On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes mounted up on horseback to warn of British troops on their way to confiscate American arms and to warn patriots Samuel Adams and John Hancock, who the British sought to capture.
By 1775, tensions between the American colonies and the British government had approached the breaking point, especially in Massachusetts, where Patriot leaders formed a shadow revolutionary government and trained militias to prepare for armed conflict with the British troops occupying Boston. In the spring of 1775, General Thomas Gage, the British governor of Massachusetts, received instructions from Great Britain to seize all stores of weapons and gunpowder accessible to the American insurgents. On April 18, he ordered British troops to march against Concord and Lexington.
The Boston Patriots had been preparing for such a British military action for some time, and, upon learning of the British plan, Revere and Dawes set off across the Massachusetts countryside. They took separate routes in case one of them was captured….
About 5 a.m. on April 19, 700 British troops under Major John Pitcairn arrived at the town to find a 77-man-strong colonial militia under Captain John Parker waiting for them on Lexington’s common green. Pitcairn ordered the outnumbered Patriots to disperse, and after a moment’s hesitation, the Americans began to drift off the green. Suddenly, the “shot heard around the world” was fired from an undetermined gun, and a cloud of musket smoke soon covered the green. When the brief Battle of Lexington ended, eight Americans lay dead and 10 others were wounded; only one British soldier was injured. The American Revolution had begun.
On April 19, 1775, British troops entered Lexington, Massachusetts, encountering 77 armed Minute Men.
British Major John Pitcairn ordered the outnumbered Patriots to disperse, and after a moment’s hesitation the Americans began to drift off the green. Suddenly, the “shot heard around the world” was fired from an undetermined gun, and a cloud of musket smoke soon covered the green. When the brief Battle of Lexington ended, eight Americans lay dead or dying and 10 others were wounded. Only one British soldier was injured, but the American Revolution had begun.
Two hours later, another confrontation between the British and American patriots took place in Concord, Massachusetts.
On April 19, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln ordered the blockade of ports in “Rebellious States.”
Whereas an insurrection against the Government of the United States has broken out in the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, and the laws of the United States for the collection of the revenue can not be effectually executed therein conformably to that provision of the Constitution which requires duties to be uniform throughout the United States; and
….
Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, with a view to the same purposes before mentioned and to the protection of the public peace and the lives and property of quiet and orderly citizens pursuing their lawful occupations until Congress shall have assembled and deliberated on the said unlawful proceedings or until the same shall have ceased, have further deemed it advisable to set on foot a blockade of the ports within the States aforesaid, in pursuance of the laws of the United States and of the law of nations in such case provided. For this purpose a competent force will be posted so as to prevent entrance and exit of vessels from the ports aforesaid.
On the same day, the first blood of the civil war was shed in Baltimore as rioters protested against federal troops. Four soldiers and twelve civilians died.
On April 20, 1861, Robert E. Lee resigned his commission as a Colonel in the United States Army.
The honeybee was recognized as the official state insect of Georgia on April 18, 1975.
On April 20, 1982, the Atlanta Braves set a major league record, winning the first twelve games of the regular season.
On April 20, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation authorizing a $165 billion dollar bailout for Social Security, saying,
“This bill demonstrates for all time our nation’s ironclad commitment to Social Security. It assures the elderly that America will always keep the promises made in troubled times a half a century ago. It assures those who are still working that they, too, have a pact with the future. From this day forward, they have one pledge that they will get their fair share of benefits when they retire.”
Thousands of Chinese students protested against their government on April 18, 1989.
By early 1989, peaceful protests against the government began in some of China’s largest cities. The biggest protest was held on April 18 in the capital city of Beijing. Marching through Tiananmen Square in the center of the city, thousands of students carried banners, chanted slogans, and sang songs calling for a more democratic political atmosphere.
On April 20, 1992, Governor Zell Miller signed legislation naming Pogo ‘Possum the official state possum of Georgia.
On April 19, 1995, Governor Zell Miller signed legislation declaring the peanut the Official State Crop.
On April 20, 1999, two students entered Columbine High School in Colorado and killed twelve student and one teacher, and wounded 23 others before shooting themselves.
On April 18, 2006, Governor Sonny Perdue signed legislation establishing February 6 of each year as “Ronald Reagan Day” in Georgia and celebrating the date of President Reagan’s birth.
April 18, 2014 was the deadliest day on Mount Everest as sixteen local guides died.
The avalanche, which occurred around 6:30 a.m., swept over the Sherpas in a notoriously treacherous area of Everest known as the Khumbu Icefall, at approximately 19,000 feet. At the time, the Sherpas had been hauling loads of gear for commercial expedition groups.
The disaster, in which no foreigners were killed, reopened debates about the dangerous risks undertaken by Sherpas for their typically affluent clients (in addition to lugging most of the supplies for an expedition, Sherpas are responsible for such tasks as setting lines of fixed ropes and ladders for climbers), as well as the over-commercialization of Everest, where human traffic jams during the spring mountaineering season and massive amounts of litter have become common.
Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band died April 18, 2024, according to 13WMAZ.
