Jan. 14, 2025 Georgia.gov
Staff reports that the State of Georgia’s net tax collections in the month of December totaled almost $3.34 billion, for an increase of $291.4 million, or 9.6%, compared to December 2023, when net tax collections approached $3.05 billion for the month. Year-to-date, net tax revenue collections increased by $283.1 million, or 1.8%, an increase that was boosted by the collection of the state’s motor fuel excise tax, which was suspended by Executive Order for a two and a half month stretch of FY 2024.
Jan. 14, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Christy Simo reports, paper products manufacturer Irving Tissue is expanding to the tune of $600 million in Macon. The expansion will add a third paper-making machine, more converting lines and a fully automated warehouse, increasing annual manufacturing capacity by 75,000 metric tons.
Jan. 14, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mirtha Donastorg reports, as multiple fires have ravaged Los Angeles and surrounding cities, companies and foundations big and small in Atlanta are stepping up to help those who have lost everything. The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is giving $500,000 to the California Community Foundation’s Wildlife Recovery Fund and Delta Air Lines is donating $1 million to the American Red Cross for wildfire relief efforts, the company announced last week.
Jan. 14, 2025 WABE
Kendall Murry reports, while Georgia may be known for its music, arts scene and various business opportunities, it’s not the state to settle down in, according to a new analysis by WalletHub. The finance company reported Monday that Georgia ranked as the 40th-best state in the country to raise a family.
Jan. 14, 2025 Savannah Morning News
Christopher Berinato reports that Homegrown Collective, led by the powerhouse team of Eric Britt (American Hologram, Hazel Virtue), Stan Ray, and Andrew Sovine, are returning to Victory North with another tribute to the great state of Georgia and the variety of wonderful music it has produced. This is the third “Georgia on My Mind” in so many years and the annual event continues to pack more and more all-star talent on stage each time.
Jan. 14, 2025 Rome News-Tribune
Rachel Hartdegen reports, three local private schools — Saint Mary’s Catholic School, Unity Christian School and Berry College Elementary and Middle School — were approved to participate in the Georgia Promise Scholarship program. Beginning in the fall of 2025, students from underachieving schools in Georgia can receive a scholarship of up to $6,500 to attend one of the state’s approved private schools.
Jan. 14, 2025 Georgia.gov
Staff reports, on Monday, Gov. Kemp, joined by Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Speaker Jon Burns, and members of the Georgia General Assembly, announced his legislative package enhancing K-12 education and securing Georgia classrooms. Split between appropriations in the AFY’25 and FY’26 budgets and proposed legislation, this package fully funds K-12 formula earnings, provides funding for additional school safety grants, enhances mental health support and crisis counseling, and boosts technical education and transportation funding.
Jan. 14, 2025 State Affairs
Tammy Joyner reports that Gov. Brian Kemp capped a busy opening legislative session Monday by announcing another $50 million more will be added to the amended fiscal year 2025 budget for one-time school safety grants for public schools statewide. The announcement brings the total one-time safety grants to nearly $159 million through June.
Jan. 14, 2025 Marietta Daily Journal
Annie Mayne reports, Jerica Richardson has appealed a judge’s ruling that kicked her out of office and could be back on the dais for the Tuesday morning meeting of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. According to her attorney Justin O’Dell, Richardson’s Monday filing in the State Court of Appeals supersedes the Dec. 31 ruling of Cobb County Superior Court Chief Judge Ann Harris, which deemed Richardson’s seat vacant.
Jan. 14, 2025 Albany Herald
Alan Mauldin reports, the 2025 state legislative session that begins this week will include plenty of local issues, including requests from Albany Technical College and the Albany Museum of Art totaling $25 million, as well as funding for the county’s Westtown Library. But the biggest spending proposal is coming from Gov. Brian Kemp: $372 million in spending for the state’s prison system.
Jan. 14, 2025 The Current
Craig Nelson reports, as Coastal Georgia lawmakers converged in Atlanta for the start of the new, 40-day legislative session on Monday, its agenda was still in limbo. Few bills have been formally introduced, and the single, most powerful person driving the legislature’s calendar — Gov. Brian Kemp — hasn’t detailed his proposals, except for declaring that tort reform and prison funding his top legislative priorities.
Jan. 14, 2025 11-Alive
Doug Richards reports that the Georgia legislature opened its 2025 session Monday – and the first bill dropped in the senate was a bill restricting transgender schoolchildren in sports settings. Critics of the bill say it solves a nonexistent problem.
Jan. 14, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Stanley Dunlap reports that Georgia Senate Republicans voted Monday to reinstate the Special Committee on Investigations, which spent last year investigating the alleged misconduct of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Georgia state senators voted along party lines Monday to continue investigating Willis regarding her handling of the 2020 election interference case against Republican President-elect Donald Trump and a number of his allies.
Jan. 14, 2025 WABE
Sam Gringlas reports that the scaffolding has been removed from Georgia’s freshly-gilded gold dome, lawmakers have been sworn in and the House and Senate hoppers are already filling with newly-filed bills. A new 40-day session of the Georgia General Assembly is officially underway.
Jan. 14, 2025 Capitol Beat News
Dave Williams reports, the General Assembly gaveled into session Monday with the usual pageantry and little of the heavy lifting that will be required to make it through the 40-day session. House lawmakers voted 153-21 to reelect Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, to preside over the chamber during the next two years.
Jan. 14, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Maya T. Prabhu and Michelle Baruchman report, Republican senators spent their first day of the General Assembly’s legislative session solidifying their plans to go after their favorite targets: Georgia’s transgender community and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Early Monday, state Sen. Greg Dolezal, a Republican from Cumming, filed the chamber’s first bill, which would require transgender girls and women competing in sports at public middle schools, high schools and college student-athletes to play on teams, dress, shower and use restrooms according to the gender on their birth certificate.