Kemp declares state of emergency for Georgia, readying state crews, National Guard for snow and ice
ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp announced a state of emergency for all Georgia counties Thursday ahead of a winter storm expected to dump snow and sleet onto the northern third of the state starting Saturday, potentially encasing the land in a layer of ice. In an online...
Georgia lawmakers wrestle with removing ballot QR codes as required by law
ATLANTA — Georgia legislators and the state’s elections chief lacked a plan Wednesday to stop using computer QR codes for counting ballots before a July 1 deadline. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told a budget committee that the General Assembly hasn’t provided...
Former state representative pleads guilty to unemployment fraud
ATLANTA — Former state Rep. Karen Bennett, D-Stone Mountain, pleaded guilty in federal court to making false statements to fraudulently obtain $13,940 in federal emergency relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. “Bennett was...
Middle Georgia Senate race heads to a runoff between a Democrat and Republican
ATLANTA — A Democrat received the most votes in a special election for an open Middle Georgia state Senate seat on Tuesday but failed to avoid a runoff as five other candidates split the Republican vote. LeMario Brown, a Democrat and former Fort Valley councilman,...
Taxpayers in Georgia will now be able to get more money back for contributions to K-12 private school scholarships
ATLANTA — Georgians now have another way to give away money and get it all back when they support private school students in Georgia after Gov. Brian Kemp signed onto a federal tax credit program. The credit, established under President Donald Trump's One Big...
Democrats criticize Georgia US Senate challengers for end of health insurance subsidies
ATLANTA — Georgia Democrats blamed Republican U.S. Senate candidates for the expiration of Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies Tuesday, an opening 2026 salvo in the critical Senate race. The Democratic attack targeted the three Republicans in the race —...
Struggling Georgia timber industry could receive big tax break
ATLANTA — A proposed amendment to the Georgia Constitution would end sales taxes on timber, a major industry battered by mill closings and storms. House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration said a bipartisan group of legislators want to help protect “a cornerstone of the...
Georgia considers financial support for college students who need money most
ATLANTA -- Financially strapped college students in Georgia often must drop out for want of money for food and shelter, but their prospects could improve under a new initiative from Gov. Brian Kemp. The Republican governor, nearing the end of his second and final term...