Latest news with #JoshMcLaurin
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. David Clark joins growing race for Georgia lieutenant governor
The Brief Rep. David Clark of Buford announces bid for Georgia lieutenant governor. Clark joins Republican Sens. Blake Tillery, John Kennedy, and Steve Gooch in the race. Democrat Sen. Josh McLaurin is the only candidate from his party so far. ATLANTA - State Rep. David Clark of Buford announced his candidacy earlier this week, releasing an online campaign ad highlighting his service as a military veteran in Afghanistan and his experience in the state Capitol. What they're saying In the ad, Clark says he has been "tested in combat and in the Capitol" and lists his priorities as cutting taxes, addressing illegal immigration, and focusing on transgender issues. "As your battle-tested conservative candidate for Lieutenant Governor, I will eliminate the state income tax, protect our daughters by keeping men out of girls' bathrooms and locker rooms, stand with law enforcement to crush violent crime, and partner with President Trump to stop the criminal invasion by illegal gang members into Georgia," Clark said. He's planning a statewide tour later this month. What we know Clark's entry into the race comes just one day after State Sen. Blake Tillery announced his bid. They join Republican State Sens. John Kennedy and Steve Gooch in the contest for the GOP nomination. 2026 Georgia election races to watch | List of candidates On the Democratic side, State Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs is the only declared candidate so far. What's next The lieutenant governor's seat is open as current officeholder Burt Jones runs for governor.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Georgia booting bill gets key provision removed days ahead of Sine Die
The Brief The bill aims to regulate Georgia's vehicle booting industry, prohibiting kickbacks to property owners for booting cars, which lawmakers argue incentivizes excessive enforcement. A key provision was removed from the bill, which would have banned booting companies from monitoring parking lots, a practice critics say leads to predatory behavior. The revised bill, representing Georgia's first serious attempt at regulating the booting industry, is set for a final Senate vote before potentially reaching the governor's desk by the April 4 deadline. ATLANTA - A bill aimed at reining in Georgia's vehicle booting industry took another step forward Monday. However, it was not without losing a key provision along the way. If signed into law, the bill would also make it illegal for property owners to receive kickbacks when cars are booted — a practice lawmakers argue creates an incentive for excessive enforcement. What they're saying The legislation, sponsored by State Sen. Josh McLaurin (D-Fulton County), passed the Senate last week and cleared the House with changes that weakened its original scope. The most significant blow came when House lawmakers voted to strip out a measure that would have banned booting companies from monitoring parking lots — a practice critics argue leads to predatory behavior. "You go out to eat or go out for a concert or something or you just go to a store, four minutes later you come back to a boot on your car," McLaurin said, pointing to what many Metro Atlanta drivers say is a common experience. Despite the setback, McLaurin said the bill still represents a meaningful step forward, marking the state's first serious attempt at regulating the booting industry. "This bill would put booting companies at the same space as the towing companies are," McLaurin said. "DPS would have the ability to set reasonable rates or take away license of companies that are acting out of line." McLaurin called the removed provision crucial to curbing abuses but said he remains committed to reform: "If booting companies continue to prey on consumers, I'll continue to push for change." The other side Opponents of the bill, including booting company operators and consultants, argued during a Senate Public Safety Committee hearing last March that allowing companies to monitor lots is essential to preventing parking chaos. "If you take that away there's gonna be chaos. There's got to be a better way than just killing it and not letting them patrol," said Dan Schafstall, director of operations for Executive Parking Services. David Moore, a parking consultant, downplayed the need for restrictions, saying, "Boots are reversible, booters should be allowed to patrol and it really is not an issue…it's not the bug issue that they would have you believe." What's next The revised bill now heads back to the Senate for a final vote later this week. If approved, it will go to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk. Lawmakers face an April 4 deadline, known as Sine Die, to pass the bill this session. The Source FOX 5's Joi Dukes spoke to state Sen. Josh McLaurin and Dan Schafstall, director of operations for Executive Parking Services. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports were also used.
