By Pilar Verdes, Special to the Atlanta Progressive News. (APN) ATLANTA — On August 08, 2016, the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO), and seven Gwinnett county citizens have filed a federal lawsuit, challenging the district scheme used by the Gwinnett Board of Commissioners and the Gwinnett Board of Education for […]
Read more
By Joan King, APN Columnist (APN) SAUTEE NACOOCHEE, Georgia — It seems we are in the silly season. I’ve seen a lot of “tempests in a teapot” in my life, but the reaction of Maya Dillard Smith, the former Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, to “three transgendered adults” in the women’s restroom, takes the […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — Transit funding just got a boon, as SB 330, sponsored by State Sen. Brandon Beach (R – Alpharetta) passed out of the Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday, February 18, 2016, by a vote of eight to three. The committee had to move rooms twice in order to accommodate the large crowd, and heard testimony from various […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — This installment of Capitol Journal covers Week Six of the 2016 year of the 2015-2016 Legislative Session of the Georgia General Assembly. Legislative Session Day 21 (Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016) The biggest news of the day is the new religious freedom “Franken-Bill” – which combines HB 757 (the relatively innocuous Pastor Protection Act) with SB […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — A packed room spilled out into the hallway during a hearing on several minimum wage bills Thursday, February 11, 2016. “We got an extensive list of folks signed up… If [the committee] drop[s] below six, we can’t do anything. So just keep that in mind,” Chairmen Charlie Bethel (R – Dalton) reiterated multiple times during the […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — Several anti-abortion bills have gained momentum during the first few weeks of the 2016 year of the 2015-2016 legislative session. The legislation proposed includes commending Pregnancy Resource Centers (also known as Crisis Pregnancy Centers or CPCs) for their work, defining “life” in the Georgia Constitution, and other measures. CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS SB 308, a […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — This installment of Capitol Journal covers Week Five of the 2016 year of the 2015-2016 Legislative Session of the Georgia General Assembly. Legislative Session Day 17 (Monday, Feb. 08, 2016) HB 722 the medical marijuana bill had another hearing. SB 278 passed 53 to zero out of Senate; this bill increases penalties for individuals […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — This installment of Capitol Journal covers Week Four of the 2016 year of the 2015-2016 Legislative Session of the Georgia General Assembly. Legislative Session Day 13 (Monday, Feb. 01, 2016) HB 768, ABLE, which creates special savings accounts for persons with disabilities, passed by substitute out of subcommittee. The bill was stripped of provisions giving […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — Medicaid expansion may be dead for the year, but there appears to be bipartisan cooperation on other health policy issues. “One of the biggest concerns I have is our rural hospitals…. I have personally seen what happened when some of my friends in Dooly County, when their hospital closed. I had friends who worked there, doctors, […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — This installment of Capitol Journal covers Week Three of the 2016 year of the 2015-2016 Legislative Session of the Georgia General Assembly. Legislative Session Day 9 (Monday, Jan. 25, 2016) The medical cannabis (marijuana) bill, HB 722, sponsored by State Rep. Allen Peake (R – Macon), had a hearing today, with over two hours of […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — This weekly Capitol Journal is a new feature Atlanta Progressive News is offering its readers, for the 2016 year of the 2015-2016 Legislative Session. Legislative Session Budget Hearings (Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016) Today was not an official legislative calendar day, but there was plenty of activity as various departments presented their budgets for fiscal year […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — State Sen. Josh McKoon (R – Columbus) is currently championing legislation focused on increasing transparency at the Capitol, something that is greatly needed. McKoon–perhaps best known for his staunch support of the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)–has previously taken the lead on transparency and government reform issues. As a freshman during the 2011-2012 Legislative […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — This weekly Capitol Journal is a new feature Atlanta Progressive News is offering its readers, for the 2016 year of the 2015-2016 Legislative Session. Legislative Session Day 1 (Monday, Jan. 11, 2016) “First day of school,” is how one lobbyist described day one. The Legislature set the first thirteen days through February 01. […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — Merit pay for teachers, contract workers, minimum wage, and sick leave are all issues that labor groups will be working on during 2016 while the legislature is in session. Mayor of Clarkston Ted Terry, who also serves as the State Campaign Director of Georgia chapter of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), spoke […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — The Georgia General Assembly breezed through the first day of the forty day session, on yesterday, Monday, January 11, 2016. This year, Atlanta Progressive News has our biggest team of reporters at the Capitol to date coverage the Legislative Session, including Senior Staff Writer Gloria Tatum; Staff Writer and News Analyst, Anna Simonton; and the present […]
Read more