Georgia Trend Daily – March 22, 2024
March 22, 2024 Capitol Beat News
Georgia employment keeps reaching new highs
Dave Williams reports that Georgia’s economy continued to reach all-time highs on a number of fronts last month, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday. While Georgia’s unemployment rate remained steady at 3.1% in February, the number of jobs rose by 2,400 to a record high of more than 4.9 million.
March 22, 2024 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
PCI: Where Education is the Key
Randy Southerland reports, this fall East Point will have a new educational option: the Promise Career Institute. It’s part of Fulton County Schools three-year comprehensive Bridge to Success Plan and will use federal funds from the American Rescue Plan to help students recover from learning loss resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 22, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New attempt to pause future mining emerges as Okefenokee fight rages
Drew Kann reports, in the midst of a contentious battle over a strip mine planned near the Okefenokee Swamp, the Georgia House of Representatives revived an effort Thursday to pause new permitting for similar projects. The House Rules committee approved a substitute bill that would prevent the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) from considering new permits for “dragline” mining for three years.
March 22, 2024 Cherokee Tribune
Woodstock Named to Smart21 Communities
Staff reports that Woodstock has been named one of the world’s Smart21 Communities of 2024 by the Intelligent Community Forum, the city announced. Woodstock received this honor in Taipei, Taiwan at the Smart Cities and Intelligent Communities Conference March 20 hosted by the Intelligent Community Forum, which is conducted as part of the Taiwan Smart City Summit and Expo.
March 22, 2024 WABE
Georgia State plans to pull the plug on Prison Education Project after nearly a decade
Chamian Cruz reports that a group at Georgia State University (GSU) is attempting to save a program for incarcerated people seeking a degree. The Prison Education Project, or PEP, was started at GSU in 2016. Last year, it saw the first-ever class of incarcerated students at Walker State Prison graduate, all with honors.
March 22, 2024 Marietta Daily Journal
Cobb Stormwater Fee Vote is Tuesday
Jake Busch reports, expect a surge in public input at Tuesday’s Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting, during which time the board will decide whether to approve a countywide stormwater fee. The fee, part of a package of code amendments, “would make our stormwater receipts equitable to stormwater impact,” Cobb Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said at the board’s meeting earlier this month.
March 22, 2024 Valdosta Daily Times
Ray City’s only financial institution closing
Terry Richards reports, the only financial institution in Ray City is closing. First Commerce Credit Union, located at 860 Patten St., will cease lobby and drive-through operations April 1, FCCU spokeswoman Kristin Vallese said Thursday.
March 22, 2024 The Brunswick News
Legislation that benefits county board of elections still alive
Hank Rowland reports that state legislation introduced on behalf of the Glynn County Board of Elections that was once thought dead has new life. Sponsored by state Rep. Buddy DeLoach, R-Townsend, House Bill 1370 was thought dead for this year when it failed to pass the House by the end of Crossover Day, the deadline set by the General Assembly for a measure to pass in one chamber in order to be considered by the other.
March 22, 2024 State Affairs
Bill preventing ‘adversarial’ countries from owning Georgia farmland moves to governor’s desk
Tammy Joyner reports that Georgia House lawmakers on Thursday wrestled vigorously over a Senate bill that bans foreign adversaries from buying Georgia farmland before ultimately passing the controversial legislation. Senate Bill 420, which passed the House 97-67, now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature.
March 22, 2024 Rome News-Tribune, Georgia Recorder
Time Running Out In 2024 Georgia Legislature To Secure Compensation For Wrongfully Convicted Floyd County Men
Jill Nolin reports that Lee Clark says he has struggled to get by since being released from prison in 2022 after being wrongfully convicted of a Floyd County murder more than two decades ago. At 45, Clark is self-conscious about the skills he lacks for his age as he labors at a job doing drum maintenance at Pirelli Tire, making just over minimum wage.
March 22, 2024 GPB
‘Lawmakers’: Georgia legislature passes contentious immigration, foreign influence bills on Day 38
Sarah Kallis and Tristan Smith report, both chambers of the Georgia legislature took up several bills dealing with immigrants and foreign nationals on Day 38. The House got straight to business today and passed a bill aiming to increase opportunities for workforce development.
March 22, 2024 Savannah Morning News
Six bills that could change the way elections are conducted, tallied and audited in Georgia
Maya Homan reports that a plethora of election bills cleared committee hearings this week, with bills on election deepfakes, election audits and voter registration challenges potentially making an appearance on the Georgia House and Senate floors before Sine Die, the final day of the 2024 state legislative session. Taken together, the bills could change the way elections across the state are conducted, tallied and audited.
March 22, 2024 Georgia Recorder
Medicaid expansion chances dim again this year as key health care proposal passes without it
Jill Nolin reports that a late proposal to fully expand Medicaid received a surprise hearing in a Senate committee Thursday but was narrowly defeated, with the chairman who allowed the hearing casting the decisive vote to shelve it. And negotiations also wrapped up Thursday evening over a high-profile health care bill that was seen as a potential host for a full Medicaid expansion add-on.
March 22, 2024 Capitol Beat News
General Assembly sets new elections for PSC members
Dave Williams reports that the state Senate voted 43-9 to hold the election for the PSC’s District 2 seat now held by Commissioner Tim Echols in May of next year in conjunction with municipal election primaries. The elections for districts 3 and 5 – seats now held by commissioners Fitz Johnson and Tricia Pridemore – would be held in 2026.
March 22, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
PG A.M.: Lt. Gov. Jones won’t address personal benefit of new hospital regs
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Van Brimmer report that the hospital regulation overhaul bill that passed the state House and Senate on Thursday will allow more hospitals to open in Georgia’s rural counties, including in Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ home of Butts County. That’s where Interstate Health Systems, a company owned by the lieutenant governor’s father, Bill Jones, was granted a zoning permit in August 2023 to develop a 45-acre medical office complex.
