Monthly Archives: April 2014

APN Issues Legislature Scorecard for Metro Atlanta for 2014

  (APN) ATLANTA — Atlanta Progressive News has compiled a legislative scorecard for State Representatives and State Senators representing areas wholly or partially in Fulton and/or DeKalb Counties.   The Scorecard is available as a Google Spreadsheet here: bit.ly/1kpZ1Bq The Scorecard grades legislators on ten specific votes during the 2014 Legislative Session.  APN plans to add to the Scorecard in […]

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Moral Monday Takes on ALEC and Koch Brothers

  (APN) ATLANTA — On Monday, April 21, 2014, hundreds gathered across from the State Capitol to follow the money trail from the Gold Dome to the Atlanta offices of the rich and powerful Koch brothers at the Georgia Pacific building.      Koch Industries, along with other large corporations, financially supports the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) that actually […]

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Elmo James, 1943-2014, !Presente!

(APN) ATLANTA — Elmo James, Jr.,  a labor organizer, businessman, and husband of State Sen. Donzella James (D-Atlanta), passed away on April 14, 2014, from complications from double pneumonia and renal failure.   It was standing room only at the wake, as friends, family members, and dignitaries, including current and former elected officials, gathered to say goodbye to a quiet […]

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APN Interviews with Sen. Orrock and Angela Stovall, Primary Challenger

(APN) ATLANTA — In our continuing coverage of the Democratic Primary, Atlanta Progressive News interviewed State Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) and Angela Stovall, who are running for the Democratic nomination for the State Senate District 36 seat.     Orrock has held the State Senate position since 2007, when she was elected to the seat previously held by Sam Zamarripa. […]

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Atlanta City Officials Pursue Leasing City Land for Solar Farms

(APN) ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta is seeking to team up with Georgia Power on a potential project that could turn closed city-owned landfills and additional land at the airport into solar farms.     Under a proposed agreement, the City would lease land to New Generation Power, Inc., who would cover the costs associated with designing, installing, maintaining, […]

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Gov. Deal Pursuing Cannabidiol Oil Research Trials at Georgia Regents University

(APN) ATLANTA — After the stunning defeat of HB 885 in the Georgia Legislature this year, Gov. Deal announced at a news conference on April 10, 2014, that he plans to pursue clinical trials of cannabis oil at Georgia Regents University in Augusta.     The latest plan is to involve GW Pharmaceuticals, a British company, in the U.S. Food […]

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Gov. Deal May Veto Bill Expanding Private Probation, Debtors Prisons in Georgia

    (APN) ATLANTA — HB 837, which would expand authority for private probation companies, was passed by the House (105 to 62) and Senate (35 to 17) and has been sent to the Governor awaiting his signature to become law.   Gov. Deal has until April 29 to sign or veto the law; if he does nothing, the bill […]

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Georgia Prisons Face Crisis of Inmate Violence: 32 Deaths in Four Years

(APN) ATLANTA — The Southern Center for Human Right (SCHR) and State Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) held a legislative hearing, on Thursday, April 10, 2014, at the State Capitol, on the increase of violence and violent deaths in the Georgia prison system.       “Several years ago we noticed that we were receiving… ever-growing reports of trauma and violence […]

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Possible Bribery of Atlanta Official Seen in Special Master’s Ruling in Task Force Lawsuit

  (APN) ATLANTA — A former Atlanta City Councilwoman who served as a Policy Advisor to then-Mayor Shirley Franklin may have accepted a bribe to help carry out a conspiracy by downtown business interests to attempt to sabotage the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, Special Master Frank Strickland ruled in an Order dated January 25, 2014, Atlanta Progressive […]

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Whistleblower Verdict for Kalbermann Exposes Gov. Deal on Ethics (UPDATE 1)

(APN) ATLANTA — Last Friday’s jury verdict in favor whistleblower Stacey Kalbermann, former Executive Secretary of the Georgia State Ethics Commission, may be the first crack in the dam that Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican, built for himself when he took office almost four years ago.   Kalbermann blew the whistle on the Georgia Government and Transparency and Campaign Finance […]

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Moral Monday Activists Attempt to Deliver Petitions to Gov. Deal on Medicaid Expansion

(APN) ATLANTA — On Monday, April 07, 2014, Moral Monday took to the street on exclusive West Paces Ferry Road, across from the Governor’s Mansion.  Their mission was to deliver fifty thousand signed petitions from Georgia citizens calling for the Governor to expand Medicaid and to accept his executive responsibility and veto HB 990.     As previously reported by […]

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2014 Georgia Legislative Session Wrap-up (UPDATE 1)

    (APN) ATLANTA — Once again, it was not exactly a banner year for progressive legislation down at the Georgia General Assembly.  Atlanta Progressive News followed the General Assembly in depth this year, including coverage of several bills. Previously, APN published our wrap-up of Crossover Day, which was on March 03, 2014: http://atlantaprogressivenews.com/interspire/news/2014/03/06/georgia-legislature-crossover-day-overview.html The Crossover Day wrap-up article contains […]

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