Georgia Trend Daily – March 12, 2019
March 12, 2019 Georgia.gov
February Net Tax Revenues Up 5.5%
Staff reports that the State of Georgia’s net tax collections for February totaled almost $1.3 billion for an increase of $67.6 million – or 5.5 percent – compared to February 2018 when net tax collections totaled roughly $1.23 billion. Year-to-date, net tax collections totaled $15.37 billion for an increase of $270.5 million – or 1.8 percent – compared to the previous fiscal year when net tax revenues totaled $15.10 billion after eight months.
March 12, 2019 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Savannah welcomes new FedEx facility
Mary Ann DeMuth reports that last week, Savannah city officials welcomed the opening of a new FedEx Ground Large Package Processing Center at the Morgan Lakes Industrial Park. The 160,000-square-foot facility will handle big packages like televisions, appliances and sofas.
March 12, 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Latest U.S. grad school rankings find some high performers in Georgia
Ty Tagami reports that Georgia universities ranked among the nation’s most elite for graduate schools of nursing, public affairs and engineering. The latest annual lists from U.S. News & World Report put Emory University in fourth place for nursing, behind John Hopkins, Duke and the University of Pennsylvania.
March 12, 2019 Atlanta Business Chronicle
USA Today examines migration of black entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley to Atlanta
Staff reports that Atlanta is emerging as the nation’s “black tech capital,” according to a report from USA Today. America’s most widely circulated newspaper on Sunday examined how a growing number of African-Americans in the tech field are leaving coastal hubs for Atlanta, which has a rich history of entrepreneurship, a booming black middle class and affordable quality of life.
March 12, 2019 Savannah Morning News
Georgia lawmakers seek to change rules of beach development
Mary Landers reports, as they have for several years, state lawmakers are again looking to amend The Shore Protection Act, which designates the extent of the state’s influence on private property near the beach. House Bill 445, sponsored by Don Hogan (R-St. Simons island) proposes a 25-foot regulated zone between private beachfront development and either the high tide line on beaches without dunes or the landward reach of the sand dune where dunes exist.
March 12, 2019 Georgia State University
President Mark Becker Wins TIAA Institute 2019 Hesburg Award for Leadership
Mark Tetuan reports that the TIAA Institute, in partnership with the American Council on Education (ACE), announced today that Georgia State University President Mark Becker is the recipient of the 2019 Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education. The award recognizes a college or university president or chancellor who has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities.
March 12, 2019 Gainesville Times
Ga. House bill would help tenants fight retaliatory evictions over repair complaints
Joshua Silavent reports that renters are sometimes evicted or have their rents raised when they complain to their landlords or local code enforcement agencies seeking fixes to their residences. It could be a leaky roof, a broken appliance, rodent or bug infestations, or simply poor construction they seek to have remedied.
March 12, 2019 Rome News Tribune
Floyd County wants to bring hot air balloon festival back to its airport in Rome
Diane Wagner reports that Floyd County Commissioners are expected to sign off tonight on a contract that will bring a hot air balloon festival back to Richard B. Russell Regional Airport. High winds cut into activities at the inaugural Rome Hot Air Balloon Festival on Sept. 14 and 15 last year, but the event still drew crowds.
March 12, 2019 Saporta Report
Regional leaders looking for ripple effect from Gwinnett’s MARTA vote
Maggie Lee reports, about a week before Gwinnett finishes voting on whether to join MARTA and set up a penny sales tax for transit, a group of regional leaders have lots of thoughts about what a “yes” vote would mean. Though a “no” vote has crossed their minds too. Either way, they’re looking for it to affect other metro counties that don’t have robust transit systems.
March 12, 2019 GlobalAtlanta.com
APEC Forum in Atlanta: Trade should be an Engine for Inclusive Growth
Trevor Williams reports that amid backlash over global trade, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation is putting a renewed emphasis on telling the story of how global integration can be an uplifting force for all levels of society. That was the thrust of a high-level executive forum for the 21-country group in Atlanta Friday, March 1, where business leaders mingled with government officials to ensure discussions were seasoned with a knowledge of real-world business conditions.
March 12, 2019 GPB
Fresh Challenges To State Exclusions On Transgender Health Coverage
Keren Landman reports that Sgt. Anna Lange moved with her young family from Columbus, Ga., to the state’s more rural Houston County, her main priority was being able to stay near her son. After five years of marriage — and many more years of internal turmoil — Lange had realized that despite being assigned male at birth, she’d felt female her entire life.
March 12, 2019 Gwinnett Daily Post
Gwinnett legislator drafting ‘Testicular Bill of Rights’ legislation in response to abortion bill
Curt Yeomans reports that a Gwinnett legislator is pushing back in the aftermath of the Georgia House of Representatives’ recent passage of a new abortion ban bill by hitting her male counterparts — well — below the belt. State Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick, D-Lithonia, filed paperwork to draft a “Testicular Bill of Rights” on Monday that would, among other things, ban vasectomies in Georgia, make it illegal for men to have sex without wearing a condom and institute a 24-hour waiting period before men can buy porn or sex toys.
March 12, 2019 Georgia Health News
Proposals to fight HIV move forward in General Assembly
Andy Miller reports, a month after metro Atlanta was announced as a focus of a federal anti-HIV initiative, Georgia lawmakers are moving forward on their own to fight the disease here. The Georgia House has passed legislation to facilitate needle exchange programs to help prevent new infections among intravenous drug users.
March 12, 2019 CNN
Stacey Abrams: ‘2020 is definitely on the table’
Eli Watkins reports that Stacey Abrams, a rising star in the Democratic Party, said Monday it was possible she could seek her party’s presidential nomination next year. Abrams’ comment came after an interview at the South by Southwest conference in Texas, where Abrams reportedly said she previously thought 2028 would be the earliest she could run for president, but over Twitter, she clarified: “Now 2020 is definitely on the table.”
March 12, 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kemp says he’s open to medical marijuana expansion
Greg Bluestein reports that Gov. Brian Kemp sounded receptive to a measure moving through the Georgia Legislature that would allow medical marijuana oil to be grown, manufactured and sold to registered patients. The Republican told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he was impressed by the “strong vote” earlier this month in the House for the measure, which would allow 60 dispensaries to serve the state’s rising number of medical marijuana patients.
