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State Senate panel presses ahead with bill that would ban ranked choice voting in Georgia
The Georgia Senate Ethics Committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would ban election officials in Georgia from adopting an instant runoff system that allows voters to rank candidates by preference to determine the outcome of elections. The Senate Bill 355 measure passed the Senate panel by an 8-1 vote following hour-long testimony and debate on […] The post State Senate panel presses ahead with bill that would ban ranked choice voting in Georgia appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Biden, Harris vow to restore protections for abortion rights as 2024 campaign launches
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris moved abortion access to the forefront of their reelection bid Tuesday by making it the centerpiece of their first joint campaign rally of the 2024 election cycle. “With your voice, with your power, with your vote, we can restore the protections that have been around for over […] The post Biden, Harris vow to restore protections for abortion rights as 2024 campaign launches appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Funding seen as a last hurdle to final U.S. Senate immigration deal
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan agreement that would make the most substantial changes to immigration policy in 30 years hinges on funding disputes, key senators said Tuesday. While senators have not finalized the text of the agreement, they are discussing changes to the White House’s use of parole authority to grant temporary protections to migrants by […] The post Funding seen as a last hurdle to final U.S. Senate immigration deal appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Israeli-Hamas war tensions boil over during Georgia House committee hearing on antisemitism bill
One person was arrested at the Georgia Capitol Monday after a contentious Senate committee hearing erupted into jeers over a controversial bill about antisemitism and Israel. The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the bill aimed at defining antisemitism in state code. House Bill 30 by Marietta Republican Rep. John Carson would adopt the definition used […] The post Israeli-Hamas war tensions boil over during Georgia House committee hearing on antisemitism bill appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Georgia GOP lawmakers aim to put more teeth in state prosecutor oversight commission
On Monday, a panel of Republican legislators advanced a bill designed to clear the path for a new prosecutors oversight commission to begin reviewing complaints after rejecting appeals from Democrats to have a say in who serves on the board. The House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee on Monday approved House Bill 881 that removes the Georgia […] The post Georgia GOP lawmakers aim to put more teeth in state prosecutor oversight commission appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Cash bail undermines Georgians’ health and safety
Cash bail, or the requirement that you pay a sum of money to spend your time prior to trial out of jail, can range from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of dollars. For those unable to afford the cost, there is a multi billion dollar private industry of bail bonds that allows you to […] The post Cash bail undermines Georgians’ health and safety appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Statewide addiction recovery group wants overdose reversal kits in every government building
Jon Langston says he probably would not have set foot inside the state Capitol before he sobered up 15 years ago. But if he had visited, he would have most definitely been high. So to him, the five overdose reversal kits that were installed under the Gold Dome last year are more than symbolic. But […] The post Statewide addiction recovery group wants overdose reversal kits in every government building appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Fulton 19 update: Prosecutor melodrama, squabble over documents, Eastman courthouse sighting
This story was updated on Monday at 10:03 a.m. with the correct spelling of Joycelyn Wade. In recent days, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has seen the historic criminal conspiracy case she brought against Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump and his allies take a dramatic turn of the tables. A Cobb County divorce court […] The post Fulton 19 update: Prosecutor melodrama, squabble over documents, Eastman courthouse sighting appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
On Roe anniversary, abortion opponents look to White House to fast-track national ban
Falling snow and flight delays thinned this year’s anti-abortion March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Friday, but did not deter the most impatient activists in the movement, those unsatisfied until the entire U.S. map is red with abortion bans. “I’m not okay with abortion states and non-abortion states. I want an abortion-free America,” said Right to […] The post On Roe anniversary, abortion opponents look to White House to fast-track national ban appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Opponents of sales tax on period products ready to push Georgia lawmakers to end levy
A national tax policy group last year ditched the phrase “feminine hygiene products” and adopted “menstrual discharge collection devices” as its go-to term for tampons and other period products. The Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board took up the issue in response to major retailers who operate in multiple states, where questions have at times emerged […] The post Opponents of sales tax on period products ready to push Georgia lawmakers to end levy appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Patients struck by long COVID plead with U.S. Senate panel for more research funding
