Bill banning mining near Okefenokee resurfaces in General Assembly
ATLANTA - A South Georgia lawmaker has introduced legislation into the General Assembly aimed at banning surface mining near the Okefenokee Swamp. House Bill 71 is being sponsored by state Rep. Darlene Taylor, R-Thomasville, who backed a similar bill last year that...
Republicans introduce increase in tax credits for private school scholarships into General Assembly
ATLANTA - Georgia House Republicans are backing legislation that would increase the statewide cap on income tax credits offered to donors to a fund that provides private school scholarships. House Bill 54, introduced by state Rep. John Carson, R-Marietta, would raise...
Media coalition seeks release of grand jury findings on Trump’s role in Georgia’s 2020 election
ATLANTA - A lawyer for a coalition of media outlets asked a Fulton County judge Tuesday to release the final report of a special purpose grand jury that investigated then-President Donald Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia....
GBI: Activist fatally shot after wounding state trooper bought gun legally
ATLANTA - The 26-year-old activist shot to death by law enforcement in Atlanta last week legally purchased the gun he used to shoot a state trooper, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported Monday. Manuel Esteban Paez Teran was shot last Wednesday at the site of...
Rules vote to mark milestone for medical cannabis in Georgia
ATLANTA - Georgia’s long-delayed medical marijuana program is about to take off, despite a spate of unresolved lawsuits from companies that lost out in the bidding for licenses. The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission is expected to vote Jan. 25 on rules...
Talmadge Bridge project in Savannah gets green light
ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Transportation is moving forward with its first project involving a new contracting option the General Assembly authorized two years ago. The State Transportation Board voted Thursday to proceed with a plan to replace the cables on...
State House Speaker Burns undecided on many issues entering first session at helm
ATLANTA - New Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns is taking a wait-and-see approach toward some key issues the General Assembly is being asked to consider during his first legislative session in the chamber’s top post. Burns, R-Newington, said he’s waiting to see how a...
Georgia women’s prison to be downsized, inmates to transfer to former federal lockup
ATLANTA— The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) plans to significantly downsize the largest women’s prison in Georgia and replace most of its capacity with a new prison. The Lee Arrendale State Prison, located in Habersham County, has a 1,476-inmate capacity....