Georgia Trend Daily – Oct. 26, 2023
Oct. 26, 2023 Savannah Morning News
Sneak peek: Construction progress made at massive Hyundai EV plant in Bryan Co.
Latrice Williams reports, the view of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America from I-16 provides a small glimpse of the massive production taking place. Inside the heart of the megasite, bulldozers are darting from one area to the next and crane operators are moving steel rapidly.
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Oct. 26, 2023 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Catching up with… Mark Burns
Karen Kirkpatrick reports, Mark Burns, a Savannah native, has spent 40 years at Gulfstream, known globally for its business jet aircraft. An engineer by training, he has led the state’s largest manufacturer (based on number of employees in Georgia) since 2015, as the company has experienced phenomenal growth around the world.
Oct. 26, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Norfolk Southern reports $966M so far in Ohio derailment expenses
Kelly Yamanouchi reports that Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern saw a decline in quarterly profit as it racked up more expenses from its East Palestine, Ohio, derailment, while seeing reduced freight volumes and service disruptions from technology outages. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw acknowledged that this year has “presented a number of challenges,” during remarks on an investor conference call.
Oct. 26, 2023 Macon Telegraph
GEICO, one of Macon’s biggest employers, says it will lay off 2,000 national workers
Micah Johnston reports that GEICO Insurance, one of Bibb County’s biggest employers with their office based in east Macon, announced it would lay off 2,000 employees nationally Thursday in a letter. GEICO’s office on Ocmulgee Boulevard in Macon said it employed 7,000 people in the area as recently as 2021.
Oct. 26, 2023 The Brunswick News
State of the Port set for next week
Gordon Jackson reports that the importance of one of the county’s largest employers to the local economy cannot be emphasized enough, but officials will try Monday at the 2023 State of the Port luncheon. The sold-out event at the Jekyll Island Convention Center, sponsored by the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, is expected to be a positive event.
Oct. 26, 2023 11 Alive
Atlanta plans to build ‘low-cost micro units’ to help with homelessness crisis
Akilah Winters reports that funds have been secured and approved for a rapid housing project in metro Atlanta. Mayor Andre Dickens announced that Invest Atlanta’s Board of Directors has been approved for a line of credit of $7.5 million to start the project.
Oct. 26, 2023 Capitol Beat News
Georgia, 32 other states going after Meta in federal court
Dave Williams reports that Georgia has joined a bipartisan coalition of 33 states in filing a federal lawsuit accusing social media giant Meta of knowingly designing and deploying harmful features on its platforms that addict children and teens. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, claims Meta knew of the harmful impact of platforms including Facebook and Instagram on young people and falsely assured the public these features were safe and suitable for young users.
Oct. 26, 2023 Marietta Daily Journal
Plaintiffs Seek Injunction in Cobb School Board Map Lawsuit
Hunter Riggall reports that the plaintiffs suing to get the Cobb County Board of Education map thrown out asked a federal judge this week to issue a preliminary injunction to prohibit the map from being used in any future elections. A group of Cobb residents and left-leaning groups has alleged in the ongoing lawsuit that the new board map, which went into effect this year, represents an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
Oct. 26, 2023 Rome News-Tribune
Development Authority of Floyd County Seeks to Have Bordeau Metals Lawsuit Dismissed
John Bailey reports, a back and forth tussle in a lawsuit filed by a Tennessee based metal recycling company against Floyd County and two development authorities continues in federal court. The Development Authority of Floyd County is seeking to have their portion of a lawsuit filed by Bordeau Metals dismissed and has also filed a counterclaim against the metal recycling company.
Oct. 26, 2023 Georgia Recorder
Georgia child welfare agency gets scathing performance reviews at Ossoff human rights hearing
Ross Williams reports that the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services only met risk assessment and safety management obligations 16% of the time according to a previously undisclosed audit, said Sen. Jon Ossoff, as he chaired a meeting of the U.S. Senate Human Rights Subcommittee on Wednesday. The details came from an ongoing bipartisan probe into the safety of foster kids in Georgia that began in February, Ossoff said.
Oct. 26, 2023 Valdosta Daily Times, CNHI News
Majority of Georgia’s federal infrastructure dollars going to transportation projects
Asia Ashley reports, funding from the federal $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is making its way to Georgia for initiatives and projects critical to the state’s infrastructure. Through early September, $6.7 billion from the 2021 act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, has been announced to head to Georgia with more than 311 specific projects identified for funding, including $4.5 billion for transportation to invest in roads, bridges, public transit, ports and airports.
Oct. 26, 2023 Gainesville Times
This proposed bill could bring tax relief to homeowners under homestead exemptions
Brian Wellmeier reports that a bill that would seek to curb steepening property tax assessments drafted by state Rep. Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville, is planned to be introduced on the floor of Georgia’s House of Representatives in January of next year.
Oct. 26, 2023 Capitol Beat News, Marietta Daily Journal
Georgia Senate Republicans propose arming teachers to bolster school safety
Dave Williams reports that State Senate Republicans will introduce legislation during the upcoming General Assembly session to let school districts pay and train teachers to carry firearms in their classrooms. GOP Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who presides over the Senate, said Wednesday increasing school safety will be a priority for Senate Republicans during the 2024 legislative session starting in January.
Oct. 26, 2023 Georgia Recorder
Democratic state lawmakers renew call for full Medicaid expansion after slow start to Kemp’s narrow version
Jill Nolin reports that Democratic leaders in Georgia are calling on Gov. Brian Kemp to abandon a three-month-old Medicaid program that has been off to a slow start. Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler, House Minority Whip Sam Park and Senate Minority Caucus Chair Elena Parent held a press conference Wednesday to press Kemp and other GOP leaders to shift gears after new data showed Georgia Pathways to Coverage had so far enrolled about 1,300 low-income adults.
Oct. 26, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After abortion ruling, a new battle over limits in Georgia
Greg Bluestein reports, the battle over abortion rights entered a new phase this week after the state’s top court upheld Georgia’s restrictive law as Republicans debated whether to press anew for more restrictions while Democrats vowed to exact payback at the ballot box. Republicans emboldened by the Supreme Court’s decision Tuesday that upheld the state’s abortion limits are renewing efforts to take more steps to outlaw the procedure, which is now banned under the 2019 law as early as six weeks, with limited exceptions.
