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Education

More schools refuse school takeover

A little over a year since Deal’s school takeover bill went into effect, more schools are pushing back against being labeled for takeover. The so-called, state-mandated school “turnaround” program was pushed through the Georgia General Assembly by Gov. Deal after teachers, parents and voters in general overwhelmingly voted against it in November 2016. Deal refused to accept Georgia’s answer and created the First Priority Act which created the position of the “Chief Turnaround Officer” or

Voting Rights

Gov. Deal signs bill to silence minority voters

Gov. Deal recently approved a measure carving out land from the city of Stockbridge near Atlanta, giving some voters the opportunity to create a new municipality with more concentrated wealth and much fewer minority voters. The new city, Eagles Landing, was named for its local country club of the same name and proposes to take about a third of Stockbridge’s residents but half of the its revenue. The median income of Eagles Landing will be

Education

DeKalb bus drivers strike for better pay, get fired immediately

Perhaps inspired by the success of the school worker strikes in Oklahoma, West Virginia and South Carolina, 393 of Dekalb County’s 908 school bus drivers, called out sick on Thursday as a way to fight for improvements in salaries and benefits. Many continued calling out for the entire “sick out” from Thursday through Monday. Bus drivers are underpaid and overworked in Georgia — especially in DeKalb, where the average bus driver makes around $23,000 per year,

Immigration and Refugees

Kemp slams immigration on bus tour

As part of his gubernatorial campaign’s bus tour, Sec. of State Brian Kemp gave a talk inside of what was once a jail cell advocating a crackdown on immigration. As has become typical of the Republican rhetoric on immigration, his speech was full of hateful, confusing half-truths. The crux of his talk was about how undocumented immigrants are driving up the cost of heathcare. He said it was “insane” that undocumented immigrants get healthcare coverage

Criminal Justice

New bill waives bail, fails to address the root of the problem

A new bill being sponsored by six Republicans in the State Senate would provide additional opportunities for judges to choose not to require bail for poor defendants accused of low-level offenses. The bill would also give police officers the flexibility to issue citations in place of criminal charges. Deal is supporting this bill and claims it’s the next step for criminal justice reform and a “foundation for a more equitable criminal justice system and brings

2018 Legislative Session

Georgians want increased access to medical marijuana

Georgians want increased access to medical marijuana. A new AJC poll shows that more Georgians than ever, 77 percent to be exact, support changing state laws to allow harvesting and distribution of medical marijuana. Under a 2015 law, licensed patients can possess up 20 ounces of cannabis oil to treat certain forms of 14 approved illnesses, including AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. More than 2,500 patients are currently on the registry. But