Georgia House passes bill to let pharmacists dispense birth control without prescriptions
ATLANTA — Women could get birth control drugs directly from pharmacies without needing a doctor’s prescription, according to a bill that cleared the Georgia House on Wednesday. The proposal would expand availability of contraceptives in Georgia, where state law bans...
Georgia House passes bill to ban nondisclosure agreements about child sexual abuse
ATLANTA — The Georgia House of Representatives passed legislation that would void any lawsuit settlements that seek to silence victims of childhood sexual abuse. The bill, called Trey’s Law, is named for Trey Carlock, a child who was sexually abused at a Missouri...
Georgia House votes to limit charges for ambulance rides
ATLANTA — Accident victims who have insurance would be able to worry a little less about the cost of an ambulance ride under legislation approved by the Georgia House Wednesday. House Bill 961 would require that insurers bill their customers the same whether or not...
Georgia lawmakers advance legislation to punish protesters who get in the way
ATLANTA — Protesters became a target of Georgia lawmakers this week as both the state House and Senate passed legislation to enhance punishment against people who get in the way of police or of drivers. "The danger is real," said Rep. Ginny Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs,...
Republicans in Georgia House fail first attempt at property tax cuts
ATLANTA — The Georgia House of Representatives rejected a proposal to nearly eliminate homeowner property taxes. The Republican-driven measure would have put a constitutional amendment to voters. To get on the ballot, it required support from some Democrats to win the...
Georgia senators seek increased fine for blocking roads
ATLANTA — The Georgia Senate adopted legislation Tuesday that would increase the fine for protesting in streets. Senate Bill 443 started as a measure that would have allowed felony charges against protesters who block roads. But the author, Sen. Carden Summers,...
State House declines proposal for regulating psychedelic therapy clinics
ATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers declined to tighten regulations for clinics that administer Ketamine and other drugs used for psychedelic therapy, but the debate is not over yet. The 73-88 vote against House Bill 717 on the House floor Tuesday was a rejection of a request...
Georgia’s youngest lawmaker hopes to implement ‘foundational change’ this legislative session
At 22, Georgia Rep. Akbar Ali, D-Lawrenceville, is the state’s youngest lawmaker. Whether he was organizing climate marches in high school or rechartering the Gwinnett Young Democrats, Ali has long been civically engaged. The driving force behind Ali’s desire to...
Republican state senators push changes to Georgia voting machines
ATLANTA — Georgia Senate Republicans pushed last-minute amendments to the state's election procedures through a committee hearing Monday in an effort to meet their self-imposed deadline to use hand-marked ballots this year. Critics noted that the two-year delay since...