Kemp Asks Local Officials To Promote Mask Wearing, But Not Order It

Gov. Brian Kemp made a direct appeal to local officials to use their influence – rather than a mandate – to sway residents to wear masks.

Bookman: We Could Be Witnessing The Deciding Battle Of The Culture Wars

We are living through history, through a tumultuous time in which change accelerates, the once-solid becomes fluid and no one has any re ...

Georgia Coronavirus Numbers Continue Rise Into Holiday Weekend

Georgia health officials will be closely studying coronavirus test results next week to gauge the impact of the Fourth of July holiday.

Georgia Health Experts Urge Caution As Coronavirus Spikes Ahead Of July 4

Planning to gather with lots of family and friends this July Fourth weekend? Public health experts want you to rethink those plans as CO ...

Supreme Court Louisiana Abortion Ruling Could Affect Georgia’s Law

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to shoot down Louisiana abortion restrictions could affect the future of Georgia’s strict 2019 anti-ab ...

Middle Ga., Coronavirus Spread Shifts From Long-Term Care To Young People

Two central Georgia counties are experiencing “severe” coronavirus spread fueled through community transmission among the young, accordi ...

Kemp: College Football Could Be ‘Tall Task’ With Covid-19 Cases Growing

Gov. Brian Kemp may be unlikely to mandate face masks statewide, but he said something Wednesday that may cause reluctant mask-wearers t ...

Georgia Reports Almost 3,000 New COVID-19 Cases, Record High

As GA hit record high number of cases, Cobb and Douglas counties issued a public-health alert spurred by the increase in COVID-19 cases.

Governor Signs $25.9B State Spending Plan Squeezed By Pandemic Recession

Gov. Brian Kemp signed off on a new $25.9 billion spending plan that starts Wednesday without the usual fanfare, capping off a prolonged ...

State OKs Spending On Georgia Milestones As It Tries To Cancel Testing

Georgia students appear headed to their second school year in a row without high-stakes testing, but the Georgia Board of Education vote ...

Supreme Court Upholds Tax-Credit Scholarships For Religious Schools

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a state-funded k-12 school scholarship program in Montana cannot exclude children who attend relig ...

Kemp Signs Hate Crimes Legislation Into Law On Final Day Of 2020 Session

Gov. Brian Kemp signed long-stalled hate crimes legislation into law Friday afternoon, creating new protections for victims of bias-moti ...

Georgia Beach Towns Scrub Down For July 4 Weekend As Covid-19 Spikes

BRUNSWICK — Vacationers heading to the Georgia coast this week, and the workers who want to serve them to earn a paycheck while the tour ...

Terrence Martin: Lessons For My Black Son

In some cultures, when a boy reaches the age of 13, his entire community comes together to acknowledge his coming of age in a ceremony.

U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Louisiana Abortion Law

WASHINGTON — In a major victory for reproductive rights, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a controversial Louisiana law that critics s ...

Georgia Schools Still Bear Brunt Of Adopted $2.2B Spending Cut

Lawmakers signed off on a spending plan with about $2.2 billion in budget cuts – including nearly $1 billion less for public schools – b ...

Closer Audits Of Generous Film Tax Credits Approved By GA Senate

A film tax credit program that has attracted TV and movie productions to Georgia over the past 15 years will undergo new audits.

Georgia Bill To Protect Police Might Weaken Penalties For Killing Officer

A bill intended to add protection for law enforcement might create the unintended result of lessening penalties if an officer is killed.

Lawmakers OK Bill Intended To Make ‘Revolving Door’ Jail Bonds Transparent

State lawmakers Friday sent legislation to the governor’s desk intended to force judges to make a clear call whether to force accused cr ...

Ga. Senators OK Tax On Vape Products, Raise Cigarette Purchase Age To 21

Vape devices should soon become harder for Georgia teens to get their hands on.

Loeffler, Perdue Back Senate GOP’s Police Reform Bill; Democrats Block It

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats blocked a GOP police reform bill Wednesday because they said it fails to adequately respond to police brut ...

Lawmakers’ Bipartisan Push Sends Governor Historic Hate Crimes Law

Georgia lawmakers passed a hate crimes bill Tuesday with bipartisan support, pushed to action by a viral video of the February killing o ...

McBath, GOP House Colleagues Stake Out Corners In Sweeping Police Reform

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed a sweeping police reform package Thursday night in response to massive civil unrest over police bruta ...

Kemp Stops Short Of Mandating Masks But Encourages Their Use

Gov. Brian Kemp is encouraging the use of masks and recently set the example by wearing his own masks at public functions.

Hazy Skies Possible As Saharan Dust Arrives In Georgia

Beyond creating Instagrammable sunsets, a giant cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert may cause some problems in Georgia this weekend.

Label Law Aims To Tell Plant-Based Burger Eaters What’s In The Buns

Georgia lawmakers want to require meat alternatives that can often pass as the animal product they are trying to mimic to clearly convey ...

Slashed State School Funding Plan Recalls Great Recession Austerity

For Haven Yancey of south Georgia’s Berrien County, fifth grade was the first year she didn’t get her own textbooks.

State Senate Push For Cigarette Tax Hike Aims To Cushion Spending Cuts

A late-session push in the Senate would raise the state’s cigarette tax and stick a tax on vape products, which has so far eluded legisl ...

Lawmakers OK Ban On Burning Crossties At Northeast Ga., Wood-Fired Plants

The smelly emissions from power plants that sometimes burn chemically treated railroad crossties to generate biomass energy has been a n ...

Bill To Protect Police Passes, Shifts Bitter Debate From Hate Crimes Effort

Pro-law enforcement legislation that adds more protections for police officers as lawmakers try to take Georgia off the short list of st ...

Bill Aims To Ban Election Offices From Mailing Absentee Ballots Requests

Georgia’s House Governmental Affairs Committee Wednesday voted to ban election officials from mailing absentee ballot applications to vo ...

Bill To Allow People To Restrict Access To Criminal Records Clears Legislature

The Douglasville offices of nonprofit Justice Advocate Restorative Services are closed for the pandemic, but Kenneth Howell’s phone hasn ...

Ga. House Nixes Plan For Courts To Make Some Procedures Virtual

Georgia House lawmakers Wednesday rejected a Senate plan to conduct certain court proceedings through video conference.

State House Committee Pushes For New Tax On Vaping Products

The key House committee approved a 7% tax on vaping products Wednesday but declined to take on a hike in tobacco taxes.

Democrats Oppose Bills To Single Out Berrien Judgeships As Nonpartisan

A pair of bills making judgeships in rural Berrien County nonpartisan ran into opposition from House Democrats who argue all local judge ...

Georgia Senate Tosses Revised 'Right To Farm’ Hot Potato To House

A bill that has drawn opposition from some farmers for its allowance of nuisance complaints was passed by the Georgia Senate.

Senate Committee Passes Hate Crimes Law, But Adds ‘Poison Pill’

A hate crimes bill backed by a bipartisan group of Georgia politicians and the business and religious community emerged from a Senate co ...

A Cold Beer Or Bottle Of Wine Could Soon Be Just A Click Away In Georgia

The Georgia Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday to allow businesses licensed to sell alcohol to deliver beer, wine and sp ...

Georgia Reports Its 2nd Highest Number of COVID-19 Cases In A Day

The Georgia Department of Public Health also reported more than 23,000 more tests for the coronavirus, with positives hovering at 8 percent.

Ga. Senate Approves Plan To Boost Broadband Expansion

Georgia’s Public Service Commission is close to taking control of regulating the fees local electric membership co-ops can charge.