Debra McClure | The Georgia Star News

Governor Brian Kemp Signs Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation

April 26, 2024April 25, 2024 Debra McClure

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed multiple anti-human trafficking bills into law on Wednesday to hold both “traffickers and buyers” accountable.

“For years Georgia was considered a hot spot for human trafficking,” said Governor Kemp in a press release on Wednesday, “but thanks to the GRACE Commission, under the leadership of First Lady Marty Kemp, we have established Georgia as a national leader in this fight by passing legislation that cracks down on both traffickers and buyers while also, and even more importantly, empowering survivors.”

Fulton County Sheriff Candidates Point to More Guards, Better Housing Needed to Stop Wave of Prison Inmate Deaths

April 22, 2024April 23, 2024 Debra McClure

Candidates running for Fulton County Sheriff told voters at an ACLU of Georgia “Know Your Sheriff” town hall event on Tuesday they plan to improve prison conditions through a combination of additional staff, increased scrutiny of incoming inmates, and upgraded housing. Suggestions come in the wake of a slew of deaths in the county’s prison system.

As part of the event, candidates completed a questionnaire to inform voters about their position on issues. One question asked, “Since 2022, over 20 people have died in the custody of the Fulton County Sheriff’s department. What plans do you have to improve the safety of the Fulton County Jail?”

Georgia U.S. Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene Blasts DHS Secretary Mayorkas: Probably the Best Business Partner Cartels Could Ever Have

April 22, 2024 Debra McClure

U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that he was “probably the best business partner” cartels “could ever have” in a hearing on Tuesday.

“Mr. Secretary…you’ve allowed the cartels to make billions and billions. As a matter of fact, you’re probably the best business partner they could ever have,” she said, and added, “They make all this money in human trafficking and drug trafficking at our border. You’ve allowed approximately 300 Americans to be murdered every single day from fentanyl that comes across our border….”

Cobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale Announces Removal of Inappropriate Books from Media Centers

April 21, 2024April 20, 2024 Debra McClure

Cobb County School District (CCSD) Superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced the removal of four books containing “lewd, “vulgar,” and “sexually explicit” content from school media centers in a Board of Education meeting Thursday night.

“Tonight, I am announcing that four additional books are being removed after having gone through our very thorough district process: ‘It Ends with Us,’ ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower,’ ‘Lucky,’ and ‘Thirteen Reasons Why.’ The review found all four of these books to contain lewd, vulgar, and sexually explicit and graphic content inappropriate for a public school,” Superintendent Ragsdale said during the meeting.

Georgia House Republicans ‘Take Postmaster General DeJoy to Task’ for State’s ‘Mail Service Delivery Breakdowns’ in Joint Letter

April 20, 2024April 19, 2024 Debra McClure

Georgia House Republicans criticized Postmaster General Louis DeJoy of the United States Postal Service (USPS) for “mail service delivery breakdowns” in the Peach State, demanding answers in a joint letter on Monday.

A press release on Rep. Barry Loudermilk’s (R-GA-11)website says that in the letter, Georgia lawmakers “take Postmaster General DeJoy to task and describe the many frustrations constituents are facing with the delays in delivery and receipt of their mail…” and want “answers to several questions regarding the mail service delivery breakdowns.”

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona Refuses to Define What a Woman Is When Asked by Georgia Representative

April 14, 2024April 13, 2024 Debra McClure

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona refused to define what a woman is during a committee meeting this week.

“I’m here to talk about the budget and if you’d have a question about the budget, I’d be happy to respond,” he said, in part.

‘Operation Ghost Busted’ Drug Dealer Sentence Among Highest for Two Overdose Fatalities in Georgia

April 8, 2024 Debra McClure

A Glynn County resident, sentenced to 20 years in federal prison as part of Operation Ghost Busted, pled guilty to trafficking the drugs responsible for two overdose fatalities.

32-year-old Jon Dillon Screen of Brunswick, Georgia, pled guilty to trafficking drugs, including the fentanyl that killed Screen’s girlfriend and a man from Brunswick.

Georgia Association of Educators Pushes Woke Social Justice Activist Curriculum

March 30, 2024March 29, 2024 Debra McClure

The Georgia Association of Educators is advancing far-left gender ideology, Critical Race Theory, and social justice activist curriculum for members of its organization.

