Lawmakers decide to ban cellphones in public elementary and middle schools
ATLANTA - Children and adolescents won't be able to use personal cellphones in public schools starting next fall after the General Assembly overwhelmingly supported banning the devices in elementary and middle schools. House Bill 340 passed the Georgia Senate Tuesday...
Port of Savannah sees busiest February ever
ATLANTA - The Port of Savannah set a record for containerized cargo traffic last month, the Georgia Ports Authority reported Tuesday. The port moved 479,850 twenty-foot equivalent container units in February, a 6% increase over the same month last year. Dual container...
State Senate gives locals extra leeway on property tax relief
ATLANTA - Legislation giving Georgia cities, counties and school districts until April 30 to decide whether to opt out of offering a property tax break voters approved last fall cleared the state Senate Tuesday. Georgians passed a constitutional amendment last...
Lawmakers hear praise, concerns about legislation to stop school shooters
ATLANTA - Legislation designed to avert another school shooting like the one that left four dead at Apalachee High School last fall got a hearing in a Senate subcommittee Monday, where many expressed concerns about a database that would be built to track children...
State Senate panel advances anti-squatting legislation
ATLANTA - A state Senate committee advanced legislation Monday following up on a bill the General Assembly passed last year aimed at illegal squatters. The 2024 measure, which cleared the Georgia House and Senate unanimously, created the offense of unlawful squatting...
Trump picks ally in Georgia Senate as U.S. treasurer
ATLANTA - President Donald Trump has nominated another Georgian to join his administration, selecting state Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, for U.S. Treasurer. The role is a senior leadership position within the U.S. Treasury Department, led by Secretary Scott...
Georgia lawmakers focusing on artificial intelligence
ATLANTA - By the time the 2025 General Assembly session gavels to a close early next month, Georgia lawmakers are expected to have taken the first steps to come to grips with the growth of artificial intelligence technology. A state Senate committee approved a House...
Tort reform gains final passage in General Assembly
ATLANTA - A tort reform bill Republican Gov. Brian Kemp made his top priority for this year's legislative session gained final passage in the General Assembly Friday. The Georgia Senate's GOP majority voted 34-21 to agree to changes the state House of Representatives...