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Georgia GOP leaders say state crackdown on cyberbullying a top legislative priority in 2024
Georgia’s GOP leadership says fighting against cyberbullying will be a top priority when the Legislature convenes in January. Sen. Jason Anavitarte, a Dallas Republican, said he plans to file a bill to tackle the issue, but he said the specifics of the plan are not yet hammered down. “This legislation, when we introduce it, is […]
This American Idol novelty singer was present for major civil rights events
Nearly thirteen years ago, Larry Platt, dubbed the “General,” shook up the TV world, becoming an “American Idol” sensation at 64 years old with his song “Pants on the Ground,” but many do not know there is more to his story. Decades before his viral performance, Georgia’s most famous pants puller-upper championed a much different […]
Vast majority of GA day care centers, public schools skip state program to test for lead in water
In 2021, when Dade County Schools Superintendent Josh Ingle was in his first year on the job, his facilities manager came to him with an idea that seemed like a no-brainer: a program that would use federal funds to test his schools’ water fixtures for lead. Previously, the district had paid a third-party business to […]
State commission continues plan to remove words like ‘equity’ and ‘inclusion’ from teacher lesson plans
The group tasked with training Georgia’s teachers voted unanimously and without discussion Thursday to eliminate more “woke” words from educator preparation standards. This month’s changes will affect future teachers of subjects including science, math, English, history, economics, family and consumer science, physical education, dance, English as a second language, special education and gifted classes. The […]
Georgia Republicans welcome state Rep. Mainor’s switch from Dems as new life of the party
Controversial Republican state Rep. Mesha Mainor of Atlanta, formerly controversial Democratic state Rep. Mesha Mainor of Atlanta, announced she is switching parties Tuesday. “This was not an easy decision,” she said at a conference beneath a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. outside the state Capitol. “I have been a Democrat my entire life. My […]
Federal judge postpones injunction hearing against new Georgia transgender care law
Georgia parents suing Georgia over its law limiting gender-affirming care for transgender minors had their first day in court Wednesday after the law went into effect July 1 and the state’s lawyer argued the judge should allow it months to mount a defense. The parents want U.S. District Judge Sarah Geraghty to temporarily block the […]
Georgia lawmakers poised to study real and imagined threats from artificial intelligence
Like many Georgians, Woodstock Republican state Rep. Brad Thomas has taken the opportunity to spend some time with ChatGPT, the popular AI-powered chatbot that has become the face of an apparent renaissance in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Thomas, chair of a new House Subcommittee on Artificial Intelligence, said his initial experiments with ChatGPT were […]
Georgia families make last-gasp attempt to block ban on gender-affirming care
Georgia’s transgender children and their families are hoping a last-minute lawsuit will thwart the state’s proposed ban on gender-affirming medical treatments set to kick in Saturday. The families of four transgender girls from Atlanta and Athens filed the suit in federal court Thursday, two days before the law is set to go into effect. The […]
Antisemitic demonstrations across Georgia spur calls for state law and renew First Amendment debate
About a dozen people gathered outside a Cobb County synagogue Saturday bearing Nazi flags, sparking widespread condemnation from both sides of the political aisle in Georgia and renewing talk of state action to address antisemitism. “There is absolutely no place for this hate and antisemitism in our state,” said Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in a […]
As Dobbs anniversary passes, fate of Georgia’s abortion law still in state Supreme Court hands
A year ago on Saturday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a monumental ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning the constitutional right to an abortion and leaving it to states to place restrictions on the procedures. In Georgia, the state’s 2019 anti-abortion law went into effect the following month, restricting abortions to the […]
Georgia’s bald eagles rebounding from last year’s avian influenza outbreak
Georgia’s bald eagles are welcoming a healthy batch of squawking little eaglets into the world, encouraging news for wildlife lovers after an outbreak of avian influenza hammered the iconic birds along the state’s coast last spring. Georgia Department of Natural Resources survey leader Bob Sargent said he breathed a sigh of relief when it became […]
Georgia justices weigh questions about law enforcement immunity in fatal cases
The Georgia Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in cases involving the deaths of people in legal custody. The first case involves a man who died in the back seat of a Tift County patrol car after being tased and restrained. The other centered on a man who was allegedly beaten to death by Fulton County […]