Welcome to the weekend! This week in Georgia politics saw some critical measures signed into law and some eyebrow raising political donations made in key midterm races. Here are some of the highlights: Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant announces retirement Mayor Andre Dickens’ office announced on Friday that Police Chief Rodney Bryant will step down […]
Chauncey Alcorn
Chauncey Alcorn is Capital B Atlanta's state and local politics reporter.
Posted inPolitics, State Politics
‘It’s Going to Be a Travesty’: Why Georgia’s New Gun Law Is Troubling for Black Residents
Georgia Second Amendment advocates have been celebrating for the past week. On April 12, Gov. Brian Kemp signed SB 319 — dubbed by supporters as the Constitutional Carry Act — into law. The measure, which took effect immediately, makes it legal for a “lawful weapons carrier” to carry concealed handguns without a permit anywhere that […]
Posted inMoney
Georgia Suspended Its Gas Tax. Here’s What It Means For You.
The next time you’re at the gas pump, you might feel less strain on your wallet. On March 18, Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law a bill to suspend Georgia’s tax on gasoline. Also known as a gas tax holiday, HB 304 was designed to reduce the rising cost of fuel for state residents struggling […]
Posted inPolitics
Political Reporter’s Notebook: Recapping Dickens’ First State of the City Address
Happy Friday! This week was a pivotal one on the state and local politics beat. Here are some of the top political headlines you should know about heading into the weekend: Dickens talks public safety and housing during first State of the City address At his inaugural State of the City address on Monday, Mayor […]
Posted inPolitics, State Politics
Black Voters Should Know About These Bills GA Legislators Passed in Their Last Votes of 2022
Georgia lawmakers worked through midnight early Tuesday to get a set of bills passed on Sine Die, the last day of the state’s 40-day legislative session. Several of the General Assembly’s most contentious proposed laws – including a measure giving the Georgia Bureau of Investigation greater authority to oversee elections – were passed by both […]
Posted inPolitics, Voting
Georgia’s New Voting Law Makes it Harder to Register Black Voters
Getting Black Georgians registered to vote was already a daunting task for some local advocacy groups before state GOP lawmakers passed a law making it harder for many folks to cast their ballots. The full effects of Georgia’s Senate Bill 202 — the controversial Election Integrity Act of 2021 that Gov. Brian Kemp signed into […]
Posted inCity Politics, Politics
Black Leaders React to Dickens’ Crime Plan
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ recently unveiled plan to ramp up policing in an effort to crack down on crime is getting a stamp of approval from some of the city’s most prominent Black leaders. Less than two years after the controversial Atlanta Police killing of Rayshard Brooks, local Black politicians and civil rights leaders say […]
Posted inPolitics, Voting
How Black Votes Will Shape the Congressional Race in Georgia’s 7th District
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux has been cashing in recently on the relationships she’s spent years building with prominent Black community leaders in and around Gwinnett County as her May 24 Democratic primary showdown with fellow Georgia U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath for the 7th Congressional District seat rapidly approaches. Bourdeaux’s primary strategy in a growing, multicultural […]
Posted inPolitics, State Politics
Georgia Senate Passes Bill on Limiting How Race is Taught in K-12 Schools
Black Georgia state senators and their allies made a last-ditch effort on Friday to stop passage of a bill that would limit discussion about systemic racism in the state’s K-12 classrooms. The Senate ultimately voted 32-20 in favor of Senate Bill 377 early Friday afternoon. Senators including Sonya Halpern (D-39th), Harold Jones II (D-22nd), and […]