Getting Out the Vote: Monday, Oct. 7, is the last day to register to vote in the upcoming Nov. 5 election. Early voting begins Oct. 14 and runs through Nov. 1. The secretary of state’s website (sos.ga.gov) has information about where you…
New Augusta University President: Russell T. Keen, a 22-year veteran of the University System of Georgia (USG), became Augusta University’s president following the retirement of Brooks Keel at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. Keen was most recently executive vice…
In Memoriam: Abit Massey, president emeritus of the Georgia Poultry Federation and an influential and widely respected lobbyist for the poultry industry, died in June at the age of 96. Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement, “Abit Massey was a…
Duncan Backs Biden: Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican sharply critical of former President Donald Trump, has officially endorsed President Joe Biden’s bid for a second term in the upcoming November election. Duncan served as lieutenant governor from 2019 to…
Okefenokee Fight: Although the Georgia Senate did not take action this last session on a House-passed bill that would have paused permits for new mines at the Okefenokee Swamp, House…
May Primaries: Tuesday, May 21, is the date set for primary elections in races for county and state offices, as well as U.S. House seats and judicial positions. Some incumbents have no opposition, but redistricting has changed some legislative boundaries. You…
New Med School: The University of Georgia will soon get the state’s second public medical school. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia authorized opening a new independent school at the state’s flagship university, a move aimed at…
End of Session: The final day of this year’s legislative session is set for Thursday, March 28. That means, among other things, a lot of activity for Georgia lawmakers between now and then as they scramble to pass bills. Crossover day…
Maps OK’d: U.S. District Judge Steve Jones’ ruling that Georgia’s newly redrawn congressional and legislative maps passed muster means Republicans are likely to hold on to a 9-5 majority in the U.S. House delegation and a majority in the state Senate…
Just over three years from the time in March 2020 when COVID-19 brought Georgia’s Delta Air Lines – and much of the U.S. economy – to its knees, the moment came last fall when the airline announced its third-quarter 2023…
Paying Respects: President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden traveled to Atlanta to…
Plea Deals: The scheduled October trials of attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, two of former President Donald Trump’s co-defendants in Fulton County’s RICO prosecution, were cancelled when they decided to plead guilty. The pair had requested an early trial…
Isakson Symposium at UGA: Two prominent U.S. senators, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), were invited to speak at the inaugural Isakson Symposium on Political Civility on Nov. 10 in the University of Georgia Chapel. This is…
When Jimmy Carter was inaugurated in 1971 as Georgia’s 76th governor, he famously announced, “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over. No poor, rural, weak or Black person should ever again have to…
Burt Jones took office in January as Georgia’s 13th lieutenant governor and hit the ground running, presiding over the state Senate during the often-contentious 2023…
All Eyes on Georgia: The two-year-plus investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis that led to grand jury indictments of former President Donald Trump and 18 other defendants on charges of violating the state’s RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization)…
Another New GBI Leader: Chris Hosey, a 35-year veteran of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and most recently its assistant director, is the new director, appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp. He began his new job on Aug. 1. Hosey’s predecessor,…
New State GOP Chair: Former State Sen. Josh McKoon bested two other candidates to become chair of Georgian’s Republican Party, succeeding David Shafer, who led the party for a tumultuous four years. McKoon defeated Rebecca Yardley, chair of the Ninth District GOP,…
New Budget Surprises: The $32.4 billion state budget for the 2024 fiscal year, signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, “invests in public safety, education, healthcare, workforce development and much more,” according to a press release from his office. But the budget he…
Rich Stinson is more than just an advocate of sustainability in his industry. He practices what he preaches, seeing and acting on new opportunities in renewable energy, power distribution, 5G and electric vehicle charging. In just a few years, he…
Dems Choose Chicago: In a blow to Atlanta’s civic pride, the Democratic National Committee has chosen to convene in Chicago for its August 2024 national convention, despite a concerted effort on the part of local and state Democratic leaders. They hoped…
Tax Rebates Coming: HB 162, signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp well before the end of the legislative session, will bring tax refunds for Georgians who filed returns for the 2021 and 2022 tax years. A press release from the…
Regents’ Reappointments: Erin Hames and James M. Hull have been reappointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. Both are members at large; their new terms will run through Jan. 1, 2030. Hames, headmaster…
Key Session Dates: Crossover Day for the 2023 General Assembly is Monday, March 6, the last day legislation can be passed out of its originating chamber. The session will adjourn on Wednesday, March 29 – Sine Die. Legislators adopted a…
Black Caucus Chair: State Rep. Carl Gilliard (D-Savannah) is the new chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus for the 2023-24 term. The caucus works to protect the general welfare of Black people, other people of color and disadvantaged citizens…
Non Sibi Sed Aliis. The translation from Latin means “not for self, but for others.” It’s the motto of the first Georgia Trustees who were charged in 1732 by England’s King George II with establishing the new colony of Georgia.…
