Georgia health officials are asking lawmakers for major investments as legislators begin reviewing agency budgets. The Department of Public Health wants nearly $9 million to expand its Home Visiting Program into all 82 counties without an OB-GYN, calling it one of the state’s most cost-effective tools to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
Georgia Power is seeking more than $15 billion to boost electricity capacity as AI-driven data centers flood into the state, raising concerns that ratepayers could be left with higher monthly bills. Meanwhile, Georgia’s safety-net system is bracing for major shifts in federal Medicaid funding as rural hospitals close and federally qualified health centers take on record numbers of patients with increasingly complex needs.
At the federal level, the National Park Service says it does not have the resources to support redesignating Okmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first national park, even as supporters say the change would draw visitors and honor 12,000 years of Indigenous history. In Murray County, residents gathered alongside Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to oppose a proposed bio-waste facility, arguing it would disrupt rural life and provide few direct benefits.
District Attorney Fani Willis is facing a legislative investigation into alleged misconduct tied to the Trump election case, prompting strong pushback from her attorney and defense from Republican lawmakers. And as campaign season ramps up, lawsuits are challenging Georgia’s campaign finance rules, with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger arguing that current law gives his opponent, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, an unfair fundraising advantage.
Democratic leaders are also pushing new proposals to make health care more affordable as premiums rise, saying Republican lawmakers have ignored legislative solutions.
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