Gold Dome Report – Legislative Day 25 (2023)

by Kimberly Sawatka | Feb 28, 2023

Gold Dome Report – Legislative Day 25 (2023)

Members of the public flooded the State Capitol again on Tuesday. The day’s most visible group was Mothers Demand Action, members of which crowded the halls in a sea of red as they advocated lawmakers for gun control measures. But they weren’t the only ones demanding action under the Gold Dome. With two legislative days remaining until Crossover Day, legislators and lobbyists spent all afternoon in committee meetings begging, pleading, and sometimes demanding their legislation be advanced. We share which entreaties worked in this #GoldDomeReport.

SB 233, authored by Dolezal, is the “Georgia Promise Scholarship Act.” The bill amends Title 20 to provide for the establishment of promise scholarship accounts to be funded by the state in the amount of $6,000.00 per school year for each participating student.

Dolezal presented the bill alongside Jamie Lord, who represents the Georgia Center for Opportunity and is promoting the legislation. The Committee was presented with a Substitute that provides that funding for scholarships is frozen in years when QBE is not fully funded, remaining funds after high school graduation are refunded to the State, and funds may be used for instructional technology. Questions from Committee members included inquiries as to eligibility of current private school students, student assessment and comparability, and the amount of funding to be provided.

Read the full article here

Georgia Senate again pushes $6,000 school voucher bill

by Kimberly Sawatka | Feb 28, 2023

Georgia Senate again pushes $6,000 school voucher bill

Georgia Senate Republicans are again pushing a plan to give $6,000 educational vouchers to many students, part of a nationwide push for what supporters call education savings accounts following the COVID-19 pandemic. The movement is fueled in part by fights over race-related education and how to address gender issues in schools.

The Senate Education and Youth Committee voted 6-5 on Tuesday to pass Senate Bill 233, sending it to the full Senate for more debate. The bill must pass the Senate by Monday for the state House to take it up, or it will likely die for 2023.

Buzz Brockway, a former Republican state House member and chairman of the State Charter Schools Commission, told lawmakers that about 500,000 Georgia students attend schools graded “D” or “F” by the state.

“Those are the kids that need our help, and they need this bill,” said Brockway, who works for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, a poverty-fighting group.

Read the full article here

Georgia lawmaker proposes state-funded education savings accounts

by Kimberly Sawatka | Feb 23, 2023

Georgia lawmaker proposes state-funded education savings accounts

Proposed legislation would allow Georgians to create state-funded education savings accounts.

Under Senate Bill 233, taxpayers would fund $6,000 per student per school year. Students could use that money to defray “qualified” education costs, including private school tuition.

The Georgia Center for Opportunity similarly lauded the measure, saying a “quality education levels the playing field for all Georgians.”

“Promise Scholarships would do that by giving eligible students the unique educational experiences that they need,” Buzz Brockway, GCO’s vice president of public policy, said in a statement. “All kids deserve a chance, including students who may need additional help or require a different learning environment. This bill gives a lifeline to students who are not currently served well by their local public school while having no impact on public school funding levels.

Read the full article here

Inflation continues to worry Georgians, groups say

by Kimberly Sawatka | Feb 22, 2023

Inflation continues to worry Georgians, groups say

Inflation will likely stick around for the foreseeable future, and the elevated inflation continues to worry Georgia businesses, groups said.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased by 6.4% over the past 12 months, higher than anticipated. Additionally, the Producer Price Index increased by 6% over the same period.

“After a few months of apparently cooling inflation, it’s obvious that inflation is proving to be sticky and will be around for quite some time,” Erik Randolph, the Georgia Center for Opportunity’s director of research, said in a statement. “The core problem is that the Federal Reserve’s goal is merely to reduce the rate of inflation, not bring down the high prices we are already seeing.

“That means the cost of essentials like eggs and milk will remain elevated,” Randolph added. “The impoverished, lower income Americans, and seniors living on fixed incomes will continue to suffer the most.”

Read the full article here

We’re helping the water industry over the next five years

by Kimberly Sawatka | Feb 20, 2023

We’re helping the water industry over the next five years

Key Points

BETTER WORK Gwinnett and The Water Tower are partnering to expand water industry job training to high school students and young adults.
The water industry will need to fill 1200 positions over the next five years.
Without skilled water workers our community infrastructures will suffer.

BETTER WORK Gwinnett and The Water Tower are joining forces. The Water Tower is a nonprofit organization “bringing together the public and private sectors of the water industry, side by side with academia and nonprofits, to tackle the industry’s greatest challenges.”

The next five years are crucial for the water industry as they expect 1200 water-related jobs opening in North Georgia. This generates the need to recruit, train, and vary operations to be most effective for the communities served.

A career in the water industry transcends pandemics and technology because it is a needed resource no matter what happens around us. To help fill the workforce needs, The Water Tower created training programs in the areas of Water and Wastewater Operators, Lab Analyst, Maintenance Technicians, and Field Technicians. The programs allow participants to receive the education and hands-on experience needed to walk into a living-wage career and not just a job.

The training course was designed for those in high school work programs, and those who may be already working but looking to expand their knowledge and create a career path in order to provide for themselves and their families.

Without skilled water laborers, many of the structures, products, and systems that are central to our daily lives would simply not exist. Furthermore, careers in the water industry offer stability, competitive wages, and opportunities for advancement, making them an important pathway to a fulfilling and prosperous life.

From protecting our precious water resources to providing clean and safe drinking water to communities, a career in this field is both fulfilling and impactful.

The water industry is a critical component of any healthy and thriving society, and the contributions of skilled laborers are truly invaluable. Careers in this field offer availability in many locations around the state, plus flexible hours to give workers the opportunity to create work-life balance.

To learn more about The Water Tower and the training programs offered, contact our BETTER WORK Gwinnett team.

From protecting our precious water resources to providing clean and safe drinking water to communities, a career in this field is both fulfilling and impactful.