Governor’s criminal justice overhaul passes House committee

The final piece of Republican Gov. Nathan Deal's years-long criminal justice overhaul is expected to see a vote in the Georgia House early next week, after passing through the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee Thursday. The proposal, which backers say seeks to keep fewer non-violent offenders behind bars, would give judges more leeway in forgoing cash bail for low-income offenders and more opportunities to impose community service rather than fines.

‘Naked politics’ of punishing Delta could haunt Georgia

He said that while he supported portions of the bill, he thought the state should look to ... . Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Gov. Deal's chief of staff Chris Riley confer in the senate before the senate went into recess and the Rules Committee stripped the Delta tax cut from legislation.

Italy election: prospects high for more political tension

Italy's soon-to-end election campaign reads muc... . The League party's candidate premier, Matteo Salvini, shakes hands with sympathizers during an electoral meeting in view of March 4 Italy's general elections, in Rome, Thursday, March 1, 2018.

Twitter CEO asks for help on ‘civility’; YouTube stumbles

Democratic House Majority Leader KC... An effort by Colorado Democrats to expel one of their own over sexual misconduct allegations appeared set to fail Friday amid Republican objections to how the complaints have been handled. Republicans object to how... An effort by Colorado Democrats to expel one of their own over sexual misconduct allegations appeared set to fail Friday amid Republican objections to how the complaints have been handled.

Support for drilling off S. Carolina – but not coastal reps

There's support for the Trump administration's offshore drilling proposal among South Carolina's mostly Republican congressional delegation, but not from the ones who represent the state's coast. The Associated Press surveyed South Carolina lawmakers last week following Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's announcement that the administration would vastly expand offshore drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic oceans and open up federal waters off the California coast for the first time in more than three decades.

Senate approves stopgap measure, evading shutdown35 minutes ago

WASHINGTON – Congress passed a stopgap spending bill Thursday, averting a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday but pushing into January showdowns on spending, immigration, health care and national security. Among the issues still to be resolved is federal aid for victims of recent hurricanes and wildfires.

Will Eye Care Lobbyists Retain Their Consumer Rights Loophole?

Despite the efforts of many to "drain the swamp" of special interests, lobbyists are still making gains in President Donald J. Trump's Washington. While members of the House of Representatives are showing progress in fact-checking special interests' claims, crony influence peddlers still have one piece of valuable leverage on their side: the limited time on members' clocks.

Georgia Farm Bureau to hold convention in December

Georgia Farm Bureau members will gather on Jekyll Island for the organization's 80th annual meeting Dec. 3 to 5. Gov. Nathan Deal, U.S. Dist 1 Rep. Buddy Carter and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black will address convention attendees during the general session on Dec. 4 from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

APNewsBreak: Georgia election server wiped after suit filed

A computer server crucial to a lawsuit against Georgia election officials was quietly wiped clean by its custodians just after the suit was filed, The Associated Press has learned. The server's data was destroyed July 7 by technicians at the Center for Elections Systems at Kennesaw State University, which runs the state's election system.

Georgia lawmaker: Can people with HIV be ‘legally’ quarantined?

A Georgia state representative - who is also an anesthesiologist and the wife of the former federal Health and Human Services secretary - asked at a public hearing Tuesday about the legality of quarantining HIV patients to stop the spread of the virus that causes AIDS. "What are we legally able to do?" Dr. Betty Price, a Republican, asked Dr. Pascale Wortley, director of the HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Surveillance Section at the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Georgia Rep. Price says HIV comments taken out of context

Georgia Rep. Betty Price says her comments on people with HIV that ignited a national firestorm were "taken completely out of context." Price, the wife of former U.S. Health Secretary Tom Price, was in a legislative committee meeting Tuesday when she asked a state health official whether people with HIV could legally be quarantined.

Tom Price’s wife asks about ‘legally’ quarantining HIV patients

Tom Price's wife asks about 'legally' quarantining HIV patients The comments, made by former HHS Secretary Tom Price's wife, were rebuked by human rights and LGBTQ groups. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2yxHHf4 Betty Price is pictured between Vice President Pence and her husband Tom Price as Tom Price gets sworn in as the Health and Human Services secretary earlier this year.

Kemp in Carroll County: State needs to help rural Georgia

Secretary of State Brian Kemp said that if he is elected to be the next governor of Georgia, he will put an emphasis on supporting farmers, agri-business and small town startups. Secretary of State Brian Kemp said that if he is elected to be the next governor of Georgia, he will put an emphasis on supporting farmers, agri-business and small town startups.

Top StoryStatue of Martin Luther King Jr. unveiled in his hometown

The daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. stood beside her father's newly unveiled statue Monday, just a few blocks from where he grew up, handing out hugs and telling each well-wisher: "It's about time." The statue paying tribute to King made its public debut Monday on the Georgia Capitol grounds in front of around 800 people including Gov. Nathan Deal, many other state political leaders and several members of the King family.