Latest news with #GoldDome
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Medical cannabis access, ‘fair' tax policies and more on deck as study committee season cranks up
Lawmakers created a long list of study committees during the 2025 legislative session, laying the groundwork for a busy offseason. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder School may be out for the summer, but at the state Capitol in Atlanta, lawmakers are gearing up for their own version of summer school. Study committees, which meet outside the regular 40-day legislative session, have already begun gathering information and soliciting expert testimony on topics ranging from chronic student absenteeism to improving tourism. All told, 16 different House study committees and 20 Senate panels will convene under the Gold Dome, which is the most each chamber has seen in the past decade. Here is a look at a few notable ones. Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been a hot-button issue both in Georgia and around the country. During the 2025 session, legislators in both chambers introduced bills aimed at increasing regulations on the use of AI technology, but none managed to pass through both chambers by the Sine Die deadline. However, two new study committees will allow legislators in the Senate to continue compiling research and drafting a report that may guide their efforts when lawmakers reconvene for the 2026 session next January. Senate Resolution 391, introduced by Roswell Republican Sen. John Albers, creates a new committee dedicated to examining the use of AI across industries like education, health care and financial services. The committee will also explore the use of digital and cryptocurrency, and how to better prevent security threats. A second AI-related committee, created by SR 431, will study the impact of social media on children across Georgia, examining privacy implications and the impact of chatbots and other AI features on minors. The resolution was introduced by Atlanta Democrat Sen. Sally Harrell, who will serve as co-chair alongside Johns Creek Republican Sen. Shawn Still. Lawmakers are getting a jump start on election policy this year, perhaps hoping to avoid a repeat of the months-long battle between Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the five-member State Election Board that characterized the lead-up to Georgia's 2024 election. House Resolution 885 established a special panel that will examine Georgia's existing election code and how responsibilities are shared between election officials at the local and state levels. It will be chaired by Rep. Tim Fleming, a Covington Republican. Another study committee, created by SR 429, will research ways to remove barriers for those who are seeking to restore their voting rights after a felony conviction. Georgia 'has one of the longest parole and probationary periods in the nation and the highest number of individuals under supervision per capita of any state,' according to the resolution. The fight to overhaul Georgia's civil litigation landscape may be settled for now, but discussions over Georgia's insurance rates are set to continue. A newly created panel will investigate the driving forces behind insurance rate hikes throughout the state by analyzing insurance industry practices, profit margins and compliance with state regulations. It will be chaired by Duluth Republican Rep. Matt Reeves. House lawmakers will also delve into how the state's reinsurance landscape intersects with climate change in a study committee created by HR 40. Citing the estimated $6.46 billion in damage that Hurricane Helene caused in Georgia, lawmakers are hoping to combat insurance-related challenges that businesses may face during future storms and severe weather events. Co-chaired by Republican Reps. Darlene Taylor of Thomasville and Noel Williams of Cordele, the committee aims to collaborate with the Georgia Office of Insurance and Department of Agriculture to mitigate rising property and casualty insurance costs for small businesses across the state. Cannabis consumption, both medical and recreational, was another prominent issue that surfaced during the 2025 legislative session. While House Bill 227 and Senate Bill 220 both sought to widen access to medical cannabis, neither bill managed to make it over the finish line before lawmakers adjourned for the year. Instead, two separate study committees will tackle the issue over the summer. A House study committee led by Augusta Republican Rep. Mark Newton, who works as a doctor, will dive into Georgia's medical marijuana policies. In the Senate, lawmakers on the Study Committee on Intoxicating Cannabinoids in Consumable Hemp Products will tackle the issue of regulating recreational products like THC-infused drinks, which are chemically similar to medical cannabis but more broadly available to consumers because they fall under the federal 2018 Farm Bill and the Georgia Hemp Farming Act. Georgia lawmakers at both the state and federal level are pushing for legislation that would overhaul the current tax code, replacing the current system with a fixed consumption tax that proponents refer to as 'FairTax.' The congressional version of the bill, which was first proposed in 1999, was sponsored this year by U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, who recently announced a bid for the U.S. Senate. At the Georgia Capitol, the Senate State FairTax Study Committee will examine similar legislation that would apply a fixed sales tax rate within the Peach State. The committee will be chaired by Rome Republican Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, who also heads the Senate Finance Committee. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Trump's Golden Dome will spark dangerous retaliation from Russia
Donald Trump unveiled concepts for his £400 billion Golden Dome missile defence program at the White House, which he hopes will be "fully operational" before the end of his term in 2029 Donald Trump's bizarre Golden Dome missile shield "threatens a dangerous new arms race" amid fears Russia and China will retaliate with "more advanced systems", an expert has warned. The US president unveiled the concepts he wants for his future £400 billion Golden Dome missile defence program at the White House on Tuesday, which he hopes will be "fully operational before the end of my term", in 2029. For the first time, the system will put US weapons in space that include the ability to intercept missiles. The Golden Dome will detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack, which include pre-launch, the earliest stage of flight, stopping them midcourse in the air, and halting them in their final minutes. The Congressional Budget Office estimated this month that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as £400 billion over the next 20 years. Trump has requested an initial £15 billion for the program in his proposed tax break bill now moving through Congress. Inderjeet Parmar, professor of International Politics at the City, University of London, believes the Golden Dome "threatens to ignite a dangerous new arms race." He told The Mirror: "The US is attempting to counter the rising influence of state-capitalist powers, particularly China's advancements in hypersonic and space-based technologies. "The Golden Dome threatens to ignite a dangerous new arms race as global tensions rise under the aggressive strategies – threats of invasion of other states, trade wars, and general weaponisation of US power – pursued by Trump's second administration." "While there are some concerns about China's and Russia's growing missile systems, The Golden Dome's branding and rhetoric—evoking Israel 's Iron Dome and promising to be a 'game changer' for national security—is more likely a political weapon to legitimise militarisation. "US policies are frequently if not always framed as defensive, using narrative of protecting the 'homeland' from 'catastrophic attacks', which are normally ways of rallying public support to pay the tax dollars. "The Golden Dome – by referencing Israel's initiative - adopts a similar rhetoric of victimhood to justify militarism, ignoring the U.S.'s role in provoking global tensions through its own actions." The expert also believes China and Russia "may develop more advanced offensive systems" in response to Trump's Golden Dome. He added: "The Golden Dome, by threatening the deterrence capabilities of Russia and China, risks escalating an arms race, as these nations may develop more advanced offensive systems in response. U.S. militarism often provokes counter-reactions, destabilising the international order while claiming to enhance security. In practice, Gold Dome threatens to undermine the deterrent effects of 'mutually assured destruction' which is the foundation of nuclear stability."
