After six sessions under the Gold Dome, longtime education advocate Stephen Owens says he's had enough.
Mr. Owens is stepping down from his position at the Georgia Budget Policy Institute, a nonprofit that supports increased education funding.
The outgoing education director spoke to Politically Georgia on Tuesday about his next steps.
“I'm currently the director of policy and advocacy for Brown's Promise,” Owens said. “(This is) a new organization under the Southern Education Foundation that works on school integration.”
It's time to say goodbye, die
Today is my last day at the Georgia Budget Policy Institute. I am very proud of the results I have achieved in the past 6 sessions that I have attended. Thank you for allowing me to join you in shaping a better Georgia for you.
— Dr. Stephen Owens (@StephenJOwens_) March 29, 2024
He says part of his decision to move on is due to “the darkening of the landscape in the Georgia General Assembly over the last few years.”
Owens, a Christian, wrote an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in which he said: It will bring peace of mind. ”
His resignation came on the heels of a particularly divisive session.
Owens cited the Georgia Senate's takeover of House Bill 1104 as a turning point for him. The bill was introduced by freshman state Rep. Omari Crawford.
Republicans took a Decatur Democrat's proposal to increase mental health support for athletes and turned it into a bill that would target transgender students using bathrooms or locker rooms that don't match their gender identity. .
Owens says policy-driven conversations have become rarer under the Gold Dome. “I feel like we lost a lot of members who were serious about their jobs,” he says. “And it's like, 'How can we feed red meat to the base's imagination?'”
The House ultimately blocked passage of HB 1104.
Still, Owens says, “At some point you're going to look at these and say, sure, the worst of the worst wasn't over the line.”
“But I can’t say that’s always going to be the case,” he says. “We need a Congress that pays attention to detail.”
Although Owens has now retired from his job in the Legislature, he says he is excited about Georgia education.
“I zoomed out,” he says. “I still have great faith in Georgia and the people of this great state.”
Wednesday's “Political Georgia”: Donald Trump returns to Georgia for a big fundraiser. Let's preview the event.
