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Georgia Recorder
Georgia House OKs bill to provide gun-related tax credits, prevent tracking of firearm purchases
The next time you buy a gun safe, trigger lock or take a class on gun safety, you could apply for up to $300 back in tax credits from the state if a bipartisan bill passes the Senate – and if you pick up a new gun to go with it, you may be reasonably […] The post Georgia House OKs bill to provide gun-related tax credits, prevent tracking of firearm purchases appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Georgia state Sen. Gloria Butler to end long run as lawmaker at the end of the year
Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler announced Tuesday that she will retire at the end of the year after serving 26 years in the Georgia Legislature. The veteran Stone Mountain Democrat announced her retirement in the Senate Chamber shortly after her Democratic colleagues helped advance a sports betting resolution to the House that prioritizes revenue being […] The post Georgia state Sen. Gloria Butler to end long run as lawmaker at the end of the year appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
U.S. Senate Dems to try to push through legislation protecting in vitro fertilization
WASHINGTON — A group of Democrats will attempt to pass a bill in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday protecting access to in vitro fertilization, saying its availability should not be restricted. Their push to quickly approve the health care legislation comes shortly after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that fertilized eggs are children under […] The post U.S. Senate Dems to try to push through legislation protecting in vitro fertilization appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Chair of House committee aims to end subminimum wage for workers with disabilities
Eight Georgia community rehabilitation providers are legally paying subminimum wage to 245 workers with disabilities. State legislation that has advanced out of the Industry and Labor committee aims to eradicate the practice. “I really just couldn’t believe that we are still allowing it in Georgia,” said Chair of the House Public Health Committee Marietta GOP […] The post Chair of House committee aims to end subminimum wage for workers with disabilities appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Georgia lawmakers push immigration bills in response to nursing student’s death
The killing of 22-year-old Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus last week shocked and horrified people far beyond Athens. On Monday, the immigration status of the suspect in her killing reignited a debate over immigration policy in the Georgia Legislature and appears to have increased the odds of immigration-related legislation becoming state law. […] The post Georgia lawmakers push immigration bills in response to nursing student’s death appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Time running short on controversial coastal marshland ownership bill as Crossover Day looms
Controversial legislation that would give Georgia landowners an easier path to claim part of the state’s coastal marsh as their own is up against the ticking clock of this year’s impending Crossover Day February 29, a key deadline for a bill to clear one of the state Legislature’s chambers. House Bill 370, sponsored by five […] The post Time running short on controversial coastal marshland ownership bill as Crossover Day looms appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Time to change the state flower from Cherokee Rose to a native plant
Did you know that the current state flower, the Cherokee rose, is not from Georgia? Such symbols should be representative of our state. Senate Bill 518, an act to change the state floral emblem to the native sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), seeks to do just that. This bipartisan bill is an easy way to correct […] The post Time to change the state flower from Cherokee Rose to a native plant appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Georgia Power hikes prompt legislation to restore consumer advocate for PSC electricity rate cases
Two House and Senate Legislative committees have unanimously backed proposals that would shift the responsibilities of Georgia’s utilities regulators. The Senate Regulated Industries Committee passed Senate Bill 457 late last week, which would create a consumer’s utility counsel to advocate for the public in electric rate cases. Earlier in the week, a House Energy, Utilities […] The post Georgia Power hikes prompt legislation to restore consumer advocate for PSC electricity rate cases appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
In CPAC speech, Trump predicts ‘losing World War III’ if he is not elected
Former President Donald Trump painted a bleak picture Saturday of what would happen to the United States should voters reelect Joe Biden to the Oval Office in November. The front-runner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, who made similar predictions ahead of the 2020 presidential election, told attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference — […] The post In CPAC speech, Trump predicts ‘losing World War III’ if he is not elected appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
GOP backs voting by mail, yet turns to courts to restrict it in battleground states
