Child tax credit expanded, business tax breaks get new life in bill passed by U.S. House
The U.S. House on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024 voted to approve a tax package that would expand the current child tax credit for three years. (Photo of 1040 form by Getty Images) WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to approve a $78 billion tax package that would expand the child tax credit and…
GOP state lawmakers press for Georgia ballot watermarks in ongoing quest for voter confidence
Georgia legislators in 2024 are taking up bills that would ban using instant runoffs for elections, remove the QR code used for paper ballots and give the State Election Board unilateral authority to investigate the secretary of state. (File during 2021 U.S. Senate runoff) John McCosh/Georgia Recorder The Georgia House overwhelmingly passed legislation on Wednesday…
Will Georgia Republicans embrace full Medicaid expansion by another name?
North Carolina state Rep. Donny Lambeth is a Republican who supported expanding Medicaid in his state long before it happened last year. Lambeth spoke at a panel discussion in Atlanta Tuesday. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder Republican state Rep. Donny Lambeth backed expanding Medicaid in North Carolina for nearly a decade before it passed in that state…
Georgia GOP senators take new step to eliminate use of QR codes on paper ballots
Sylvania Republican Sen. Max Burns is sponsoring Senate Bill 189, which would prohibit the use of QR codes in Georgia elections. In his proposal, votes would be counted based on readable text or filled in bubbles, similar to the 2020 absentee ballot. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder A Georgia Senate panel moved the state closer to eliminating…
Georgia Senate panel advances bill to legalize online sports betting
If Senate Bill 386 becomes law, Atlanta Falcons fans attending a home football game may be able to place a legal sports bet on the team’s hated rival New Orleans Saints. Patrick Smith/Getty Images A bill aimed at legalizing sports betting in Georgia was approved 8-2 by a state Senate committee on Tuesday. The Senate…
Bipartisan tributes pour in after death of influential House Rules Chair Richard Smith
Rep. Richard Smith, 2019 file photo. Maggie Lee/Georgia Recorder The mood was somber inside the Georgia House of Representatives Tuesday morning as lawmakers mourned the sudden death of House Rules Chairman Richard Smith. Smith, 78, died during the night after battling the flu, according to House Speaker Jon Burns’ office. Gov. Brian Kemp made a…