Hear Georgia NOW

Author: Jenna Eason

  • Georgia lawmakers demand release of detained Gwinnett barber

    Georgia lawmakers demand release of detained Gwinnett barber

    Georgia lawmakers demand release of detained Gwinnett barber

    Georgia lawmakers sent a letter to immigration officials demanding the release of Rodney Taylor due to serious medical concerns.

    Taylor, a Gwinnett County barber, has been detained for over a year at Stewart Detention Center.

    Taylor was brought to the U.S. from Liberia as a two year old to receive medical care, which resulted in the amputation of both his legs. He never left the U.S. 

    Several lawmakers, including state Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, signed the letter demanding Taylor’s release and citing conditions at the facility, which have negatively impacted Taylor’s health, including not providing adequate medical treatment.

    “We’re going to continue to pressure the federal government to do what is right and to do what is justified. We’re not going to stop fighting no matter what. We have to use every single tool in our arsenal,” Sanchez said.

    Taylor had a hearing in August, but Sanchez said they have not received a decision, which was supposed to be given by late October.

    “We don’t understand what the holdup is, why there seems to be such a delay, and why they are insistent on continuing to detain him,” Sanchez said.

    At the time of a visit with Taylor, he was clothed in a uniform that identifies him as the highest threat level to others at the detention center.

    “I’m not sure why they’re treating him so horrifically and seem to be making an example out of him,” Sanchez said.

    Taylor is not the only person detained that is suffering from medical conditions.

    State Rep. Sanchez, state Rep. Ruwa Romman, state Rep. Eric Bell and state Sen. Josh McLaurin recently visited Taylor and other people in detention. Sanchez said visiting Taylor helped improve his conditions at the facility.

    But, Sanchez said there are several people who need medical care and are living in horrific conditions. Sanchez and the other lawmakers met with another individual in need of medical assistance.

    “Their medical condition is so terrible that an outside doctor outside of the facility who was allowed to see them said that if they’re not treated soon, they will likely die,” he said. “There are many more folks who are dealing with many, many issues, and… this treatment is just across the board horrific.”

    Sanchez said they will use every tool they have to improve the conditions of the people detained at Stewart Detention Center.

    “These are just people who are just like you and me, working every day to support their families,” he said. “All we’re asking for is to not criminalize and not attack our communities in this manner, and we’re going to continue to fight for that every single day.”

    Here are all the lawmakers who signed the letter:

    • Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, House District 42
    • Rep. Anne Allen Westbrook, House District 163
    • Rep. Spencer Frye, House District 122
    • Rep. Segun Adeyina, House District 110
    • Rep. Eric Bell, House District 75
    • Rep. Park Cannon, House District 58
    • Rep. Jasmine Clark, House District 108
    • Rep. Al Williams, House District 168
    • Sen. Jaha Howard, Senate District 35                                                                                             
    • Sen. Kim Jackson, Senate District 41                      
    • Sen. Derek Mallow, Senate District 2
    • Sen. Josh McLaurin, Senate District 14
    • Sen. Kenya Wicks, Senate District 34
  • Georgia farmers to access $500M in Hurricane Helene relief

    Georgia farmers to access $500M in Hurricane Helene relief

    Georgia farmers to access $500M in Hurricane Helene relief

    Georgia farmers who suffered losses during Hurricane Helene may have access to more than $500 million in grant funds in the coming weeks.

    Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper announced Monday that applications will open March 16 for the Georgia Hurricane Helene Block Grant Program. Applications will remain open for six weeks and close April 27.

    “While this relief will not make impacted producers 100% whole, it will go a long way to help farm families get back on their feet after the devastation of Hurricane Helene,” Harper said in a news release. 

    Georgia farmers, ranchers and foresters in eligible counties can apply if they have suffered losses in timber, infrastructure, poultry, beef cattle, dairy cattle, milk loss, dairy feed loss, pecans, blueberries, citrus, nursery, plasticulture and bare ground practices, according to the news release. Documentation of losses is required.

    “We invested thousands of hours into this process to ensure we brought the maximum amount of funding to Georgia while covering as many commodities and loss types as possible,” Harper said.

    Harper announced in September 2025 that Georgia would receive $531,236,000 to provide relief for losses that were not covered under current U.S. Department of Agriculture programs.

  • Georgia 2026 election qualifying begins with major candidates

    Georgia 2026 election qualifying begins with major candidates

    Georgia 2026 election qualifying begins with major candidates

    Qualifying for the 2026 election in Georgia started Monday, and several candidates arrived at the Secretary of State’s office to make their campaigns official.

    Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff qualified Monday for his reelection campaign, and one of his Republican opponents, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter also made the trip to Atlanta for qualification, according to The Georgia Recorder.

    Candidates in the governor’s race also qualified Monday, including two Democrats, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and former state Sen. Jason Esteves, and one Republican, state Attorney General Chris Carr.

    “Now, I’m walking through these doors to qualify to run for governor of this state, and it’s this reminder that the work that we do today is not just about us. It’s for generations not yet born,” Bottoms said in a video on Instagram. “I know my ancestors are looking down on me, and they’re cheering me on.”

    Sen. Ossoff held a press conference after qualifying Monday to express his disdain for President Donald Trump’s military actions against Iran and to position himself as the candidate to oppose the president’s decisions.

    “Now this morning I signed papers officially declaring my candidacy to continue serving Georgia in the United States Senate,” Ossoff said. “These midterms will be among the most consequential in American history because if there were ever a moment that called for checks and balances, this is it.”

    Candidates up and down the ballot will arrive at the Capitol this week to file their paperwork and pay the required fee. Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns was another candidate to file his paperwork Monday.

    “Not a day goes by as Speaker of the Georgia House that I don’t remember my most important public office – State Representative for House District 159,” he said to The Georgia Recorder.

  • Georgia Senate fails to advance data center energy cost bill

    Georgia Senate fails to advance data center energy cost bill

    Georgia Senate fails to advance data center energy cost bill

    The Georgia Senate failed to vote on a bill aimed at protecting consumers against the costs of energy infrastructure improvements for data centers. The failure happened just two days after a Senate committee watered down the initial protections of Senate Bill 34.

    The Senate Regulated Industries Committee voted 9-3 to pass legislation that would require electric utilities to write contracts with new data centers to protect other customers from related costs, but the bill lacks specific language to prohibit electric companies from passing on costs of expanding capacity to customers, according to The Capitol Beat.

    “The data center boom created this historic demand for new electric generation, and they should pay for it,” said Bobby Baker, a consumer advocate. “Current ratepayers should not be underwriting this $34 billion investment that could undermine the reliability and affordability of Georgia’s electric system.”

    State Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, sponsored the bill and attempted to pass an amendment Thursday that would revert the bill back to its original form.

    “Eighty percent of the people in Georgia want this. They want this protection. We need to provide it for them,” Hufstetler told The Georgia Recorder after adjournment.

    Public Service Commission Chair Jason Shaw advocated against stricter legislation in the committee hearing saying that the PSC needs flexibility to set electricity rates. The PSC has raised rates six times since 2023.

    “We can all argue all day about what it’s going to take to keep the lights on,” Shaw said. “It’s still a national problem. But I feel like we are in the right spot with being able to stabilize these rates, because Lord knows, everybody’s tired of increases.”

    Shaw said the commission has protected consumers by passing an agreement last year to freeze Georgia Power’s electricity rates for the next three years.

  • Georgia Supreme Court justices face challengers in May 19 election

    Georgia Supreme Court justices face challengers in May 19 election

    Georgia Supreme Court justices face challengers in May 19 election

    Two left-leaning attorneys have decided to challenge two sitting Georgia Supreme Court justices in the upcoming elections.

    Former state Sen. Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin announced their campaigns in Liberty Plaza last week across from the state Capitol.

    Jordan is challenging Presiding Justice Sarah Hawkins Warren while Rankin will go up against Justice Charlie Bethel. Both justices were appointed in 2018 by former Republican Gov. Nathan Deal and reelected for a six-year term in 2020, according to the Georgia Recorder.

    “I’m not just going to sit down and do nothing because someone has to stand up for Georgia’s civil liberties that are being stripped away,” Rankin said.

    Rankin is the former president of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys and works as a trial lawyer. Jordan was the Democratic Party’s nominee for Georgia attorney general in 2022 and lost against acting Attorney General Chris Carr.

    “Our Georgia Supreme Court must be our last line of defense against near-constant attacks on Georgians’ basic constitutional rights, from voting rights to reproductive freedom — and this court majority is failing to meet the moment,” said Jordan.

    The two candidates will face their opponents in the nonpartisan election on May 19.

    Dr. Barbara Joy Jones-Parks, who advocates for reproductive and voting rights, spoke at the announcement endorsing for Miracle Rankin.

