Category Archives: State of Georgia

What a Fair Housing Victory in the U.S. Supreme Court Means for Atlanta

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With additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale.   (APN) ATLANTA — A decision of the Supreme Court of the U.S. handed down this summer, 2015, could affect affordable housing policies and practices in Georgia.   On September 02, 2015, the Atlanta Regional Housing Forum held a panel discussion on the landmark case, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. […]

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William Perry Launches New Watchdog Group, Partners With Atlanta Unfiltered

william perry

(APN) ATLANTA — William Perry, the government watchdog who recently left Common Cause Georgia, where he had served as Executive Director, is officially launching his own organization. Two, in fact.   First, Georgia Ethics Watchdogs is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that will focus on filing ethics complaints against public officials who violate the law.   “It’s really difficult to be […]

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Bernie Sanders, Candidate for President, Visits Atlanta

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(APN) ATLANTA — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) talked about real issues that working people care about to an enthusiastic crowd of over one thousand supporters in downtown Atlanta, Friday night, September 11, 2015, at 200 Peachtree Street.   He emphasized in his speech that no President can deal with the crisis facing working families unless there is a mass […]

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Stewart Detention Center On Lockdown as Detainees Protest Inhumane Conditions

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(APN) ATLANTA — Detainees at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia were apparently met with retaliation for protesting inhumane conditions this week.   “We are deeply concerned for people currently detained at Stewart.  As communication in and out of the facility has been limited, it has been difficult to monitor the situation,” Silky Shah, co-director of the Detention Watch Network, […]

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Common Cause Turnover in Georgia driven by Refocus on Voting Rights (UPDATE 1)

william perry

(APN) ATLANTA — On August 11, 2015 Common Cause announced the resignation of its Georgia chapter director, William Perry.   Perry helmed the state chapter for over four years, serving as a vigilant government watchdog on issues of ethics, transparency, public spending, and money-in-politics.  His efforts were directed large at the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia.   […]

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Stone Mountain’s Neo-Confederates Target Anti-Racist Activists Online

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(APN) ATLANTA — Two groups involved in a recent pro-Confederate flag rally appear to have threateningly targeted counter-demonstrators online.   The counter protesters included Aurielle Marie Lucier, Tommy DiMassimo, Ariella Riapos, and Lucas Javier Valderranna.  Their activities were recorded by photographer Steve Eberhardt.   The groups had posted on their Facebook pages the names, background information, and contact information of […]

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How Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb Could Stop Criminalizing Mentally Ill People (UPDATE 1)

haven for hope

(APN) ATLANTA — After DeKalb police officer Robert Olsen killed Anthony Hill, a young Black man suffering a mental health crisis, Atlanta Progressive News traveled to San Antonio, Texas, to report on a program that has changed how police deal with mentally ill people in that city.   http://atlantaprogressivenews.com/2015/03/23/feature-in-san-antonio-anthony-hill-wouldve-been-helped-not-shot/   In this follow-up, we look at how the criminal justice, […]

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Fulton County’s Millage Increase Sets up Legal Clash with State

With additional reporting by Barbara Payne. (APN) ATLANTA — During a Special Called Meeting on Monday, January 27, 2014, Fulton County’s Board of Commissioners (BOC) approved a budget that raises the property tax millage rate by a 1.57 mill increase, in a five to two vote.     The budget includes a raise in the property tax rate from $10.28 […]

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(IPS) ALEC-Backed Laws Promote Controversial Charter Schools

This 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 […]

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(IPS) Activists Converge on High Court for Challenge to Voting Rights Act

This article first appeared on the Inter-Press Service website at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/02/activists-converge-on-high-court-for-challenge-to-voting-rights/ ATLANTA, Georgia, Feb 26 2013 (IPS) – The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Wednesday in a challenge to the constitutionality of key sections of the historic Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965.  Numerous organisations are rallying in support of the VRA. Activists across the nation, including Dr. Charles Steele, CEO […]

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Rep. Gardner Hopeful Gov. Deal will Support Medicaid Expansion

With additional reporting by Gloria Tatum, Kevin Moran, and Matthew Charles Cardinale. (APN) ATLANTA — State Rep. Pat Gardner (D-Atlanta) says she is hopeful that Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican, will change his mind over whether to expand Medicaid in Georgia pursuant to the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Currently the U.S. states are split completely in half on the […]

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Issues for 2013

  Issues for 2013 1. Education Georgia public schools have a high school graduation rate of 67.5%, the third worst in the nation. Yet the cost per public school student, $10,587, is nearly $1,000 more than the national average. Charter schools can offer parents and children an alternative to a poorly performing traditional public school. Last summer, Georgians voted to […]

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EXCLUSIVE: Councilman Willis Faces Bar Complaint, Investigation

(APN) ATLANTA — Atlanta City Councilman Lamar Willis (Post 3-at-large), who is also a private attorney for the Willis Law Group, LLC, is currently under investigation by the State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. A source provided APN with a copy of the State Bar of Georgia’s Notice of Investigation, which the State Bar sent to Willis […]

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Rep. Kaiser May Run for Mayor of Atlanta in 2017

(APN) ATLANTA — State Rep. Margaret Kaiser (D-Atlanta) may run for Mayor of Atlanta in 2017, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. Two individuals who supported Mary Norwood in her 2009 race told APN that they have been encouraging Kaiser–who supported Norwood in 2009–to run.  However, Kaiser tells APN that the earliest she would run is 2017. “I’ve been in conversation […]

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Parent Trigger Act Another Threat to Public Education in Georgia (UPDATE 1)

(APN) ATLANTA — HB 123, the Parent and Teacher Empowerment Act, also known as the Parent Trigger Act, is the latest effort by some, mostly Republican, legislators, to promote charter schools in Georgia and continue to undermine the public education system and public schools. The Act was introduced on January 28, 2013 by State Reps. Edward Lindsey (R-Atlanta), Brooks Coleman […]

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