Betts, a guitarist and singer, joined with brothers Duane and Gregg Allman in the late 60s and early 70s as the band from Macon broke through to stardom. Betts penned and sang what is widely regarded as the band’s biggest hit “Ramblin’ Man.”
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that the Betts family announce the peaceful passing of Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts (December 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024) at the age of 80 years old,” Betts’ family announced in a statement to Rolling Stone. “The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader, and family patriarch was at his home in Osprey, Florida, surrounded by his family. Dickey was larger-than-life, and his loss will be felt worldwide. At this difficult time, the family asks for prayers and respect for their privacy in the coming days. More information will be forthcoming at the appropriate time.”
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Egg prices may impact the Easter Bunny‘s rounds this year, according to 13WMAZ.
In March, egg prices climbed to a record high, and industry experts say they’re unlikely to drop before the holiday weekend. A dozen eggs, which cost around $2 last year, are now ringing up at more than $6 in many stores.
“We’re seeing egg prices skyrocket,” one local shopper said.
“I think the prices are awfully ridiculous,” another shopper added.
From egg-filled baskets to cupcakes and cookies, Easter traditions are coming with a heavier price tag. The National Retail Federation estimates Easter spending will hit $23.6 billion this year — up from $22.4 billion last year. Eggs are a major contributor to that increase.
The price hikes are largely due to supply issues caused by ongoing bird flu outbreaks, which have severely impacted egg production nationwide.
Local businesses are also feeling the strain. Mari Brown, owner of Sweet Affairs Bakery, said rising egg prices have forced her to rethink her menu.
“It definitely has affected us as far as our menu,” Brown said. “So, we try to think about our customers because we want to keep our customers coming.”
With eggs being a core ingredient in nearly everything she bakes, Brown said she had no choice but to raise product prices by nearly $2. Still, she’s working to stay financially balanced.
Symbolic? A burning Tesla caused traffic clusters at the Georgia-South Carolina state line, according to WJBF.
According to North Augusta Department of Public Safety, a Tesla caught fire at the entrance to the South Carolina Welcome Center, causing traffic to be diverted.
As of 3 p.m., one lane of I-20 Eastbound is closed, causing traffic building and slowed travel conditions in the area.
If he tires of legislating, United States Representative Brian Jack (R-Trumpland) might have a future as a Capitol tour guide. From the AJC:
Brian Jack, the newest member of Georgia’s congressional delegation, arrived on the job already knowing more than just about anyone on the planet about the history and intrigue at the U.S. Capitol.
A constituent who visited recently heard stories from the Peachtree City Republican about the huge, historic paintings that hang in the rotunda, and Jack pointed out for her where Abraham Lincoln’s desk was located during his one and only term in Congress.
A history buff, Jack stored all these facts and anecdotes from his summer internship 17 years ago for his hometown congressman, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland. Today, the 37-year-old is a few months into his first term in Westmoreland’s old seat.
This full-circle moment is the latest chapter in a political career that started for Jack at Peachtree City Hall and took him to the White House as a top aide to President Donald Trump during the president’s first term. He remains close with the president, so much so that Trump recognized him publicly on two consecutive days earlier this month — a rarity for any member of Congress, let alone someone who was sworn in a little over three months ago.
“Great job,” the president gushed during his remarks at [a fundraising] dinner. “Proud of you, Brian.”
Mix all of that with his deep ties to Trump, and it appears Jack has the ingredients of a rising star. One of his predecessors in Georgia’s delegation, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, credited for reshaping the Republican Party in 1990s, said Jack has the potential to be a huge influencer.
“People need to really watch him because he is not just hardworking and smart in a normal sense, but he’s experienced and he’s creative,” Gingrich said. “And I think people are going to see in the next few years just what an impact he has both on Georgia and on the country.”
“Brian Jack is the ESPN of Republican politics,” [White House Chief of Staff Susie] Wiles said. “There’s not a stat he doesn’t know. There’s not a piece of history he doesn’t know. He could tell you about a County Commission race about as easily as a Senate race. I’ve never seen it anywhere else, ever. And the president availed himself of Brian’s knowledge all the time.”
Jack became one of Trump’s regional campaign managers in the final stretch of the 2016 general election, responsible for the states of Georgia, Florida, Iowa and Nevada. After Trump was elected president in November, Jack worked on the transition team and then accepted a job at the White House. Trump made him his political director in 2019.
When Trump left the White House on Jan. 20, 2021, Jack was one of the few staffers who had remained by his side the full four years. Even after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, when the president was accused by some Republicans of not doing enough to quell his supporters’ outrage, Jack stuck beside him.
“House Democrats impeached him twice, and at every turn, I saw people abandon the president,” Jack said. “But in my mind, I wanted to see the job … through and wanted to be a part of his postpresidential political ambitions to return the White House four years later.”
Jack continued working for Trump’s political operation and also took a job with then-House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy. Jack was by McCarthy’s side when Republicans won the majority in 2022 and during the 15 rounds of voting in January 2023 that ultimately resulted in McCarthy becoming speaker.
