(APN) ATLANTA — The Georgia General Assembly wrapped up the 2013 Legislative Session on Thursday, March 28, 2013, the fortieth day of the session. During the Session, where Republicans fell just short of a supermajority in the State House, Republicans continued to push legislation to further their extreme right-wing agenda. This year, Republicans in the Legislature […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — The Georgia General Assembly wrapped up its Crossover Day on Thursday, March 07, 2013, which was the thirtieth day of the forty-day legislative session. This is the last day that legislation has to pass in either the State House or State Senate in order for the legislation to be taken up this year in the other respective […]
Read moreThis article first appeared on the Inter-Press Service website at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/02/alec-backed-laws-promote-controversial-charter-schools/ ATLANTA, Georgia, Feb 27 2013 (IPS) – The right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and private education management firms are pushing for new “parent trigger” laws in states across the U.S. by lobbying many Republican and some Democratic legislators to make it easier to convert more traditional public […]
Read more(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 — 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 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 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 moreThis article first appeared on The Beacon website at: http://www.beaconcastmedia.com/politics/Senate-Democrats-Vow-To-Take-To-The-Streets-In-Battle-over-HOPE-Reforms–2851 (APN) ATLANTA — Gov. Nathan Deal (R) signed HB 326, a major reform package to the HOPE Scholarship on Tuesday, but some Senate Democrats vowed in a recent press conference to keep fighting the reforms. “With today’s signing, we have closed a $300 million shortfall in the next year, we have […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — With several immigration-related bills introduced this year in the Georgia Legislature, some of the most sweeping measures–modeled after recently passed immigration reforms in Arizona–are advancing to passage, while other bills face hurdles or have stagnated. Atlanta Progressive News has attended committee hearings and observed floor debates related to several of these bills. HB 87, “SHOW ME […]
Read moreThe State House version of legislation to allow cities and counties to decide whether to permit the sale of alcohol on Sundays at stores, HB 69, was approved by the House Regulated Industries Cmte earlier today. As previously noted on this blog, a similar bill passed a State Senate Cmte last week. Gov. Nathan Deal has said he’ll sign the legislation. […]
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