Capitol Beat

Georgia. Politics.

Another GOP contender joins Georgia race for U.S. Senate

ATLANTA - John King, Georgia's insurance commissioner, has joined the Republican primary election in hopes of unseating Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff next year. Gov. Brian Kemp's announcement last week that he would not be running for the Senate opened the door...

Kemp signs bill targeting foreign adversaries

ATLANTA - Gov. Brian Kemp and his allies in the General Assembly say they're determined to prevent foreign adversaries from doing business with state agencies. Toward that end, Kemp signed legislation Friday requiring the Georgia Technology Authority to establish and...

State eyeing Atlanta-to-Savannah passenger rail line

ATLANTA - By the middle of the next decade, Georgians may be able to travel between Atlanta and Savannah by high-speed rail, avoiding traffic and expensive air fares. The state Department of Transportation has launched a study of the feasibility of connecting the two...

Kemp signs $37.7 billion state budget

ATLANTA - Gov. Brian Kemp signed a $37.7 billion fiscal 2026 state budget Friday, a spending plan that prioritizes education and prisons. "(This) budget makes important investments to meet the needs of our growing state without growing government or adding to our...

State shifts control over charter school approvals

ATLANTA - Educators who want to open a charter school will have an expedited process under new rules adopted by the state school board Thursday. The board overhauled its rule that controls the charter school petition process, shifting much of the authority from the...

Buddy Carter early Republican entrant to U.S. Senate race

ATLANTA - U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island, has become the first Republican to jump into next year's U.S. Senate race following term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp's decision to pass on the contest. Carter announced his candidacy Thursday with a 30-second video ad...

Work begins on Georgia Power battery storage systems

ATLANTA - Construction is underway on battery energy storage systems (BESS) at four locations across the state, Georgia Power officials announced Wednesday. The state Public Service Commission voted late last year to certify the four projects, which will add 765...