(APN) ATLANTA — We told you so. As it turns out, State Rep. Greg Morris’s (R-Vidalia) House Bill 772–requiring food stamp recipients to be drug tested if a state worker had a so-called “reasonable suspicion” that the recipient might be using drugs–is illegal. Food Stamp caseworkers are not trained to detect drug use and “reasonable suspicion” is not defined. […]
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 more(APN) ATLANTA — Monday, March 03, 2014, was Crossover Day for the Georgia Legislature. This is the day by which any bills had to have passed either the State House or State Senate in order to still be alive for consideration in the other respective chamber this year. The following is a summary of the current status of […]
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 legal reporting by Matthew Cardinale. (APN) ATLANTA — Yesterday, November 15, 2011, State Rep. Jason Spencer (R – Woodbine) and State Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) introduced, or pre-filed, legislation requiring drug tests for applicants seeking assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The House bill is called the Social Responsibility and Accountability Act, HB 668. […]
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