Capitol Beat

Controversial Georgia election laws tackled in U.S. Senate hearing

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service Georgia’s controversial new voting laws took center stage Tuesday at a U.S. Senate hearing where majority Democrats blasted changes in state voting rules as a revival of the Jim Crow era of segregation.

Kemp draws 2022 primary challenge in former Democrat Jones

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service Vernon Jones, a former Democratic state lawmaker and one of former President Donald Trump’s most vocal allies in Georgia, is the latest Republican to open a 2022 primary challenge against Gov. Brian Kemp.

Warnock draws early 2022 election challengers for U.S. Senate

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock has drawn the first Republican challengers in his bid to hold the seat he won in historic fashion during the 2020 election cycle.   Latham Saddler, an Atlanta banking executive and U.S.

Georgia pauses Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines amid blood-clot cases

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service Georgia has paused distribution of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as part of a nationwide halt after reports of blot clots in six people in the U.S. who had received the shot.

COVID-19 gathering restrictions in Georgia set to roll back on April 8

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service Gov. Brian Kemp is rolling back restrictions on public gatherings and a shelter-in-place order for elderly-care facility residents that have been in place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All adult Georgians will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines this Thursday

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service The long winter of COVID-19 looks to be coming to an end in Georgia.   All Georgians age 16 and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting this Thursday, March 25, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday.

Kemp signs bills to cut Georgia income tax, boost foster-care credit

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service Gov. Brian Kemp signed two bills Monday that will hand Georgians a slight income-tax cut and let foster parents tap into a larger tax credit when adopting children.

Big changes to vote-by-mail in Georgia clear state House

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA – Republican state lawmakers took a major step Monday toward overhauling voting by mail and other election procedures in Georgia with passage of an omnibus bill by the state House of Representatives along party lines.