Latest news with #404DayParade
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia 2025 legislative session ends with an early exit
Georgia's 2025 legislative session came to an early end Friday, with senators adjourning abruptly and much earlier than usual and House members exiting a short time later. The early departure meant some high-profile issues didn't make it over the finish line this year to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk. Lawmakers did agree Friday to grant a new $250 state income tax credit to parents of children age 5 and under. And some top proposals won final passage earlier, including Kemp's effort to limit lawsuits and a school safety bill that came as a response to last year's shooting at Apalachee High School. Lawmakers also already agreed to income tax cuts and rebates. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] But the Senate left as the House was debating more changes to a proposal to regulate how automated speed enforcement cameras work in school zones. And it had become increasingly clear as the day went on that some other hot-button issues were languishing, including an effort to ban diversity efforts in public schools and colleges, Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones' push to establish more legislative control over agencies and a bill to change election laws. Measures that don't pass Friday could be considered again next year because 2025 is the first year of a two-year session. TRENDING STORIES: Deputies looking for missing teen last seen at Paulding County high school Dekalb County Police officer hurt, several others injured in serious crash The first 404 Day Parade marches to success on 405 Jones said after the Senate ended business just after 9 p.m. that he and senators had been building toward an early exit. 'We'd already gotten our priorities done,' he told reporters. House Speaker Jon Burns, a Republican from Newington, though, said he was displeased that the Senate left while the House was still trying to make a few more changes to bills. 'It appears that the Senate has checked all their priorities, all their political priorities, and decided to end their night early instead of finishing their work on behalf of the people we represent,' Burns told House members. Here's a look at where legislation ended up Friday. CHILD TAX CREDIT: Parents of children age 5 and under could claim a $250 state income tax credit under House Bill 136, which also expands the state income tax credit for child care expenses. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: State and local governments wouldn't be able to 'substantially burden' a person's religious freedom under Senate Bill 36, but opponents say it would enable discrimination. Kemp signed the measure Friday. INCOME TAXES: An already-planned state income tax cut will be accelerated under House Bill 111, giving the state a flat 5.19% income tax rate retroactive to Jan. 1. And Georgians will get income tax rebates between $250 and $500 under House Bill 112. HURRICANE AID: House and Senate members agreed to spend more than $850 million on aid after Hurricane Helene did billions of dollars of damage in Georgia in September. LAWSUIT LIMITS: Senate Bill 68 would make it harder to bring lawsuits and win large verdicts while Senate Bill 69 limits who can finance lawsuits. SCHOOL CELLPHONES: Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade would be banned from using cellphones during the school day under House Bill 340. TRANSGENDER RIGHTS: Both Senate Bill 1 would ban transgender girls and women from playing girls' and women's sports, while Senate Bill 185 would ban the state from paying for gender-affirming care for prisoners. AMERICA FIRST LICENSE PLACE: Senate Bill 291 would create an America First license plate for Georgia vehicles. DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION: Georgia's public schools and colleges would have been banned from having any programs or activities advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion under House Bill 127. SPEED ZONE CAMERAS: Georgia would have either banned automated speed enforcement cameras in school zones under House Bill 225 or further regulated them under House Bill 651. REGULATION RESTRICTION: Senate Bill 28 would have given lawmakers more oversight over regulations created by state agencies. IMMIGRATION: Senate Bill 21 would have removed legal protections and let people sue governments and government officials who don't follow Georgia laws requiring cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. ELECTIONS: Georgia's secretary of state would have been required to leave a bipartisan group letting officials share data to keep voter rolls accurate under House Bill 397 and Senate Bill 175. PUBLIC RECORDS: A discarded version of Senate Bill 12 would have exempted Georgia state legislators and police departments from some requirements to disclose public records. LIBRARY CRIMES: Librarians in public libraries, K-12 schools and colleges could have faced prosecution for providing sexually explicit materials to minors under House Bill 483. GUN TAX BREAKS: House Bill 79 would have offered a four-day sales tax holiday on guns, ammunition and safety devices, while offering income tax credits of up to $300 for paying for gun safety courses. CLARENCE THOMAS STATUE: The state would have put up a privately financed statue of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Georgia native under House Bill 254. ELECTED OFFICIAL PAY: Lawmakers abandoned a proposal to increase pay for statewide elected officials including paying Gov. Brian Kemp $250,000 a year. SPORTS BETTING: Georgians would have gotten a chance in 2026 to vote on a state constitutional amendment authorizing sports gambling under House Resolution 450. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Atlanta finance professor discusses when we'll see prices increase on certain items
