Georgia Trend Daily – Oct. 16, 2023

Oct. 16, 2023 GlobalAtlanta.com

Kemp Orders State to Buy Israeli Bonds, Lower Flags

Trevor Willias reports that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has instructed the state’s treasurer to buy $10 million in Israeli bonds in a show of support for “one of our strongest friends and allies” as it strikes back against Hamas after last week’s terror attacks in Gaza.       The sum was the maximum available on the markets and brings the state’s current holdings of Israeli bonds to $25 million.

Oct. 16, 2023 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

Taking Off in Georgia

Philippa Maister reports, a fleet of innovative new companies working at the limits of advanced technology could reshape the aerospace industry – and Georgia is one of the states at the epicenter. While manufacturing heavyweights like Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney continue to be the backbone of Georgia’s aerospace sector, new entrants pioneering electric vertical take-off and lift (eVTOL) aircraft, hypersonic planes, space and interplanetary exploration, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and sustainable aviation fuels are aiming for the skies.

Oct. 16, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Court ruling leaves Atlanta minority small business owners in limbo

Mirtha Donastorg reports, from the outside, an unassuming brick courthouse in rural eastern Tennessee may not look like much, but this summer, a judge issued a ruling from that court that has rippled through thousands of small businesses, including here in Atlanta. At issue are federal advantages granted to minority businesses, which are presumably socially and economically disadvantaged, through a specific certification program.

Oct. 16, 2023 Augusta Chronicle

Azalea and Overlord: Fort Gordon, soon Eisenhower, locations get new names

Abraham Kenmore reports that Fort Gordon will soon, officially, become Fort Eisenhower after a multi-year Congressional process to strip military installations of the names of former Confederates. But the change over will be more complicated than simply putting up new installation signs outside the gates.

Oct. 16, 2023 Newnan Times-Herald

Winpak expands footprint in Senoia

Staff reports that Winpak Films has purchased approximately 44 acres adjacent to its existing facility in Senoia for a potential future expansion. Winpak manufactures and distributes materials and related packaging machines, used primarily for the packaging of perishable foods and beverages and in health care applications.

Oct. 16, 2023 The Current

Hogg Hummock residents challenge zoning in court

Mary Landers reports that Black residents of Sapelo Island are mounting a legal challenge to a controversial rezoning they fear will lead to higher taxes and ultimately spell the demise of the only remaining intact Gullah-Geechee community on the coast. A complaint filed Thursday in McIntosh County Superior Court asks the court to undo the zoning for a number of reasons, including that it “discriminates against the historically and culturally important Gullah-Geechee community on Sapelo Island on the basis of race, and that it is therefore unconstitutional, null, and void.”

Oct. 16, 2023 WABE

Georgia reinstates Medicaid coverage for some adults and children amid ‘Unwinding’

Jess Mador reports, nearly 18,000 people will see their Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids coverage reinstated after the Georgia Department of Community Health earlier acknowledged it had inappropriately cut off their coverage during an ongoing process dubbed the Medicaid unwinding. Until April, federal COVID-19 public health emergency declarations prevented states from removing anyone from their Medicaid rolls.

Oct. 16, 2023 CNHI News

Wait list for housing vouchers open for Georgia residents in 149 counties

Asia Ashley reports that for some struggling Georgians, housing assistance may seem far-fetched — even as the Georgia Department of Community Affairs plans to open its application portal for the Housing Choice Voucher Program from October 17- 20. Formerly known as Section 8, the HUD-funded program aims to assist low-income families and individuals to afford decent, safe and sanitary housing in the private rental market.

Oct. 16, 2023 The Brunswick News

Rep. Townsend discusses recent committee work

Staff reports that State Rep. Rick Townsend, R-St. Simons Island, has high praise for the recommendations he and other legislators will make to the General Assembly in January after serving on the Joint Study Committee on Dual Enrollment for Highly Skilled Talent at Younger Ages.

Oct. 16, 2023 Clayton News-Daily

Ossoff Launches Inquiry Into Lengthy Wait Times for VA Appeals

Staff reports that U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia) is pressing the VA for answers on lengthy wait times to access veterans’ benefits. On Oct. 11, Ossoff launched an inquiry with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) into excessive delays with the VA Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA), which decides whether or not veterans are entitled to claimed veterans’ benefits and services.

Oct. 16, 2023 WABE

Georgia’s ongoing redistricting challenge, explained

Jasmine Robinson reports, three lawsuits are challenging Georgia’s state and congressional maps that were redrawn by Republicans in 2021. The state is accused of diluting the voting power of Black Georgians through racial gerrymandering, a violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA).

Oct. 16, 2023 State Affairs

Struggling child care providers ask lawmakers to tap lottery funds

Jill Jordan Sieder reports that child care providers and child advocates urged legislators Wednesday to invest more state funds in pre-K and early care programs at the meeting of the House Working Group on Early Childhood Education. The Working Group was created by House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, last spring with a goal of expanding access to pre-kindergarten programs in Georgia.

Oct. 16, 2023 Capitol Beat News

Georgia lawmakers to study promise, threats of artificial intelligence

Dave Williams reports that Georgia lawmakers on both sides of the state Capitol are taking their first serious look this fall at how rapidly evolving artificial intelligence technology is likely to affect public policy. A House subcommittee formed to study the issue already has begun holding hearings, while two Senate committees are set to launch a parallel effort Nov. 1.

Oct. 16, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Jolt: Frustration sparked Austin Scott’s run for U.S. House speaker

Adam Van Brimmer, Tia Mitchell, Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy report that for about three hours on Friday, U.S. Rep. Austin Scott was one of the most important people in U.S. politics. He waged a surprise campaign for House speaker, rising up to challenge U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, the conservative firebrand from Ohio.