Epoch Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Design Selected for ‘Golden Dome' Missile Defense Plan, Trump Announces
The Department of Defense has selected a design for President Donald Trump's 'Gold Dome' missile defense initiative, Trump announced on May 20. 'I'm pleased to announce that we have officially selected an architecture for this state-of-the-art system that will deploy next-generation technologies across the land, sea, and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors,' Trump told reporters at the White House.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democratic state Sen. Jason Esteves announces election bid to run for Georgia governor
ATLANTA - Georgia state Sen. Jason Esteves announced Monday that he will run for governor next year. The Atlanta Democrat was elected to the Senate in 2022 and is serving his second term under the Gold Dome. Before that, he spent nearly a decade as a member of the Board of Education for Atlanta Public Schools. Esteves has made education, health care, and housing his top priorities in the Senate. "As extreme politicians in Georgia push (President Donald) Trump's reckless agenda and rig the system for special interests, Georgians pay the price," Esteves said Monday in a prepared statement. "Now more than ever, we need to tackle the high cost of living, improve access to health care, protect women's reproductive freedom, lower housing costs, and invest in schools across the state." Esteves is the first Democrat to enter the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. More: Georgia law offers homeowners a big tax break, but most probably won't get much, if any, of it U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, formed an exploratory committee last month to consider mounting a bid for governor. However, she announced several weeks later that she would suspend her campaign in order to care for husband, who is recovering from cancer surgery. On the Republican side, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr launched his campaign for governor late last year. Other potential candidates for the GOP nod include Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: State Senator Jason Esteves announces election bid for Georgia governor
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia legislature passes controversial religious freedom bill amidst partisan tensions
The Brief Mounting tensions between Republican and Democratic lawmakers have characterized the last days of the 2025 legislative session. Republicans passed controversial bills in the House and Senate, Wednesday, over the objection of Democratic colleagues. Friday is Sine Die, the last day of the session. ATLANTA - The final two days of the 2025 legislative session in Georgia have once again proved to be active, if not controversial. The penultimate day proved to be full of partisan tensions under the Gold Dome. What they're saying Senate Bill 36, the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act, is now headed to Governor Brian Kemp's desk despite efforts by House Democrats to kill the bill. Rep. Stacey Evans (D-Atlanta) opposes the legislation. She told House members, "I want to protect religion, and luckily I don't need to pass a law to do that. The federal constitution and the state constitution do that for me." Wednesday's vote was a victory for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and other conservative religious groups lobbying for the bill's passage. Supporters insist the 'Religious Freedom Restoration Act' ensures people of faith basic religious protections at the state and local level. "We want to make sure that freedom of religion has the same standard that freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly have," Georgia Baptist Mission Board spokesman Mike Griffin told FOX 5. The other side Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham and others who oppose the legislation insist it would allow people to use their religion as a free pass to discriminate against the LGBTQ community and others. "In other states where we have seen this, we have seen it used by Christian adoption agencies to turn away Catholic and Jewish couples who want to adopt children. We've seen it used in Texas to hold access to contraception and HIV prevention services. We've heard of instances where police officers have said they don't want to provide security to mosques and synagogues, and of course, there are numerous examples of gay and lesbian couples as they seek basic everyday services." Dig deeper Also this week, Senate Republicans advanced a DEI bill, over the objection of Democrats, that would ban diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in all state public schools and universities. "The Republican party said they are going to take Georgia backwards to days when people didn't have full rights, and that's exactly what it was; it cannot be any clearer than that," Sen. Harold Jones II (D-Augusta) told reporters following the vote. The Source FOX 5's Deidra Dukes has been covering everything under the Gold Dome this legislative session in Georgia. Details in this article were gathered from the proceedings in the Georgia House and Georgia Senate.
