Brian Kemp

A shooting occurred at Warner Robins High School after a physical altercation among students in a bathroom. Authorities arrested the suspected shooter, identified as a 14-year-old freshman, while the injured student received hospital treatment. The campus is scheduled to be closed for students on Thursday and Friday.

A shooting incident occurred at Warner Robins High School after a verbal altercation between students in the bathroom turned physical. Authorities reported that one freshman student was injured, and the 14-year-old shooter was subsequently arrested by law enforcement. Gov. Brian Kemp praised first responders for their quick action to maintain safety on campus.

An altercation involving students occurred in a high school bathroom at Warner Robins High School, resulting in a shooting where one freshman student injured another. The suspected shooter, who is 14 years old, was arrested after leaving the school premises. Following the incident, the campus will be closed for students on Thursday and Friday.

Georgia state agencies are instructed to freeze spending and submit contingency plans as part of budget preparations for the next fiscal year. Governor Brian Kemp’s administration directed agencies to maintain current spending levels and limit funding increases to urgent needs, amid criticism from the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute over prioritizing tax cuts over healthcare and education.

A committee in Georgia is tasked with selecting a new statewide election system, moving away from ballot QR codes. The current system using ballot-marking devices will remain until 2028, with a special committee established to recommend hand-marked paper ballot systems by February 2027.

President Donald Trump announced expanded support for the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which requires data center companies to cover infrastructure costs, with 23 Republican governors and tech firms like Google and Meta joining. The initiative aims to shift costs from consumers to corporations and position the U.S. as a leader in AI and high-tech industries.

President Donald Trump expanded his Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which requires data center companies to cover infrastructure costs instead of consumers, with Republican governors, tech firms, and utilities joining the initiative. Governors from Louisiana, Georgia, Nebraska, and Idaho highlighted partnerships with companies like Meta to reduce costs and support energy projects.

President Donald Trump announced the expansion of the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which requires data centers to cover their infrastructure costs to shield consumers from higher utility bills. Republican governors and tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta joined the initiative, aiming to lower electricity costs for families and businesses.

Donald Trump announced that nearly 200 entities have signed a non-binding 'Ratepayer Protection Pledge' to prevent US consumers from bearing AI datacenter costs. The pledge was discussed at the EPA headquarters with Lee Zeldin, Chris Wright, and governors including Brian Kemp, Mike DeWine, Spencer Cox, and Jeff Landry.

Georgia's First Offender Act allows first-time offenders to avoid convictions through reduced sentences, but a new law seals records at sentencing to prevent access by background check companies. House Bill 162, signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, aims to prevent job or housing issues for participants by sealing records immediately, as advocated by Rep. Leesa Hagan and the Georgia Justice Project.

Republican governors criticized CNBC's 2026 'America’s Top States for Business' rankings, which placed red states in the bottom 10 for quality of life despite U.S. Census data showing population growth in those states. Governors argued the criteria, which penalize conservative policies, are biased and do not reflect reality.

Several states, including Georgia, Maryland, Tennessee, and Virginia, have enacted laws to expand or protect access to contraception. These measures include allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control, requiring health plans to cover contraception, and establishing legal rights to contraception access.

Multiple states, including Republican-led ones like Georgia and Tennessee, and Democratic-led states like Maryland and Virginia, have enacted laws to expand or protect access to contraception. Examples include allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control, mandating insurance coverage for contraception, and requiring educational institutions to report on contraception access.

Several states, including Republican-led Georgia and Tennessee, and Democratic-led Maryland and Virginia, have passed laws to expand or protect access to contraception. Measures include allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control without a doctor’s signature, requiring health plans to cover contraceptives, and establishing legal rights to contraception.

Several U.S. states, including Republican-led Georgia and Tennessee, as well as Democratic-led Maryland and Virginia, have enacted laws to expand or protect access to contraception. Measures include allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control, mandating insurance coverage, and requiring educational institutions to report on contraception access.

Governor Brian Kemp met with OpenAI and Georgia Power in Atlanta to discuss the company's business plans, including potential data center projects and economic development in Georgia. OpenAI's representatives included leaders in site readiness and development, while the meeting's details remain unclear. The state has an Office of Artificial Intelligence and OpenAI is involved in a national data center project with Oracle and SoftBank.

Georgia’s ballot QR code bill, which allows continued use of QR codes until 2028, includes a last-minute amendment requiring a focus on hand-marked paper ballot systems and on-demand printing. The amendment, introduced by Rep. Tim Fleming, narrows the scope of a committee tasked with selecting Georgia’s next voting system, prompting criticism from Rep. Saira Draper over reduced transparency.

Georgia lawmakers have delayed replacing QR code-based vote-counting systems until 2028, maintaining their use for the 2022 midterms. The legislation limits hand recounts to eight statewide races under specific margin conditions, drawing opposition from Democrats who argue it risks election integrity.

Georgia will retain its QR code-based vote-counting system for the 2022 midterms after lawmakers delayed a fix until 2028. The legislation limits hand recounts to eight statewide races with margins within 0.5%, excluding U.S. Senate and House contests. Republican lawmakers supported the delay, while Democrats argued it risks election integrity and could sow doubt in results.

Georgia Republicans blocked a Democratic attempt to override Governor Brian Kemp's veto of a Republican-sponsored bill requiring specific funds for state agencies to be kept in separate accounts. The bill, vetoed by Kemp for interfering with executive oversight, was one of 12 vetoes this year. The veto override attempt, the first since 2008, was thwarted by the bill's Republican sponsor, who stated implementation discussions with the governor were ongoing.