    “Most folks assume judges will just be appointed and that elections are rare – which is true but when the opportunity to be vote for such an important position comes up – WE HAVE TO VOTE on May 19th,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

  • Georgia Power secures record $26.5B federal energy loan

    Georgia Power secures record $26.5B federal energy loan

    Georgia Power secures record $26.5B federal energy loan

    The U.S. Department of Energy granted $26.5 billion to Georgia Power and Alabama Power, representing the largest federal energy loan package ever awarded.

    The two companies are subsidiaries to Atlanta-based Southern Co., and the loans are to help the companies upgrade their grids for the influx of data centers.

    The Office of Energy Dominance Financing claims the package will save customers $7 billion in electricity costs.

    “Thanks to President Trump and the Working Families Tax Cut, the Energy Department is lowering energy costs and ensuring the American people have access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy for decades to come,” said Secretary Wright. “The President has been clear: America must reverse the energy subtraction agenda of past administrations and add more reliable power generation to our electrical grid. These loans will not only lower energy costs but also create thousands of jobs and increase grid reliability for the people of Georgia and Alabama.”

    The loans will be used to upgrade more than 16 gigawatts of “firm reliable power” to the electrical grid, including 5 gigawatts of new gas generation and 6 gigawatts in nuclear power. The funds will also contribute to hydropower modernization, battery energy storage systems and transmission and grid enhancement projects, according to the news release.

    The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Georgia Power will receive most of the funds at $22.5 billion.

    “I think we all recognize that the importance of what I call rate stability and importance of what I call downward pressure on rates,” Chris Womack, Southern’s president and CEO, said in an interview with the AJC.

    The loan follows a historic decision by the Georgia Public Service Commission to allow Georgia Power to expand its capacity by nearly 10,000 megawatts of new power resources.

  • Georgia Democrats push bills to encourage student civic participation

    Georgia Democrats push bills to encourage student civic participation

    Georgia Democrats push bills to encourage student civic participation

    Georgia Democrats held a press conference Tuesday announcing the Student Civic Participation and Encouragement Act, or House Bill 1239.

    State Rep. Bryce Berry, D-Atlanta, said the bill allows students to have two days each year to miss class to engage in civic activity.

    “When we were children, many of us were told something simple. Speak up. Stand up for what you believe in,” he said. “But somewhere along the way, we started sending a different message… We tell young people to care, we tell them to lead, we tell them that they are the future, but when activism and advocacy calls them out of the classroom for a moment, we penalize them for answering.”

    State Sen. RaShaun Kemp, D-Atlanta, introduced a companion bill in the Senate, Senate Bill 479, and clarified that this bill supports all students no matter what their political beliefs are.

    “Civic engagement should never be treated like a disciplinary problem,” he said.

    The legislation would set a statewide standard for public schools to allow students to engage in civic participation by granting them a set number of excused absences per year. Both bills have been assigned to its respective education committees.

    The goal of the legislation is to prevent school districts from punishing students for engaging in protests or other forms of civic participation.

    Alfred “Shivy” Brooks, a member of the Atlanta Public School Board and teacher in Clayton County, cited legislation in other states that allow students to engage in civic activity.

    “Democracy is not inherited. It is practice. So let’s send a clear message to Georgia’s young people that your voice matters, your presence matters, and your participation matters,” he said.

  • Griffin plans $100K investment on water sensors after jet fuel spill

    Griffin plans $100K investment on water sensors after jet fuel spill

    Griffin plans $100K investment on water sensors after jet fuel spill

    The City of Griffin plans to invest $100,000 on new water contamination detection equipment following a fuel spill at the Atlanta airport.

    Following a fuel spill at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport that dumped around 10,000 gallons of jet fuel into the Flint River, the City of Griffin immediately shut off its water intake from the river, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

    The city relies on the Flint River for its water consumption. Despite toxin reports coming back negative, the city received several complaints about an odor coming from the water.

    The city’s Director of Water and Wastewater Brandon Lewis told the AJC that he and his team smelled the odor too.

    “I smelled it myself, and then I was a believer,” he said.

    They decided to test for another agent, propylene glycol, which when paired with chlorine emits an odor. Propylene glycol is a deicing agent, but it has also been used as an additive in food and beverage products. The Food and Drug Administration considers the agent safe for consumption.

    Still, the city flushed millions of gallons of water through its system to purge the smell and plans to enhance its detection capabilities. This way they can shut down its intake from the Flint River at the first sign of an incident.

