Gov. Brian Kemp vetoed legislation that would have allowed lawmakers to scrutinize tuition increases at public universities ahead of Monday’s deadline for signing or rejecting legislation passed by the General Assembly.
Kemp vetoed two higher education measures and signed more than 250 bills into law during the 40-day window after the 2023 legislative session ended on March 29, to decide which bills he will sign, let become unsigned law, or now on the hoe is laid block.
Over the past week, Kemp passed a slew of legislation, including a more than $32 billion federal spending plan that begins July 1 and includes pay rises for teachers, police officers and other state employees.
Kemp also signed controversial legislation creating a new disciplinary board for prosecutors, prohibiting local officials from accepting private donations for election administration, and requiring local officials to enforce laws on public homeless camps.
Among Kemp’s 14 vetoes for this year is House bill 319which would have required state legislatures to approve tuition increases of more than 3% at Georgia’s public colleges and universities.
The Legislature cannot unilaterally strip the Board of Regents of the power to set tuition for the 26 institutions that make up Georgia’s university system, Kemp said.
Any change in how the Board of Regents works would require a constitutional referendum in front of Georgia voters, the Republican governor said. The governor has the power to appoint new regents.
A number of state lawmakers have expressed frustration at the cost of a new electronic medical record system approved by regents and the university system’s chancellor, Sonny Perdue, who took over last year after Kemp removed several regents from the board.
Perdue, a former Georgia governor, said the Regents Board could increase tuition to a $66 million cut in the state budget for a medical record system.
Kemp didn’t do anything either House bill 249 that would have expanded need-based financial aid for college students and prevented technical schools from charging tuition for veterans enrolled in commercial driver’s license programs.
Kemp said lawmakers did not allocate enough funds to pay for the $2,500-$3,500 increase in scholarships for students who cannot pay full tuition and to make up for lost tuition at technical colleges . The legislation was supported by powerful GOP lawmakers.
“I support veterans’ initiatives and make education more affordable,” Kemp said in his veto message. “However, the proposals in this bill are subject to provision and the General Assembly has failed to fully fund these educational incentives.”
A $32.4 billion state budget The deal, signed by Kemp on Friday, provides for a $2,000 pay rise for government employees, public school teachers and public college workers in Georgia. In addition, the budget includes pay increases for nurses and janitors at K-12 schools, and a $6,000 increase for state police officers and some other law enforcement officials. The budget also increases the amount of tuition awarded to HOPE College Scholars.
That new budget also includes $1.6 million allocated to a new prosecutorial oversight commission tasked with reviewing complaints against local prosecutors and allows the board to hand out penalties.
Senate Bill 92, which Kemp endorsed last week, is being hailed by Republican supporters as a tool to rule over renegade district attorneys. The new commission will formulate standards for prosecutors and lawyers.
Democratic lawmakers and other critics argue that the Republican plan overrides the discretion of the public prosecutor to decide how cases should be prioritized in each community. Some local prosecutors in Democratic strongholds have publicly said they will not prioritize prosecuting small-amount marijuana possession. Democrats have also linked the GOP’s push for an oversight commission to Fulton County Attorney Fani Willis’ ongoing investigation into former President Donald Trump’s actions after the 2020 election.
A few people warm up around a fire at a Gainesville homeless camp in December 2015. Photo contributed by Joshua Silavent
Meanwhile, Kemp has also signed into law what his supporters say is a necessary first step against systemic homelessness.
The new law gives the Attorney General the power to intervene when local officials try to block enforcement of ordinances banning unauthorized sleeping on sidewalks and other public spaces.
But critics argue that it criminalizes homelessness by putting more pressure on local governments and police departments to enforce laws against public camping.
Election proposals get Kemp’s support
Kemp signed a controversial law Thursday that makes it a criminal offense for local election officials to accept direct donations for local election administration.
In a statement, Republican Senator from Sylvania Max Burns said Senate bill 222 fills a void that has allowed some Democratic counties to receive millions of dollars during the 2020 election cycle.
Under the new law, all private donations would be distributed through state election officials. But Democratic lawmakers and several district returning officers have stressed that donations are essential to purchasing voting equipment and paying poll workers, especially during the worst of the 2020 pandemic.
“This action is an important and necessary step in ensuring our elections are not influenced by third party organizations,” Burns said. “It is critical that all funding for elections is properly allocated at the state level to limit the possibility of our state and local election officials being influenced by self-serving organizations.”
Kemp also signed new law allowing people to take time off during early voting. Voters now have a two-hour window during early voting and on Election Day.
“This law would further empower Georgians to participate in one of the most important civic responsibilities,” said Milledgeville Republican Senator Rick Williams, who supported the initiative SB129.
Hemp Ordinance, School Vouchers for 2024 in game
Several notable bills failed to make it to the finish line in this year’s legislature, but could be revived in January when lawmakers return for the second year of a two-year cycle.
Next year, GOP lawmakers are likely to renew their fight to expand a program that diverts state funds to cover private school fees.
A school voucher bill That year was defeated in the House of Representatives after a handful of Republican lawmakers defied a party-line vote. The voucher debate revolves around the merits of funneling public education funds to private schools so parents have more choices about which schools their children attend.
And for several years, lawmakers in both chambers have been at odds over how to fix Georgia’s long-stalled medicinal cannabis distribution system.
Lawmakers are expected to renew the debate in 2024 as they try to reach a compromise on hemp product regulations, industry oversight and expanding the number of low-THC oil licenses for people with serious illnesses .
Georgia’s first medicinal cannabis dispensaries opened in late April, eight years after lawmakers approved a regulatory commission in 2015. This month, a nonprofit organization that advocates for open government filed a brief with the Georgia Supreme Court asking to help lift some of the secrecy surrounding the state’s regulation of medicinal cannabis.
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