(APN) ATLANTA — There are three bills concerning Fulton County currently pending in the Georgia Legislature that would drastically reshape the County’s governance structure, tax base, and employee benefits to meet the wishes of North Fulton Republicans, while a fourth bill threatens to break off North Fulton and re-form Milton County. House Bills 170, 171, and 172 deal with reforming […]
Read moreThis article first appeared on the Inter-Press Service website at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/01/u-s-marijuana-lobby-sets-sights-on-full-legalisation/ ATLANTA, Georgia, Jan 30 2013 (IPS) – Since the U.S. states of Colorado and Washington fully legalised marijuana via ballot initiatives in the November 2012 elections, efforts to medicalise, decriminalise, or legalise marijuana at the state level are sprouting up like so many hemp stalks on a sunny day. Eighteen […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — On Saturday, December 08, 2012, the Georgia chapter of Move to Amend hosted a community forum on Creating Democracy and Challenging Corporate Rule, at Manuel’s Tavern in Atlanta. The focus of the event was the need for an amendment to the Constitution of the US in response to the controversial Citizens United v. FEC ruling of the […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — The City Council of Atlanta approved a fifty percent pay raise for Council Members and a substantial increase for the Mayor of Atlanta, during its Full Council Meeting on Monday, December 03, 2012. In addition, the Council approved a resolution introduced by Councilman Alex Wan (District 6) to express the opinion of the City of Atlanta as […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — Just over a year since the Board of Commissioners of Fulton County rejected pay-to-play reform, and just a few months since Mayor Kasim Reed bashed the notion of pay-to-play reform during remarks before the City Council of Atlanta, Common Cause Georgia and its ethics reform partners have made great strides in gaining support for pay-to-play reform, both […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — In a five to two vote, the Public Safety/Legal Administration Cmte of the City Council of Atlanta, voted on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, to approve an ordinance regarding animal abuse that does not include protections for elephants from the use of bullhooks. Council Members CT Martin (District 10) and Joyce Sheperd (District 12) were the two nay […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — Thursday, March 29, 2012, the last day of the General Assembly, began for Occupy Atlanta, unions, religious leaders, leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, community activists, and the Tea Party at 9:30am with a prayer vigil outside the Capitol steps. Activists continued with a rally to speak out against some of the most oppressive bills. SB […]
Read moreWith additional reporting by Gloria Tatum. (APN) ATLANTA — Yesterday, March 07, 2012, was Crossover Day for the Georgia General Assembly, the final day for legislation pass either the House or the Senate to be able to pass both chambers this year. A number of regressive and oppressive measures related to abortion, charter schools, civil disobedience, and drug testing of […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — HB 949, a bill that would slightly reduce the number of petition signatures required by an independent or third party candidate running for office in Georgia, has passed the Georgia House Committee on Governmental Affairs. While the bill would not change the percentages required for independent and third party candidates running for office statewide or locally–that […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — At a legislative hearing on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, at the Georgia Capitol, State Rep. Jason Spencer (R- Woodbine), one of the co-sponsors of HB 668–which would require people who receive temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) to submit to a drug test–sought to advance his bill. Instead, he met fierce opposition from advocates and experts who […]
Read moreWith additional reporting on the Special Council’s recommendations by Matthew Cardinale. (APN) ATLANTA — This year, the Georgia Legislature is expected to begin considering a package of reforms intended to reduce the state’s prison population as well as the enormous costs to taxpayers that Georgia’s mass incarceration policies have caused year after year. The Report of the Special Council on […]
Read moreA shorter version of this article appeared first on Inter-Press Service’s website at: http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=106044. ATLANTA, Georgia, U.S., Nov 30, 2011 (IPS) – At least 36 states across the U.S. are proposing laws that would require applicants for and recipients of a variety of public aid programs to undergo drug testing in which they would have to provide a urine sample. […]
Read moreThis article first appeared on the Inter-Press Service at: http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55802 ATLANTA, Georgia, May 26, 2011 (IPS) – Earlier this month, Georgia became the third state to enact some of the most anti-immigrant legislation in recent U.S. history, when Governor Nathan Deal, a Republican, signed the bill, HB 87. Among other things, the bill allows law enforcement officials to ask suspicious […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — Governor Nathan Deal is poised to sign the controversial racial profiling immigration bill, HB 87, into law. He has until May 24, 2011, to sign or veto the bill before it automatically becomes law, that is, forty days since it was passed by the legislature. Deal is in a bit of a bind because Georgia Republicans are […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — Earlier today, on the last day of the 2011 legislative session, Thursday, April 14, 2011, the State Senate approved, on a vote of 34-12, a version of SB 79 which was substituted by the House on Monday, April 11. The legislation, which is expected to be signed by Governor Nathan Deal, would give the governor the authority […]
Read more