One day after House passage of a bill to permit concealed pistols on the campuses of Georgia's public universities, the same lawmakers on Tuesday approved a measure to give teachers and students the right to carry Tasers and stun guns. From the AJC's Kristina Torres:
Arming financially and emotionally stressed college students certainly is no big deal. Texas has already led the way -- though it has made professors somewhat skittish, according to the Houston Chronicle:
A slide shown at a recent discussion of a new state law, which will allow licensed individuals to carry concealed handguns on campus, says faculty may want to "not 'go there' " to avoid creating a tense situation. This echoes concerns voiced by professors across the state that allowing guns into the classroom will limit academic freedoms and inhibit discussion of sometimes touchy subjects.
***
In between rallies in Kennesaw and Sandy Springs on Tuesday, Ohio Gov. John Kasich had a sit-down with Lori Geary of Channel 2 Action News. The lagging GOP presidential candidate said he had no intention of becoming Donald Trump's running mate.
“I have the second best job in America, the governor of Ohio. I don't shoot for No. 2. This is what I wanted to do. My calling is not to be a vice president,” he said.
***
No surprise, but Mike Griffin, lobbyist for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, has a favored GOP presidential candidate, according to his Facebook page:
"I stand with Georgia Right to Life and their endorsement of Ted Cruz for President. I had an opportunity to be apart of interviewing Ted last May when I worked for them. I am thankful for his stand for Life!"
***
Speaking of Ted Cruz, we mentioned Tuesday that he had put down a $400,000 TV buy in metro Atlanta, extending through next Tuesday's primary vote. We now know he's also invested $30,000 in statewide radio ads.
***
With Jeb Bush's decision to drop out of the GOP presidential race, some very big Georgia endorsements are up for grabs. Both Attorney General Sam Olens and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle supported the former Florida governor. And, by process of elimination, so did Gov. Nathan Deal.
The governor is expected to stay neutral over the next week. A meeting between Deal and Ohio Gov. John Kasich was on the calendar for Tuesday, but we're told that it didn't come off.
That said, at his Sandy Springs rally, Kasich had kind words for the governor's school takeover plan. "We cannot let people keep their children in a school district where they aren't learning," he said.
***
Faith & Freedom Coalition of Georgia holds its annual legislative luncheon on Thursday. Gov. Nathan Deal will be there, as well as FFC founder Ralph Reed and Michael Boggs, the Georgia court of appeals judge rejected by the U.S. Senate for a federal district judgeship.
The one important figure missing from the list of speakers is House Speaker David Ralston, whom we're told was invited. Ralston's chamber now holds HB 757, a hybrid bill that once contained just the speaker's Pastor Protection Act. Now it also includes a Senate measure to shield individuals and religious organization from any government mandate that requires equal treatment for married same-sex couples.
***
We told you earlier that talk radio guy Michael Graham had taken out an ad in a Jackson County newspaper to solicit opposition to state Rep. Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson, who had made some unfortunate comments regarding the Ku Klux Klan's place in Southern history.
Graham says he's received enough response to host a "candidate training workshop" on Thursday night. He'll have a consultant, a media person and an election lawyer there to answer questions for anyone contemplating a run. Details can be found here.
***
The Georgia GOP went a ways toward righting the financial ship with a Presidents Day fundraiser last week. The cash-strapped party reported that more than 350 attendees helped the event collect more than $200,000.
"The Georgia Republican Party continues to build momentum as we head towards an historic election this fall," said former Rep. Jack Kingston, the party's fundraising chair.
Both parties are eyeing another big pay day next month during a week of qualifying, which requires candidates to pony up fees to run for office.
***
Republican presidential candidates have riled up the GOP base with promises to toughen up border security. But a new report shows the number of immigrants without legal status living in Georgia has plummeted. From our AJC colleague Jeremy Redmon:
The report does not say why the numbers have dropped. But a sharp reduction in arrivals from Mexico over the past 10 years has played a key role, according to the report, released last month. Nationwide, the number of immigrants without legal status from Mexico has dropped by 600,000 since 2010, from 6.6 million to 6 million. During that same timeframe in Georgia, the number has dropped by 15 percent, from 239,000 to 203,000.
The report does not say why the numbers have dropped. But a sharp reduction in arrivals from Mexico over the past 10 years has played a key role, according to the report, released last month. Nationwide, the number of immigrants without legal status from Mexico has dropped by 600,000 since 2010, from 6.6 million to 6 million. During that same timeframe in Georgia, the number has dropped by 15 percent, from 239,000 to 203,000.
***
The U.S. House will vote today on legislation sponsored by Cassville Republican Barry Loudermilk that would expand the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Our colleague Dan Klepal has a preview here:
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson has introduced a similar bill in the Senate, and spokeswoman Amanda Maddox said "we will work on getting it passed by the Senate once the companion measure clears the House."
***
Also happening today on Capitol Hill: House Republicans will mull several options for the budget blueprint being pitched by Roswell Republican Tom Price, the chairman of the Budget Committee, at a closed-door party meeting. Check out our profile of Price from Monday's paper, which outlines all of the intraparty divisions he's contending with on the budget.
About the Author
