Georgia Trend Daily – April 9, 2026
April 9, 2026 Georgia.gov
March Net Tax Revenues Up 4.8%
Staff reports, the State of Georgia’s net tax collections in the month of March totaled $2.62 billion, for an increase of $120.4 million, or 4.8%, compared to March 2025, when net tax collections totaled $2.5 billion for the month. Year-to-date, net tax revenue collections through three quarters totaled $24.5 billion, for an increase of 463.6 million, or 1.9%, compared to March FY 2025, when net tax collections totaled roughly $24.04 billion.
April 9, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Economic Development Around the State
Christy Simo reports, a recent report from the Global Business Alliance reveals that Georgia is a key location for international investment, with some 1,500 international investors employing more than 300,400 people, a third of them in manufacturing. Companies from Canada, the U.K. and Japan support the largest number of jobs in Georgia. https://www.georgiatrend.com/2026/03/31/georgia-economics-jobs-in-goergia/
April 9, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chick-fil-A grew U.S. sales to nearly $24B last year
Amy Wenk reports, Chick-fil-A managed to grow its U.S. sales last year during a challenging time for the restaurant industry, though its pace of growth slowed. The College Park-based chicken chain increased its system-wide sales 5.2% to nearly $24 billion in 2025, according to a newly-released franchise disclosure document.
April 9, 2026 WABE
Delta Air Lines expects to pay over $2 billion in fuel costs from Middle East war
Marlon Hyde reports that Delta Air Lines expects to pay over $2 billion in fuel costs in the second quarter of this year as the war in the Middle East continues to impact the global economy. The Atlanta-based carrier announced it Wednesday as it reported quarterly earnings.
April 9, 2026 Savannah Morning News
Developers push forward on Pooler project that includes 1,060 homes
Destini Ambus reports, the development team behind The District Pooler is moving forward in their plans to bring their vision for a mixed-use destination to life, according to a press release. Pooler Forrest Places has officially submitted a request to the City of Pooler to amend the existing Jabot Planned Unit Development (PUD) to remove 116 acres at the intersection of Pooler Parkway and Pine Barren Road from the PUD.
April 9, 2026 Macon Telegraph
Macon federal judge welcomes new U.S. citizens, speaks on ‘basic rights’
Alba Rosa reports that a Macon federal judge welcomed 17 new U.S. citizens on Wednesday, reminding them of “certain rights … so fundamental that they cannot be infringed upon.” The petitioners represented 11 countries — Mexico, Peru, Honduras, China, Philippines, Nepal, India, South Korea, Thailand and France.
April 9, 2026 Valdosta Daily Times
Valdosta to host fourth annual Bluesberry Festival this weekend
Bailey Wilson reports, champagne Jam meets blueberry jam in Valdosta’s fourth annual Bluesberry Festival. Hosted by the City of Valdosta, this two-day celebration of Valdosta’s community features local vendors, a foam party for kids, and all-day live music headlined by the Atlanta Rhythm Section.
April 9, 2026 GPB
Birth control could be available at Georgia pharmacies, but not until next year
Sofi Gratas reports, a bill that would allow people to go straight to pharmacists for birth control is headed to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for a signature. House Bill 1138 authorizes pharmacists to dispense and administer birth control pills and injections without a prescription from a doctor to people 18 years and older.
April 9, 2026 Marietta Daily Journal
Raffensperger touts election success while ballot crisis remains unresolved
Megan Jackson reports that Georgia runs the best elections in the country, according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Raffensperger, who is running for governor in the Republican primary, was the keynote speaker at the Vinings Cumberland Rotary Club Wednesday, discussing the role of the secretary of state and giving the club statewide updates.
April 9, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Top Georgia candidates competing in 2026 midterms set to debate later this month
Ross Williams reports, election season in Georgia is about to heat up even more. The May 19 primary election, when Georgians will select party nominees for races up and down the ballot, is a month and a half away, and voters will soon have the chance to meet some of the candidates on their screens.
April 9, 2026 The Brunswick News
Democrat drops out of state House race
Gordon Jackson reports, State Rep. Rick Townsend, R-St. Simons Island, will not face opposition in the November general election. Democrat Holle Weiss-Friedman, who drove to Atlanta and paid the non-refundable qualifying fee on the first day of qualifying in March, dropped out of the election two days later.
April 9, 2026 Capitol Beat News
QR codes will soon be illegal for tallying election results in Georgia, raising questions about the November midterms
Ty Tagami reports, when Georgia lawmakers went home on Friday, they left the state on a collision course with their own self-imposed deadline to change the way residents vote. In 2024, they banned the use of QR codes to tally election results starting July 1.
April 9, 2026 State Affairs
Georgia third state to pass state-level stablecoin regulatory framework
Emma Kinery reports that Georgia lawmakers passed a bill to create a state-level stablecoin license. If signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia will become the third state to establish its own state-level regulatory framework for stablecoins, digital assets stored on blockchains and pegged to real-world fiat assets.
April 9, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Four take-aways from Georgia’s runoff election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene
Ross Williams and Alander Rocha report, when Republican Clay Fuller is set to become the newest congressman from Georgia after defeating Democrat Shawn Harris in a special election runoff Tuesday. Fuller is a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard and former district attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit.
April 9, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Republicans kept MTG’s House seat, so why are Democrats claiming victory?
Tia Mitchell reports, roughly an hour after polls closed on Tuesday night, Republican Clay Fuller was declared the newest member of Georgia’s congressional delegation. But it was Democrats, not Republicans, beating their chests at the results.