By that time, Trump had launched his third bid for the White House and named the three people to lead his campaign: Wiles, Chris LaCivita and Jack.
As the Trump candidate [in the 2024 race for Third Congressional District], Jack quickly emerged as the front-runner in a five-man Republican field. He beat state Sen. Mike Dugan in the runoff with 63% of the vote and then easily beat the Democrat in the general election on the same 2024 ballot where Trump carried Georgia on his way to reclaiming the White House.
While most House freshmen spend their first term or two learning the ropes, Jack is the only first-term lawmaker on Rules and is one of the only freshmen chairing a subcommittee.
Diana Brown was elected to Albany City Commission District VI on Tuesday, according to the Albany Herald.
A Tuesday special election for an Albany City Commission seat came down to six votes in a contest that saw less than 6% of the electorate come out to cast ballots.
Diana Brown came out on top in the runoff election in which only 464 of Ward VI residents turned out in a week of early voting and on election day. That represents 5.74% of the 8,080 active voters in the ward who turned out for the election to fill the unexpired term of former Commissioner Demetrius Young, who passed in December.
Brown, who said she knocked on hundreds of doors during the election cycle, received 235 votes to come out on top by a little more than a handful. Brown’s runoff opponent, Samuel Gaines, also said he campaigned hard. The minister finished first in the three-candidate election in March and finished on Tuesday with 229 votes, or 49.35%.
For the March 18 election, 6% of Ward VI voters turned out, with 488 out of 8,094 casting ballots.
The Dougherty County Board of Elections will meet on Tuesday at 4 p.m. to certify the results, an employee at the county’s election office said on Wednesday.
Brown is scheduled to be sworn in ahead of the City Commission meeting on the same day for her first meeting.
The Georgia Supreme Court heard arguments in the appeal of the lawsuit involving rezoning part of Sapelo Island, according to WTOC.
The court held oral arguments in the three cases dealing with zoning code that allows for larger homes to be built on the island, that’s home to one of the state’s last in-tact Gullah Geechee communities.
Much of the ongoing legal issue stems from a referendum election about the zoning held last fall.
Last fall, a probate judge verified more than 1,800 petition signatures to trigger a special election that would allow McIntosh County voters to decide whether to repeal an ordinance that allowed larger homes to be built on Sapelo Island.
Since then—there have been legal challenges about whether that election was constitutional.
On an island containing one of Georgia’s last in-tact Gullah Geechee communities, legal battles persist—making its way to Atlanta Wednesday.
Protestors gathered outside the state supreme court.
“We’re here to make sure we’re taking an opportunity for the ball not to roll over us. We know what oppression and gentrification stand for,” said Reginald Hall.
In September 2023, McIntosh County voted to more than double the size of homes allowed to be built in Sapelo Island’s Hog Hammock community.
Then, by July 2024 activists and Sapelo descendants had collected enough signatures to trigger a referendum election on the matter. Those signatures were verified by Probate Judge Harold Webster, and called for a special election.
McIntosh County then sued Judge Webster to halt the election, a main focus of the case now before the Supreme Court.
“Judge Webster acted within his subject matter jurisdiction in granting the petition and referendum in this case,” said Judge Harold Webster’s Attorney, Kellye C. Moore.
A lower court judge decided last fall that Judge Webster didn’t have the authority to authorize that election.
That same judge also called for a pause or injunction on the island’s new zoning ordinance until it can be sorted out in court.
“The county has no standing to interfere with the referendum process, because it has no legal right at issue in this case. Two, the referendum power applies to zoning ordinances,” said Sapelo Island Resident’s Attorney, Phillip Thompson.
Now, the Georgia Supreme Court must decide the fate of the injunction on the island’s zoning, and whether the special election should be allowed to occur.
Meanwhile, McIntosh County’s attorney argues referendum elections don’t apply to zoning decisions.
“The power of zoning and home rule power are absolutely different. And there’s a reason that they’re different. It’s on purpose, it’s born out of the evolution of the constitution,” said McIntosh County Attorney, Ken Jarrard.
State supreme court justices also took issue with the fact that McIntosh County’s zoning ordinance wasn’t submitted to the court to consider, as of Wednesday morning.
“The bottom line is about the ordinance, correct? If we don’t have that in the record, what is the court to do,” said Supreme Court of Georgia Justice Verda M. Colvin.
Under the Georgia Constitution, the state supreme court has between one to five months to come to a decision on the matter.
United States District Court Judge Victoria Calvert (ND-GA) will hear arguments in a lawsuit by international students in Georgia arguing the Trump administration wrongly changed their immigration status, according to the AJC.
A federal judge on Thursday suggested she may offer some legal relief for more than 100 international students and recent alumni from Georgia and other states who say the Trump administration terminated their immigration status without providing specific justifications.
The internationals filed a lawsuit last week in Atlanta arguing the terminations were done illegally and are asking for a temporary restraining order that would protect them from deportation.
After hearing arguments, U.S. District Judge Victoria Calvert did not immediately grant the temporary restraining order. But she did indicate that she is leaning in that direction.
