Political shutdown fight over food stamps comes to Georgia
ATLANTA — The stalemate in Washington could cause gnawing hunger for more than a million Georgians starting Saturday, when federal funding for low-income food subsidies, informally referred to as food stamps, runs out. The administration of President Donald Trump has...
Several elections pending to fill vacant legislative seats, starting Tuesday
ATLANTA — Voters in the Lawrenceville area will fill an empty seat in the Georgia House of Representatives Tuesday, in the first of several elections to address recent vacancies in the General Assembly. The election to replace Shelly Hutchinson, the Democratic state...
A state representative steps down, creating another vacancy in the General Assembly
ATLANTA — Another Georgia lawmaker is stepping down, bringing to four the number of vacancies in the House and Senate. Rep. Marcus Wiedower, R-Watkinsville, announced Tuesday that he is resigning after six years in the House because the company he works for is growing...
Metro Atlanta transit payment system refresh coming soon
ATLANTA — People who take a train from the suburbs to downtown Atlanta for a ball game or a concert will soon encounter new fare gates updated for the smartphone era. MARTA announced Monday that it is installing new contactless fare equipment. New...
Lawmakers face conflicting calls to loosen, tighten regulation of hemp and marijuana
ATLANTA — Doctors gave Jennifer Conforti's little girl powerful drugs to help her live with profound autism. Abby, who is 15 now, was 3 when she was taking benzodiazepines to help with her reactions, such as biting the skin off her arm, Conforti said. The drugs were...
Georgia Supreme Court hears cases that could shape the future of roads, car sales and child custody
ATLANTA — The Georgia Supreme Court this week heard several cases, including two that could affect how cities design roadways and who gets to sell cars and another involving child custody with an unmarried couple. The roadway safety case stems from the death of a...
Public Service Commission critic arrested, charged with theft after public hearing
ATLANTA — A critic of the Republican-controlled Public Service Commission was arrested Tuesday on a felony count in connection with removal of documents from a public hearing room. Patricia Durand of Mableton, who three years ago ran as a Democrat for a seat on the...
Top Senate Republicans committed to cutting, even eliminating, state income tax
ATLANTA — The Georgia Senate will vote on another income tax cut next year, and the only question is how big, the chamber's budget-writing chief said Tuesday. "The plan is not to wait until after an election to put this bill on the floor of the Senate. The plan is to...
Foundation ranks Georgia near bottom for Medicare
ATLANTA — Georgia ranked near the bottom of a first-ever analysis of Medicare performance by a foundation that promotes access to quality health care. The new rankings by The Commonwealth Fund put Georgia in 42nd place out of 50 states and Washington, D.C. — behind...