ATLANTA- Lawmakers at the Georgia state capitol are focused on combating Georgia’s gangs — and want a million dollars from the state budget to tackle it. 

Tuesday, State Representative Carl Gilliard introduced a new house bill to create a prevention plan for at risk youth. The bill would create a gang task force so multiple agencies could work together and solve the state’s gang problems, and repeal older conflicting laws.

They say gang members are targeting kids as young as elementary schools using social media — to give them a sense of belonging.

Lawmakers say gangs are not a race problem, but stem from poverty.

“Georgia has a defining problem.  It’s not just a black problem or a white problem.

We have to be at the point where we are tired of going to funerals, and tired of visiting people that are incarcerated.  The number of young people being recruited at PRE-K schools and the number of illegal guns going in pre-K schools,” said Rep. Carl Gilliard, (D) from Garden City in the Savannah area.

Georgia can count 1500 gangs and 71,000 gang members. House Bill 883 now goes to a study committee and a hearing before it’s introduced into the House and Senate.