“It does seem there is agreement I could grant some limited temporary relief. It’s my inclination to do that, I just need to figure out the contours of it,” Calvert said.
The federal government, represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. David Powell, argued against the restraining order, saying the students were not as risk of “irreparable harm.” Powell suggested that students could have their academic credits transferred to a school in their home country or perhaps in Canada. Additionally, he said the students could apply to have their immigration status reinstated.
Governor Brian Kemp will sign Senate Bill 68 and SB 69, both parts of his litigation reform package introduced by State Senate President Pro Tem John F. Kennedy (R-Macon), according to Atlanta News First via WALB.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will add another notch to his belt of legislative victories on Monday, April 21, when he signs the state’s historic attempt to rein in what his supporters call frivolous and excessive jury awards.
Kemp will sign Senate Bill 68, which he named as one of his key legislative priorities before the 2025 Georgia General Assembly.
Tort reform, which would overhaul Georgia’s civil litigation system, would make it harder to sue businesses for things that happen on their property, a concept known as premises liability. But survivors and families of victims say it could also make it harder for them to seek justice against wrongdoers.
Small business owners in the state said they’re frustrated with constantly having to pay huge settlements over lawsuits they feel are frivolous. Kemp has gone so far as to term it “lawsuit abuse,” and many in the legislature agreed, including several Democrats who crossed the party aisle to support the bill.
The bill raises the threshold for holding businesses accountable for what happens on their property. Under the proposed legislation, businesses would have to have prior knowledge of a safety issue or a wrongdoing employee in order to be sued.
Opponents of the bill said nothing in its language actually required insurance companies to lower their rates.
The bill was heavily supported by the business community, which said insurance premiums were rising so rapidly that some small businesses couldn’t afford it anymore.
In recent years, the legal industry has spent tens of millions of dollars on advertising, promising big payouts in the six-or-seven-digit range for accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice and emotional distress. Ironically, some of the lawmakers pushing hardest for tort reform are, themselves, attorneys.
State Rep. Vance Smith, R-Pine Mountain, said he was fired from his job as CEO of the Harris County Chamber of Commerce after voting against Kemp’s tort reform package.
Actually, the media advisory doesn’t say which bill specifically Governor Kemp will sign. Senate Bills 68 and 69 are the most likely, IMHO, with Senate Bill 44 among other possibilities.
Georgia Senate Bill 44 by State Sen. Sam Watson (R-Moultrie) would shield some pesticide manufacturers from liability, and awaits the Governor’s signature or veto, according to the Macon Telegraph.
Amid major lawsuits over the health effects of the weedkiller Roundup, Georgia passed a bill during the 2025 legislative session that shields fertilizer, plant growth regulator and pesticide manufacturers from liability if they fail to warn consumers about health risks beyond what federal regulators require.
The measure is awaiting Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature.
If the bill goes into law, any pesticide registered with Georgia’s commissioner of agriculture or the Environmental Protection Agency automatically meets state warning label requirements if it uses an EPA-approved label or matches the latest federal health risk assessment.
The bill was contentious in this year’s session, with proponents arguing it needed to be introduced for the sake of the agriculture industry’s success. Those concerned about it becoming law fear the EPA’s requirements aren’t always stringent enough to protect consumers. “It’s essential to recognize that EPA assessments may not always reflect new or emerging scientific data about health risks,” Rep. Karla Drenner (D-85) said in session.
“By restricting the duty to warn only to EPA approved labels, this bill effectively undermines the responsibility of manufacturers to alert consumers to potential risk that may not have been fully assessed by the EPA or that may become clearer over time.”
Advocates said the bill protects products and companies that are key contributors to farmers and the industry’s success. They also suggest that without the protections laid out in the bill, lawsuits against chemical companies could lead to products being banned or companies being shut down, meaning American farmers would have to source these products from other countries.
“The science behind the chemical compounds used in agriculture in the U.S. are subjected to the most rigorous regulatory structure of anywhere in the world,” Rep. Steven Meeks (R-178) said in session. “We need to make sure we can continue to have those (chemistries) manufactured domestically here in the U.S. under our rules, regulations and safety protocols.”
The passage of this bill comes amid legal turmoil for a large German-based biotech company, Bayer, as thousands of lawsuits nationwide allege the company failed to warn about cancer risks associated with the popular weedkiller, Roundup.
“This bill … is not unlike a bill that sits on legislative desks in states all across this country.” Rep. Stacey Evans (D-57) said in session. “This bill is not about farmers. This bill is about Bayer. Roundup causes cancer – that is not a debate anymore. A lot of people got hurt. A lot of people got sick … and now Bayer wants to ask us to take (liability) away.”
Last month, when the bill passed through both legislative chambers, it was around the same time Bayer was ordered to pay $2.1 billion by a jury in a Georgia state court, according to Mark Woodall, legislative chair for the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club.
Georgia House Bill 825 by State Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon) would have given a raise to Monroe County Board of Education members, but failed to pass, according to the Macon Telegraph.
The Monroe County School Board of Education’s plan to raise its pay by 700% failed to advance after falling short of the support required from the county’s legislative delegation.
