Government & Politics
Taxes could toss sand in gears of Georgia governor’s drive to become electric vehicle capital
If Georgia lawmakers want to help Gov. Brian Kemp achieve his goal to make the state the electric vehicle capital of the nation, they have an odd way of showing it. Georgia bills that would drastically shift how much electric vehicle owners pay to recharge their cars is expected to receive a final vote before […]
Georgians survey landscape, say blower bill leafs a lot to be desired
With the 2023 Legislative session soon to be a thing of the past, Georgia lawmakers are poised to pass a sweeping anti-discrimination measure into law. Johns Creek Republican Sen. Shawn Still’s Senate Bill 145 aims to protect Georgia’s gas-powered leaf blowers from cities and counties that may seek to ban them in favor of electric […]
Bipartisan former members of Congress call for boost in funding to secure elections
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of former U.S. lawmakers on the National Council on Election Integrity called on Congress on Friday to spend $400 million on election integrity to insulate the system from foreign interference. “The Department of Homeland Security designated our election system as critical infrastructure in 2017,” the four wrote in a letter. “However, […]
Slimmed down heavy truck bill makes return trip to Georgia House
The Georgia Senate passed a bill to increase the maximum weight limit for tractor trailers hauling forestry and agricultural products by several tons despite warnings from government officials that the heavier loads are dangerous and costly. With few days left in the 2023 legislative session, the Senate bill differs greatly from a House proposal to […]
Lawmakers skirmish over Georgia’s budget; Senate’s new volley slashes higher education spending
The state Senate’s spending plan for next year, which includes deep cuts to higher education and Georgia Public Broadcasting, easily cleared the chamber Thursday. But more changes are expected in the coming days. The Senate passed the budget Thursday with a 51-to-1 vote, with a Republican casting the lone dissenting vote. House budget writers quickly […]
Kemp signs Georgia law banning most gender-affirming care for minors
Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a controversial bill into law banning doctors from providing surgical or hormone treatments to transgender people under 18 years old. “Today, I signed SB 140 into law to ensure we protect the health and wellbeing of Georgia’s children,” Kemp wrote in a statement. “I appreciate the many hours of respectful […]
Members of Congress blast TikTok CEO as bipartisan support for U.S. ban looks possible
A U.S. House panel grilled TikTok’s CEO for more than five hours Thursday over the social media giant’s ties to China, and indicated there may be bipartisan consensus for a national ban on the platform. Members of both parties showed an unusual level of agreement during tough questioning of TikTok CEO Shou Chew. Several members […]
Politics aside, supporters pushing expansion of Georgia’s mental health services stay optimistic
A measure designed to expand access to behavioral health treatment in Georgia has been trimmed down but remains in play for this year, even if it may take some extraordinary maneuvering to push it through the Senate at this late stage. The House bill, which builds on last year’s major mental health bill, appears to […]
State Senate to consider reopening Georgia’s ‘flawed’ 2015 medical cannabis law
Georgia patients have been waiting for years to legally access medical cannabis products approved by the state Legislature years ago, and Thursday could be do or die for the latest bill aimed at fixing the process. In 2015, the Legislature voted to allow people suffering from serious illnesses like Alzeimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or cancer […]
Georgia lawmakers poised to create oversight panel with power to remove local prosecutors
Momentum continues to build in the Georgia Legislature for a proposed law that could allow state officials to remove district attorneys from office for misconduct. The Georgia House moved a step closer this week to establishing a prosecutor oversight commission, the first of its kind in Georgia, as the House Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill […]
Priorities for rail safety bill debated in U.S. Senate hearing with Norfolk Southern CEO
Members of a U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday previewed what they would push for in bipartisan rail safety legislation likely to progress through Congress in the aftermath of the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment. Democrats and Republicans on the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hinted they wanted to strengthen requirements about reporting hazardous cargo, […]
Georgia Legislature sends bill to limit transgender care for minors to governor
A bill limiting the care Georgia doctors could provide to transgender children awaits Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature after passing the state Senate for a second time Tuesday. Senate Bill 140, authored by Cordele Republican Sen. Carden Summers, would prohibit doctors from performing gender-affirming surgeries or prescribing hormone replacements to Georgians under 18. Children who are […]