Latest news with #GeorgiaHouse
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City Council votes 7-3 to terminate City Manager Isaiah Hugley seven months before his retirement
COLUMBUS, Ga. () — After a closed session late Tuesday night to discuss a personnel matter, the Columbus Council came out and voted to terminate City Manager Isaiah Hugley. Hugley has served as the City Manager of Columbus for two decades. He is the longest-serving city manager in the city's history and the first black executive to hold the position. Hugley announced earlier this year that he planned to step down from his post at the end of the year. The council did not wait. If the mayor does not recommend the city manager be terminated, it takes seven votes to remove him from office, according to the city charter. Mayor Skip Henderson did not make the recommendation. Councilors Byron Hickey, Charmaine Crabb, JoAnne Cogle, Toyia Tucker, John Anker, Glenn Davis, and Walker Garrett voted to remove him from the job. Two of the seven votes came from city councilors who are serving unexpired terms. Hickey is filling the spot vacated by Pops Barnes. Anker is filling the seat vacated by the resignation and subsequent death of Judy Thomas. Hugley has been embroiled in a highly publicized legal dispute with six city councilors. He has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Councilors Hickey, Crabb, Cogle, Tucker, and Anker. Those councilors had been critical of a 2022 American Rescue Plan federal grant awarded to Hugley's wife, Carolyn Hugley, a State Farm Insurance agent and Georgia House Minority Leader. In April, Hugley threatened legal action if the six councilors did not retract their statements and issue a public apology. The councilors have not done either. Two city departments have been the subject of criminal investigations in recent years. The Finance Department has been under scrutiny and the subject of audits and investigations into mismanagement. There were multiple arrests last year after a Columbus Police investigation into Animal Control. Hugley has been in the city manager's office since 1998, when he was one of two deputies under former City Manager Carmen Cavezza. He was elevated by the council and then-Mayor Bob Poydasheff in 2005. Hugley started with the city in 1984 as an assistant director of Metra, the city's transportation arm. Hugley is a 1975 graduate of Spencer High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history/pre-law from Talladega College in 1979 and a Master's degree in public policy and public administration from Mississippi State University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia House Democrats launch statewide town hall tour Tuesday
The Brief Georgia House Democrats launched a statewide town hall tour Tuesday in LaGrange to connect with voters ahead of the 2026 midterms. Lawmakers plan to address key issues including health care access, housing affordability, education, and economic opportunity. Despite Troup County's Republican lean, Democrats hope to engage new communities and emphasized that the event is nonpartisan and open to all residents. LAGRANGE, Ga. - Georgia House Democrats are launching a statewide town hall listening tour Tuesday night in Troup County, with the goal of connecting directly with residents and outlining their priorities ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. What we know Democratic House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley and other members of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus will gather in LaGrange to kick off the tour. Lawmakers say the event offers a chance to hear directly from their constituents and to share their legislative agenda. What they're saying "We're excited about this opportunity," Hugley said. "It's an opportunity for residents to hear how Democratic House members say they are working to expand health care coverage, address housing affordability, education and other pressing issues. Because our whole thing is about making Georgia the best place to live, to learn and to earn. And we think that people should be able to live their best lives here in Georgia and earn without limit." Despite rainy weather throughout the day, organizers hope turnout will be strong. They noted that the session is open to the public and emphasized that it is a nonpartisan event. "I have great expectations that if we can get Troup County on board, we can turn this state blue," Inetha Hatton, Troup County Democratic Party, said. Although former President Donald Trump carried Troup County by a wide margin in 2024, Democratic leaders say they are focused on building momentum in areas traditionally dominated by Republicans. "I do expect the good turnout. And I expect a big buzz that if you missed it tonight, you are missing a good thing," Hatton added. What's next The session is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in LaGrange.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why This Family Is Being Forced to Keep a Pregnant Brain-Dead Woman Alive Will Infuriate You