House Bill 825 proposed to boost the board members’ compensation from $75 per meeting to a flat rate of $600 per month, attempting to align Forsyth school officials’ salaries with the pay rate of board members in neighboring districts. But local lawmakers disagreed on the measure.
State Reps. Clint Crowe (R — Jackson), Tangie Herring (D — Macon) and Dale Washburn (R—Macon) make up the Monroe County delegation. Under local legislative rules, a majority of the three-member delegation must support a bill before it can move forward.
Crowe said he opposed the measure for several reasons, including the amount and timing of the pay hike, as well as the board’s decision to opt out of a floating homestead exemption that aimed to limit property tax assessment increases for homeowners with homestead exemptions.
“I had concerns about the amount because they voted to opt out of the property owner tax relief legislation and then they raised concerns about what that would do to their revenues if they remained in that and provided that homestead relief — all in the same meeting,” Crowe said.
“To opt out and then vote for a raise that would add over $41,000 in salaries to their budget every year, well, I thought that was incongruent. I wondered how could you be concerned about revenues and then do this,” Crowe added, noting that he honestly didn’t know how to justify or sell the proposal to his voters.
Crowe said another concern he had was that the board’s pay boost passed 4-3. The local delegation prefers for local governing boards to reach a unanimous agreement on resolutions.
Washburn, the sole sponsor of the bill, felt differently.
“The pay raise did not seem unreasonable to me, so I sponsored the bill to do that,” Washburn said. “I wasn’t particularly happy that (the board) had opted out, but I just didn’t tie those two things together because the law allowed them to do that.”
Both Washburn and Crowe said Herring initially co-sponsored the bill but later withdrew her support, preventing its passage.
The bill was sent back to the Intragovernmental Coordination Committee on April 2, and did not receive passage in the House or Senate, according to the bill’s online status.
The proposed pay raise never came up for a vote, Crowe and Washburn said.
State House Speaker Jon Burns announced three House Study Committees, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.
Georgia lawmakers will be focusing this summer and fall on some unfinished business left over from this year’s General Assembly session.
House Speaker Jon Burns Thursday announced the creation of three “blue-ribbon” study committees that will consider further reforms to Georgia’s election procedures and examine the state’s hemp policies and insurance rates.
“During the 2025 legislative session, members of the General Assembly considered a number of bills aimed at providing clarity on these issues that directly impact the lives of our fellow Georgians and the future of our state,” said Burns, R-Newington. “During the interim, these study committees will meet to gather the facts, hear from stakeholders, and determine a path forward for 2026.”
For the first time since 2020, when President Donald Trump claimed without proof that widespread election fraud had occurred in Georgia in that year’s presidential election, Georgia lawmakers did not approve major changes in the state’s election laws this year. The state House and Senate were unable to agree on provisions in a comprehensive election bill, and the measure died when lawmakers adjourned for the year early this month.
Likewise, legislation aimed at banning beverages containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the intoxicating component from hemp, did not make it past the finish line.
The study committee on insurance rates involves an issue the legislature did act on during the recently concluded session. Gov. Brian Kemp is scheduled to sign a comprehensive tort reform bill next week with restrictions on civil litigation aimed at curbing the rise of liability insurance premiums. The panel’s work could lead to recommendations for protecting consumers from predatory pricing to make sure Georgia’s insurance market operates fairly and transparently.
“During the 2025 legislative session, members of the General Assembly considered a number of bills aimed at providing clarity on these issues that directly impact the lives of our fellow Georgians and the future of our state,” said Speaker Burns. “During the interim, these study committees will meet to gather the facts, hear from stakeholders and determine a path forward for 2026.”
The blue-ribbon study committees are as follows:
Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Election Procedures
The Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Election Procedures will study and evaluate Georgia’s current laws, policies and procedures utilized in administering Georgia elections, as well as the statewide and local elected officials and boards that oversee the administration of Georgia’s elections. The committee will compile a report of specific findings or legislative recommendations that will ensure Georgia has the most secure and effective electoral system in the nation ahead of next November’s elections.
Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Georgia’s Medical Marijuana and Hemp Policies
The Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Georgia’s Medical Marijuana and Hemp Policies will study and evaluate Georgia’s current laws, policies and procedures surrounding medical marijuana and other cannabis-derived drugs and hemp products. The committee will compile a report of specific findings or legislative recommendations to ensure the safety of patients and consumers, as well as regulatory clarity for physicians and other distributors of cannabis-derived and hemp products.
Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Insurance Rates
The Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Insurance Rates will conduct a thorough examination of the insurance industry’s rate-setting practices, profit margins, claims processing and regulatory compliance to ensure that Georgia’s businesses, citizens and consumers are not being subjected to unjustified rate hikes. The committee will compile a report of specific findings related to our state’s insurance premiums or legislative recommendations that protect consumers from predatory pricing to ensure that Georgia’s insurance market operates fairly and transparently.
Additional information regarding the newly announced blue-ribbon study committees is forthcoming.
State House Majority Leader Rep. Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry) spoke to the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce about the 2025 Session, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Efstration delivered a legislative wrap-up to the Gwinnett Chamber this week, discussing some of the higher profile, and sometimes controversial, bills that the General Assembly passed this year.
“We really had a legislative session this year where I think the number of accomplishments, you could spread those out to several years (in other sessions),” Efstration said. “It was incredibly productive and I think beneficial to all Georgians.”
School safety, which had already been an issue before the fatal shooting at Apalachee High School last fall, was one of the issues the legislature took up.
Efstration pointed to efforts taken in the state budget, such as additional funding for school safety improvement grants, as well as through other legislation to address school safety-related issues.
One such piece of safety-related legislation requires school systems communicate with each other when a student with troubled history transfers from one school system to another.
Efstration said that bill was inspired by news that the Apalachee shooter had previously gotten in trouble when he was a student in Jackson County over a threat made against a school in that district.
“The tragedy in Barrow County involved a new student who had just transferred to the school,” Efstration said. “The school did not have necessary information in order to access the student because of issues with communications between districts.”
“So, we’ve now mandated in law the requirement for that communication to occur so that schools can keep students safe … Every parent deserves (being able to drop) their kids off at school knowing their kids are going to be in a safe environment where they can learn, where they can thrive, and not have to worry about these issues.”
Gwinnett’s legislators also got homestead exemption bills for the cities of Norcross and Lilburn as well as for school taxes passed so they can now head to voters for final approval.
“Property tax relief has been a really big deal,” Efstration said. “Voters overwhelmingly passed the floating homestead exemption last year on the ballot and there has been a lot of discussion about, as values increase (and) assessments increase, what property tax relief can residents look forward to.”
“Obviously those decisions (on assessment increases) are made at the local level, but we are working to pass, through general law and local legislation, means of providing property tax relief.”
But, there are still big issues in Gwinnett that legislators will tackle in the 2026 legislative session.
One of those deals with the Gwinnett County Superior Court bench, which was last expanded at the end of 2019. The time has come for the court to be expanded again, Efstration told the Daily Post.
“Gwinnett is on the list, it’s kind of next up, for (another) Superior Court judge,” Efstration said. “We’re up for a 12th Superior Court judge and I plan to work in favor of that in 2026.”
Georgia shrimpers expect to be helped by tariffs on foreign shrimp, according to The Brunswick News.
Tariffs aren’t a bad thing in every industry. For local shrimpers, they mean a fighting chance at competing with imports.
In February, President Donald Trump’s administration imposed 10% tariffs on every nation, with a few assigned higher tariffs based on other factors. Earlier this month, the administration paused a slate of higher “reciprocal tariffs” for 90 days, with some exceptions. The U.S. currently imposes a 145% tariff on imported goods from China and 25% on certain goods from Mexico and Canada.
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce said businesses should be planning on how to deal with tariffs, according to the AJC.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a consumer, producer or service provider: The Georgia Chamber of Commerce says everyone should prepare for disruptions caused by escalating tariffs.
The shifting and unpredictable trade landscape is giving small businesses in Georgia whiplash, said Georgia Chamber President and CEO Chris Clark. The confusion and potential consequences of rising prices as a result of tariffs has spurred the chamber to blitz its members and elected officials with updates and reports on how to navigate the potential pain to come.
“It is aggressive,” Clark said Wednesday during a call with Georgia news outlets discussing the chamber’s blast of tariff-related reports. “This is a very important issue that impacts almost every single business in every single community in the state of Georgia, so they need the best information.”
Later Wednesday, the chamber issued a new report — its third in roughly a week — to provide advice on how certain Georgia industries could be affected and the actions they should take in preparation. Clark said some businesses have already reported tariff-related price increases, which most companies will have to pass on to their customers to retain any profits.
“Georgians are paying more for the products that were in the pipeline coming into the state,” Clark said. “You can’t just keep absorbing those prices. They will be passed onto consumers at some point.”
Clark added that Georgia has “such an integrated global supply chain that, quite frankly, (tariffs) could impact every single sector out there.”
Governor Brian Kemp met with two senior GOP United States Senators, according to Atlanta News First via WALB.
According to Axios, Kemp met with US Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, and US Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, at a lunch in Atlanta.
Thune serves as Senate Majority Leader, while Scott is chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Kemp has been rumored to be a possible Republican challenger to US Sen. Jon Ossoff, the Georgia Democratic incumbent who, though he hasn’t made it official, is widely assumed to be seeking reelection in 2026.
The two-term Georgia governor is riding a legislative and political wave of success in recent weeks. On Monday, Kemp signed Georgia’s largest income tax cut in history, a measure his office says will deliver more than $1 billion in tax cuts and relief.
Flanked by local and state leaders, Kemp signed HB 111, accelerating the largest state income tax cut in Georgia history, and HB 112, which will authorize the delivery of $1 billion in one-time special tax refunds up to $500 to Georgia taxpayer households.
The governor will add another notch to his belt of legislative victories on Monday, April 21, when he signs the state’s historic attempt to rein in what his supporters call frivolous and excessive jury awards.
Tort reform, which would overhaul Georgia’s civil litigation system, would make it harder to sue businesses for things that happen on their property, a concept known as premises liability. But survivors and families of victims say it could also make it harder for them to seek justice against wrongdoers.
United States Representative Buddy Carter (R-SSI) introduced legislation to establish energy dominance, according to The Brunswick News.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-1, introduced a bill Thursday codifying President Trump’s executive order establishing the National Energy Dominance Council.
“Securing our nation’s energy dominance is an economic and national security priority,” he said. “We must ensure that we are not reliant on hostile foreign nations to meet our needs.”
“President Trump’s visionary leadership allowed for the creation of this council that, frankly, should have existed a while ago. By codifying the executive order into law, we will protect this critical council from future radical left administrations that want to see our nation energy dependent.”
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen (R-Augusta) donated books to a local Reading Nook, according to the Statesboro Herald.
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen brought a basket of books, and more books that had already been placed to help refill the shelves, Thursday afternoon for the Reading Nook maintained by the Bulloch County Literacy Council at Statesboro City Hall.
In fact, this particular Reading Nook, one of 46 the Literacy Council has established at locations mainly provided by businesses across Statesboro and in Brooklet, Portal and Stilson, is just outside the 12th District Georgia congressman’s Statesboro office, which is in a front corner of the City Hall lobby. The city provides space rent-free both to Allen and the Literacy Council.
“I really appreciate what y’all have done to promote literacy,” Allen told local Literacy Council members and city and school system officials.
“In fact, I established a bill in the United States Congress called March to Literacy, and the principal reason for promoting literacy is that we know that if you’re not reading at the third-grade level when you finish the third grade, you’re likely not going to graduate from high school,” he said, “and if they don’t graduate from high school, we lose these young people, and we don’t want to lose one young person.”
The books Allen brought were from the Library of Congress – which he said receives multiple copies of every book published – through a long-established program that provides excess copies of books to representatives and senators.
“This program allows us, members of Congress, to donate in our district these excess books, so that we can make them available to young people to spur their interest to read,” he said.
More from U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Extreme NW GA) Town Hall, from the Associated Press via WSAV.
“What am I going to do? I am going to stand by my president,” Greene said in response to a critical question as many audience members whooped in approval. She added that she would “fight for his agenda with everything I have in Congress.”
Answering multiple questions on tariffs, Greene argued that the “real economy” is thriving under Trump and that people shouldn’t worry about turmoil in the stock and bond markets. In doing so Greene flatly denied the economic consensus that tariffs will lead to higher prices.
“The reality is tariffs are not a massive tax on the American people,” Greene said. “The tax on the American people that you’ve been suffering with is the inflation that Biden and the Democrats put on the American people and their absolute reckless spending for the past four years.”
Greene also said she believes her supporters have the patience to wait out negative effects of Trump’s tariff policy and moves to slash federal spending, saying it could take a long time to show results.
“Don’t be a ‘panican.’ That’s a new word President Trump came up with,” Greene said, using an insult he coined online. “You see, look, it took us decades to get here — decades to get the $36 trillion in debt. It took decades for our factories to get shut down and our jobs sent overseas. It took decades for us to all fall into this terrible — it’s basically a grave that America has been put in and dug by our federal government.”
Greene, long one of Trump’s most loyal allies, has said she’s considering running for U.S. Senate or Georgia governor in 2026, but has yet to make any public moves toward what would be a bruising race in the politically competitive state.
Macon Water Authority Chairman Gary Bechtel took umbrage at claims made by Board Member Elaine Lucas, according to 13WMAZ.
Macon Water Authority Chairman Gary Bechtel is clashing with newly elected board member Elaine Lucas just one week after Lucas held a press conference criticizing the agency’s decision to increase rates and criticizing the agency’s leadership.
“This is a direct accusation to our president/CEO Ron Shipman,” Bechtel said. “We support Mr. Shipman and his leadership 110%. And he will not need one of Mr. Trump’s pardons, as Ms. Lucas stated at the April meeting.”
Speaking for about 10 minutes Thursday morning, Bechtel defended the agency’s decision to raise rates and denied allegations of improper use of purchasing cards.
But after the speech, Bechtel answered questions from the press but walked away as some members of the public — including former Macon-Bibb mayoral candidate Shekita Maxwell — yelled questions at him.
Lucas has called for a grand jury investigation into the MWA’s financials and operations.
The issue of the cards, however, have been a sore point during recent MWA meetings. But Bechtel pointed to an audit which had “no findings related to P-cards or related internal controls for cash distribution.”
Bechtel also defended the decision to raise rates, another point of criticism from Lucas. He blamed the rising rates on increasing supply costs.
“It was clear that the Macon Water Authority had not raised rates in the past five years to sufficiently meet the increases that the organization was seeing in essential items such as chlorine, fire hydrants, pipe, and other chemicals that are necessary to treat our water and process the waste that our customers rely on our system to collect and treat,” he said.
Bechtel is also rejecting claims that the MWA has discriminated against Lucas, which was a central point in her press conference last week.
