(APN) ATLANTA — City of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed is reaching out to business owners in unincorporated south Fulton County to discuss with them the time-sensitive possibility of annexing into the City of Atlanta, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. Reed mailed a letter en masse to business owners in unincorporated south Fulton on April 01, 2016, a copy of […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is now pushing for a package of rail line expansions, including the north line, the east line, and a new Clifton Corridor line, that would cost an estimated eight billion dollars and that would be funded in part by a half penny sales tax in Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton Counties. […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — A majority of likely Gwinnett County voters support expanding Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority (MARTA) service to the county, according to a poll commissioned by the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce. “This reaffirms what we thought about how the Gwinnett community has changed over time. The community in general supports transportation alternatives,” Dr. Daniel Kaufman, President […]
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With additional reporting by Barbara Payne. (APN) ATLANTA — Voter referenda for proposed cities of LaVista Hills and Tucker, both in north DeKalb County, are moving forward to be on the November 2015 ballot, despite a conflict between the proposed maps for LaVista Hills and City of Atlanta annexation of Druid Hills neighborhood. City of Atlanta annexation efforts […]
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With additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale (APN) ATLANTA — The first year of the 2015-2016 legislative session featured a heavily contentious debate over whether to make South Fulton its own city, out of the remaining portions of unincorporated Fulton County; or whether to allow part of that area to annex into the City of Atlanta. As proposed, both […]
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With additional reporting by Anna Simonton and Matthew Charles Cardinale. Photograph by Steve Eberhardt. (APN) ATLANTA — The Georgia General Assembly wrapped up the 2015 legislative session on Thursday, April 02, 2015. There were a few progressive highlights in the majority-Republican Legislature, including a solar power lease agreement bill; a limited medical cannabis bill; and more flexibility for MARTA […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — The plastic bag lobby was active in Georgia this Legislative Session, but despite its influence, a bill to prohibit municipalities from banning plastic bags ultimately failed. Underlying the legislative push was a proposed ordinance to ban plastic bags in Tybee Island, Georgia. Supporters of the ban say that plastic bags are increasingly being ingested by […]
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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. […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — On Tuesday, March 24, 2015 the Georgia Senate passed HB 1, Haleigh’s Hope Act, by a vote of 48 to 6. On Wednesday, March 25, the Georgia House passed HB 1 by a vote of 160 to 1. Gov. Nathan Deal signed an executive order on Friday, March 27, directing state agencies to begin preparing for […]
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Photograph by Steve Eberhardt. (APN) ATLANTA — Four women were arrested when they visited the office of State Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus) to talk with him and deliver a message about SB 129, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) bill, that he introduced. McKoon refused to meet with the women. They planned to stay until he agreed […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — Yesterday, Thursday, March 26, 2015, the House Judiciary Civil Committee voted to amend SB 129, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) bill, to expressly state that eradicating discrimination is a compelling government interest, thus prohibiting religious freedom being used as a justification for discrimination. LGBTQI equality advocates celebrated the amendment, introduced by State Rep. Mike Jacobs […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — The full Georgia House and a Georgia Senate committee have passed a bill that would make raccoon trapping legal in most north Georgia counties. The full House passed the bill on February 20, 2015, in a vote of 144 to 18. Several Democrats and a few Republicans opposed the measure. The Senate Natural Resources and […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — The House Education Committee will soon decide whether to advance Gov. Nathan Deal’s controversial proposal to allow the state to take over and privatize struggling schools. At a hearing on Wednesday March 18, 2015, State Representatives and members of the public expressed both deep concern and some enthusiasm over the proposal, which, as Atlanta Progressive News […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — The Georgia Senate Health and Human Services Committee, after over four hours of testimony, finally passed an amended Senate version, similar to HB 1, with bipartisan support. The bill provides immunity from prosecution in the State of Georgia for patients who use cannabis oil, up to five percent THC in the oil, who received a doctor’s […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — On Tuesday, March 17, 2015, hundreds came to Liberty Plaza, across from the State Capitol, to oppose, SB 129, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) bill. People from as far away as Columbus and Macon joined with folks from the Atlanta area to express their concerns to legislators that SB 129 could be a license to discriminate […]
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