Axios
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Bill that would regulate Georgia's booting industry passes Senate
A bill that would add guardrails to how parking boot companies can operate in Georgia is another step closer to becoming law. Why it matters: Booting is used by many property owners to limit who can park in their lots to keep that space free for their customers, but the industry has come under increased scrutiny in recent years over its tactics. Driving the news: The State Senate passed House Bill 551 with an amendment offered by Sen. Josh McLaurin (D-Sandy Springs) that would require booting companies to follow the same regulations as towing companies. It would prohibit booters from monitoring parking lots and ban "kickbacks," which are the fees booting companies pay to property owners for the right to boot vehicles from their lots. The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate and now goes back to the House for a final vote. What they're saying:"Right now, booters can basically camp out in a parking lot, wait for somebody to walk into a store, and then three minutes later, throw a boot on their car," McLaurin told Axios. He also said the legislation doesn't prevent property owners from using booting services; it just prohibits companies from camping in lots and waiting for potential violators. State of play: Unlike towing, which is regulated statewide, the booting industry is monitored via a patchwork of local ordinances approved by cities and counties. Atlanta's ordinance, which went into effect in 2018, requires property owners to create clear signs about the parking policy, caps fines at $75, and provides clear identification for representatives of booting companies. Flashback: The business of booting received fresh scrutiny when the Boot Girls in Buckhead began advertising their services to remove boots from vehicles. Yes, but: Removing a boot from a vehicle without paying the booting company for that service can lead to confrontations that can quickly turn dicey. In 2023, the Boot Girls shared a video showing a man placing his foot on a boot and threatening to call the police while one of the women was trying to remove it from a car. Atlanta police previously said it does not get involved with booting unless a criminal issue happens. Owning a boot key isn't illegal, but Atlanta police said a person could be charged with criminal trespass, theft of service, theft by taking or damage to property if they use a boot key to remove an immobilization device. What we're watching: With Sine Die (the end of the legislative session) just a few days away, McLaurin said he's confident there are "a lot of House Republicans" who would support the regulations.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New bill to help curb predatory booting just passed the state Senate, heads to House for vote
A bill to regulate booters that patrol Georgia parking lots overwhelmingly passed the state Senate. The bill does not ban booting, but it would place major new restrictions on how booters operate. 'Right now, booting companies can just run wild. Nobody has to call them. They patrol on their own and they make their own judge, jury, executioner decisions,' the bill's author state Sen. Josh McLaurin said. The bill would outlaw the practice of booters monitoring or patrolling lots. Landlords would have to call a booter like with a tow truck. It would also ban kickback payments from booters to landlords. Both of those are restrictions that already apply to tow companies. The booting measure was added as an amendment to the unrelated House Bill 551 on the Senate floor and passed by a vote of 48-3. 'Right now, booting companies are paying up to half their boot, half their fee to property owners as kickbacks. And that has caused a lot of predatory activity,' McLaurin said. RELATED NEWS: Bill to reduce booting cars passes key Senate Committee vote Legislation addresses boots on cars, plans to ban it statewide Viral TikTokers 'The Boot Girls' fighting back against 'predatory' practice of booting cars Over the past 2 years, he has introduced legislation to rein in booting. In 2023, McLaurin filed a bill that would ban booting entirely. In 2024, he introduced a bill similar to this amendment. In a 2024 Senate hearing, landlords and booting operators warned that those booters patrolling lots are the only reasonable way to protect against illegal parkers. 'If we have to go down the other path, we are just going to tow, and that's going to be a lot worse to the consumer than a boot,' said Jack Hanning from InterPark in 2024. McLaurin said the proposed law would stop the worst abuses of booters. 'All the horror stories you hear about, you walk into the store for four minutes, and there's a boot on your car that will come to an end,' he said. Since this was added as an amendment to a bill that already passed the House, it will not need to go through the committee process and only needs a motion to agree by the House sponsor and a vote on the House floor.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gold Dome Nuggets: Cornbread baked in state code, pronoun triggers and get along little DOGE