Bechtel told 13WMAZ on Thursday that board members have never possessed their own purchasing cards.
“Lucas has accused myself and the staff of discriminating against her and Mr. Brown because they are African American. That is ridiculous on its face,” Bechtel said.
As Lucas and Brown criticized the purchasing card policy in recent meetings, the board decided to suspend the use of purchasing cards.
Gwinnett County Board of Education members voted to tentatively approve a $3.43 billion dollar budget, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Gwinnett County Public Schools’ proposed $3.43 billion fiscal year 2026 budget is now in the hands of county residents to weigh in on.
The county’s school board tentatively adopted the budget, which will fund operations for the 2025-2026 school year, on Thursday night. The district will now hold two public hearings where residents can offer their input on the spending plan, including any criticisms they have or requests for funding re-allocations.
The district’s proposed millage rate of 18.9 mills — which is 0.2 mills lower than the current rate — will be tentatively adopted on May 15 as well. Final adoption of the tax rate is expected to take place some time in July.
“I want to emphasize that this is a tentative budget and we welcome feedback from the board and from our community,” Taylor said.
The proposed budget is 7.9%, or $251 million, larger than the current school year’s budget and includes a $1,000 pay increase for all teachers as well as a cost of living increase of at least 1% for all GCPS employees who are not paid on the teachers salary scale. That is in addition to a salary step increase for all district employees.
A parent was removed from a meeting hosted by the City Schools of Decatur, according to the AJC.
In a rare move, a City Schools of Decatur parent was removed from a school board meeting Tuesday evening after calling board members “cowards” for repealing district equity policies.
The school system is eliminating some policies and revising others to comply with President Donald Trump’s order for K-12 public schools to certify that they’re ending diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Districts refusing to adhere to the order could lose federal funding. The U.S. Department of Education sent notices to school districts last week giving them until April 25 to agree to the certification.
One of the policies the district is scrapping is its “Theory of Action,” which states, “All learning environments must be inclusive, safe, secure, and supportive while also ensuring that no student group is marginalized.” Decatur Superintendent Gyimah Whitaker said the district’s legal counsel is also reviewing instructional, hiring and promotional practices to ensure compliance.
Whitaker said the district relies on federal money to fund programs like special education, school nutrition, homeless assistance and Title I (support for low-income schools).School board Chair Carmen Sulton acknowledged that some states and school districts have refused to comply with the order, but noted Georgia hasn’t joined them.
“As active and engaged members and parents of the city of Decatur community, this board is fully aware of our community’s values, which we wholeheartedly share. However, as a public school district in the state of Georgia that depends heavily on millions to operate the City Schools of Decatur, our personal beliefs cannot supersede our fiduciary responsibility to provide high quality learning environments and services for our students,” Sulton said.
Parent Lena Kotler was removed shortly after interrupting Sulton’s comments by calling board members “cowards.” Decatur police picked her up as she shouted, “This is what fascists do!” according to one video of the incident.
Barrow County Solicitor General Kyle Sharry resigned to return to private practice, according to AccessWDUN.
Sharry was appointed to the position in December of 2020 by Governor Brian Kemp. Sharry was previously part-time before the Barrow County Board of Commissioners made him full-time at a Feb. 25 meeting.
Sharry submitted his resignation to Kemp Wednesday. If accepted, the statewide Judicial Nominating Commission will begin selecting Sharry’s successor.
Augusta Director of Housing and Community Development Hawthorne Welcher was suspended, according to WRDW.
A top Augusta official was taken off the job after the city had to repay more than $6 million in unspent grant money that was supposed to help people pay their rent if they faced eviction.
News of Housing and Community Development Director Hawthorne Welcher’s suspension emerged after Augusta Commission members voted to return the money – plus interest.
Millions of dollars flow into Augusta from the federal government every year to keep people housed.
The funds were coming to Welcher’s department long before the pandemic sent more families to the streets, but it certainly flowed freely after COVID struck.
But the money comes with strings attached: You have to spend it, and you have to use it for what it’s meant for.
The city got a letter from the federal government saying it expected to get more than $6 million of its money back because the city hadn’t spent it by the deadline of Sept. 30, 2022.
In addition to the principal of $6.3 million, the city was charged nearly $43,000 in interest.
City Administrator Tameka Allen informed Augusta Commission members and Mayor Garnett Johnson about it on March 21. She said she’d learned from the interim finance director that the federal government had notified Welcher in November.
Allen told officials she’d spoken with Welcher and a meeting was scheduled “to discuss how to address this request for payment.”
Four sharks, including three Great Whites, have been tagged in the waters off the Georgia coast, according to the Savannah Morning News.
OCEARCH is an international non-profit organization dedicated to marine animal research and education with a focus on sharks. They have reportedly led 48 expeditions and tagged 446 animals.
Using location tagging and track-line filters on OCEARCH’s tracker, we can confirm there have been four sharks who were identified and tagged off the Florida/Georgia coast since the New Year, including three great whites:
No word on the whereabouts of the Savannah Chatham County legislative delegation at the time of the shark taggings.
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