The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), an affiliate of the National Educators Association (NEA), promotes racial justice education materials from various sources, including those offered by NEA, whose organization claims that racism is “systemic” and “is so deeply rooted in our history, culture and institutions that there’s no escaping it.”

Georgia Senate Passes Bill Defending Women’s Sports

March 29, 2024 Debra McClure

The Georgia Senate passed a bill protecting women’s sports by 33 to 21 on Tuesday that would prevent biological males from unfairly competing in women’s and K-12 girls’ sports. The bill awaits transfer to the House for continued discussion.

HB 1104 seeks to safeguard “students from harm” and maintain “competitive fairness” in school sports by requiring athletes to compete in activities based on the gender listed on their birth certificate. The bill states that local schools may have “separate teams for members of each sex where selection for such teams is based upon competitive skill, competitive fairness, student safety or the activity involved is a contact sport.”

Georgia Senate Passes Bill to Defund Sanctuary Cities

March 28, 2024March 27, 2024 Debra McClure

A bill to strengthen immigration enforcement and accountability passed the Georgia Senate by a vote of 33-18 last Thursday. HB 301 would remove funding from sanctuary cities refusing to follow immigration laws within the state. The bill awaits transfer to the House for further consideration.

The measure aims to hold officials accountable and allow local “governing bodies” to lose eligibility for “certain state and federal funds” when “the prohibition on immigration sanctuary policies” is violated.

Safeguarding Food and National Security, Georgia Advances Bill to Ban Foreign Adversaries from Purchasing Land

March 22, 2024March 22, 2024 Debra McClure

A bill placing sharp limits on the foreign ownership of Georgia farmland passed the State House by a vote of 97-67 Thursday. SB 420 would restrict certain nonresidents and business entities from purchasing farmland or land near military bases in Georgia. The bill now goes back to the Stae Senate for further consideration.

The bill specifies that certain individuals and business entities from a country “designated as a foreign adversary by the United States” would not be permitted to acquire “agricultural land or land within a ten-mile radius of any military base, military installation, or military airport.”

Georgia’s Private Schools Promote Activist Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resources

March 22, 2024March 21, 2024 Debra McClure

Some private Georgia schools continue to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion resources, featuring materials on white privilege, social justice, and racism that are made available to students, faculty, and parents.

Despite the recent backlash in Georgia public schools for using Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) content in classrooms, some private schools continue promoting books, articles, websites, workshops, and guest speakers in what many now call Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) programs.

Parental Rights Moves Forward in Georgia as House of Representatives Passes Georgia Promise Scholarship Act

March 16, 2024March 15, 2024 Debra McClure

The Georgia House of Representatives passed the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act on Thursday.

This act will give parents school vouchers of up to $6,500 per student. The vouchers would help students in low-performing districts receive funds to expand school choice options or purchase curricula for homeschooling.

Georgia Parental Rights Bill Runs Out of Time to Stop School Teachers and Counselors from Discussing Gender Issues

March 9, 2024March 8, 2024 Debra McClure

Georgia school teachers and counselors will continue to have free reign to talk to students about gender and gender identity issues without having to notify parents.

In a setback to supporters of parental rights, SB 88, also known as the Parents and Children Protection Act of 2023, missed the opportunity to advance legislation meant to restrict the ability of teachers and counselors to discuss gender issues without parental oversight.

Georgia State Senators Propose New Legislation to Address Illegal Immigration

March 2, 2024March 1, 2024 Debra McClure

State Senator Jason Anavitarte (R–Dallas), chairman of the Senate Majority Caucus, and State Senator Brian Strickland (R–McDonough), chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, proposed two new legislative initiatives that seek to change criminal procedures for individuals who illegally immigrate to Georgia. The new legislation aims to set strict bail hearing conditions and modify parole rules for illegal immigrants.

The first proposal would amend the Georgia Constitution to allow the Georgia General Assembly to ban parole or set specific parole limitations for illegal immigrants. The second piece of legislation is a bill that would define bail hearing conditions for illegal immigrants and for those considered to be removable or dismissible aliens charged with a felony punishable by up to a year or more in prison.

Author: Debra McClure