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Time running out for public to weigh in on Okefenokee area mining plan
A proposed mining operation near the Okefenokee Swamp is sparking a great deal of interest with thousands of organizations and people sounding off on the plan ahead of tomorrow’s public comment deadline. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers logged more than 12,000 public comments on the Twin Pines Minerals’ application to conduct deep-surface mining along […]
Kemp rebuffs legislators’ plan for budget cut input
An edict from Gov. Brian Kemp will prevent Georgia lawmakers from officially weighing in anytime soon on cuts to this year’s state budget that will affect more than half of the current year’s spending plan. It’s a decision that shows the governor’s muscle, but also likely puts him at odds with powerful members of his […]
Senate study panel considers requiring everyone in car to buckle up
Most Georgians are familiar with the “Click It or Ticket” public safety campaign that urges people in the front seats of vehicles to wear seat belts or run the risk of getting pulled over. Now, a Georgia senator says the law should be extended to all backseat passengers to help protect them from injury or […]
Lawmakers study new state authority to boost sagging farmers’ markets
A new $11 million staging area inside the Atlanta State Farmers Market stands out from the rest of the aging buildings that sit on a 150-acre open air facility that debuted in 1959. The 72,000 square-foot addition provides Phoenix Wholesale Foodservice more space to distribute fresh fruits and vegetables. The new project is a rarity […]
Ga. local governments cling to home rule as builders resist restrictions
The Home Builders Association of Georgia says people are being priced out of buying new homes through too-restrictive local regulations. The association’s push to fend off attempts by some local governments to restrict options for a home’s exterior color, type of roof and other design elements is set to resume in the General Assembly in […]
Georgia Power rate hike push to get public airing starting next month
Business interests and consumer watchdog organizations are keeping a wary eye on Georgia Power’s push to sharply increase its customers’ cost of electricity over the next three years. They can weigh in on the proposed three-year, $2.2 billion rate hike during this fall’s Georgia Public Service Commission hearings to consider the rate case that begins […]
State education board considers modest cuts at Wednesday meeting
Members of Georgia’s Board of Education Wednesday mulled the governor’s recent order to cut fat in spending plans for this year and next. The department oversees public school funding and has a $10.6 billion budget, or more than a third of all state spending. Still, much of that is non-discretionary and Gov. Brian Kemp says […]
Local officials head to Athens next month to fend off state mandates
Dozens of Georgia’s mayors, city and county managers and other local government leaders will come together in September to work on legislative priorities for 2020. They’ll work together in Athens on Sept.11 and 12 during meetings of legislative policy committees with the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association, the two largest […]
Meetings last week surface debate: Could mining drain Okefenokee?
A key dispute emerged from last week’s South Georgia meetings to learn more details of a company’s plans to mine near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Some environmental group members at the meetings hosted by Twin Pines Minerals say that the Trail Ridge site of the proposed mining acts as a natural dam to the […]
Q&A: State House budget leader sees tough choices as budget cuts loom
State Rep. Terry England is no stranger to shepherding deep budget cuts through his powerful House Appropriations Committee. England’s nine-year tenure as chairman of the budget committee began during the midst of a recession that spurred the slashing of state agencies’ budgets. Now, despite steady economic growth in the Peach State, Gov. Brian Kemp this […]
Folkston Okefenokee mine hearing draws protest, skeptics
FOLKSTON, Ga. — A group of protesters arrived here Tuesday from across Georgia, nearby Florida and as far away as North Carolina to voice opposition to a proposed mine near the nationally treasured Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The protesters gathered outside a meeting hosted by Twin Pines Minerals, the Alabama company seeking to mine sand […]
Okefenokee mining proposal gets Folkston hearing Tuesday night
The Georgia Recorder will report from South Georgia this week on reactions from the community, environmental groups and mining company officials on plans to extract materials for titanium manufacturing near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The first of two public meetings this week is set for Tuesday night in southeast Georgia when Twin Pines Minerals […]