Calvin Hill: Budget Gives Over $289 Million in New Funds to Education

State Rep. Calvin Hill made the claim during two town hall meetings held in Cherokee County last weekend.

Calvin Hill: Budget Gives Over $289 Million in New Funds to Education

State Rep. Calvin Hill made the claim during two town hall meetings held in Cherokee County over the weekend.

More money will be set aside for education funding in the state's fiscal year 2014 budget, according to one Cherokee County state legislator. State Rep. Calvin Hill (R-Hickory Flat) said on Saturday that with state revenues growing by 3 percent, over $289 million in "new funds" have been assigned to education funding in the upcoming budget. Hill made the assertion in two town hall meetings he held with State Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta). Both men met with residents at the Hickory Flat Public Library and Ball Ground City Hall.  Hill stated House Bill 106 gave $146.5 million to fully fund Quality Basic Education, or QBE, growth from 1.4 percent for over 23,000 students. He also said the state increased equalization grants by $38.3 …

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Should the Georgia Legislature Take Up Gun Rights in 2014?

The Georgia General Assembly was not able to pass a sweeping firearms bill that would have allowed gun owners to carry in churches, bars and on school campuses.

A proposal that would have allowed firearms to be carried in churches, college campuses and in bars died on the vine as the 2013 legislative session ended on Thursday. House Bill 512, which garnered much support across the state, sailed through the Georgia House of Representatives. However, its upper chamber counterpart, Senate Bill 101, could not muster enough support to pass before the close of the session. The issue over whether or not to allow firearms on the state's nearly 50 colleges and university campuses brought down the bill. However, supporters of the bill and the campus carry provision are confident the bill will return in 2014.

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Gun Bill Dies in General Assembly

Although the legislation was not voted on before the end of the Georgia General Assembly's legislative session ended Thursday, it may be proposed again in 2014.

The bill that would have allowed firearms to be carried in churches, college campuses, and bars died on the vine at the end of the 2013 Georgia General Assembly legislative session. House Bill 512 easily made it through the State House of Representatives, notably with the support of all Cherokee County legislators in the lower house. Canton's Mandi Ballinger, Woodstock's Michael Caldwell, Marietta's John Carson, Hickory Flat's Calvin Hill, and Holly Springs' Scot Turner voted to support the measure. "Private property owners should be allowed to decide for themselves whether or not to allow guns on their property and not have that decision made for them by government mandate," said Ballinger in a press release last month regarding her yes …

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Guns at Churches, Bars? Cherokee Legislators Say Yes

Georgia State House members who represent Cherokee County all voted in favor of sweeping changes designed to ease gun regulations in Georgia.

Guns at Churches, Bars? Cherokee Legislators Say Yes

Georgia State House members who represent Cherokee County all voted in favor of sweeping changes designed to ease gun regulations in Georgia.

The Georgia House of Representatives by a 2 to 1 margin on Thursday passed a bill that would relax gun regulations in the state, and Cherokee's Republican state legislators in the lower house voted in lockstep in favor of those changes. House Bill 512, which passed with a 117-56 vote, would allow gun owners with a valid Georgia weapons carry license to take firearms in bars, churches, some areas of colleges and universities and onto some unsecured government properties. State Representatives Mandi Ballinger of Canton, Michael Caldwell of Woodstock, John Carson of Marietta, Calvin Hill of Hickory Flat and Scot Turner of Holly Springs, all voted in favor of the legislation.  Tell us: do you support expanding the right to carry firearms in …

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Canton Leaders Closely Monitor Cell Tower Bill

A bill gathering steam in the Georgia General Assembly that would shorten the time local governments can consider cell tower applications is being monitored by local leaders.

While the city of Canton has no formal plans to announce opposition to a bill that would shorten the time local cities and counties can review cell tower applications, its leaders are keeping a close eye on House Bill 176. The legislation would give local governments a 150-day window to consider approving or rejecting a cell tower application. If the application hasn't been decided on within the 150 days, the tower would automatically be approved.  The bill, formally titled the Mobile Broadband Infrastructure Leads to Development (BILD) Act, last week was approved by the Georgia House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee, chaired by the bill's chief sponsor East Cobb Republican State Representative Don Parsons. Parsons …

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Turner Introduces Bill To Clean Up Residency Requirements for Candidates

State Rep. Scot Turner wants to clean up language that stipulates how long a person must live in a district before seeking to run for office.

Newly elected State Representative Scot Turner has introduced his first bill in the Georgia General Assembly. House Bill 436 "addresses a flaw in the current code and would allow local legislation to create a 12 month residency requirement," he wrote on his Facebook page. "This would prevent someone from moving into an area days before qualifying and then run for elected office," he added. The bill, which is also co-sponsored by Rep. Calvin Hill (R-Hickory Flat) and Rep. Michael Caldwell (R-Woodstock), allows local counties and cities to create a 12-month residency requirement for anyone seeking public office in their county or cities. The bill would exclude candidates for judicial office.  Turner said the bill would clean up some …

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Sen. Brandon Beach, Rep. Calvin Hill Want To Hear From The Public

Rep. Calvin Hill and Sen. Brandon Beach will hold a town hall meeting in March for Cherokee County residents.

Both State Rep. Calvin Hill (R-Hickory Flat) and State Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) will host a town hall meeting in two locations in March. Both legislators will meet with Cherokee County residents at 9 a.m. Saturday March 2 at the Hickory Flat Public Library and at 10:30 a.m. at Ball Ground City Hall. Ball Ground City Hall is located at 215 Valley Street.  The legislators will discuss the 2013 legislative session and take comments and questions from residents.

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