(APN) ATLANTA — On Friday, March 13, 2015, the Georgia Senate passed SB 185, a medical cannabis research bill, which provides for clinical trials of cannabidiol-containing products to treat Georgia residents under 18 who have medication-resistant cases of epilepsy. It passed the full Senate by a vote of 54 yeas and one nay. The only nay was State […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — This week, on March 11, 2015, in a 38-17 party line vote, the Georgia State Senate passed SR 80, a resolution to force Advanced Placement U.S. History (APUSH) out of Georgia schools. Advanced Placement (AP) classes enable high school students to take college level courses and receive college credit. They are administered by the College Board, […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — When HB 29 and SB 129 were introduced in the Georgia House and Senate this year, respectively, advocates of LGBTQI equality immediately waxed hyperbolic, calling it the Hate the Gays bill. Atlanta Progressive News ran a lengthy analysis in early January 2015 explaining that the bill was more broadly encompassing and more substantively complex than its […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta’s lobbyists at the Georgia Legislature last week circulated a map proposing a major expansion of the southwest quadrant of the city further to the west, through the annexation of a significant portion of unincorporated south Fulton County. While the City had been previously exploring annexation of the Sandtown and Loch Lomond communities, […]
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With additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale (APN) ATLANTA — On Thursday, March 05, 2015, the full State Senate voted to engross SB 129, the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Bill, in a vote of 38 yeas to 17 nays. The bill passed the Senate in a vote of 37 to 15. Engrossment means that the bill cannot be changed; […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — On Wednesday, March 04, 2015, the Senate Judiciary Non-Civil Committee passed out of Committee, SB 159, by State Sen. Jesse Stone (R-Waynesboro), the No-Knock Search Warrant Bill, by a seven to one vote. Only State Sen. Mike Crane (R- Newnan) opposed the bill. As reported by Atlanta Progressive News, the stated intent of the bill […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — State Rep. Chuck Efstration (R-Dacula) attempted to dismantle important protections for indigent defendants, in a recent move that could have impacted a pending lawsuit against the State of Georgia and the Georgia Public Defenders Standards Council (GPDSC). But the State House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee rejected the proposal. On Thursday, February 26, 2015, Rep. Efstration appeared […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — On Monday, March 02, 2015, the Senate Judiciary Civil Committee passed an amended version of SB 129, the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The amended version states in the legislative findings but not in the operative text of the bill that courts “have consistently held that government has a fundamental, overriding interest in eradicating discrimination.” […]
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Photograph by Steve Eberhart (APN) ATLANTA — Twelve members of Moral Monday GA were arrested on Monday, March 02, 2015, when a crowd blocked a flight of stairs inside the State Capitol in protest of Gov. Nathan Deal’s continued refusal to expand Medicaid. Those arrested include Kathy Acker, Greg Ames, Adam Cobb, Tim Denson, Bob Goodman, Alan Jenkins, Tim […]
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With additional reporting by Barbara Payne. Map courtesy of Andre Walker. (APN) ATLANTA — The remaining unincorporated areas of Fulton County, all located in south Fulton, are slowly being gobbled up by mostly under-the-radar annexations. The City of Union City annexed 8.2 acres and an additional one acre last year. Now, Union City is looking to annex more, […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — Despite media reports to the contrary, a proposal by Gov. Nathan Deal to cut health benefits for thousands of school bus drivers and cafeteria workers–who are for part-time, non-certified school district workers–is not projected to save the State of Georgia 103 million dollars. If part-time, non-certified school employees lost their benefits, the State Health Benefit Plan […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — Today, Wednesday, February 25, 2015, the Georgia House of Representatives today passed HB 1, or the Haleigh’s Hope Act, by a vote of 158-2. HB 1, sponsored by State Representative Allen Peake (R-Macon), would decriminalize the possession of certain medical cannabis oils in Georgia. “Today, we have passed a bill that will begin to reunite […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — The house of State Sen. Curt Thompson (D-Tucker) caught on fire Monday afternoon, February 23, 2015, destroying all his belonging and his beloved pets. Thompson’s St. Bernard Stein; his three cats Rosie, Nieves, and Ms. Kitty; and Mufalda the bird, plus the fish all died in the fire. Only one dog, ChaChi, survived. Neighbors reported […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — Georgia’s medical cannabis bill is headed to the State House floor. On February 23, 2015, the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee unanimously passed HB 1, Haleigh’s Hope Act. “This is not an indication of a slippery slope but, in my mind, a compassionate reach to our citizens,” State Rep. Allen Peake (R – Macon), who authored […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — SB 129, the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act, was on a fast track until, on Thursday, February 19, 2015, the Senate Judiciary Committee tabled the bill with a 5 to 3 vote. State Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus) is the author of SB 129 and was also the author of last year’s SB 377 that did not […]
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