Latest news with #Leverett
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia Republicans push last minute bill to limit public access to lawmaker and police records
ATLANTA (AP) — With one day left of the legislative session, Georgia Republicans mustered together a proposal to limit public access to records about state lawmakers' communications and police reports. The bill sidestepped the usual lawmaking process by tacking a new proposal onto a bill without sending it to a regular committee, where lawmakers and members of the public could weigh in. Democrats in the House Rules Committee raised alarms about the last-minute effort without a clear motive. Skeptics say the hurried process was especially concerning for a bill that could shield information about lawmakers' work from those who elect them. Elberton Republican Rep. Rob Leverett said at the committee meeting the bill would simply 'clean up' language related to public records issues that have come up in court. He called other added protections for legislators a 'reasonable extension of existing law.' The bill could get a vote Friday, the final day of the session. It was immediately sent back to the Rules Committee Wednesday, with Leverett telling The Associated Press on Thursday that there were disagreements over the bill. There could be more changes. 'Republicans are always trying to snake bad provisions in the dead of night without transparency and without public debate,' Democratic House Minority Whip Sam Park of Lawrenceville told AP. 'They do this every time.' Lawmakers are mostly exempt from the state's Open Records Act, but the bill further limits records available to the public. People wouldn't be able to access records of any communications involving members of the legislature or related staff, including with state agencies and officials and private companies. The bill would also protect information about people's entrance into and out of government buildings and data created for legislative activities. Agencies often prepare data such as how they spend money and present it to lawmakers. 'The First Amendment Foundation has always found it problematic that the legislature is protecting its own business, with a complete exemption from the law," said Sarah Brewerton-Palmer, president of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. "But now they're now trying to extend that even into records that currently are public and held by the executive branch.' The original bill sought to clarify that people should request records from government agencies even if they contract with private companies that have the requested information. That measure was a response to a Georgia Supreme Court ruling last year. Under current law, police departments don't have to share records for pending criminal investigations. But initial incident reports are public record. Police departments under the bill would only have to disclose the first incident report before investigations close. Those can contain fewer details than later reports. The measure comes after Appen Media, which owns a chain of suburban news outlets, sued the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs for giving its reporters limited information from police reports. A Fulton County judge originally ruled the city's police department didn't violate the Open Records Act. The Georgia Court of Appeals in March ruled that decision was premature, but the bill 'basically blesses the practice the Sandy Springs police department was taking,' said Brewerton-Palmer. 'If a police department wanted to, they could shield basically all information about incidents from the public,' Brewerton-Palmer said. ___ Charlotte Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
Associated Press
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Georgia Republicans push last minute bill to limit public access to lawmaker and police records
ATLANTA (AP) — With one day left of the legislative session, Georgia Republicans mustered together a proposal to limit public access to records about state lawmakers' communications and police reports. The bill sidestepped the usual lawmaking process by tacking a new proposal onto a bill without sending it to a regular committee, where lawmakers and members of the public could weigh in. Democrats in the House Rules Committee raised alarms about the last-minute effort without a clear motive. Skeptics say the hurried process was especially concerning for a bill that could shield information about lawmakers' work from those who elect them. Elberton Republican Rep. Rob Leverett said at the committee meeting the bill would simply 'clean up' language related to public records issues that have come up in court. He called other added protections for legislators a 'reasonable extension of existing law.' The bill could get a vote Friday, the final day of the session. It was immediately sent back to the Rules Committee Wednesday, with Leverett telling The Associated Press on Thursday that there were disagreements over the bill. There could be more changes. 'Republicans are always trying to snake bad provisions in the dead of night without transparency and without public debate,' Democratic House Minority Whip Sam Park of Lawrenceville told AP. 'They do this every time.' Lawmakers are mostly exempt from the state's Open Records Act, but the bill further limits records available to the public. People wouldn't be able to access records of any communications involving members of the legislature or related staff, including with state agencies and officials and private companies. The bill would also protect information about people's entrance into and out of government buildings and data created for legislative activities. Agencies often prepare data such as how they spend money and present it to lawmakers. 'The First Amendment Foundation has always found it problematic that the legislature is protecting its own business, with a complete exemption from the law,' said Sarah Brewerton-Palmer, president of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. 