(APN) ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council’s Public Safety/Legal Administration Committee (PS/LA) discussed and then voted unanimously to confirm the changes on an ordinance granting new powers to the Atlanta Citizens Review Board (A CRB) at its meeting on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. Supporting the measure were Councilmembers C.T. Martin (District 10), Ivory Lee Young Jr. […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — The Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Red Hills Community Probation on behalf of indigent people who say they have been injured by the company’s bullying and abusive business practices. Red Hills operates in the municipal courts for the cities of Bainbridge and Pelham, Georgia. Both cities are in south […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — Five people arrested for criminal trespassing while protesting at an immigration detention center in November 2014 have been cleared of all charges. Known as the Stewart Five: Anton Flores, Kevin Caron, Maureen Fitzsimmons, Rebecca Kanner, and Jason McGaughey were arrested on November 22, 2014, at an annual demonstration held outside of Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, […]
Read more
With additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale, News Editor (APN) ATLANTA — On Sine Die, the last day of the Georgia Legislative Session, on Thursday, April 02, 2015, Georgians’ already-reduced early voting period hung in legislative limbo with the possibility of it being further reduced from twenty-one to twelve days. But ultimately the effort to reduce early voting failed. […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and DeKalb County have reached a settlement in the federal lawsuit brought on behalf of Kevin Thompson, a DeKalb County teenager. The lawsuit alleged that people were being improperly jailed who could not pay court-ordered fines in traffic cases. As earlier reported by Atlanta Progressive News, Thompson spent five […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — Following concerns raised by activists, State Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville) has backed off his no knock warrant “reform” legislation, HB 56. However, State Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) is pushing forward with his legislation, SB 45; and Sen. Jesse Stone (R-Waynesboro) has introduced his own version. Those who have opposed no knock warrant “reform” legislation have included […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — Carver High School students recently launched 10 Mil 4 Real, a campaign to challenge the role of police in Atlanta Public Schools (APS). APN previously reported in 2008 about activism by the American Civil Liberties Union to close an alternative education school that had been run by for-profit Community Education Partners for APS for so-called troubled […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — Immigrants’ rights advocates in Georgia celebrated two major victories in recent days. First, on Wednesday, November 19, 2014, Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill’s office announced it will no longer detain undocumented immigrants longer than usual in order for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to apprehend and deport them. The following day, U.S. President Barack Obama announced […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — Hundreds of Inmates at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia staged a hunger strike because of deplorable conditions at the Center. It began last week when inmates refused to eat spoiled food with maggots in the beans and instead threw the food away. “They were locked up and pepper sprayed because of the hunger strike, that’s why […]
Read more(APN) FORT BENNING, Georgia — On May 03, 2014, activists concluded the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition’s (GPJC) Right to Peace Walk, to bring attention to militarism and drone development in Georgia. The 120-mile walk had begun eight days earlier at the gates of Ft. Benning. Drones researched and developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) […]
Read more(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 […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — Two Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to regulate the use of domestic drones, or unmanned aircraft, in Georgia; however, both bills appear to be stalling in the Legislature this Session. HB 846, introduced by State Rep. Harry Geisinger (R-Roswell), would prohibit the capturing of certain images by drones. According to its caption, the bill […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — The tide appears to be turning in Georgia with regard to the issue of medical cannabis, or marijuana, after two leading Republican lawmakers in the State Legislature expressed their openness to the idea of legalizing cannabis for medical purposes in Georgia. As first reported by WSB-TV Channel 2, on January 07, 2014, Republican State Sen. […]
Read moreThis aricle first appeared on the Inter-Press Service website at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/12/native-americans-seek-equal-access-voting-precincts/ SPOKANE, Washington, Dec 13 2013 (IPS) – In a lawsuit that could have nationwide implications for ballot-box access for tribes across the United States, Native Americans from Montana are pushing for early voting precincts to be placed closer to the locations of three tribal reservations – the Crow, Northern […]
Read moreWith additional reporting by Cheyenne X, Staff Writer (APN) ATLANTA — Ethan Nadelmann, J.D., Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director of Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), spoke in Atlanta at Manuel’s Tavern on Marijuana Reform on Monday, November 11, 2013. He also spoke at Emory University during his visit to Atlanta. DPA is the nation’s leading organization working to end […]
Read more