Georgia labor department tops $20B in unemployment benefit payouts
Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Labor surpassed a major milestone last week. The agency now has paid out more than $20.2 billion in unemployment benefits since the coronavirus pandemic began in Georgia more than a year...
COVID-19 family visits, elderly-care cameras stall in Georgia legislature
Legislation to allow cameras for monitoring nursing home residents and let family members visit sick loved ones in hospitals and long-term care facilities during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic fell by the wayside Wednesday night during the session’s final hours.
Georgia prevails over Florida in ‘water wars’ lawsuit
Lake Lanier is part of the Chattahoochee River system. ATLANTA - The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday sided with Georgia in a lawsuit Florida filed in 2013 over the allocation of water that flows between the two states. In a unanimous 9-0 opinion written by Justice Amy...
Election law controversy sinks sports betting in General Assembly
ATLANTA - Legislation aimed at legalizing online sports betting in Georgia is a casualty of the controversial election law overhaul majority Republicans pushed through the General Assembly last week. A constitutional amendment asking voters whether to bring legal...
‘Defund police’ bill passes in Georgia as gun carry, protest crackdown stumble
The 2021 legislative session was a mixed bag for police supporters, gun owners and criminal-justice reformers in Georgia who saw several key bills stall as the clock ran out Wednesday night.
Chief labor officer bill clears General Assembly
The General Assembly has passed a bill to hire a chiel labor officer over the objections of Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler. ATLANTA - The General Assembly wants to hire a chief labor officer despite objections from Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler...
General Assembly OKs tax-break package, lets Delta keep its exemption
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian ATLANTA - Georgia lawmakers left the Gold Dome early Thursday after passing legislation loaded with business tax breaks and firing a shot across the bow of Delta Air Lines for criticizing a controversial election law overhaul. The...
Georgia lawmakers pass budget in final hour of 2021 session
The Georgia Capitol at night (Photo by Beau Evans) ATLANTA - The General Assembly signed off on Gov. Brian Kemp’s $27.2 billion fiscal 2022 state budget Wednesday night during the waning hours of this year’s legislative session. The Georgia Senate passed the budget...