Georgia Trend Daily – March 20, 2024
March 20, 2024 State Affairs
What blueberries, broiler chickens and pecans have in common: They’re No. 1 in Georgia crops
Tammy Joyner reports that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Now, the $74 billion agribusiness is Georgia’s No. 1 industry, employing 1 in 7 Georgians. The state is consistently No. 1 in the country in the production of peanuts, broiler chickens, pecans, blueberries and spring onions.
March 20, 2024 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
As Georgia Goes, So Goes America
Tharon Johnson writes, Georgia has been the epicenter of national politics ever since President Joe Biden’s victory over former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. After gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams came within 1.4% of then-candidate Brian Kemp in 2018, anyone with experience in Georgia politics knew that the winds of change were nearing gale force strength.
March 20, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s how much Coca-Cola’s top execs took home last year
Michael E. Kanell reports that compensation for Coca-Cola’s top five executives last year ranged from $4.5 million to the $24.7 million paid to James Quincey, chairman and chief executive officer of the iconic, Atlanta-based company, according to the company’s annual proxy statement. Quincey, who has been with the company since 1996, has been CEO since 2017 and chairman of the board since 2019.
March 20, 2024 Delta Air Lines
Learn more about Delta’s impact in your state
Staff reports that Delta’s family is more than 90,000 strong, and our culture is committed to supporting the communities where we live, work and serve. A spirit of service is the foundation of everything we do, whether it’s taking care of our customers, our colleagues and our communities.
March 20, 2024 Saporta Report
Two Georgia cities selected for Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative
Mark Lannaman reports that Atlanta and Savannah are two of 25 cities selected for the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative. The three-year, $200 million initiative launched this month and aims to “turbocharge 25 U.S. cities’ efforts to leverage historic levels of federal funding to proactively build low-carbon, resilient, and economically thriving communities” according to the program’s website.
March 20, 2024 Athens Banner-Herald
Study looks at best cities for solar energy. Here’s how Georgia scored.
Miguel Legoas reports that Roof Gnome, a company specializing in roof services and solar installation, recently did a study on the best cities for solar energy, and several Georgia cities scored low on solar friendliness. The study gave more than 400 major US cities a score out of 100 based on metrics like incentives, affordability, solar-friendly climate, and equipment/installation capacities.
March 20, 2024 The Brunswick News
Tourism continues to trend higher
Gordon Jackson reports that tourism in the Golden Isles continues to set records going into the fourth quarter of the fiscal year. Glynn County lodging tax collections are slightly ahead of last year’s collections, according to a report by the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau.
March 20, 2024 GPB
UGA’s annual Farm Stress Summit is underway as farmers brace for dip in annual gains
Sofi Gratas reports, agriculture is Georgia’s largest industry but it can also be stressful for those who work in it. To address this, the University of Georgia Extension is hosting its annual Farm Stress Summit Wednesday — for the first time, in North Georgia.
March 20, 2024 Georgia Recorder
Georgia GOP senators hijack bill for culture war on trans treatment, sex ed and bathroom access
Ross Williams reports that a bill aimed at protecting the mental health of student athletes became a bill banning transgender students from bathrooms, requiring schools to notify parents every time their child checks out a book from the school library, stopping transgender kids from participating in girls sports and banning sex education before sixth grade in a Senate committee Tuesday.
March 20, 2024 Capitol Beat News
Georgia House takes up bill to revive Consumers’ Utility Counsel
Dave Williams reports that members of a state House committee expressed concerns Tuesday about legislation that would revive the Georgia Consumers’ Utility Counsel (CUC) to represent Georgians before the state Public Service Commission (PSC). The CUC operated in Georgia from the 1970s until 2008, when it became a victim of budget cuts brought on by the Great Recession, Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, chief sponsor of Senate Bill 457, told members of the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee.
March 20, 2024 The Brunswick News
Kratom bill nearing passage in General Assembly
Hank Rowland reports that State Rep. Rick Townsend, R-St. Simons Island, says legislation to better regulate the sale of kratom in Georgia is likely to pass before the final gavel of the 2024 session of the General Assembly. On an unrelated matter, Townsend is keeping his fingers crossed that funding for the nursing program at College of Coastal Georgia stays in the state budget.
March 20, 2024 WABE, NPR
After Laken Riley killing, a Georgia bill prompts fears of an immigration crackdown
Emily Wu Pearson reports that Georgia Republican lawmakers are advancing a bill that would require local and state police to identify, arrest and detain undocumented immigrants – responsibilities normally reserved for federal immigration enforcement. Immigrant rights advocates in the state say the bill demonizes immigrants, pointing to research that shows undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than others.
March 20, 2024 Georgia Recorder
Bill criminalizing AI use in deceptive election ads advanced by Georgia Senate panel
Ross Williams reports that the Georgia Senate is poised to pass a bill meant to stop political groups from using artificial intelligence to sway elections. Woodstock Republican Rep. Brad Thomas’ House Bill 986 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday thanks in part to the voice of a senator who was not in the room and does not support the bill.
March 20, 2024 Capitol Beat News
State Senate panel passes bill giving coroners big raises
Dave Williams reports that coroners in Georgia would receive hefty pay raises under legislation that cleared a state Senate committee Tuesday. House Bill 625 would upgrade coroner to a full-time position and set a range of salaries, depending on the population of the county they serve.
March 20, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ballot questions offer glimpse of Georgia Democratic priorities
Greg Bluestein report, affordable housing. Expanded voter rights. New gun restrictions. Abortion rights protections. Georgia Democrats are including eight policy questions on ballots for the May 21 primaries that offer a glimpse of the party’s election-year priorities.
