A Georgia state senator is renewing a push to make data centers pay more of their own way, sponsoring legislation that would roll back a major sales tax incentive while arguing the savings could be used to reduce taxes for everyone else.
The 2026 Georgia Legislative Assembly will convene Monday, January 12, 2026, bringing state lawmakers back to the Capitol to begin the annual session. Over the coming weeks, legislators are expected to take up a wide range of issues that affect Northwest Georgia, including the state budget, public safety, education, health care access, and insurance-related policy.
Representing the area will be State Representative Eddie Lumsden, who serves House District 12, covering Chattooga County and parts of Floyd County. During the 2026 session, Lumsden is serving as Chairman of the House Insurance Committee, and he also holds assignments on the Appropriations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Governmental Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Public Safety and Homeland Security, Rules, and State Properties committees.
Constituents who want to share concerns or follow legislative developments can reach Rep. Lumsden by email at eddie.lumsden@house.ga.gov, by phone at (404) 656-7850, or by mail/visit at 220-A State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334.
A proposed bill at the Georgia Capitol, House Bill 211, could change how PFAS-related lawsuits move forward in the state, and opponents say it may limit legal options for communities dealing with contaminated drinking water, including Summerville water customers impacted by PFAS.
As the new year begins, the Georgia Department of Education is turning its attention to the 2026 General Assembly, releasing a new list of legislative priorities aimed at shaping education policy under the Gold Dome.
Georgia State Senator Colton Moore, a Republican from Trenton, who represents Chattooga County and surrounding areas in Northwest Georgia, has introduced a wide-ranging slate of legislation this session, targeting issues from National Guard deployments and gun regulations to taxes, abortion, elections, and lobbying rules. But despite the ambitious scope, the proposals are widely viewed as facing steep obstacles in the Georgia Legislature, where committee gatekeeping and leadership support often determine which bills advance.
Georgia lawmakers are confronting a growing child welfare crisis: children with serious mental and behavioral health needs being left behind at emergency rooms and psychiatric facilities because families say they have run out of options.
Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King announced additional insurance savings for Liberty Mutual and Safeco customers across Georgia following newly approved rate reductions for both companies.
Georgia Farm Bureau members are meeting on Jekyll Island this week for the organization’s 88th annual convention, a three-day gathering running December 7th through the 9th at the Jekyll Island Convention Center.