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators pledged Thursday to press for more funding to research long COVID-19 during a hearing that highlighted patients suffering from the diagnosis as well as experts studying its impacts. “Long COVID stripped away my daughter’s life as she knew it,” said Nicole Heim, the mom of a long COVID patient in Winchester, […] The post Patients struck by long COVID plead with U.S. Senate panel for more research funding appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Congress speeds through short-term government funding bill before Friday shutdown deadline
WASHINGTON — Congress will have until early March to finish work it was supposed to complete last fall — and will avert a partial government shutdown — under a bill both chambers approved with broad bipartisan support Thursday. The 77-18 vote in the Senate and 314-108 vote in the House sent the bill to President Joe Biden, […] The post Congress speeds through short-term government funding bill before Friday shutdown deadline appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
State spending to prosecute – and defend – gang members on the docket for Georgia General Assembly
Several state agencies are seeking millions more in state funds to handle the growing caseload resulting from the state’s recent crackdown on street gangs. Republican Attorney General Chris Carr and the directors of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Georgia Public Defender Council presented budget requests to state lawmakers on Thursday that include creating a […] The post State spending to prosecute – and defend – gang members on the docket for Georgia General Assembly appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Hispanic and progressive Democrats protest proposals to limit asylum for immigrants
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers from the Congressional Hispanic and Progressive caucuses appealed to U.S. Senate negotiators Thursday to abandon a plan to curb U.S. asylum laws and diminish the president’s ability to grant special protections for immigrants escaping war and natural disasters. The Democratic U.S. House members stood against a backdrop of immigrants and asylum seekers holding signs […] The post Hispanic and progressive Democrats protest proposals to limit asylum for immigrants appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
State agency heads outline spending plans for Georgia’s child welfare, safety-net, mental health
Lawmakers continue to spend this week digging into the governor’s budget plans, which include billions of dollars more in spending increases. Gov. Brian Kemp has proposed a $37.5 billion amended budget for the current year, which is a $5 billion spending jump from the original budget passed last year. About $2 billion of that funding […] The post State agency heads outline spending plans for Georgia’s child welfare, safety-net, mental health appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
No deal on Ukraine, Israel aid after White House meeting with top congressional leaders
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s White House gathering with lawmakers to find a compromise on foreign aid and immigration was “productive,” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday, but a deal has still not been reached. Biden hosted congressional leaders and other lawmakers to discuss the administration’s stalled $106 billion national security supplemental request, which includes […] The post No deal on Ukraine, Israel aid after White House meeting with top congressional leaders appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
With GOP pushing hard on immigration, parole emerges as a make-or-break issue in Congress
WASHINGTON — Passage of a multi-billion-dollar supplemental package hinges on curbing an executive authority used to grant immigration protection, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said during a Wednesday press conference. “If we don’t fix parole, there will be no deal,” Graham said alongside Senate Republican Whip John Thune of South Dakota. Graham said parole is […] The post With GOP pushing hard on immigration, parole emerges as a make-or-break issue in Congress appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
Members of U.S. Senate, advocates discuss problems in states that limit abortion access
WASHINGTON — Abortion rights advocates and Democrats in the U.S. Senate pressed for a return to legal, safe access throughout the country during a briefing Wednesday. The nearly three-hour conversation, held in the Capitol Visitors Center, featured doctors speaking about the challenges they and their patients face in states that have implemented restrictions on abortion […] The post Members of U.S. Senate, advocates discuss problems in states that limit abortion access appeared first on Georgia Recorder.
State economist says warning signs hint Georgia ‘likely’ to experience mild recession this year
Georgia’s state economist told lawmakers Tuesday that the state is likely to have a mild recession this year, if there is one at all. Robert Buschman, who was named the new state economist in the fall, defended the governor’s conservative revenue estimate and the stockpile of surplus cash as he offered a cautious economic outlook. […] The post State economist says warning signs hint Georgia ‘likely’ to experience mild recession this year 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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