Fearing that Democrats hold a crucial edge in ballots cast before Election Day, national Republicans are working to convince their voters to take advantage of mail and early voting this year. “We can’t play catch up. We can’t start from behind. We can’t let Dems get a big head start and think we’re going to […] The post GOP backs voting by mail, yet turns to courts to restrict it in battleground states appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Georgia House panel debates proposed public school trans bathroom bill, prompting sharp criticism
Where should transgender students go to use the bathroom? That’s one of the questions pondered by the Georgia House Education Policy Subcommittee Thursday as it considered a bill calling on school districts to designate multiple occupancy restrooms either for people whose bodies produce eggs or whose bodies produce sperm. Fayetteville Republican Rep. Josh Bonner’s House […] The post Georgia House panel debates proposed public school trans bathroom bill, prompting sharp criticism appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
‘Religious liberty’ legislation emerges from eight-year slumber at the Georgia Capitol
The Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a divisive bill on Thursday that its backers contend will give people more protection from government intrusion while practicing their faith. It now heads to the full Senate for a vote that could clear the way for it to make a crucial Crossover Day deadline Thursday. Acworth Republican Sen. […] The post ‘Religious liberty’ legislation emerges from eight-year slumber at the Georgia Capitol appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
The tampon tax is ready to be eliminated in Georgia
As the halfway point of the legislative session, Crossover Day, fast approaches, we urge legislators to prioritize legislation that would vitally impact the lives of Georgia women. HB 123 and SB 51 are mirror bills with bi-partisan support that propose changes to O.C.G.A § 48-8-3, a portion of the Georgia code that governs sales tax […] The post The tampon tax is ready to be eliminated in Georgia appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Bookman: Threats of violence poisoning American politics, damaging democracy
In emotional court testimony last week, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis recounted the racist vandalism and repeated threats of violence that targeted her in the wake of Donald Trump’s indictment, attacks that drove her and her family out of their South Fulton home. In that same proceeding, former Gov. Roy Barnes explained that he […] The post Bookman: Threats of violence poisoning American politics, damaging democracy appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
GOP lawmakers ready to ease limits on hospital construction, set aside Medicaid expansion for now
A long-awaited health care proposal from House leaders would ease health care business regulations in some cases, but the measure is just as notable for what it does not do: expand Medicaid. Instead, the bill calls for a new commission that would be tasked with advising the governor, lawmakers and the state agency that administers […] The post GOP lawmakers ready to ease limits on hospital construction, set aside Medicaid expansion for now appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Gold Dome culture wars: GOP bills aim to limit school sex ed, remove books and install chaplains
Sex. That’s what students in Georgia could be hearing less about if a raft of legislation moving through state Senate committees keeps moving before the big legislative deadline at the end of the month. In the final scheduled hearing of the Senate Committee on Education and Youth before Crossover Day Wednesday, senators passed bills aimed […] The post Gold Dome culture wars: GOP bills aim to limit school sex ed, remove books and install chaplains appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Latest bill targeting strip mining near Okefenokee receives mixed reaction from environmentalists
A south Georgia lawmaker whose district borders the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has filed a new bill calling for a three-year moratorium on new surfacing mining permits in areas of Georgia that today sit untouched. The bill, sponsored by Lake Park Republican Rep. John Corbett, would block state regulators from accepting any new permit applications […] The post Latest bill targeting strip mining near Okefenokee receives mixed reaction from environmentalists appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
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The Georgia Recorder is an independent, nonprofit news organization that is focused on connecting public policies to stories of the people and communities affected by them. We bring a fresh perspective to coverage of the state’s biggest issues from our office a few blocks from Georgia’s Gold Dome. Our perch might be near the Capitol in downtown Atlanta, but the communities we care about are found in all corners of Georgia, from the mountains of Blue Ridge to the flatlands of Bainbridge. Just a few years ago, news outlets across Georgia staffed their own capital bureaus and it was common for several reporters to cover the same legislative committee hearings, press conferences on the Capitol steps and other state policy news. Most traditional news organizations now lack the resources to do much more than chase the political outrage of the day. Meanwhile, proposals to shape Georgia’s approach to health care, public schools, community development and other essential ingredients for a good quality-of-life don’t receive the attention they warrant. The Georgia Recorder aims to remedy that. The Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The Recorder retains editorial independence.
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