Latest news with #SenateBill179
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Kemp's amended budget includes $50 million in school safety grants
ATLANTA (WJBF) – The Georgia Senate has given the green light on three legislative bills to improve school safety in the state. Georgia's Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones said these bills will build on school safety initiatives to keep both students and teachers safe. Just last week, Governor Brian Kemp signed the FY 2025 amended budget which allocates $50 million dollars for school safety grants. Senate Bill 17, or Ricky and Alyssa's Law, will require all Georgia schools to have mobile panic alarms to alert first responders. Senate Bill 61 will strengthen the state's law so attempted murders and terror acts towards schools by juveniles will be tried as adults. Senate Bill 179 will require transferring students to show their academic and disciplinary records to the new school within 10 days, and let the parents or guardian to know about the transfer within 5 days. Lawmakers are using the school shooting last year at Appalachee High School on how to strengthen safety. 'In this situation at Apalachee High School, that was not as appropriate as it could have been. Certainly the security officers limited the mortality related to that shooting,' said State Senator Ben Watson. State house lawmakers will review the bills in committee and may add changes to the legislation, but will have to do so before session ends up on April 4. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kentucky Senate passes bill creating nuclear energy grant program
Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Benton, said Kentucky is falling behind Tennessee and other states in nuclear energy development. (LRC Public Information, 2023 photo) The GOP-controlled Kentucky Senate unanimously passed a bill Friday that would create a grant program to support nuclear energy development in the state, building off the establishment last year of a research authority dedicated to studying and supporting nuclear energy. Senate Bill 179, sponsored by Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Paducah, would allow the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Authority housed at the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research to accept applications for grants supporting 'the entire nuclear energy ecosystem' in Kentucky. Grants for projects could include radioisotope production, the siting of nuclear facilities, nuclear waste storage and the enrichment of nuclear fuel. Carroll said on the Senate floor with the prospect of rising electricity demand from data centers and electric cars, Kentucky was falling behind in nuclear energy development compared to other states, mentioning Tennessee's investments in nuclear energy. He said his bill would 'again send that message to those in the industry that Kentucky is open for business when it comes to nuclear.' 'I want to make it clear this is not just nuclear reactors within the commonwealth. It's the entire ecosystem,' Carroll said. 'All the industry that comes along with that, we want that in our commonwealth. It will help to build our economy and it will help to supply our energy needs.' A bill that became law sponsored by Carroll last year established the nuclear energy authority. Its membership includes representatives from utilities, local and state officials and a representative for environmental interests. Of the $20 million in state funds going each fiscal year to the authority, $10 million of that would be allowed to be used for grants under SB 179. Each grant would be no larger than $2 million. Sen. David Yates, D-Louisville, said the concept of nuclear energy can make some nervous, but a part of their job as elected officials is to educate the public on 'all the precautions and the research' that has been put in place.'
