Government & Politics
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 […]
New law aims to protect renters from slum landlords
A shoddy electrical system, lack of water service, and an unsafe stairwell were just some of the reasons that prompted Macon-Bibb County officials in February to evacuate nearly 70 people from an apartment building. Landlords leaving a home or apartment in disrepair by not getting repairs done in a timely manner is a situation that […]
Weekend shootings in Ohio and Texas prompt call for tighter gun laws
State Democrats renewed calls for tighter gun laws in Georgia in the wake of the back-to-back mass shootings that left 31 people dead and dozens injured this weekend in Texas and Ohio. “Because of how our gun laws are in this nation and in this state, either one of those tragedies could have taken place right […]
Perdue wavers on supporting ‘red flag’ legislation
Georgia U.S. Sen. David Perdue stopped short of saying he would support “red flag” gun legislation, citing concerns that such a law could threaten a person’s due process rights. Bipartisan support appears to be growing for a federal law that would authorize law enforcement to take weapons away from a person the courts have found […]
Democrats, Abrams’ PAC aim to take control of Georgia’s House in 2020
The Democratic Party of Georgia and the Fair Fight Pac announced Wednesday an effort to raise millions of dollars in an uphill effort to take control of the Georgia House next year. The new fundraising effort, Legislative Victory Fund, is connected to Fair Fight Action, a voting rights group founded by former House Minority Leader Stacey […]
State senator breaks with his crowd on immigration
Amid a tense political climate surrounding immigration, a conservative north Georgia lawmaker offered glowing words about his Latino constituents during an event Tuesday in Atlanta celebrating an immigrant-rights and prison reform lobbying group. Speaking at a lunch at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, state Sen. Chuck Payne (R-Dalton) touted the diverse makeup of the 54th […]
Gang violence, maternal mortality among topics lawmakers will study
Georgia lawmakers are gearing up for another busy study committee season that will tackle topics as varied as the state’s high death rate for new and expectant mothers, combating gang violence and the prospects of legalizing horse race gambling. Some of these legislative panels, such as one focused on preventing gang and youth violence, are […]
Public Service Commission targets ‘human error’ after cyber attacks
A string of recent cyber attacks on public entities has a state agency honing in on what it sees as its biggest cyber security weakness: click-happy employees. The Georgia Public Service Commission sent its own employees fake phishing emails as a way to pinpoint its less discerning staffers. The first test email, sent under the […]
Ga. Republican embraces role as Trump’s impeachment defender
WASHINGTON — A relatively unknown Georgia Republican congressman has climbed his way into the national spotlight to become the leading anti-impeachment crusader in the U.S. House. Rep. Doug Collins, who’s represented the Gainesville-based 9th District since 2013, became the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee in January. He ascended as Democrats clinched the House […]
Georgia GOP offers prayers after shootings; Dems want legislation
WASHINGTON — In the wake of two devastating mass shootings over the weekend, Georgia Democrats are imploring the U.S. Senate to take action on sweeping gun control legislation. After the tragic shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohiom which killed at least 29 people and injured many more, Democratic lawmakers this week assailed the […]
Hice profile rises with immigration spat, Atlanta conference
A Georgia congressman’s recent trip to the U.S.-Mexico border prompted a social media spat with a high-profile House of Representative colleague last week over sanitary conditions at migrant detention centers. Rep. Jody Hice (R-Monroe), who represents a broad stretch of rural Georgia from north of Atlanta to Augusta, published a video on July 29, in […]