[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6099748,"mediaKeyId","2816251-567d19e5ce5b073d926aed743ca737df","parentId",2816251,"title","House backs lowering equalization threshold for school funding; bill includes rollback penalty","audioSeconds",421,"startMs",5544000,"endMs",5965000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2816251-567d19e5ce5b073d926aed743ca737df&start=5544&end=5965","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2816251-567d19e5ce5b073d926aed743ca737df/thumbnail_5544000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6099748/Georgia/House-backs-lowering-equalization-threshold-for-school-funding-bill-includes-rollback-penalty","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6099748-d14bc6000474bb5bda7665b48823d9ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1774933046&Signature=kKlj7gEXPuKRjClcVJT~D9mCRJ6Pdz42d9dMvCC~UVdfwAs8EIbboTvnq30aFuw~-IkEa3g-DIR9oYcNoInGegyI9VDtdcgY5GtCVsP~lzI~719z8Qbot9g05wxaIloUn3xQ8SoaDrLVoLquYB0tY9diplnC7gPP1TNZr2AEYBoigZB~hJAMlbNELKQsp~jwpbdXD3xsb4b5-OAROv~h~LEJPDH6kIiC37RH80pI4t~v7cBjqQkWdQybUsIIMcfhb8WiVo6nKjL76dklT1DA83xB68HnTk74O4SO0dAXpkyMzGLGCp0F90lc4to0y~N9E-KS6gALyIufuS533K-HBg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgia State Legislature ","date","2025-03-28T00:00:00Z","article","The Georgia House voted Friday to pass Senate Bill 44, a measure that lowers the threshold for equalization eligibility and adds a penalty provision for school systems that reduce millage below the new threshold.

Representative Cannon, presenting the bill, said the measure lowers the equalization eligibility threshold from 14 mills to 10 mills but does not change the underlying equalization or Quality Basic Education (QBE) formulas. Cannon said the bill does not require local systems to roll back millage but would permit a local system that receives equalization to roll back over time to a new minimum threshold of 10 mills if it chooses.

The sponsor also described an added penalty provision: a local system that later reduces millage below 10 mills would face a 25% penalty on their equalization funding.

Representative Martin registered concerns on the floor, saying the QBE funding formula is complex and that changing one pillar of the formula without a comprehensive review could produce inequities among counties with different tax bases. Martin asked for a larger review of the QBE formula rather than an isolated change to the equalization threshold.

After debate the House passed the bill by roll call; the clerk recorded 138 yeas and 23 nays. The bill had passed the House in an earlier form the prior year and cleared committee earlier in the day.

Why it matters

Equalization funding affects school systems’ state aid and local tax policy. Supporters said lowering the eligibility threshold expands access to equalization; opponents cautioned that piecemeal changes to funding formulas can produce unintended consequences and urged a comprehensive review.

Ending

The House’s passage sends the proposal to the Senate; members who raised concern said they want a broader review of QBE and the state’s approach to school funding.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Legislative Day 37 | 2025 Legislative Session | 03/28/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The House passed Senate Bill 44, which lowers the equalization eligibility threshold for school funding from 14 mills to 10 mills and adds a penalty for systems that roll back millage below 10, with a recorded vote of 138–23.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Georgia , Georgia","taxId",77688,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6099753,"Georgia House agrees to substitute clarifying in vitro fertilization language unanimously",209,4792000,5001000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2816251-567d19e5ce5b073d926aed743ca737df&start=4792&end=5001","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2816251-567d19e5ce5b073d926aed743ca737df/thumbnail_4792000.jpg","/articles/6099753/Georgia/Georgia-House-agrees-to-substitute-clarifying-in-vitro-fertilization-language-unanimously","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6099753-575cdce5fc927420f963e0745e59bf0c/orig.mp4?Expires=1774933046&Signature=k5l2KAXJozWP7BMteTU8-S9-NVQdqKorp9xol~vHz99fSnY23saC6TgO5qLyJki9hxRnrAWirMvgTwG-WCmJsmuFkogBGD9sXiD2gTYCTBmuWEc3JFLIQ2pHhCRfKmo26mY02rKd7jOrasm2MIjBeERsMB2LsowAlMfWMT~W3MboQB-PQuyHma8xwwesACXttFlQ9BzXlPPf-5n0vWtS1Gek9UEC~1gYjQ5fd-Kjr8bFxFsA2hb3s9nRF4CmUROqMez403SWoY2sRYdcDQE9D9P0ECH3rP98IKQKvDs6vIbBHkQ2QsUXCfzHjO3fu7d1dZHxg8aoawd15UwEhy12vA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia House on Friday agreed unanimously to a Senate substitute for House Bill 428, a measure described on the floor as clarifying legal language related to in vitro fertilization.

Representative Leaman Franklin, the bill’s House sponsor, told members the Senate substitute makes minor drafting changes intended to clarify that the statute moves from referencing embryos in the singular to plural and replaces phrasing so the law “not to prohibit or prevent an individual from obtaining, vitro fertilization.” Franklin said the edits were technical and did not change the underlying effect described to members.

Representative Park Cannon questioned why the draft repeatedly used the word “female” when discussing genitalia; Franklin said the wording reflected the original drafting and he had left it in the bill. Franklin characterized the changes as clarifications and yielded the floor for questions before the recorded roll call.

On the clerk’s roll call the House agreed to the Senate substitute by a recorded vote of 160–0.

Why it matters

The bill was presented as a statutory clarification regarding in vitro fertilization. On the floor, the sponsor emphasized that the substitute contained only wording adjustments; no other policy changes were described during the debate.

