(APN) ATLANTA — Merit pay for teachers, contract workers, minimum wage, and sick leave are all issues that labor groups will be working on during 2016 while the legislature is in session. Mayor of Clarkston Ted Terry, who also serves as the State Campaign Director of Georgia chapter of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), spoke […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — As next year’s General Assembly legislative session quickly approaches in Georgia, Atlanta Progressive News is taking a look back on what took place under the Gold Dome earlier this year, in 2015, updating the Legislative Scorecard we first published in 2014. We again rated State House Representatives and State Senators representing areas wholly or partially in […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — The Wednesday, October 28, 2015 meeting of the Georgia Commission on Medical Cannabis heard testimony from law enforcement officials, the Georgia Pharmacy Association, and a medical cannabis security specialist. The high point of the day was when Rick Allen, Director of the Georgia Drug and Narcotic Agency, mentioned the State of Connecticut has rescheduled cannabis from […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — On Tuesday, October 20, 2015, the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus (GLBC) held a Minority Medical Cannabis Commission Hearing to gather information and recommendations from their community. Minorities testified on how consistently the door has been shut to their participation in the legislative process related to medical cannabis in Georgia. Not one Black doctor is on […]
Read more
With additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale. (APN) ATLANTA — 2015 was a watershed year for the LGBTQI equality movement in the U.S., with the ruling of the Supreme Court of the U.S. in favor of same-sex marriage as a fundamental right under the U.S. Constitution. But LGBTQI advocates lament that the State of Georgia has a long […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — The Georgia Commission on Medical Cannabis–the purpose of which is to study the feasibility of in-state medical cannabis cultivation in Georgia–held its second meeting, August 26, 2015 in the Coverdell building next to the State Capitol in downtown Atlanta. Three more meetings are planned before the end of this year. As previously reported by Atlanta Progressive […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — The Georgia Commission on Medical Cannabis–created by the General Assembly as part of a compromise with Gov. Nathan Deal, to explore in-state medical cannabis cultivation–met at the State Capitol on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 to discuss guidelines to access medical cannabis in Georgia. One featured speaker was Brenda Fitzgerald, MD,, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — At the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee Hearing on Tuesday, February 03, 2015, State Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) introduced HB 1, a revised version of last year Haleigh’s Hope. The bill offers immunity for those who have obtained the oil from a state where it is legal to manufacture and sell the cannabis oil, but does not […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — State Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta) has pre-filed legislation, HB 27, to provide for a charter for a City of South Fulton. Last year, the incorporation of South Fulton county into cityhood ran out of time for a vote, as the legislation got held up in the State Senate. The final name of the city may change if […]
Read more
(APN) ATLANTA — Once again, Georgia will be among many U.S. states considering medicinal cannabis, or marijuana, in 2015. Up for consideration in Georgia are a total of three pre-filed bills: State Rep. Allen Peake’s (R-Macon) House Bill 1, and State Sen. Curt Thompson’s Senate Bill 7 and Senate Resolution 6. SB 7 and HB 1 are medicinal marijuana […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — Atlanta Progressive News has compiled a legislative scorecard for State Representatives and State Senators representing areas wholly or partially in Fulton and/or DeKalb Counties. The Scorecard is available as a Google Spreadsheet here: bit.ly/1kpZ1Bq The Scorecard grades legislators on ten specific votes during the 2014 Legislative Session. APN plans to add to the Scorecard in […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — Once again, it was not exactly a banner year for progressive legislation down at the Georgia General Assembly. Atlanta Progressive News followed the General Assembly in depth this year, including coverage of several bills. Previously, APN published our wrap-up of Crossover Day, which was on March 03, 2014: http://atlantaprogressivenews.com/interspire/news/2014/03/06/georgia-legislature-crossover-day-overview.html The Crossover Day wrap-up article contains […]
Read moreWith additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale (APN) ATLANTA — Candidate qualifying for Primary Elections and Nonpartisan Elections [such as judicial races] was held on March 03 through March 07, 2014. Many candidates qualified for a variety of seats. In addition, the first of two periods of candidate qualifying was held for independent and political body [minor political […]
Read moreWith additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale (APN) ATLANTA — Candidate qualifying for Primary Elections and Nonpartisan Elections [such as judicial races] was held on March 03 through March 07, 2014. Many candidates qualified for a variety of seats. In addition, the first of two periods of candidate qualifying was held for independent and political body [minor political […]
Read more(APN) ATLANTA — On February 26, 2014, the proposal for a City of Lakeside in parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett Counties, SB 270, passed the State Senate, after a heated debate. The vote was 32 yeas, and seventeen nays. The nays included State Sens. Gloria Butler (D-Atlanta), Gail Davenport (D-Jonesboro), Hardie Davis (D-Augusta), Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta), Steve Henson […]
Read more