Georgia Trend Daily – Feb. 14, 2024
Feb. 14, 2024 Athens Banner-Herald
UGA medical school gets approval with hopes of ‘alleviating physician shortages’
Staff reports, with its vote on Feb. 13, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents authorized the University of Georgia to establish a new independent School of Medicine in Athens. The initiation of a school of medicine at Georgia’s flagship university comes at a time when the state faces a significant shortage of medical professionals.
Feb. 14, 2024 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
A Win in Name Only
Brian Robinson writes, Georgia Democrats learned a painful lesson of “be careful what you wish for.” Plaintiffs aligned with Democratic groups successfully sued the state of Georgia on claims that the state legislative and congressional maps passed in 2021 didn’t create enough Black majority districts – ones where Black voters can elect “a candidate of choice.”
Feb. 14, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coca-Cola reports better-than-expected sales, predicts solid 2024
Michael E. Kanell reports that Coca-Cola bested Wall Street projections on Tuesday, announcing a stronger-than-expected fourth quarter with solid performance from a range of operations around the world. The Atlanta-based beverage giant reported revenues of $10.8 billion for its fourth fiscal quarter and growth of 7% from the same period a year earlier.
Feb. 14, 2024 Savannah Morning News
Georgia National Guard to send members to U.S.-Mexico border, Gov. Brian Kemp announces
Maya Homan reports that between 15 and 20 members of the Georgia National Guard will travel to the U.S.-Mexico border this spring to assist border patrol agents in Texas, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced on Tuesday. They will join the 29 members of the Georgia National Guard who are currently stationed in Texas to help set up a command post at the border.
Feb. 14, 2024 Gwinnett Daily Post
Gov. Brian Kemp Signs Mulberry Cityhood Referendum Bill. Here’s What Happens Next
Curt Yeomans reports that the question of whether the proposed city of Mulberry should be created is now in the hands of northeast Gwinnett voters. Georgia House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, R-Dacula, said Gov. Brian Kemp’s office contacted him on Tuesday to notify him that the governor has signed Senate Bill 333 into law.
Feb. 14, 2024 Georgia Recorder
Georgia Senate advances tax break for firearm safety devices as lawmakers push gun-related incentives
Jill Nolin reports that the Senate has passed a tax break on firearm safes, trigger locks and other safety devices as incentives for secure storage – and sometimes gun purchases too – gain traction in Georgia. The bill, sponsored by Marietta Republican Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, easily cleared the Senate Tuesday. Her bill would exempt safes and devices that temporarily disable firearms when not in use from state and local sales tax.
Feb. 14, 2024 Georgia Recorder, Rome News-Tribune
Georgia Senate panel OKs latest version of “Don’t Say Gay” restrictions
Ross Williams reports that a controversial bill dubbed Georgia’s version of “Don’t Say Gay” moved forward in a Senate committee Tuesday after three years of work and multiple failures to move, largely over Republican opposition to the inclusion of private schools. The latest version of the bill applies differently to public and private schools.
Feb. 14, 2024 State Affairs
Georgia bypasses federal help, forges own path with older foster care youth, but is it enough?
Tammy Joyner reports, in the last year and a half, Georgia has spent more than $42 million of its own money providing housing and other extended care services to hundreds of young adults getting ready to age out of its foster care system. Child advocates say Georgia has access to millions more in federal dollars to help foster youth between the ages of 18 and 21, but state officials continue to bypass the federal money saying the process for getting it is too complicated.
Feb. 14, 2024 Fresh Take Georgia
Georgia voting machine overhaul raises concerns for upcoming elections
Manuel Lugo reports, on Feb. 6, state senators voted 31-22 to pass Senate Bill 189 sponsored by Sen. Max Burns (R-Sylvania), Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee. If passed by the state House and signed into law, the bill would remove QR codes from printed ballots and require the text portion of the ballot be counted as the official vote.
Feb. 14, 2024 Georgia Recorder
No excuse absentee voting in Georgia survives a state election board vote to end it
Stanley Dunlap reports that the newly appointed chairman of the Georgia State Election Board cast the deciding vote on Tuesday against recommending that state legislators ban no-excuse absentee voting. In a 3-2 vote on Tuesday, the election board struck down the recommendation to no longer allow any Georgia voter to request an absentee ballot after Chairman John Fervier declined the request from a fellow board member that the General Assembly dissolve a rule passed in 2005.
Feb. 14, 2024 Capitol Beat News
State Senate passes tort reform bill aimed at ‘direct action’ lawsuits
Dave Williams reports that Gov. Brian Kemp announced at the beginning of the 2024 General Assembly session that he would not push for comprehensive tort reform this year. But the state Senate passed legislation Tuesday addressing one aspect of tort reform.
Feb. 14, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bearden wins Georgia Senate race; runoff set for state House
Mark Niesse reports that Republican former state Rep. Tim Bearden won a special election for state Senate on Tuesday while another race for state House is heading for a runoff between two Republicans, former Columbia County Commissioner Gary Richardson and conservative activist CJ Pearson. Bearden, who supported expanding gun rights when he served in the House from 2005 to 2011, defeated three opponents for the Senate seat vacated by former state Sen. Mike Dugan, a Republican from Carrollton.
