Georgia Trend Daily – June 22, 2020
June 22, 2020 The Center Square
Georgia Senate approves scaled-back budget proposal for new fiscal year
Nyamekye Daniel reports that the Georgia Senate approved a proposal Friday for how the state should spend $22 billion over the next 12 months. The Senate plan includes more than $1 billion in cuts to education spending and reduces funding for mental health, drug rehab and public health programs to meet statewide recommendations for 11 percent spending reductions for the new fiscal year, which starts July 1.
June 22, 2020 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Economic Development Around the State
Christy Simo reports that SatisPie, a New York-based take-and-bake pie producer, is building a 102,000-square-foot food processing facility outside Atlanta. The company will invest up to $34 million and create 162 jobs.
June 22, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Downtown businesses struggle after virus, protests
Andy Peters reports that first, the coronavirus closed their businesses for weeks. Then, as they began reopening, protests led to looting and vandalism that forced another shutdown.
June 22, 2020 Savannah Morning News
Savannah’s film industry gaining momentum after COVID shutdown
Katie Nussbaum reports, as Gov. Brian Kemp moved to lift state restrictions put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic over the past several weeks and declared Georgia open for business, several industries — including retail, gyms and restaurants — opened their doors. Now add the film and television industry to that list.
June 22, 2020 GlobalAtlanta.com
Aerotropolis Atlanta Distributes 2,000 Medical Masks Donated by Beijing Partner
Trevor Williams reports that Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, the economic development collaborative helping the region around Hartsfield-Jackson capitalize on its growth, is now sharing some 2,000 masks donated from the Beijing New Aerotropolis Holding company, which have been distributed to cities around the Atlanta airport area as they prepared to reopen after COVID-19.
June 22, 2020 Georgia Health News
Officials, riverkeeper team up to arrange Juliette water tests
Max Blau reports that the search for answers over whether waste from America’s largest coal-fired plant has tainted drinking water in a small central Georgia town has united local officials and a riverkeeper group. The Monroe County Commission and the Altamaha Riverkeeper, an environmental nonprofit that monitors the river’s vast basin, announced plans Friday to hire an independent consulting firm to test dozens of private residential drinking wells in the town of Juliette over the summer.
June 22, 2020 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Dinosaurs roaming Gwinnett County?
Mary Ann DeMuth reports that visitors to Gwinnett County parks this summer will find some rather large, unexpected residents. Eight dinosaur statues are finding homes in the county as part of the “Meet Me in the Park” program.
June 22, 2020 Augusta Chronicle
First State Bank opens Monday in Harlem
Damon Cline reports that number of banks in Harlem is about to double. First State Bank will open its new branch office near the intersection of Louisville Street and Milledgeville Road on Monday. The Wrens-based community bank, which operates as Firstate, will be the second institution after Regions Bank to have a physical presence in the growing west Columbia County community.
June 22, 2020 WABE 90.1
Mail In Ballots Contribute To Higher Georgia Democratic Party Voter Turnout, Primary Data Shows
Susanna Capelouto reports that voting totals from Georgia’s June 9 presidential and state primary elections show Democrats making gains, especially in the suburbs. “This was a big, big turnout and one thing that is really striking here is Democratic turnout, exceeded the Republican turnout,” Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz said.
June 22, 2020 Georgia Recorder
State lawmakers put gambling back on the table, or at least online
Ross Williams reports that online sports betting and casino gambling might still be on the table as state lawmakers wind down Georgia’s 2020 legislative session. The Senate Special Judiciary Committee Friday approved a plan to allow sports fans to wager online on sports, which Atlanta’s professional franchises have publicly called for since last fall.
June 22, 2020 GPB
Passions Flare in Capitol Over Hate Crimes Bill Changes
Donna Lowry reports, while neither chamber had a hate crimes bill on their calendars for a rare Saturday session, two Senators took to the floor to talk passionately about the legislation, sparring over last-minute changes that protect police and other first responders. “I am the only Jewish person in this room,” said Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford. “Who wants a hate crimes bill more than me? (If so) I don’t know who you are.”
June 22, 2020 Albany Herald, Capitol Beat News
Tobacco tax increase surfaces in General Assembly
Dave Williams reports that Georgia’s third-lowest-in-the-nation tobacco tax would go from 37 cents a pack to $1.35 under legislation the Senate Finance Committee approved Friday. If the bill makes it through the General Assembly, it would represent the culmination of years of effort by health-care groups to build support for raising the state’s tobacco tax.
June 22, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Saturday preview of the coming, volatile Senate debate over a hate crimes bill
Jim Galloway reports, it was a rare but blistering day at the state Capitol. One day earlier, a state Senate committee passed out a hate crimes bill pushed by much of Georgia’s political and business leadership, but on a party line vote also extended protections in the measure to include police and first responders.