Ending

With the unanimous House agreement to the Senate substitute, the measure advances in the legislative process. The transcript records the sponsor’s explanation and the roll-call tally.","The House agreed 160–0 to a Senate substitute to House Bill 428, which revises language related to in vitro fertilization so statutes will not prohibit or prevent individuals from obtaining IVF.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6099757,"Georgia House approves tougher fentanyl trafficking penalties after hours of debate",2328,6428000,8756000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2816251-567d19e5ce5b073d926aed743ca737df&start=6428&end=8756","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2816251-567d19e5ce5b073d926aed743ca737df/thumbnail_6428000.jpg","/articles/6099757/Georgia/Georgia-House-approves-tougher-fentanyl-trafficking-penalties-after-hours-of-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6099757-61a66e30195c7c9fb5ed5066b87cd570/orig.mp4?Expires=1774933046&Signature=h84-un8OJtqpX3JTUa6gPVUfUYsnn~MXLaCec8yEf8H6O1hlLac2MdisnIXIHpQqqGReszDs-2kmW21PNr03ri7TOKUBpyBQMmq0zcoGxT4rJbsYG19x4vQ8xaKsgaRmwbvD0EbVjYrPJ-0yaAi9Gv538w9c6auA03Etjdshbdlw1i8oThtcMweNsbqLCTmjqhmYTz4U9bakD35KwCxvC0UFx9rSVsxTcaokKiHcpfUDb3ZTQldai99d3qlO-eBx6~fcr9NiuXbki1ace6ItMP-iatGL7HVHReqluvPRth6V9rL~LD5ol0EGSNPP~f~92nirOhV9V6R1-TIOJa5Puw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia House on Friday approved a measure that raises trafficking thresholds and mandatory minimums for fentanyl-related offenses, following more than an hour of debate on the role of mandatory sentences in drug policy.

Supporters said stiffer penalties are needed to curb an opioid threat that has killed thousands; opponents urged caution about mandatory minimums and urged alternative, evidence-based responses.

Sponsor Representative James Burchett, who spoke as the bill’s House presenter, said the strength of fentanyl makes the penalties necessary and repeatedly cited the substance’s lethality. “This amount right here would kill everybody in this chamber,” Burchett said while holding a prop he said illustrated how small a lethal quantity can be. Burchett described the bill as strengthening trafficking penalties tied to weight and purity and said the measure includes a limited mechanism for courts to depart from mandatory minimums under certain conditions.

The bill drew extended opposition focused on its mandatory minimums. Representative Scott Holcomb said: “But the reason why I oppose this bill is because of the mandatory minimums.” Holcomb urged lawmakers to prioritize interventions that raise the probability of detection and invest in prevention and treatment, saying mandatory minimums do not deter crime and risk long sentences that courts cannot tailor.

Other members who spoke included Representative Tran, who emphasized local overdose counts and the effect on teenagers, and Chairman Tyler Paul Smith, who described personal experience with early fentanyl cases while working in a district attorney’s office.

After debate the House adopted the committee substitute and passed the bill 131–31. Members then voted 99–62 to immediately transmit the bill to the Senate. The clerk recorded the passage and the return-transmittal votes on the floor.

Votes at a glance

- Senate Bill 79 (fentanyl trafficking penalties): Passed 131–31; immediate transmittal approved 99–62.
- House Bill 428 (in vitro fertilization rights; agree to senate substitute): Agreed to 160–0.
- Senate Bill 180 (high-demand apprenticeship program technical colleges): Passed 158–0.
- Senate Bill 245 (grandparents’ visitation revisions): Passed 160–1.
- Senate Bill 44 (equalization grant threshold for school funding): Passed 138–23.
- Senate Bill 147 (reentry documents for inmates): Passed 163–0.
- House Bill 584 (move certain regulated facilities oversight from DCH to DBHDD): House agreed to senate substitute 163–0.
- Local calendar (multiple local homestead-exemption bills): Passed 160–0.
- House motion disagreeing to Senate amendment on House Bill 86 and immediate transmittal back to the Senate: House disagreed and transmitted (floor action recorded).

Why it matters

Fentanyl-related overdoses have driven a large share of the recent rise in drug deaths across the country; supporters said enhanced trafficking penalties will remove large-scale distributors and deter organized importation. Opponents countered that mandatory minimums are poor public policy, that they do not deter and can overburden courts and corrections, and that prevention, treatment and detection must be prioritized.

What the bill does (as described on the floor)

- Raises trafficking thresholds and increases mandatory minimum ranges as amounts increase (sponsor described stepped penalties including multi-year mandatory terms at higher weight tiers).
- Includes a statutory mechanism allowing judicial departure from mandatory minimums where enumerated conditions are met.

What happened next

Following passage and immediate transmittal, the bill was sent to the Senate for its consideration. The House memorialized votes on the clerk’s roll; the transcript records the yeas and nays for both passage and immediate transmittal.

Ending

The floor debate illustrated the session’s broader tension between punitive and public-health approaches to the opioid crisis; supporters framed the bill as a necessary tool against deadly synthetic opioids, while opponents urged investment in prevention, testing and treatment and removal of mandatory minimums.

","The Georgia House passed Senate Bill 79 on Friday, increasing mandatory minimum penalties tied to amounts of fentanyl and creating enhanced trafficking thresholds. The measure passed 131–31 and was immediately transmitted to the Senate after a separate 99–62 vote on transmittal.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House backs lowering equalization threshold for school funding; bill includes rollback penalty

Georgia House agrees to substitute clarifying in vitro fertilization language unanimously

Georgia House approves tougher fentanyl trafficking penalties after hours of debate