Republican gubernatorial candidate Eric Johnson wants to require public school systems across Georgia to determine legal citizenship of students. Why? “So we can determine how many illegal immigrants we are providing an education for and then sue the federal government for compensation,” Johnson said.

The longtime state lawmaker from Savannah said that while he is a strong advocate for the public schools in Georgia, he wants to let education dollars follow students to schools of their choice.

“Public or private, secular or religious. It’s controversial, but the free market system will do more to drive up salaries for good teachers and improve the effectiveness of the public schools in this state,” said Johnson.

Johnson said getting Georgians back to work

was the No. 1 issue. He is proposing removing the sales tax on energy used in manufacturing, which he says costs Georgia jobs. He also wants to restructure the state’s tax code to ensure that it is simple, neutral to business activity and pro-growth.

Johnson, an architect from Savannah, said he wants to put Georgians back to work by providing aid for projects such as “water reservoirs, sewage treatment plants, the infrastructure that the private sector needs to grow and prosper,” Johnson said.

Through the March 31 campaign-reporting period, Johnson had raised $1.9 million for his gubernatorial bid, third among the GOP candidates behind John Oxendine ($2.2 million) and Nathan Deal ($2.0 million).

Johnson was in Rome Thursday for a meeting with local business leaders at the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce, where he talked about the recent shift in the gubernatorial race.

“People are now asking who can be governor,” Johnson said at the Chamber. “It’s not about who can beat Oxendine or Barnes.”

Former Gov. Roy Barnes is a candidate in the Democratic primary.

Other Republicans in the primary field are Karen Handel, Jeff Chapman, Ray McBerry and Otis Putnam.