Bills that would have provided additional funds for the Hope Scholarship via the legalization of casino gambling and parimutuel betting on horse racing are dead for the remainder of this session, and therefore would need to start from scratch in 2017. The Parimutuel betting measures, sponsored by Senator Brandon Beach of Alpharetta, failed to get
This week’s Courier Herald column: One of the more interesting semi-public power plays during this year’s General Assembly has been between legislators and the Board of Regents. Georgia’s Constitution insulates the Board of Regents and thus the University System of Georgia from direct political influence. This is to keep the whims of modern politics from
Thursday morning Floyd County Police Chief Bill Shiflett reported that the ongoing investigation into the misappropriated funds in the Floyd County School system may exceed more than $3 million. According to staff reports from the Rome News-Tribune: In April, Derry Richardson, the now former Floyd County Schools maintenance director, was accused of taking over $600,000
On Tuesday, the University System of Georgia’s chancellor, Hank Huckaby, announced a freeze on tuition for the 2016-2017 academic year. This comes as lawmakers are considering legislation that would cap tuition at the inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index. H.R. 1326, introduced by Georgia House Majority Leader Matt Ramsey (R-72), will change
Majority Whip Matt Ramsey will introduce a bill and matching constitutional amendment that would limit increases in tuition and fees within the University System of Georgia to the rate of inflation. House Bill 977 and House Resolution 1326 should get their first readings in the House on Thursday. The constitutional amendment authorizes the General Assembly
The University of Georgia School of Law released a video profiling Trevon Smith, the first recipient of the Stacey Godfrey Evans Scholarship. Smith is a second-year student at the School of Law. The Stacey Godfrey Evans Scholarship was endowed by Representative Stacey Evans (D-Smyrna) earlier this year. Rep. Evans was a first-generation college student, and
Students at the University of Georgia (UGA), the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT), and Georgia State University (GSU) have been arrested while staging a sit-in protest at each respective institution. The protest was held in association with the organization Freedom University , “an Atlanta-based freedom school for undocumented students in Georgia”. Students involved are protesting the
Last week, Representative Earl Ehrhart, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee On Higher Education, had much to say about due process in collegiate judicial proceedings involving students, or lack thereof. Chairman Ehrhart’s criticism of the school’s judicial proceedings is actually completely legitimate. Sexual assault allegations should be taken very seriously. It’s a problem plaguing many college campuses
This morning, the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously turned back a lawsuit brought by undocumented immigrants against the Board of Regents demanding in-state tuition. While the Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the students’ tuition claim, it did uphold both the Fulton County trial court and Appeals Court decisions. Both lower courts dismissed the students’ lawsuit
While some school districts continue to excuse away failure and fight accountability, Atlanta Public Schools is thinking way outside the box. School Superintendent Maria Carstarphen has a long letter outlining the changes that APS is embracing. She’s proven both with a stare down with the popular and powerful Mayor (Beltline settlement announced this morning) and