Georgia Democrats oppose a bill requiring hand recounts of ballots in the 2022 midterm elections, which Republicans in the Georgia Senate approved as part of legislation to retain ballot QR codes. The bill delays a deadline for replacing QR codes but introduces a hand recount for key races, raising concerns about error rates and election chaos.

Georgia Democrats oppose a Senate amendment requiring hand recounts for top races in November, which was added to a bill extending the deadline to phase out ballot QR codes. The amendment faces criticism for risking election chaos and errors, while Republicans argue it enhances voter confidence. Georgia's current system uses QR codes, which have been criticized by Trump and election advocates.

Gov. Brian Kemp vetoed $13 million in new state funding for domestic violence, sexual assault, and child advocacy programs, exacerbating strain on organizations already facing rising demand and declining support. The funding was part of a budget aimed at offsetting a $1.3 billion deficit from an income tax package, leaving shelters like The Haven in Valdosta to operate beyond capacity and seek cost-cutting measures.

Georgia Democrats have blocked Republican-led efforts to pass local property tax referendums during a special session, arguing the measures would shift tax burdens to lower-income residents. Republicans claim the proposals aim to provide property tax relief by allowing communities to vote on sales tax increases, but the measures failed in both chambers, with lawmakers vowing to continue efforts in a session without a set end date.

Georgia lawmakers passed the Sickle Cell Disease Protection Act, requiring annual Medicaid coverage reviews for sickle cell treatments, with bipartisan support and signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp. Similar laws exist in Louisiana, Virginia, and Tennessee, but the author urges more states to follow to improve access to new treatments.

Georgia Republican lawmakers Jon Burns and Larry Walker announced they will not pursue redistricting efforts during a special session, citing pending legal cases. They shifted focus to property tax relief, gas tax suspension, and a July 1 deadline for removing QR codes from ballots.

Georgia lawmakers advanced a bill to delay removing QR codes from ballots until 2028, passing it through the Senate Ethics Committee in an 8-4 vote. The bill aims to address a funding shortfall for updating voting equipment, which currently relies on Dominion Voting Systems' ballot-marking devices. The measure follows failed attempts to resolve the issue during the 2026 legislative session.

Georgia GOP abandoned a redistricting plan that would have reduced Black representation. The plan, part of a special session called by Gov. Brian Kemp to secure additional House seats for Republicans in the 2028 elections, was halted by lawmakers.

Georgia's Republican legislative leaders rejected Gov. Brian Kemp's call to redraw congressional and legislative districts during a special session, citing concerns over the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minority voters. They prioritized economic matters over partisan redistricting and delayed changes for the 2028 elections.

Georgia Republican lawmakers withdrew plans to redraw congressional and state district lines for the 2028 election during a special session, citing pending legal cases. They shifted focus to property tax relief, gas tax suspension, and ballot QR code removal instead of redistricting.

Georgia's Republican legislative leaders rejected Governor Brian Kemp's proposal to redraw congressional and legislative districts for the 2028 elections, citing concerns over a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that weakened Voting Rights Act protections. House Speaker Jon Burns stated lawmakers would prioritize economic issues over redistricting, which could be revisited later, and highlighted pending litigation and the need to understand the court's impact on racial considerations in map-drawing.

Georgia Republicans have postponed redistricting plans for now. Gov. Brian Kemp initiated a session to create legislative maps for 2028 that would benefit Republicans.

Lawmakers in Georgia will convene for a special legislative session to adjust election systems and redraw congressional and state legislative districts. The U.S. Supreme Court recently invalidated Louisiana’s majority Black congressional districts as unconstitutional racial gerrymandering, influencing Georgia’s potential redistricting decisions to prioritize party representation over racial demographics.

President Donald Trump's endorsed candidates won two of three Republican runoffs in Georgia and Alabama, but lost the gubernatorial race to billionaire Rick Jackson, who spent over $100 million. In Alabama, Trump-backed Rep. Barry Moore defeated rival Jared Hudson in a Senate runoff. In Georgia, Rep. Mike Collins, endorsed by Trump, won a Senate race but lost the gubernatorial runoff to Rick Jackson, while Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, also endorsed by Trump, was defeated.

Georgia's Republican-led legislature is beginning a redistricting session to redraw voting districts after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, but no proposed maps have been released yet. The session aims to create districts for the 2028 elections, sparking criticism over lack of transparency and potential dilution of nonwhite voters' political power.

Georgia Republicans are beginning a redistricting session without proposed maps, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which invalidated a congressional map for racial gerrymandering. Outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp aims to delay new district lines until 2028, but Democrats and activists criticize the lack of transparency.

Georgia Republicans are beginning a redistricting session to redraw voting districts, potentially reducing political power for Black and nonwhite voters, following a Supreme Court decision that weakened Voting Rights Act protections. The session, called by outgoing Governor Brian Kemp, lacks proposed maps, frustrating Democrats and activists who demand transparency. The process could set a precedent for applying the court's ruling to state legislative maps in Southern states with high Black voter populations.

Rep. Mike Collins won Georgia's Republican Senate nomination, defeating Derek Dooley and set to face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Collins, endorsed by Trump, campaigns as a MAGA supporter, while Dooley did not support Trump's 2020 election claims. Rick Jackson also won the GOP governor nomination.

Billionaire Rick Jackson defeated Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) in the Georgia GOP governor’s runoff. Burt Jones was endorsed by Gov. Brian Kemp and President Trump in the competitive race.

Billionaire Rick Jackson defeated Trump-backed Burt Jones in Georgia's GOP gubernatorial primary using over $100 million of personal funds. Trump and Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed Jones, but Jackson's spending influenced other races. He will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in November.