Government & Politics
Georgia voters challenge certification of elections system
Election security advocates are pushing for a federal judge to press pause on Georgia’s rollout of $107 million-worth of new ballot machines ahead of next year’s election cycle. After a key ruling in federal court last week, voters suing the Georgia Secretary of State’s office over the state’s old touchscreen ballots filed an amended complaint […]
State agency loosens rules on curbside package store service
The state’s alcohol regulators just gave cocktail lovers cause for a toast. New rules announced this week allow customers to pick up liquor through online-ordered curbside service, a convenience popularized by grocery stores. Local ordinances can still prohibit this kind of service, though. It’s a flexibility only recently allowed for wine and beer two years […]
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 […]
Abrams launches voting rights effort at site of 2018 balloting glitches
Karen Starks worked the polls at Annistown Elementary School on Election Day last fall and there was trouble from the start. All of the precinct’s card machines malfunctioned around 7 a.m., she said. When Gwinnett County elections officials replaced those machines, the new ones didn’t work either. The line of voters swelled by a couple […]
Georgia’s proposed hate crimes legislation gets renewed push
Georgia lawmakers are renewing calls to pass a bill defining and setting punishments for hate crimes committed in the state, one of only five that do not have a hate crimes law on the books. Supporters of the bill, which stalled earlier this year in the Georgia Senate, say it’s past time for the state […]
Georgia farmers “collateral damage” in NAFTA replacement
Sam Watson will likely have fewer eggplants, cucumbers, squash and bell peppers growing on his south Georgia farm next spring after struggling through the last three seasons. Watson said he just can’t compete with the much cheaper Mexican produce that is flooding U.S. markets. So he scaled back this spring and, with no relief in […]
Judge orders Georgia to scrap old voting machines in 2020
Georgia will not switch to paper ballots for an upcoming round of elections starting this fall after a federal judge ruled Thursday this fall’s contests will use the state’s 17-year-old voting technology until paper-based ballots are required next year. The state’s electronic touchscreen ballot machines can remain in use this year while Georgia Secretary of […]
Abrams takes Fair Fight 2020 to scene of 2018 voter frustration
Saturday former gubernatorial candidate and state House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams plans to launch her Fair Fight 2020 initiative at a Gwinnett County elementary school where people attempting to vote last November were frustrated by long lines and voting machine glitches. Annistown Elementary School is a symbolic choice for a first public event after Abrams […]
Former Sandy Springs lawmaker chairs board overseeing Jekyll
Amid boom times for Jekyll Island, a former state lawmaker has been tapped as the new board chair for the state agency charged with managing the island. Joe Wilkinson, a 16-year Republican state representative from Sandy Springs, was appointed board chairman for the Jekyll Island State Park Authority by Gov. Brian Kemp in July. His […]
A chisel is the right tool for a future-focused leader
You might remember this campaign commercial from last year. A small explosion detonates in a field behind then-gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp as he declares: “I’m so conservative, I blow up government spending.” Last week Gov. Kemp moved closer to fulfilling that pledge. His Office of Planning and Budget ordered most department heads to cut 4% […]
Planned Georgia income tax cut small change for many, report says
A new report says a proposed state income tax cut the Georgia Assembly is set to mull early next year would cost the state $550 million in revenue, while saving many taxpayers just $46 a year. Georgia lawmakers are set to consider whether to lower the state’s personal and corporate income tax rate to 5.5% […]
Panel reviews press coverage of anti-abortion bill at Monday night event
When Georgia became the latest Southern state to pass a strict anti-abortion bill this year, the intense glare of the national media’s attention shifted to the Gold Dome. The coverage yielded a spate of national and local stories speculating on the bill’s impact on women, health care access and Georgia’s economy. Could women be charged […]