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March 6, 2026

Last Day to Vote Early in Special Election – Election Day Next Tuesday

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Today is the final day of early voting in the upcoming Special Election. Voters in Chattooga County will be voting for a candidate to fill the seat vacated by Colton Moore in the Georgia Senate. Also, voters will be casting their ballot in the 14th District U.S. Congressional Race to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in the U.S. House of Representatives. All early voting in Chattooga County takes place at the Chattooga County Registrars Office, located at 10017 Commerce Street in Summerville. Voting hours today are from 8:30 AM until 5 PM. Bring a picture ID when you come to vote. Next Tuesday, Election Day, all voting will take place in local precincts across the county. Voting on Tuesday will be from 7 AM – 7 PM. No voting will take place at the Registrars Office on Election Day.

March 6, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Rep. Eddie Lumsden Highlights Budget Passage and Education Legislation During Seventh Week of Session

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State Representative Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee), who represents Chattooga County and part of Floyd County, says the Georgia House completed a busy seventh week of the 2026 legislative session as lawmakers approach the important Crossover Day deadline. The week included extensive committee work and the final passage of the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 state budget, which totals about $43.6 billion and includes billions in surplus funding. According to Lumsden, the budget prioritizes taxpayer relief, transportation improvements, expanded mental health services, and investments in the state’s prison system, along with a one-time $2,000 salary supplement for educators and state employees.

March 5, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Georgia SB 94 Would Restore Consumer Utility Advocate for Rate Cases

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A bill advancing at the Georgia Capitol could bring back an independent watchdog for ratepayers as power costs remain a major concern for families and small businesses across Northwest Georgia.

March 1, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Lawmakers Advance Bipartisan Bill to Remove Sales Tax on Diapers, Formula and Menstrual Products

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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.

February 28, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Advanced Voting Today for Congressional and State Senate Special Elections

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Chattooga County voters may cast their ballots today in the Special Election for the 14th Congressional District Race and the 53rd State Senate Race. As of yesterday morning, Friday, February 27, 2026 there have been 70 absentee by mail ballots issued. Of those, 26 have been accepted and 44 are outstanding. Yesterday was the last day to submit an application for an absentee by mail ballot for the March 10, 2026 Special Election. An additional 1,051 ballots have been cast during Advance Voting so far. Advance Voting continues today. Polls are open from 9 AM – 5 PM for Saturday voting (Today, February 28, 2026). All Advance Voting takes place in the Chattooga County Registrars Office located at 10017 Commerce Street in Summerville. Government issued photo ID is required.

February 27, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Rep. Lumsden Highlights Data Center Protections, Campus Safety and Foster Care Reforms as Session Passes Midpoint

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State Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee), who represents all of Chattooga County and part of Floyd County, says the Georgia House has passed the halfway point of the 2026 legislative session after completing Legislative Day 22. Lawmakers returned to the Capitol following the President’s Day holiday and moved several bills forward during a busy week.

Lumsden highlighted passage of House Bill 1063, which would prevent electric utilities from shifting certain costs tied to large data centers onto residential and small business customers, while codifying Public Service Commission cost-allocation rules into state law. He noted Georgia’s rapid data center growth is driving increased energy demand statewide.

The House also approved legislation to increase access to naloxone on college and technical campuses, expand protections for foster placement caregivers, support autism screenings for children in foster care, strengthen student-athlete health requirements, and improve roadside safety during traffic stops as work continues toward Crossover Day.

See Rep. Lumsden’s complete report below:

February 25, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Georgia Senate Approves Mid-Year Budget with Tax Rebates, Mental Health Funding Boost

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The Georgia Senate on Friday approved its version of the $42.3 billion amended state budget, keeping major tax rebates for Georgians while increasing funding for mental health services and rural infrastructure.

February 25, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Advocates Urge Georgia Lawmakers to Seek Broader Medicaid Waivers and Expand Coverage

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Health care advocacy groups and some Georgia lawmakers are pushing state leaders to pursue broader Medicaid waiver authority and expansion efforts to increase access to health coverage for low-income residents. The calls come amid ongoing debate over the state’s current Medicaid “Pathways to Coverage” waiver program and efforts to close the coverage gap that leaves hundreds of thousands uninsured in Georgia — one of the states that has not adopted full Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Supporters argue that expanded waivers and coverage would help more Georgians gain essential care, while critics caution about potential costs and administrative challenges under existing waivers that include work requirements and narrow eligibility criteria.

February 21, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

PSC Commissioner Tricia Pridemore Won’t Seek Reelection, Weighs Possible Run for Congress

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Republican Georgia Public Service Commission incumbent Tricia Pridemore announced Tuesday that she will not seek reelection this year, a move that adds fresh uncertainty to the balance of power on the five-member panel that regulates monopoly utilities such as Georgia Power.

February 20, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Trump Makes Whirlwind Rome Stop, Visits The Varsity and Holds Rally at Coosa Steel

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President Donald Trump made a whirlwind visit to Rome on Thursday, stopping at The Varsity before ending the day with a rally at Coosa Steel where he praised his tariff policies to a loud, energized crowd.