Georgia Trend Daily – March 6, 2020
March 6, 2020 The Center Square
More people than ever employed in Georgia
Nyamekye Daniel reports that Georgia’s employed population continues to climb to record heights, while the state’s unemployment rate has stayed steady and below the national number. An all-time high of 4,987,996 Georgians were employed in January, 12,060 more than in December, the Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday.
March 6, 2020 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Political Notes
Susan Percy reports that Jannine Miller is Gov. Brian Kemp’s choice for the position of state planning director at the Georgia Department of Transportation. Miller most recently was a senior advisor to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao; before that, she was a senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, a former Georgia governor, and she headed the Center for Innovation and Logistics at the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
March 6, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FAA audits city of Atlanta’s management of airport minority contracting
Kelly Yamanouchi reports that the Federal Aviation Administration is auditing the City of Atlanta’s management of airport minority contracting as part of the city’s legal settlement with an airport minority contractor.
March 6, 2020 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia exports at record pace, but coronavirus looms
Randy southerland reports that even as the rest of the nation has struggled with international trade, Georgia has set new records for exports. In 2019, Georgia produced $41.2 billion in exports and $143.3 billion in overall international trade.
March 6, 2020 GlobalAtlanta.com
Rinnai Names New VP and General Counsel
Trevor Williams reports that Rinnai Corp., the Japanese-owned maker of the top-selling tankless water heaters in the U.S., has added a new vice president and general counsel. Perry McGuire joins the company from the law firm of Smith, Gambrell and Russell LLP, where he served the firm as outside counsel for five years.
March 6, 2020 WABE 90.1
Ga. Pecan Bill Prompts The Question: What Even Is A Nut?
Molly Samuel reports that Georgia lawmakers are working on designating the pecan as the state’s official nut. Pecans are an important crop here, and Georgia has historically been the top pecan producing state in the country. Hurricane Michael hit pecan growers hard, though.
March 6, 2020 Georgia Health News
Testing for coronavirus gets rolling in Georgia
Andy Miller reports that Georgians now will be able to get tested for the new coronavirus. Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday at a news conference that the state Public Health Lab now has the capacity to run diagnostic tests on people suspected of having the virus, known as COVID-19.
March 6, 2020 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Record attendance at South Metro conference
Mary Ann DeMuth reports that the 18th annual South Metro Development Outlook (SMDO) Conference was held recently at the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) in College Park, drawing participation by more than 700 business, government, education and civic leaders.
March 6, 2020 Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News, Capitol Beat News
Hemp growing license bill clears Georgia House
Beau Evans reports that the Georgia House passed a measure Thursday requiring hemp farmers and sellers to hold licenses showing they are authorized to possess the non-psychoactive cousin of marijuana. House Bill 847 follows passage last year of a measure that legalized the growing, processing and transport of hemp.
March 6, 2020 Gainesville Times
The Rev. Dan Wilson running for 9th District in U.S. House
Megan Reed reports that the Rev. Dan Wilson is running to represent Georgia’s 9th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. “It’s clear to me that voters in this district are tired of all the negativity in our politics,” Wilson, a Democrat, said in a statement.
March 6, 2020 Georgia Recorder
Georgia lawmakers want more open EPD ethylene oxide disclosure
Jill Nolin reports that Georgia lawmakers have revisited proposed new requirements for when companies must publicly disclose cancer-causing gas leaks. The changes were made in committee Thursday amid pressure that an earlier proposal didn’t go far enough in imposing stronger oversight of ethylene oxide after a pair of metro Atlanta plants that use the chemical to sterilize medical equipment came under scrutiny last year for releases.
March 6, 2020 Capitol Beat News
Senators looking to expand broadband delivery to rural Georgia
Dave Williams reports that legislation aimed at speeding up the deployment of broadband service in rural Georgia cleared a state Senate committee Thursday. The bill, which the Senate Regulated Industries Committee approved unanimously, would require Georgia’s electric membership corporations (EMCs) to allow communications service providers to attach broadband-capable wires or cable to their utility poles for free.
March 6, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Follow Up: Georgia gun rights bill advances
Jim Denery reports that brandishing a gun, under Senate Bill 224, would be OK. But if you point that thing at someone, be sure not to do it “in a threatening manner.”
