Top of the morning!
Here is Your AM Rundown, with news updates in 400 words or less. Get caught up on headlines and other developments you might’ve missed.
Here’s what to know for today:
- Georgia residents can now legally walk around with a concealed firearm in public. Gov. Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 319, commonly known as the Constitutional Carry Bill, Tuesday evening outside Gable Sporting Goods in Douglasville. Under the new law, all residents will be able to carry handguns in public places, like shopping malls and restaurants, that were previously only available to those with a license.
- A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit aimed at Fulton County Jail’s South Annex over deplorable conditions for incarcerated females, who allegedly spent up to 23 hours a day in isolation cells at the Union City compound. U.S. District Judge Billy Ray also approved a payout of $1.2 million to cover the legal fees of the attorneys at The Southern Center, The Georgia Advocacy Group, and Atlanta-based law firm Caplan Cobb, who have worked on the case for more than three years.
- While the Democratic National Convention has recognized gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams as their candidate for 2022, a federal judge says the law states otherwise. U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen is expected to rule later this week whether Abrams will have access to funds raised by her leadership committee, One Georgia. He says that until Abrams wins in an uncontested primary election on May 24, by law, she is unable to take advantage of the fundraising boost. Abrams is currently running unopposed ahead of the Democratic primary.
- More than 1 million Georgia students may be placed in food-insecure environments as a federal meal plan program is set to expire June 30. Congress previously approved school nutrition vouchers as a response to the pandemic in 2020. Legislators did not move to extend the voucher program, with some Republicans arguing that the solution was only temporary.
- This week is High School Voter Registration Week in Georgia. Students who are 18 or will turn 18 at least six months before an election are eligible to register to vote. The deadline for the May 24 primary election is April 25. Registration can be completed online.
ICYMI: Tomorrow is the day! Capital B’s virtual event, The State of Black Maternal Health is set for Thursday, April 14, at 1 p.m. ET, and will feature conversations on the fight for racial equity in postpartum care, what it’s like to be undocumented and pregnant (moderated by Capital B Atlanta’s very own Kenya Hunter), and the state of Black maternal health. Registration is still open.
Got tips, pitches, or other updates to include in Your AM Rundown? Hit us up at atltips@capitalbatl.org.
