State Sen. Chuck Hufstetler of Rome has been honored by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia with a 2026 Legislative Service Award for his work with county governments during this year’s legislative session.
A suspended Georgia state representative has pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently collecting pandemic unemployment benefits, becoming the third current or former Georgia lawmaker to admit to similar offenses stemming from COVID-19 relief programs.
The homes of Grace Towns Hamilton, the first Black woman elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, and her father, George Towns, will be preserved as historic landmarks through a new multi-million-dollar restoration project in Atlanta’s Vine City neighborhood.
Preserve Black Atlanta is leading the effort with approximately $2.3 million in funding from a National Park Service grant and Atlanta’s Westside Tax Allocation District. Fulton County commissioners approved a portion of the local funding in June, allowing the project to move forward.
Grace Towns Hamilton made history in 1965 when she became the first Black woman elected to the Georgia General Assembly. She served in the Georgia House for nearly 20 years and is credited with helping expand political opportunities for Black Georgians during the Civil Rights era. Historians also recognize her as the first Black woman elected to state office anywhere in the South.
Her father, George Towns, was a professor at Atlanta University and helped found the Niagara Movement in 1905, an organization that laid the groundwork for the creation of the NAACP.
Project leaders say the restored homes will become public historic sites while also contributing to neighborhood revitalization. Restoration work is expected to take about two years once permitting is complete.
WABE
More than 120 new laws passed by the Georgia General Assembly will officially take effect Wednesday, July 1, bringing a wide range of changes that will impact consumers, public safety, agriculture, criminal justice, financial institutions, and businesses across the state.
The Georgia General Assembly adjourned its 2026 special session on Tuesday, June 23, after completing legislative work outlined in Governor Brian Kemp’s special session proclamation.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has expanded the agenda for the General Assembly’s upcoming special session, adding several items beyond the previously announced discussions on redistricting and election law changes.
Georgia lawmakers worked down to the final hours on Crossover Day, one of the most important deadlines of the legislative session, as they rushed to move bills through the House and Senate before time ran out.
A bipartisan measure moving through the Georgia General Assembly would eliminate the state’s 4% sales tax on diapers, baby formula, and menstrual products, classifying them as essential goods rather than taxable items. Supporters say the change would ease financial pressure on families, noting that while groceries and prescription drugs are already exempt in Georgia, diaper and feminine hygiene products are not.
Advocates point to long-term costs, with estimates showing the average woman spends about $18,000 on period products over her lifetime — plus roughly $1,000 in taxes. Government assistance programs like SNAP and WIC do not cover diapers, and the Georgia Diaper Bank Coalition estimates ending the diaper tax could save families about $80 per child. Diaper banks statewide distribute more than 1.4 million diapers each year to families in need.
The effort is being led this session by Republican State Sen. Randy Robertson, who says the issue is about prioritizing families despite the potential loss of millions in state revenue. The bill must pass committee before heading to the Senate floor ahead of Crossover Day, and supporters say it has bipartisan backing. If approved, Georgia would join a growing number of states that have eliminated sales taxes on menstrual and baby care products.
The Coosa River Basin Initiative is keeping lines of communication open with local legislators on several water-related issues during the 2026 session of the Georgia General Assembly.
State Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R–Armuchee) says the Georgia House returned to Atlanta on January 12 to open the 2026 legislative session, beginning the second regular session of the 158th General Assembly. Lumsden noted the week included recognition of the newly restored House Chamber and adoption of the session calendar, with the 40-day session scheduled to end April 2, known as Sine Die. He also highlighted Governor Brian Kemp’s priorities shared at the Georgia Chamber’s Eggs & Issues Breakfast, including transportation spending proposals, a one-time natural gas infrastructure fund, and a Homeless Response Grant tied to preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. Lumsden said Kemp’s final State of the State Address focused on tax relief, cost-of-living issues, education and workforce training, school safety, and public safety priorities, including efforts to combat human trafficking and gang-related crime. The week concluded with a Celebration of Service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Lumsden said lawmakers returned after the holiday for “budget week,” when agencies outline funding needs to appropriations committees. You can see the complete legislative report below: