Mental health system overhaul clears Georgia Senate committee
Georgia Sen. Ben Watson ATLANTA - A state Senate committee approved its version of an overhaul of Georgia's mental-health system Monday with some changes from legislation the House passed three weeks ago but with key provisions intact. House Bill 1013 was introduced...
Georgia Senate committee eases time limit on nuisance suits against farms
ATLANTA - A state Senate committee voted Monday to double the length of time Georgia property owners would have to file nuisance lawsuits against neighboring farms. Under the Right to Farm Act the Georgia House of Representatives passed early this month, property...
General Assembly bans state agencies from doing business with Russia, Belarus
Georgia Rep. Martin Momtahan ATLANTA - The Georgia House of Representatives gave final passage Monday to legislation prohibiting companies owned or operated by the governments of Russia or Belarus from bidding on state contracts. The bill, which the state Senate...
Georgia secretary of state’s office completes first citizenship audit of voter rolls
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ATLANTA - The first citizenship audit of voter rolls in Georgia history has turned up 1,634 people who tried to register to vote but could not be verified as U.S. citizens. The noncitizens identified in the audit conducted...
General Assembly passes ban on mask mandates for Georgia students
ATLANTA - Georgia school officials will not be allowed to require a student to wear a mask if his or her parents object under legislation that gained final passage in the state House of Representatives Friday. The bill, which cleared the Republican-controlled chamber...
General Assembly doubling down on election reform
Voters wait in line at a precinct in Cobb County (Photo by Beau Evans) ATLANTA - Last year, Republicans pushing an election reform bill through the General Assembly argued they were restoring public trust in elections following allegations of voter fraud in Georgia in...
Georgia Senate passes $30.2 billion budget
ATLANTA - The Georgia Senate unanimously approved a fiscal 2023 state budget Friday that provides raises to teachers and state employees and restores state agencies to pre-pandemic spending levels. The $30.2 billion spending plan, which the Georgia House of...
COAM lobbyists balk at state tax hike
ATLANTA - Lobbyists representing Georgia's coin-operated amusement machines (COAM) businesses objected Thursday to raising the state tax on the industry. A Georgia Senate bill calling for increasing the share of COAM income that goes to the state from the current 10%...