Sen. Josh McLaurin, a Sandy Springs Democrat, held up a photo of the Doge meme that became popular in 2013 and is the namesake of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder This week's serving of Gold Dome Nuggets may contain traces of cornbread, Brunswick stew and 15-year-old funny dog pictures. Plus, should students read about plus-size women of color posing nude to increase their self-esteem? Let's dig in. If Georgia were an insect, what kind of insect would it be? That's an easy one – the honeybee, the official state insect, as designated by the Legislature in 1975. But how would one express the concept of Georgia as a fish? You could go with the official state fish, the largemouth bass – the obvious choice. But what about Georgia's official state saltwater fish, the red drum? Or the mighty Southern Appalachian brook trout, the state's official cold water game fish. Every day, state leaders make weighty decisions like how to encapsulate Georgia's rich history in a butterfly (the tiger swallowtail) or how to instill every Georgian heart with pride in the form of a folk dance (square dancing). But while Georgia has an official prepared food — grits — the state has no official state bread. Dalton Republican Rep. Kasey Carpenter wants to correct that oversight, and he's revived a bill that would enshrine cornbread as Georgia's official state bread. Carpenter shepherded a cornbread bill through the House in 2024, but it failed to get a vote in the Senate. (EDITOR'S NOTE: we used every cornbread pun known to mankind last year, so that's why there aren't any here.) 'It's back, baby, it's back, it's a reunion tour,' Carpenter said from the House floor Wednesday before the vote on this year's bill. The House approved elevating cornbread to the state's latest symbol 157-4, but not before peppering Carpenter with questions. 'Is it also a possibility that we could label any cornbread not made from the state as foreign cornbread?' asked Dawsonville Republican Rep. Brent Cox, a reference to a recently-passed bill requiring restaurants to label imported shrimp (the official state crustacean). 'I don't think we're gonna go that far,' Carpenter said with a laugh. Marietta Democratic Rep. Mary Frances Williams tossed out a cultural hand grenade: 'Can you answer the age-old question that has caused many a family break-up and fight: do you or do you not add sugar to cornbread?' she asked. A consummate politician, Carpenter tried to play to both sides. 'I do add a pinch of sugar,' Carpenter said. 'I think if you study the history of cornbread, the corn used to be a lot sweeter than it is now once they started mass producing.' Cornbread was not the only Southern delicacy to earn special distinction from the House Wednesday. Rep. Rick Townsend, a Republican from Brunswick, presented a bill to name Brunswick stew Georgia's official state stew. 'It goes with many things, whether it's biscuits, crackers, and especially cornbread,' Townsend said. 'It's delicious stew.' Not everyone agreed with Townsend's assessment. Macon Democratic Rep. Miriam Paris displayed a surprising amount of antipathy toward the tomato-based stew. 'Is it not true that if you took a poll in here today, that this bill would lose?' Paris asked. 'If you took a poll in here today, would it not be that 51% of these people would say they don't like Brunswick stew?' 'It would still be the best stew in Georgia,' Townsend said. As it turns out, they did take a poll. The House voted 152-2 to make Brunswick stew the official state stew, with Paris and Dallas Republican Rep. Joseph Gullett opposed. Paris did not respond to a request for comment. A Q and A on a bill in a Senate Committee Thursday started with a question about the presenter's pronouns. 'Let me start off with a couple of questions. What's your pronoun?' asked Senate Higher Education Committee Chairman Max Burns, a Sylvania Republican. 'Your majesty or your highness,' said Tyrone Republican Sen. Marty Harbin. 'That's interesting,' Burns said with a laugh. 'Does that question offend you?' 'I know what I am, and I know that I am a male, and I would take he and him, and that's where I am. I believe there are two sexes, male and female,' Harbin said. The two were discussing a bill Harbin said would remove diversity, equity and inclusion programs from Georgia's public and private universities. It was not scheduled for a vote. Harbin said DEI programs have become tools of ideology rather than inclusion. 'Too often they result in a campus culture where dissenting viewpoints are silenced, where professors fear retribution for presenting alternate perspectives and where students self censor themselves to avoid accusations of insensitivity or bias,' he said. 