'But now they're now trying to extend that even into records that currently are public and held by the executive branch.' The original bill sought to clarify that people should request records from government agencies even if they contract with private companies that have the requested information. That measure was a response to a Georgia Supreme Court ruling last year. Under current law, police departments don't have to share records for pending criminal investigations. But initial incident reports are public record. Police departments under the bill would only have to disclose the first incident report before investigations close. Those can contain fewer details than later reports. The measure comes after Appen Media, which owns a chain of suburban news outlets, sued the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs for giving its reporters limited information from police reports. A Fulton County judge originally ruled the city's police department didn't violate the Open Records Act. The Georgia Court of Appeals in March ruled that decision was premature, but the bill 'basically blesses the practice the Sandy Springs police department was taking,' said Brewerton-Palmer. 'If a police department wanted to, they could shield basically all information about incidents from the public,' Brewerton-Palmer said.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mobile coffee trailer raising funds for hurricane recovery
BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL)— Rivers of Love, a local ministry in the Tri-Cities, is giving back to those impacted by Hurricane Helene by sharing its love for coffee. Rivers of Love, a non-profit organization dedicated to community outreach, was established two years ago. In September, the focus of their outreach efforts shifted. 'When we started meeting the families that were devastated by the hurricanes, our heart was filled with compassion for the community,' Rivers of Love President Caleb Walker said. Johnson County to distribute clothing, shoes to Helene victims Tuesday Soon after the focus shifted, the group began brainstorming ways to continue giving financially. 'And we just started asking the question, 'what can we do as a church?'' Walker said. 'We had given everything that we could give financially, and we were just scraping the bottom of the barrel going, 'Lord, how will you provide? What can we do?'' Soon, the group came up with an idea to repurpose a part of their current outreach. 'We had this outreach trailer that we were going around the community already serving people from taking food to homeless shelters, things like that,' Walker said. And so we decided to turn it into a coffee trailer and use the gifts of two great leaders in our church.' Those leaders were Jonathan and Bre Leverett, whom Walker describes as 'coffee extraordinaire. ' Jonathan said the goal of the trailer was to make the donations a mutual transaction. 'We thought it would be amazing to not only be able to ask people for a donation to help but to also give back,' Leverett said. The trailer's expenses are paid for entirely by donations, but that hasn't stopped the public from giving. 'People have been coming and donating and give above and beyond the price of a normal coffee even,' Walker said. 'And it's just incredibly to see people's hearts be stirred.' The trailer's main location is in Bristol, but they have also been setting up across the Tri-Cities, helping to expand their reach. 'We've got some stuff coming up with other churches that we've met along the way, 'Leverett said. 'We're going to be going out and serving the church to also be able to get donations and be able to serve the people.' In the last few months, Rivers of Love has raised around $45,000, including the donations from the trailer. Leverett said this is only the beginning. 'I just hope the community can get behind what we're doing and can help us be able to get to the goal of being able to rebuild another home or at least help rebuild another home,' Leverett said. 'Because we do have people that are signed up and ready to go as far as like contractors even that are willing to go out and help us.' Walker and Leverett said the goal is to expand the ministry to provide donations to overseas missions in the future. Information about Rivers of Love Coffee can be found on their Facebook. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
24-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 offseason roster profile: OL Nick Leverett
The Arizona Cardinals are in offseason mode and we are still weeks away from free agency and months from the NFL draft. Over the next little while, we will take a look at each player on the roster or signed to a reserve deal and break down where they stand with the team. We will look at their 2024 season, their contract status and what their status is for the coming offseason and 2025 season. Next up is offensive lineman Nick Leverett. 2024 Nick Leverett stats, season Leverett was a midseason addition to the Cardinals. In the league since 2020, entering as an undrafted rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he started the season with the New England Patriots. He played five games for them and started once and was released. The Cardinals signed him to the practice squad in October, where he remained for 10 games. He was signed to the active roster in Week 18. He played five offensive snaps at left tackle in the season finale and one on special teams. Leverett can play all across the offensive line. 2025 contract status Leverett was signed through 2025 when he was added to the active roster at the end of the season. He is due $1.17 million in 2025. Outlook for 2025 Leverett will enter the offseason competing for a spot on the roster. Perhaps the team sees him as an option in the starting lineup at guard, as he did start 10 games at left guard for Tampa Bay in 2021. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
