Georgia Trend Daily – March 31, 2025
March 31, 2025 The Brunswick News
Brunswick stew bill gets extra ingredients
Hank Rowland reports that the state Senate committee on Economic Development and Tourism had food on the mind when pondering a bill to promote Brunswick stew to the status as Georgia’s official stew. The committee added sugarcane and cornbread to Rep. Rick Townsend’s House Bill 233 and tacked on a provision that prohibits adversarial foreign nations from bidding on state contracts.
March 31, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Catching up with… Ramon Reyes
Patti Rasmussen reports, in 1997, Ramon Reyes began his career in the hospitality industry as a hotel doorman in New Orleans. He moved to Atlanta to open the Omni Hotel at the Battery and serve as the hotel’s general manager.
March 31, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Metro Atlanta beauty brand gets eight-figure investment, plans major expansion
Mirtha Donastorg reports that LYS Beauty, a Kennesaw-based cosmetics company, has received an eight-figure investment, the company announced Monday. California-based Encore Consumer Capital is investing at least $10 million in the brand.
March 31, 2025 Marietta Daily Journal
New CEO Talks Cobb Galleria Expansion and All-Star Game
Isabelle Manders reports, as Charles Beirne steps into his role as general manager and CEO of the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority, he faces a few “game-changing” events. Two major developments will define his early tenure: a multimillion dollar expansion and renovation of the Cobb Galleria Centre and the upcoming Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which will bring thousands of fans to the area.
March 31, 2025 Augusta Chronicle
Army retiree named Columbia County Businesswoman of the Year
Joe Hotchkiss reports that a retired U.S. Army senior nurse executive whose leadership abilities grew into a successful post-military career has been named the 2025 Businesswoman of the Year by the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce. Wendy Perry is principal and co-founder of Katalis, a consultancy that guides clients through issues surrounding leadership development, executive coaching, health care administration and military-to-civilian transition and integration.
March 31, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Gold Dome nuggets: No raises for powers that be, Senator Treasurer, Dem disarray
Ross Williams and Stanley Dunlap report, this week: Democratic discontent comes to the dome, a ride-or-die always Trumper gets rewarded with a new gig and some funny money, and state leaders try to decide whether to add more real money into their yearly salaries. House lawmakers quickly swatted down a last-minute Senate plan to give the governor and other statewide officials pay raises.
March 31, 2025 Capitol Beat News
Hemp products industry gets scrutiny from Georgia lawmakers
Ty Tagami reports that Joe Salome built up his intoxicating hemp products business from one small store to six, and he got licensed by the state last year after new rules gave the industry a path into the sunlight. Then, in a surprise move, some Republicans in the Georgia Senate tried to slam the brakes in early March, with legislation that sought to pare back the potency allowed in gummies and other consumables — and that also sought a total ban on beverages containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the intoxicating component from hemp.
March 31, 2025 GPB
Savannah passes affordable housing ‘overlay’ zoning district, meant to boost city’s housing supply
Benjamin Payne reports that Savannah City Council approved an ordinance Thursday amending the city’s zoning code to create what officials are calling an Affordable Housing Overlay District, a move aimed at addressing rising housing costs and increasing residential density. The ordinance, which passed by a 7-2 vote with a minor modification, allows property owners to more easily develop high-density and multi-family housing in neighborhoods that have traditionally consisted of low-density, single-family homes.
March 31, 2025 State Affairs
2025 Georgia Power 50: The state’s most influential leaders
Beau Evans reports, as Brian Kemp leans into his final biennial as governor, he celebrated the largest economic development project in state history last week in Bryan County, surrounded by many other state and local leaders. Georgia stands at a pivotal moment in its political and policy landscape.
March 31, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Revised school safety plan, controversial gun tax holiday advance in the wake of Apalachee shooting
Ross Williams and Jill Nolin report that a bill originally designed to encourage safe gun storage now includes a controversial tax break on firearm purchases, and a proposed database that was seen as the central element of a school safety bill has been dropped in response to privacy concerns. The compromises were forged as lawmakers head into the final week of the 2025 legislative session – the first since a 14-year-old accused gunman killed two other students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in September.
March 31, 2025 The Brunswick News
Sen. Hodges bill to improve rights of grandparents passes
Hank Rowland reports that a bill authored by state Sen. Mike Hodges, R-St. Simons Island, that will improve the rights of grandparents has passed the House and Senate. Senate Bill 245 passed the Senate 56-0 and in the House 160-1. Rep. Rick Townsend, R-St. Simons Island, carried in the House.
March 31, 2025 WABE
Georgia state senators bring back a stalled bill mirroring Trump efforts to curb DEI in schools
Meimei Xu reports that a Georgia State Senate committee has passed a substitute measure that guts a teacher sick leave increase bill and replaces it with language from a stalled bill that would withhold state funding for public schools with diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies. Earlier this legislative session, Senate Bill 120 failed to cross over to the House.
March 31, 20225 Rome News-Tribune
Ga. Lawmakers Head into the Final Stretch
Diane Wagner reports that a Senate vote could come as early as Monday on legislation that would require coverage of fertility preservation services under certain conditions. House Bill 94 sponsored by Rep. Eddie Lumsden, R-Armuchee, would require the coverage when “a medically necessary treatment for cancer, sickle cell disease, or lupus may directly or indirectly cause an impairment of fertility.”
March 31, 2025 Georgia Recorder
End in sight, Legislature could pass trans care limits, immigration crackdown and election overhaul
Ross Williams and Stanley Dunlap report that unless something out of the ordinary happens, the Georgia Legislature only meets for 40 days each year over the course of about three months. The last day of the session is called sine die, which is Latin for “without a day,” because the lawmakers adjourn without a date set for their next meeting.
March 31, 2025 Capitol Beat News
IVF protection bill headed to Gov. Kemp
Dave Williams reports that legislation guaranteeing Georgia women struggling to become pregnant the legal right to in vitro fertilization (IVF) gained final passage in the General Assembly Friday. The state House of Representatives voted unanimously to agree to minor changes Georgia senators had made to House Bill 428 when they passed it on Thursday, sending the measure to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for his signature.
March 31, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jon Ossoff says Marjorie Taylor Greene doesn’t have the guts for Senate run
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report, the days of U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff keeping a low profile in Washington are over, as the freshman Democrat steps forward with sharper rhetoric ahead of his first reelection campaign. Last week, Ossoff made national headlines when he sparred with CIA Director John Ratcliffe about the leaked group chat that showed Trump administration officials discussing details of an imminent strike in Yemen.
