Capitol Beat

Kemp extends COVID-19 social distancing rules

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service Gov. Brian Kemp moved Monday to extend social distancing rules for businesses and stay-at-home orders for the state’s most vulnerable populations another two weeks amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

June 9 primary draws 1 million mail-in, early votes

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service More than 1 million Georgia voters have already cast ballots in the upcoming June 9 primary election via mail-in and early in-person voting, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office said Thursday.

Kemp to let bars, summer school open in Georgia

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service Gov. Brian Kemp moved Thursday to relax broad social restrictions in Georgia on bars, nightclubs, summer school classes and overnight summer camps in the coming weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Kemp urges patience for state's COVID-19 data

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service   Gov. Brian Kemp urged Georgians Thursday to have patience with public health officials amid reports over questionable data-keeping methods for positive cases of coronavirus in the state.

Early voting starts for coronavirus-impacted June 9 primary in Georgia

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service   Early voting for the June 9 primary in Georgia started Monday amid ongoing safety concerns stemming from the coronavirus pandemic coupled with close scrutiny over how the state’s new voting machines perform.

Kemp to keep bars closed, open summer day camps

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service   Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday he plans to extend mandatory statewide closures for bars and nightclubs in Georgia amid ongoing concerns over coronavirus, which to date has killed nearly 1,500 people in the state and sickened thousands more.

Gov. Kemp undecided on when to end Georgia shelter-in-place

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service   ATLANTA - Ahead of an April 30 end to the state’s shelter-in-place order, Gov.

Georgia Senate leaders favor earlier date to resume legislative session

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service Disagreement has emerged between Georgia House and Senate leaders on when to resume the 2020 legislative session as many local businesses are poised to possibly reopen after weeks of closures prompted by coronavirus.

Ballot drop-off boxes get green light for June 9 primary in Georgia

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service   County election officials in Georgia will have the option of installing drop-off boxes for absentee ballots in the June 9 primary election under emergency rules the State Election Board adopted Wednesday.

Facing COVID-19 surge, Kemp seeks more hospital beds, testing in Georgia

By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service   ATLANTA - State and federal officials are hustling to increase the supply of hospital beds and coronavirus tests in Georgia ahead of an anticipated peak surge in COVID-19 patients in the coming weeks, Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday.