From pennies to protests, new Georgia laws alter penalties, programs and protections
ATLANTA — New state laws take effect Wednesday, bringing new mandates that will change life for Georgians in both obvious and unseen ways. The laws that were passed this year and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp will affect everything from health and housing to safety and...
New state senator fills vacancy, restores Senate to capacity
ATLANTA — The Georgia Senate is back to full capacity after Adrienne White Carden was sworn in to represent the 7th District in Gwinnett County, the state Senate announced Monday. The Democrat won the special election to succeed Nabilah Parkes, also a Democrat, on...
Atlanta ready to handle diseases if World Cup crowds bring them
ATLANTA — As Ebola rages in the Democratic Republic of Congo, that country's national team will play a World Cup match in Georgia Saturday. The odds of the disease reaching Atlanta are remote given international travel restrictions, but if it did, few other places...
Kemp signs elections bill, locking in QR code voting machines for November
ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation into law Thursday that delays the July 1 ban on the use of QR codes in Georgia's voting machines. His signature postpones the prohibition until Jan. 1, 2028, giving lawmakers more time to adopt new election procedures....
Feds bust ring that allegedly flew drugs, weapons into prisons
ATLANTA -- They were allegedly flying to help prisoners get high and to maybe escape, but now nine people, all but one from Macon, are behind bars themselves after federal agents arrested them in connection with delivering drugs, phones and weapons into prisons from...
Lawmakers go home with more campaign fodder, few results
The 2026 special session of the Georgia General Assembly may be remembered more for what did not happen than for what did. Gov. Brian Kemp called lawmakers back to the Capitol mainly to complete work they had left unfinished during their regular session last winter...
Lawmakers go home after postponing changes to election system
ATLANTA — Georgians should continue voting with the same machines they have been using for years until a new system can be acquired in 2028, lawmakers decided before ending their special session Tuesday. In largely partisan votes by the state House and Senate,...
Legislature kills sales tax for property tax swap
ATLANTA — Democrats in the Legislature on Monday closed the door on Republican proposals to implement new local sales taxes to offset homeowner property tax bills. On the fourth day of their special session, Republicans got a redo of a vote Saturday that nixed the tax...