'Academic institutions should encourage the marketplace of ideas and not a dogmatic adherence to a singular worldview. When certain perspectives are deemed unacceptable simply because they do not align with DEI principles, we replace education with indoctrination.' Several dozen people came to the committee to oppose the bill. 'When we learn about different cultures, perspectives, and histories, we become better thinkers, leaders, and citizens,' said high school student Laila Erold. 'This bill attempts to stifle that growth, and I will not stand by and let it happen. By silencing discussions on race and identity, SB 120 perpetuates ignorance and fear. It tells us that our struggles don't matter, that our voices don't matter. We're not just students, we are activists, and we will fight for our right to learn in an environment that embraces rather than shuns diversity.' Harbin said he was bringing the bill on behalf of a constituent's daughter who had several galling experiences at Georgia College and State University. 'When she joined her sorority, she was required to pick a pronoun to describe her and what she was. And she said, 'I know what I am. I should not be required –' but she was required, in order to join, she was required to have to fill out the form as it was,' he said. The freshman had another problem with one of the texts in her English class, Harbin said. 'The requirement was this article, this was read, had to be read in class,' he said. 'And I will not read the title of it. You can read the title yourself there because I don't want to offend anybody, but if you read that, that was read in class by each of the students, (they) had to sit there and go through that and read different parts of this, and she was extremely offended.' The title of the article was 'I'm a plus-size woman of color. Posing nude in front of strangers helped my self-esteem.' For centuries, the word 'doge' was nothing but a childish misspelling for man's best friend. For a brief window from about 2013 to 2025, doge described a silly little dog that people on the internet could use to make jokes, as well as a niche cryptocurrency. But from January to an unknown point in the future, DOGE is the Department of Government Efficiency, a chaotic government agency dedicated to rooting out waste, spearheaded by the world's richest man, Elon Musk. Sandy Springs Democratic Sen. Josh McLaurin may have become the first Georgia senator to take to the well with an internet meme printed out on Senate letterhead Monday when he wielded a picture of the doge meme to speak against Georgia's 'Red Tape Rollback Act,' which supporters billed as Georgia's version of DOGE. In the broken English typical of doge memes, McLaurin's picture read 'so Senate, Red, very tape, much legal, wow.' McLaurin is accustomed to using humor to make a political point – he regularly takes on the persona of a news anchor to roast President Donald Trump's second administration from the Senate well, sometimes earning chuckles even from his Trump-supporting Republican colleagues. He said he used the doge prop to illustrate the disdain he says the administration shows toward institutions and the people who make them up. 'I think the challenge with using humor in politics is it's got to be a type of fun that everybody can get behind, or at least most people can get behind, that's not at somebody else's expense,' he said. 'Genuine fun for the sake of fun lightens all our spirits, but when somebody is couching something destructive or mean or insulting as a quote-unquote 'joke,' then it takes on a different character. That's my criticism of the use of the doge meme federally, is that it's being used to dismantle the government, to strand USAID employees overseas, to fire a bunch of people illegally who do great work and depend on those paychecks. There's some things that a meme can't make funny, and that's in that category.' Speaking with the Recorder about memes and humor in politics Friday, McLaurin used Vice President JD Vance – McLaurin's former college roommate – as an example of someone who uses comedy to punch down. McLaurin referred to a 2021 tweet from Vance after actor and outspoken Trump critic Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed a cinematographer while filming a movie. Vance called on Twitter's then-CEO to reinstate Trump's then-canceled account so the then-former president could comment on his detractor's misfortune, which many panned as insensitive in the wake of the tragic accident. 'When he was confronted about that, he said something like, 'the country wants authenticity and wants people to lighten up,'' McLaurin said. 'My sense is that the country does want people to lighten up. The country does want authenticity. But the country doesn't want leaders who are authentically an a–hole.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
