GNB Update

Welcome to Thursday...Only a few hours from Friday...



We open with a developing story from under the Gold Dome in Atlanta. The Georgia Senate earlier this afternoon passed legislation allowing for sanctions against lawmakers who don't pay their taxes. The passage of the bill, though, does come with a twist: a surprise amendment to S.B. 17 calls for the Georgia Department of Revenue commissioner to report any lawmaker that haven't filed an income tax return within the past year. But the names wouldn't be reported to the public, unless there's an internal investigation. The issue now goes to the Georgia House of Representatives.


One Georgia city is ranked in the top 25 cities nationally. But it's for all the wrong reasons. Macon.com reports that Macon ranks 22nd in complaints about identify theft. That's according to a report released by the Consumer Sentinel Network. It says that more residents of Macon reported being the victims of identity more often than the larger cities of New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta combined. Those cities ranked 114th, 57th, and 87th, respectively. Among states, Georgia came in seventh, while Arizona finished on top.

Some positive economic news for a southwest Georgia community. The Albany Herald reports that Publix, which is the nation's largest privately-owned grocery chain, will open a new store in Lee County. Local developer Fred Hand told the Herald that the new development along U.S. Highway 19 has been in the works for at least six years, but the lease agreement wasn't finalized unitl earlier this year. Groundbreaking is scheduled for September.

And from the blog files, Georgia Legislative Watch had live coverage of Crossover Day proceedings. Click here to find out what has happened so far on one of the most important days of this year's legislative session.

That's the news. Remember to bookmark georgianewsbeat.blogspot.com for all of the freshest Georgia-related news anytime, anywhere. Enjoy your Thursday night.