Three months have passed since a Georgia woman was declared brain dead. But although her family is ready to let her go, one state law is forcing them to keep her on life support. Adriana Smith started complaining of severe headaches in February, according to her mother. She soon sought medical treatment at Northside Hospital, and was released with medication. 'They didn't do any tests. No CT scan,' April Newkirk, Smith's mother, told 11Alive. 'If they had done that or kept her overnight, they would have caught it. It could have been prevented.' The next morning, Smith's boyfriend woke up to her making gargling sounds and gasping for air in her sleep. She was only nine weeks pregnant, but after being rushed to the hospital, doctors said there was nothing they could do. 'They asked me if I would agree to a procedure to relieve the pressure, and I said yes,' her mother said. 'Then they called me back and said they couldn't do it.' Eventually, Smith was transferred to Emory University Hospital, where she worked as a nurse, according to reports. As of May 15, it's been over three months since the 30-year-old woman was put on life support. 'She's been breathing through machines for more than 90 days,' Newkirk continued. 'It's torture for me. I see my daughter breathing, but she's not there.' Smith is a mother to a young son who believes his mother is just 'sleeping.' Now, Smith is 21 weeks pregnant, and according to Georgia's heartbeat bill, she cannot be taken off of life support until she gives birth through cesarean section. Georgia House Bill 481, the anti-abortion bill passed in 2019, prevents an abortion after a fetus' heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks. The law makes exceptions for rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger, which Smith's case doesn't technically fall in. Her medical team is legally obligated to keep her alive until the fetus reaches viability. They are also not allowed to explore any other medical options. 'I think every woman should have the right to make their own decision,' Newkirk told 11 Alive. 'And if not, then their partner or their parents.' To matters even worse, because Smith is brain dead, there's no way to fully understand the condition of her future son. 'She's pregnant with my grandson. But he may be blind, may not be able to walk, may not survive once he's born,' her mother said. She went on to say doctors told her the fetus has fluid on the brain but they're not sure how much. Smith is just one of many women impacted by anti-abortion laws across the country. A Texas woman was recently forced to carry her daughter to term despite the child have anencephaly, a fatal condition preventing a child's brain and skull from forming properly, according to CNN. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
05-05-2025
- Politics
Democrat Josh McLaurin announces run for Georgia lieutenant governor in 2026
ATLANTA -- Democratic Georgia state Sen. Josh McLaurin announced Monday that he's running for lieutenant governor in 2026, saying he would make opposition to President Donald Trump's policies a key part of his campaign. Burt Jones, the current Republican lieutenant governor, is expected to run for governor next year, and could announce his candidacy within the next few weeks. McLaurin, of Sandy Springs, scheduled a Monday news conference in Savannah to highlight the threat to Georgia's largest port that McLaurin sees from Trump's tariff policies. 'Georgia should be putting up every obstacle possible to Trump's authoritarian agenda at the state level,' McLaurin said in a statement. "And while we're at it, the Georgia legislature should be passing widely popular policies that Republicans have been blocking for years — Medicaid expansion, restoration of reproductive freedom, common sense gun safety legislation, and more.' McLaurin is a onetime roommate of now-Vice President JD Vance when both were students at Yale Law School. McLaurin was elected to the Georgia House in 2018 and to the state Senate in 2022. He's frequently spoken out against what he sees as wrongheaded Republican policies, including delivering speeches that he called 'Trump Morning News' attacking the Trump administration most days of the 2025 session. Georgia's lieutenant governor presides over Senate sessions, but senators decide how much power or influence the official has. Republicans are likely to retain a majority after the 2026 elections, but McLaurin said even if he's sidelined, the office 'will be extremely useful for changing the tone of the Senate's business and shining more of a light on the extremist policies Republicans increasingly are passing.' On the Republican side, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery of Vidalia has already announced that he's running for lieutenant governor. Senate President Pro Tem John Kennedy of Macon and Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch of Dahlonega are also expected to join the GOP field. Other Republicans could run as well, including state Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kemp signs lawsuit reform legislation into law
At a Monday afternoon signing, Gov. Brian Kemp was joined by other state leaders as he signed the tort reform bill into law. Joining the governor were Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and House Speaker Jon Burns, among others. The lawsuit reform had been Kemp's priority during the legislative session. According to the governor's office, the 'meaningful tort reform' will help 'level the playing field' in court, and keep 'hostile foreign powers from taking advantage of consumers and legal proceedings.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Gov. Kemp praises passage of lawsuit reform bill, heads to his desk to become law Governor's lawsuit reform bill passes Georgia House by 1 vote, heads back to Senate Gov. Kemp says changing laws to stop abusive lawsuits his top priority this legislative season 'Today is a victory for the people of our state who for too long were suffering the impacts of an out-of-balance legal environment,' Kemp said in a statement. Georgians opposed to the legislation said the so-called tort reform would just make it harder to find justice if they're wronged by a private business. Lawmakers who supported the bill said they believed the legislation would help stabilize state insurance costs and and help consumers. 'I want to thank Gov. Brian Kemp and his entire team for making these measures a top priority. These bills ensure that we put Georgia families and consumers first by tackling the hidden costs we have all been paying thanks to Georgia's current tort laws,' Burns said in a statement. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
