Latest news with #MarcusWiedower
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Crossover Day 2025: What bills to watch before crucial deadline
The Brief Crossover Day is the last day for legislation to pass either the state House or Senate and advance to the other legislative chamber for consideration this year. Among the proposals facing the Crossover Day deadline are a ban on DEI in schools, votes on online sports betting, and a tax cut for all Georgians. Other bills include creating a statue of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas near the Capitol and limiting how prosecutors can use lyrics in court. ATLANTA - It's a race against the clock for Georgia lawmakers under the Gold Dome on Thursday. Today is Crossover Day, the last day for legislation to pass either the state House or Senate and advance to the other legislative chamber for consideration this year. Dozens of bills are up for debate, including proposals to legalize sports betting, bans on DEI programs, and tax refunds. Here are some of the bills that will face the deadline on Thursday. Lawmakers in the House are considering a bill and resolution to allow Georgians to vote on whether the Peach State would become the latest state to allow online sports betting. Republican State Rep. Marcus Wiedower sponsored the legislation and said the revenue generated would be directed to the Georgia Lottery and support education initiatives and gambling addiction programs. "The National Championship was just here. We had the Super Bowl in 28. We have a lot of major sporting events that are going to come here," Wiedower told FOX 5. "A lot of people from around the world there to come to Georgia, and we're not addressing this." Opponents of the bill say they have a moral argument against gambling and point to its addictive nature. A Georgia Senate bill to formally ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the state's public schools is going to the Senate floor for a vote. If passed, schools that violate the proposed rules would risk losing both state funds and federally managed funds distributed by the state. State Sen. Marty Harbin, R-Tyrone, the bill's sponsor, has argued DEI initiatives have evolved beyond their original purpose, turning into ideological filters that suppress free speech, emphasize group identity over individual merit, and foster division rather than unity. Senate Democrats have called the bill an assault on diversity and American values. Two bills in the House could mean some tax relief for most Georgians. House Bill 111 would reduce the state income tax rate for individuals and corporations. House Bill 112 would provide another income tax refund for Georgians who filed taxes in 2023 and 2024. HB 111 would accelerate tax cuts originally approved in 2022, while HB 112 could return more than $2 billion to taxpayers across the state. Both bills are key legislative priorities for Gov. Brian Kemp, who announced his plans for another tax rebate in October. If Georgia House Bill 237 passes, prosecutors would have to prove to a judge that artistic works like song lyrics are relevant before they can be used in court. A Democratic lawmaker sponsored a similar bill last year. It did not pass. This current bill has support from both Democrats and Republicans. State Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton, who sponsors the bill, argued that artists should be free to express themselves without the worry of state censorship. "First Amendment rights are First Amendment rights," Carpenter said. "If they're always living in fear of what they say and how it may come back on them, they're not really able to express themselves." Lawmakers in the House are pushing for a new bill that would compensate individuals who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated, aiming to help them rebuild their lives after years behind bars for crimes they did not commit. Georgia is one of only 11 states that does not have a formal system in place to compensate innocent individuals after wrongful incarceration. The bipartisan bill, sponsored by State Representatives Katie Dempsey and Scott Holcomb, would create a judicial process for awarding compensation. One bill that's expected to be fiercely debated is SB 242, which would erect a statue to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas near the Georgia Capitol. Lawmakers say no public funds would be used for the design or creation of the monument, which would be located at the Nathan Deal Judicial Center in Atlanta. Similar proposals to honor Thomas have been proposed in recent years, but none were able to pass. The Source Information for this story came from previous FOX 5 reporting and the Georgia Legislature's website.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia misses out on millions from Super Bowl due to sports betting ban
The Brief As hundreds of thousands of people placed bets on the Super Bowl, analysts say Georgia is missing out on millions they could get from legalizing and taxing sports betting. The cybersecurity group GeoComply estimates Georgia could be getting $120 million annually from legalizing sports betting. State Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-Dist. 121) is planning to bring a new bill to the legislature that would only legalize online sports betting. He says the funds from this measure would go toward education and helping those with a gambling addiction. Opponents of legalizing sports betting in Georgia, like the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, say the move would increase the rates of gambling addiction in the state. Experts say Super Bowl Sunday is the single biggest day for online sports betting in the U.S. But the practice is still illegal in Georgia and advocates for legalization say the state is missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue. At Stats Brewpub in downtown Atlanta, couple Louise Gericke and Matt Cox find themselves on opposing sides of the year's biggest sporting event, but that doesn't mean they still can't enjoy watching it together. What they're saying "We just don't talk about it until the game's done," Gericke said while laughing. Gericke said she wanted to bet on her team, the Philadelphia Eagles, but it's not legal in Georgia, so she had to get creative. "I placed a bet on the Eagles, but through my friend in Colorado, so hopefully I wind up winning!" she said. Click to open this PDF in a new window. Data from cybersecurity company GeoComply shows she's far from the only one who wishes they could bet on sports in Georgia. "Just this past NFL season we saw over 300,000 accounts alone in Georgia," said John Pappas, senior advisor at GeoComply. Click to open this PDF in a new window. The company makes sure people can only place online bets where it's legal. Pappas also shared data showing a large amount of people in Georgia crossing the border into Tennessee to place bets. What we know Pappas says according to their data, Georgia is missing out on a lot of money. "Estimates look at in a mature legal market in Georgia, the annual tax revenue for the state would be somewhere around $112-115 million annually," Pappas said. State Representative Marcus Wiedower plans to introduce a bill in the state legislature seeking to legalize sports betting, but only through online platforms. "I'll be introducing a constitutional amendment that would specifically just allow for online sports betting only. No brick and mortars, no casinos, horse racing kiosks, just online sports betting only," Rep Wiedower said. He says this constitutional amendment would have the revenue going into the Georgia Lottery, which helps fund education in the state. And he said a portion would go towards helping with gambling addiction. "We are allowing for up to $20 million a year to go towards problem gaming efforts," Wiedower said. Pappas says their data shows only those trying to gamble legally. So, the people who are actually betting on sports in Georgia is likely to be much higher. "We know that the illegal market is still very big in the U.S., particularly in states like Georgia, where they know they have a captive audience," Pappas said. Wiedower says his main objective with this bill is to try and curb illegal gambling in the state. "We're not doing anything to promote the gambling. We're merely trying to bring the people that are participating into the legal market, provide guardrails and regulation for it," Wiedower said. The other side Certain lawmakers in Georgia have tried to legalize sports betting in Georgia since 2019, when it was federally legalized. But groups like the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and Moms Against Gambling have opposed these measures from the start and continue to oppose it. They said they're worried doing this would increase rates of gambling addiction. "What we're going to see is it will exponentially make things worse. It's going to increase addiction, and we've already seen that addiction rates increase the potential of suicide rates," said Mike Griffin, Public Affairs Representative for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. He acknowledged that many in Georgia are gambling illegally, but he says that's no reason to legalize it. "The Lord only knows what all is happening in our state that's illegal. That all doesn't need to be made legal," Griffin said. What's next If Rep. Wiedower's bill does pass this legislative session, it would mean the constitutional amendment would go onto the November ballot. If it gets passed by voters, then it likely wouldn't go into effect until 2027. The Source Information for this story was provided by GeoComply and from interviews conducted by FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Eric Mock.