    City Manager Jessica O’Connor told the AJC that they are discussing the situation with their lawyers to determine if compensation for the investment is in order due to the consequences of the spill.

    “You can’t change your location. And we actually almost always tout our location,” she said. “While we can be a sleepy little town right outside of Atlanta … we can get wherever we want to go because we have Hartsfield-Jackson. With that comes challenges at times.”

  • Georgia Capitol honors Original 33 with planned memorial, awards

    Georgia Capitol honors Original 33 with planned memorial, awards

    Georgia Capitol honors Original 33 with planned memorial, awards

    Atlanta leaders and state lawmakers gathered at the Georgia State Capitol Wednesday to honor the service and sacrifice of the Original 33.

    The Original 33 refers to the first 33 African American legislators elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 1868. 

    State Rep. Carl Gilliard, D-Savannah, introduced House Bill 303, also known as the Original 33 Memorial Act, during the 2025 legislative session. The bill, which was signed into law in 2025, requires a monument to be placed at the Capitol honoring the Original 33.

    “It feels tremendously like a weight of the world has been lifted that these great men can finally be recognized,” Gilliard said.

    Gilliard told CBS News that he hopes the permanent monument will be displayed on the third floor which connects both House and Senate chambers and will be included in tours.

    At the time the Original 33 were elected, a group of white Democrats and Republicans worked to expel them from office, but they were reinstated by 1870 after a Georgia Supreme Court ruling.

    “I think about the 33, but I know the 33 had families,” said former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin. “They had constituents, they had voters. They had people who made it possible for them to be elected.”

    Former Georgia Supreme Court Justice Leah Ward Sears and former U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young spoke at the event.

    “They actually represented the first step in what has been a long, challenging, relay race for justice in Georgia,” Sears said. 

    Gilliard presented Young, Franklin, Sears, state Sen. Tonya Anderson, D-Lithonia, and state Sen. Donzella James, D-Atlanta, with the inaugural Original 33 award.

    A photo of two Black women looking at a memorial for the Original 33, the first African American members of the Georgia state legislature
    Jacquelin Ransom and Julia Britt, left to right, look at photos of the Original 33, the first African American members of the Georgia state legislature.
    A wide photo of the South Wing steps of the Georgia State Capitol with a large crowd gathered and speakers at the podium.
    Atlanta leaders and state lawmakers gathered Feb. 25 to honor the service and sacrifice of the Original 33, the first African American members of the Georgia state legislature.
    A photo through a crowd of photographers focused on former U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young as he gives a speech
    Former U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young speaks at an event on Feb. 25 at the Georgia State Capitol to honor the service of the Original 33.
  • Georgia House passes sweeping education, school safety bills

    Georgia House passes sweeping education, school safety bills

    Georgia House passes sweeping education, school safety bills

    Georgia House Republicans announced a package of legislation that passed this week dealing with education and literacy among Georgia’s students.

    “We’re proud of things that went on today and it’s certainly a great day for the students and the educators, our families and communities all across this great state,” said Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns at a news conference. “Today, this Georgia House reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to ensuring every child in Georgia has an opportunity to learn, dream, and create a better and bigger, brighter future for themselves.”

    Burns touted House Bill 1193 as the most influential education legislation to pass the House since the HOPE Scholarship was created. The Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026 will place a literacy coach in every public K-3 elementary school as well as provide resources to teachers and families to promote literacy.

    “House Bill 1193 will have a generational impact on our children, our students, and I believe our entire state,” Burns said.

    The Georgia House also passed House Bill 1023, which requires all public schools to use weapons detection systems at all main points of entry.

    “Following the tragedy at Apalachee High School in 2024, the House made school safety our top priority. We passed an historic school safety bill last session, and today we reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring Georgia students can learn in a safe and secure environment,” Burns said.

    Lawmakers noted that schools can apply for grants for the detection devices, and the proposed 2027 budget includes $50,000 per school in Georgia. Several questions were raised regarding the funding of the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, but lawmakers said a financial study would need to be conducted to provide specific funding requirements.

    Here are the bills Burns and lawmakers promoted Tuesday: 

    • House Bill 310 – Student Teacher Promotion Act
    • House Bill 372 – Helps recruit retired teachers
    • House Bill 385  – Expands access to HOPE
    • House Bill 971 – Strengthens access to college and career academies
    • House Bill 1009 – Removes cell phones from Georgia classrooms
    • House Bill 1193 – Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026
    • House Bill 1023 – Requires public schools to use weapons detection systems
    • House Bill 1123 – Increases access to after-school care