It is hard to imagine the Georgia House of Representatives without its dean: Calvin Smyre, the Columbus Democrat who served for 48 years and was the longest-tenured member of the legislature when he retired last year. An early mentor told…
In Memoriam: Longtime Speaker of the Georgia House David Ralston, a Blue Ridge Republican, died in November at age 68. Ralston’s death came just days after announcing he would not seek another term as House leader, due to a health…
In Memoriam: State Rep. Henry “Wayne” Howard, an Augusta Democrat who served in the statehouse since 2007, died in October. He was remembered by House Minority Leader James Beverly (D-Macon) as someone “always quick to encourage, counsel, and love. Not…
Abortion Decriminalization: DeKalb County’s City of Pine Lake, which has all-female leadership, including the mayor and city council members, has adopted a resolution requesting the city’s police department not investigate reports of abortion care and indicating that no city funds…
Honor for Bishop: Georgia’s Second District Democratic U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop was named Legislator of the Year by the National Association of Farm Service Agency County Office Employees during its summer convention in Savannah. The organization describes itself as the…
New Regent: Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Patrick Jones to the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents to fill the seat vacated by the resignation of Savannah’s Don Waters, who had served since 2013, when he was appointed by…
When Ángel Cabrera arrived in Atlanta in 2019 as Georgia Tech’s 12th president, it was something of a homecoming for him. He was a Fulbright Scholar at Tech in the 1990s, earning an M.S. and a Ph.D. in psychology and…
HBCU Study Committee: Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan named State Sen. Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta) to chair a new Interim Legislative Study Committee on Excellence, Innovation and Technology at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The group will look at ways the state…
On to November: Having trounced his Republican primary opponent, former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, Gov. Brian Kemp now faces Democrat Stacey Abrams in the November general election in a rematch of the 2018 gubernatorial contest. Abrams had no opposition in…
Smyre Farewell: Columbus Democrat Calvin Smyre, dean of the House of Representatives, who served from 1975 through this year’s session – longer than any other lawmaker – was honored on his last day with standing ovations, tributes and the unveiling…
In Memoriam: Former Atlanta Mayor and Buckhead Coalition President Sam Massell, who led the city from 1970 to 1974, died in March at age 94. He was the city’s first Jewish mayor and is credited with guiding the changeover from…
Supreme Court Changes: Just days after Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice David Nahmias announced he is stepping down in July, after 12 years on the court, Gov. Kemp named Appeals Court Judge Andrew Pinson to replace him. Nahmias, once a…
In Memoriam: MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker, 56, died by suicide in January. He headed the Atlanta transit agency for nearly four years and was widely praised for his leadership in expanding its service area and in steering…
The Russell Center, a Black business generator for all stages of entrepreneurship, was inspired by the late business magnate, philanthropist and Civil Rights figure Herman J. Russell, who founded H.J. Russell & Company, a construction and real estate firm that…
The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) teaches history in order to create a better future – to give the people of the state an understanding of how we got to this point, along with the education, tools and perspective to make…
In Memoriam: Georgia’s former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, a lifelong Republican who died in December at the age of 76, is remembered by friends and colleagues from both parties as a man of integrity and accomplishment. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp…
The first column I ever wrote for Georgia Trend was put together hurriedly in the aftermath of 9/11, a rambling patchwork of observations about shopping for American flags and trying to regain some equilibrium. It ran in the October 2001…
Q: Tell us about Jack Cooper. It’s a 93-year-old transportation and logistics company, specifically focused on car haul. Your readers have seen the double-decker trucks filled with cars going to dealerships – those are ours. In a typical year –…
When Doug Hooker was being interviewed some years ago by the president of an engineering firm for a job leading the Atlanta office, the man told him he had heard from others that Hooker was the one to hire, but…
The Race Is On: Gov. Brian Kemp picked up two high-profile challengers last month, one a Democrat and one a fellow Republican, each hoping to make him a one-term governor. Stacey Abrams, the Democratic voting rights activist, announced that she…
We have a little breathing room – finally. With the testy legislative redistricting process behind us and the likely-to-be rancorous state elections still down the road a bit, the regular 2022 General Assembly session, which begins this month, offers an…
Kimberly Ballard-Washington, an attorney, spent much of her career on the legal side of public higher education, as advisor to the state Board of Regents and in the legal affairs departments of the University of Georgia and Valdosta State University.…
In Memoriam: More than half a century after a live grenade severely injured him in the Vietnam war, former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland died in November at the age of 79. An Atlanta native, he served Georgia in several capacities…
It’s tempting to say that the best thing about the year 2021 is that it’s almost over and we get to start again next month with a (sort of) clean slate. Except that’s not entirely true. In the triage system…
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