While tariff tensions are high, the stock market is taking a hit. A metro Atlanta financial analyst told Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco when you can expect prices to rise here locally. Shoppers in metro Atlanta are paying attention. 'I am definitely worried. These tariffs are going to make that just so much worse,' shopper Megan Wartell said. Emory University's finance professor Tucker Balch said the Trump administration's tariff policy means distributors pay more for another country's product. 'What they're trying to do is bring all these manufacturing jobs back into the United States. I think that will happen, but we won't see that benefit until one or two years,' Balch said. He said you will notice the price of goods go up when stores replenish a product. 'Our groceries can't sit on a shelf for a month,' Balch said. 'So they'll notice the price hike in the grocery stores first?' Francisco asked. 'That's right,' Balch replied. Then clothing, appliances, and electronics will come next. 'I'll tell you something that's happening in my own household is my son's phone broke and we're going to go buy that new iPhone before the new prices hit,' Balch said. 'Who knows, it will be in the next few weeks before you will see the iPhone costing up to 50% more.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] He said the uncertainty has caused the stock market to slip. 'The last time we saw anything that aggressive was the beginning of COVID,' he said. Balch said this week, families need to consider their 401K plans. 'For a young person who has many more years ahead of them working, absolutely it might make sense to stay in the stock market,' Balch said. 'I have moved all my stocks into cash or bonds. I think the stock market is the best place for the long term, but I want to wait for things to settle down and then I'll tip-toe back into it once we see this tariff stuff is resolved.' He said a few things we buy are exempt, including computer chips, lumber, copper, gold, silver, and pharmaceuticals. Balch said the sales tax will go to the treasury and offset Trump's plan to lower taxes for corporations. TRENDING STORIES: Thousands turn out across Metro Atlanta to protest against presidential policies Dekalb County Police officer hurt, several others injured in serious crash The first 404 Day Parade marches to success on 405 [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Yahoo
Fulton County Schools' newest police officers specialize in sniffing out weapons
Fulton County Schools' newest police officers are on the beat. Three Labrador Retrievers have been trained to sniff out firearms. 'We've got Delilah, Ducky, and Ernie. Those are our three dogs, and everybody across the district seems to know the dogs' name now,' Chief Mark Sulborski with Fulton County Schools told Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen. The school system has its own K-9 unit for the first time. This week, one of the new officers did a meet and greet with students at Mimosa Elementary School in Roswell. K-9 Ernie and his new partners are firearms detection dogs, able to sniff out gunpowder or gun oils. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] They'll spend a lot of time in the county's high schools. 'He is constantly wanting to work. That's why he's whining. He wants to go. Gotta go! It's a pretty cool job,' Sulborski said. Ernie's job is serious business, but he remains friendly and open to receiving petting from students. 'Since we introduced the dogs and put them into service, everybody wants them to come in their school and pay a visit. It's kinda funny. They'll know the name of the dogs before they'll know any of our names!' Sulborski said. It takes up to eight months to train a firearm detection dog. TRENDING STORIES: Thousands turn out across Metro Atlanta to protest against presidential policies Dekalb County Police officer hurt, several others injured in serious crash The first 404 Day Parade marches to success on 405 [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Yahoo
Deputies looking for missing teen last seen at Paulding County high school
Deputies in Paulding County are looking for a missing 16-year-old boy. Vincent Pittman was last seen Friday at Hiram High School. He has black hair and was last seen wearing a gray zip-up Nike sweater, black sweatpants, and black and green sneakers. If you know his location, you are urged to call the Paulding County Sheriff's Office at 770-443-3010. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Thousands turn out across Metro Atlanta to protest against presidential policies Dekalb County Police officer hurt, several others injured in serious crash The first 404 Day Parade marches to success on 405 [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Yahoo
North GA man injured in crash after road washes out, says county knew and failed to block road
A Pickens County man was injured when he drove off a remote road at night in Gilmer County that had completely washed out and wants to know why the county didn't have it blocked off. It was dark when Gregory Crook followed his GPS down a remote Gilmer County road. Before he knew it, Raven Cliff Road disappeared, he crashed, and was knocked unconscious. 'I was already in the air. It was wild, you know. It was a shock,' Crook told Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco. He came to in his crashed SUV in the middle of the washed out road. 'I could have died. I got out and I'm feeling like I'm dead. I've got blood all over me. I feel like my skull is showing,' he said. With cuts and bruises all over his body, he had to walk nearly a mile to a stranger's home for help. His phone was broken in the crash. He's been recovering for a week and now wants answers from officials. 'There was no road signs, no barrier, there was nothing on this road,' he said. The Gilmer County Sheriff's Office said at least three drivers have crashed at the same spot since January. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'This shouldn't have happened at all to anyone,' Crook said. Deputies said they've heard that vandals were tearing down cones and barrels placed across the road by county workers. After his crash, Crook saw that workers installed large concrete barriers and warning signs to block Raven Cliff Road. 'They should have done that a long time ago. The road department, the sheriff's office, they all knew about it,' Crook said. He has not been able to go back to his construction job yet and he does not have a car now. But he said speaking up may have saved the next driver's life. 'I could have been dead. It could have been somebody's wife. It could have been somebody's kids,' Crook said. 'I have two children myself and they could have been without a father.' Channel 2 Action News contacted Gilmer County to find out when the road will be repaired. We are waiting for a response. TRENDING STORIES: Thousands turn out across Metro Atlanta to protest against presidential policies Dekalb County Police officer hurt, several others injured in serious crash The first 404 Day Parade marches to success on 405 [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
