Friday, March 29, 2013
The Georgia General Assembly’s 2013 session ended Thursday. Barring special circumstances, state lawmakers won’t reconvene until January. Tell us if you believe legislators should work more days in a year.
Georgia’s lawmakers are officially done for the year. Thursday was the General Assembly’s 40th day—the last day of the 2013 session. So unless a special session is called, legislators won’t reconvene until January. For their three months of work, lawmakers will each take home an annual salary of about $24,262—that includes a base salary of $17,342 plus a $173 per diem for each day of the session (Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures; Website of State Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta). Though this year’s session is now over, most voters are bound to see their state lawmakers before next year’s session begins, as legislators typically spend part of the year’s remaining nine months in their districts and may hold town hall …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The Supreme Court is taking up the issue this week as justices look at two cases. Tell us how you’d rule on these same-sex marriage cases.
Proponents and opponents of same-sex marriage are keeping their eyes this week on the Supreme Court justices. The court on Tuesday began considering a challenge to California’s Proposition 8, a gay marriage ban approved by the state’s voters in 2008. Under the law, the state only recognizes a marriage if it is between a man and a woman. Justices today are scheduled today to hear an appeal on a case against a portion of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which was enacted in 1996. Section 3 of the act defines marriage as “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.” The Associated Press reported that the justices may dismiss the case against Prop 8 without ruling on it, which would likely lead to same-sex marriages …
Monday, March 25, 2013
December’s school shooting in Newtown, Conn., reopened the debate on whether violent video games lead to violence in real life. Tell us if you believe such games have a real-world impact.
In the wake of December’s Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., one of the habits of alleged shooter Adam Lanza came to light. The 20-year-old reportedly owned “thousands of dollars worth of violent video games,” MailOnline reported, adding that he was believed to have played games from the Call of Duty series “for hours on end.” The games are classified as “shooters” that have players using weapons against human or computer-controlled characters. Weeks after the shooting, the White House “pressed start” on talks with video game industry representatives, as Vice President Joe Biden took the lead to find legislative remedies to problems associated with gun violence. Among those taking aim at the games has been The …
Friday, March 22, 2013
In the digital age, are we allowing children to use, and potentially abuse, social media at too early of an age? Tell us what you think.
Last March, a student who attended New Manchester High in Douglasville was arrested after allegedly making an online threat against his school. Earlier this month, a Pebblebrook High student from Austell found himself in jail after he allegedly posted threats on Instagram. And last week, Paulding County authorities increased their presence at East Paulding High School as a precautionary measure after a message spread on Twitter said that someone would be bringing a gun onto campus. Though these incidents are seemingly unrelated, one common factor is the usage of online services and social media. In the wake of these incidents, and countless others out there we want to ask: Lastly, many online services require users to be of a minimum age. …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Congressional Democrats say the firearm legislation set to be proposed next month won’t include a ban on assault weapons. What would you think of any legislation that left out such a ban?
United States senators next month will consider firearm legislation that may not be as loaded as some would hope. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the gun legislation to be debated next month will not include a ban on assault weapons. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said that including such a ban would reduce the votes needed to overpower the will of Republicans aiming to keep the Senate from considering the matter. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is expected to push an amendment focused on banning military-style weapons, the AP reported, though the Democrat’s proposal does not seem to have enough support behind it. Some of sought a ban on assault weapons in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in …
Sunday, March 17, 2013
A blizzard hit much of the eastern United States, including Georgia, beginning on March 12, 1993. Do you remember where you were during the Storm of the Century - the last Century that is?
I had almost forgotten that 20 years ago this week, life in Georgia was a little different. Most of us were snowed in somewhere, many of us for the first time ever. I saw a posting on Facebook, reporting on a story from WSBTV on the Storm of the Century that began on March 12, 1993. It brought back many memories and I couldn't help but wonder, where you were during the Blizzard of 1993? I was completing a move from Snellville to Monroe a day early. I was scheduled to move on March 13, but although all the other channels snickered about WSBTV's report of a blizzard coming, I didn't want to chance it. Just as well. We got everything moved in the night of the 12th, the last few items as the rain began to change over to snow - and the rest, as…
Friday, March 15, 2013
Some school districts are turning to tablet computers to give their students educational materials. Do you think your school system should invest in this technology for every child?
Tomorrow’s textbooks could very well be on a computer screen. An Associated Press story last week highlighted a growing trend of school districts investing in tablet computers for students. For some, the devices are a way to give students digital textbooks that have the potential to be updated when needed and may be cheaper than paper textbooks. One district, according to the AP report, is giving more than 2,000 iPads to every student—kindergarten to high-school seniors—with the price tag at $1.2 million. Schools in a Texas city spent $20.5 million to distribute 6,800 iPads. The report states that proponents of using the devices in the school setting say students tend to be comfortable with the technology, so trying to reach them through …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
New York City was set to enact a ban on large sugary drinks this week, but a judge struck it down hours before it was to take effect. Tell us if you’re raising a glass for the judge’s decision, or if you’d agree with a ban on the large drinks.
Going to New York City in the near future? If you plan on visiting the Big Apple, you’ll be able to buy a big soda in any restaurant, sporting event or other location you visit. For now, anyway. A judge on Monday struck down the city’s planned big soda ban, which would have limited the sale of non-diet soda and some other beverages to cups 16 ounces or smaller. The Associated Press reported that the ruling judge wrote in his opinion that loopholes in the rules defeated the intended purpose of them. The city’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is pushing for an appeal of the judge’s decision, the AP reported Tuesday. Bloomberg defends the ban as an anti-obesity effort. Share what’s on your mind with us, and then return here to see what your …
Monday, March 11, 2013
Patch has highlighted several pieces of proposed legislation since the Georgia General Assembly convened in January. See which bills state lawmakers will be considering during the session’s final days, and which ones didn’t get House or Senate approval.
Thursday was “Crossover Day,” the 30th day of the Georgia General Assembly’s 40-day session. Crossover Day is the deadline for bills to be passed in at least one of the General Assembly’s two chambers in order to be considered during the current legislative session. In the last few weeks, we’ve taken a look at several pieces of legislation introduced by state lawmakers, and we’ve asked you to give us your takes on them. Below is a roundup of where some of that legislation went during the first 30 days of the session. Charles Gregory, R-Kennesaw, was the primary sponsor of two bills aimed at lifting bans on carrying weapons in specific places within the state. House Bill 28, dubbed the “Restoring Private Property Rights for Places of …
Sunday, March 10, 2013
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Brian
3:47 am on Saturday, March 30, 2013
I'm with Observer. We're better off when they aren't making laws that we don't want. $173/day is not really that bad, if they actually passed useful laws more often like the one they did to create regions for transportation self-taxation (even if the lists this time around were voted down by all regions but 1). more ›