshelf
Two new bills dropped this week that will garner new attention: Senate Bill 390 and SB 394. The first would end all affiliation and funding for state libraries with the American Library Association and end certification and continuing education requirements for librarians. Coastal Georgia Senators Ben Watson, Mike Hodges and Billy Hickman are co-sponsors.
The second one, called the Restricting Explicit and Adult-designated Educational Resources — or READER — Act, would require the State Board of Education to establish standards for the restricted materials for local boards of education and public school library collections. Hickman is a co-sponsor of this bill.
Updates galore
Last week brought lots of updates, so here’s a bank of reading material in case you haven’t been able to catch up.
- A U.S. Senate panel questions data for flood insurance: The committee — while saying the national flood insurance program must be extended — focused on changes that must occur so residents can afford the premiums. This story from Route 50 explains what effects the spiking premiums could have on flood-prone communities like those in Coastal Georgia.
- GDOT says new Georgia interstate won’t pay off: The heralded plan for an additional highway linking Columbus and Augusta may cost more than its worth: $30 million a mile — and it won’t relieve eastern and Coastal Georgia of truck traffic.
- A new plant near Soperton will produce sustainable jet fuel: The announcement came just weeks after Savannah-based Gulfstream flew the first transatlantic flight power by low emissions fuel.
- There’s no longer a Special Victims Unit in the Chatham County prosecutor’s office: A story from The Current’s Jake Shore find that turnover and other moves have changed the way felony sex crimes are prosecuted.
- The company requesting to mine near the Okefenokee Swamp will pay a $20,000 fine for violating state rules: The Current’s Mary Landers reports that Georgia Department of Natural Resources Enviromental Protection Division penalized Twin Pines Minerals for not having proper supervision or bonding while doing exploratory work in preparation for mining. The company denies any wrongdoing.
Test your recall
There was a lot of news over the past week, so you can expect a tough test. Last week, Peaches started the climb up the leaderboards with a perfect score.
Every Sunday, we give you the opportunity to test your news knowledge with a few short questions related to stories we published earlier in the week.
Leaderboard 1/21/24:
First Place (10/10): Peaches
Second Place (6/10): SGMark, LNSmith, Sandy B.
Third Place (5/10): BBC, Lesley, Sue
Overall Leaderboard:
First Place – SGMark
Second Place – Peaches, Bill
Third Place – Sandy B, JenBax
Want your chance to be featured in next week’s leaderboard? Leave a first name or nickname below so we can keep track of your score. We now track your average scores over time, so make sure to include your name or nickname with each weekly quiz.
Here’s this week’s test. Have fun!
A reminder
The Thiokol Memorial Project will host a 53rd anniversary Commemoration Ceremony at 10 a.m. Feb. 3 at the Camden County PSA Complex, 1050 Wildcat Drive in Kingsland. The service is open to the public. For those who need a refresher: The 1971 Thiokol plant explosion in Woodbine killed 29 workers and injured 50 who were employed to assemble explosive trip flares for the U.S. Vietnam war effort. The devices helped to save lives for soldiers on the ground, and the workers killed are honored as heroes for their dangerous work. Most of the victims were poor, Black women who were working in coveted full-time jobs for $1.65 an hour. The families’ and survivors’ requests for national recognition continues. Here’s a story for background. Can’t make the service? Try a visit to the Thiokol Memorial Museum at 115 S. Lee St., Kingsland.
Your second cup: Rats, people, algorithms
This New York Times science story starts with rats taking selfies and ends up making you wonder if we’re so different. If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling a social site and forgetting why you are there, this story may help. Or it might just send you looking for a cookie. Here you go.
Enjoy.
We want to meet your friends! If you like this newsletter be sure to share it.
Georgia GOP lawmakers bring bills for election-year tax breaks on income, child care and property
By Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder
Critics say budget surplus should be spent on education, health care and infrastructure.
State Senate eyeing second sports betting bill
By Dave Williams/Capitol Beat
The bill would provide for both online betting on sports and retail betting at sites operated by licensees who would pay $1 million each.
Carter fails to spur Georgia lawmakers to require sharing of prescription discounts
By Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder
U.S. representative backs Georgia bill to cut benefits to pharmacy benefit managers.
Major changes in federal flood insurance program urged by U.S. Senate panel
By Jennifer Shutt/Georgia Recorder
Lawmakers say fund for national flood insurance will require substantial restructuring, must be renewed without delay.
GDOT says Columbus to Augusta I-14 won’t pay off
By Dave Williams/Capitol Beat
Traffic projections show the proposed Interstate 14 likely would carry only an average of 3,000 trucks per day, well below the average daily flow of 11,000 to 18,000 trucks on Georgia’s existing interstates.
Rural Georgia gets world’s first sustainable jet fuel factory of its kind
By Benjamin Payne/GPB News
LanzaJet’s new Freedom Pines plant in Soperton is expected to produce 9 million gallons of sustainable jet fuel annually.
Changes in Chatham DA sex crime prosecutions worry victims, attorneys
By Jake Shore
Survivors of sexual assault, attorneys and advocates fear lack of expertise and SVU at Chatham County DA’s office will impact prosecutions.
Twin Pines Minerals fined $20K for exploratory work
By Mary Landers
As mining company fined, the data used to model impacts of the project on the Okefenokee Swamp are questioned.
Thiokol explosion: 50 years later, families seek to be remembered
By Laura Corley
Those killed and maimed weren’t wearing uniforms like the thousands of Georgians deployed aboard during the war. They were mostly poor, Black women who worked for $1.65 an hour assembling trip flares for the U.S. Army at the Thiokol Chemical Corp. plant in Woodbine.
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