Last night, after a closed work session, Kennesaw Mayor Mark Mathews sent word via email that the four city council members who voted last week against issuing a use permit for a storefront mosque have changed their minds.
That sets the stage for a reversal of the decision on Monday, the mayor said. Your background can be found here.
The Marietta Daily Journal had reporter Hilary Butschek on the ground.
"We want to know — under what conditions?" Islam asked before the announcement was made.
In response, Mathews answered: "no stipulations."
Mathews said the council is trying to achieve a mission for Kennesaw to be "an inclusive city with opportunities for all."
Here's the note of approval from the group calling itself the Steering Committee of the Muslim-Jewish Dialogue:
This decision is in keeping with the First Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees the right of all people to practice their religion freely. Respect for the Constitution means equal treatment for all. Living up to this principle is difficult, but it is a precondition for achieving justice and peace in our communities.
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The Democratic Party of Georgia will hold its Jan. 31 meeting in Macon and, like most political events, geography matters.
Why? Incumbent chair DuBose Porter, who is seeking a full four-year term, is from nearby Dublin, and the middle Georgia locale likely means he could have an easier time getting his rural supporters there.
Porter has drawn a challenge from R. J. Hadley, a Rockdale County politico. Other contenders, including Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, whose base of support center on metro Atlanta and Athens, have until mid-January to make their decision.
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In that race for chairman of the state Democratic party, Porter picked up a prominent endorsement Wednesday from U.S. Rep. David Scott, who represents many South Metro Atlanta communities and into Cobb County. In an interview off the House floor, Scott said Democrats must reach out to white voters to be competitive -- and it helps that Porter is a white guy from South Georgia.
"I think that DuBose Porter has done a wonderful job. He's done an excellent job in a very difficult climate, and I am supporting him 100 percent. I think Democrats have to look at this as a situation where we had an unpopular president at the top of the ticket that swung that around its necks down there. But we must as a party reach out and show that we can represent all of Georgia, and we have to have a strategy for growing and increasing the white voter participation."
Porter and Scott served together in the Georgia Legislature before Scott came to Congress in 2003.
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State Sen. Renee Unterman plans to introduce "safe harbor" legislation today to offer immunity to minors forced into human trafficking and impose harsher penalties on those convicted of the crime.
She's doing so in a unique way: Shortly after a press conference tonight to outline the legislation, she'll hold a candlelight vigil at a church with remarks from religious leaders.
One GOP strategist told us it's the first Republican-led candlelight vigil he can recall.
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Gov. Nathan Deal and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle are on the same page when it comes to transportation plans. Sort of.
Cagle turned heads Tuesday when he insisted mass transit should be a part of the calculus to raise new transportation revenue. Deal, meanwhile, endorsed nothing but questioned projections that called for at least $1 billion in new revenue.
When asked his thoughts on Cagle's endorsement, Deal wouldn't tip his hand. Said the governor:
"I'm not going to get out ahead of the study committee's recommendations. I think it's appropriate to give them the opportunity to totally reveal where they want to go on this. I think his (Cagle's) statement and my statement coincide - everything should be on the table."
The panel will release its report by the end of the month, but it's expected to be more like a menu of options than a list of recommendations. State Rep. Jay Roberts, R-Ocilla, the panel's co-chair, told reporters he expected legislation by the end of January, giving lawmakers at least two more months to mull it over.
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In Congress, 71.5 years of Georgia's seniority walks out the door at year's end. One bit of fallout: We're told that there will be no Georgians on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee -- a panel with a range is as broad as it sounds -- next year.
The committee slots of outgoing U.S. Reps. Phil Gingrey, R-Marietta, and John Barrow, D-Augusta, will be filled by non-Georgians, despite the delegation's efforts to get someone on the committee. A big advantage to sitting on Energy and Commerce is fundraising -- as lobbyists from a slew of industries have an interest in spending time with its members.
But Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Lawrenceville, will break Georgia's drought on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee -- not as high profile a panel, but one vital to the state.
Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, will chair the Agriculture subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit; and Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, will be vice chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee on Intellectual Property. Collins is also moving over to the Rules Committee, dropping his assignments on Oversight and Government Reform, and Foreign Affairs.
In addition, some freshmen class committee assignments were announced Wednesday: Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, will serve on the House Homeland Security Committee; Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, will serve on Homeland Security, and the Education and the Workforce Committee; Rep. Rick Allen, R-Evans, will be on Education and the Workforce.
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Is it 2016 yet? Larry Sabato has his first Crystal Ball forecast for the U.S. Senate, and he rates U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson's seat as "safe Republican" -- assuming Isakson does not change his mind about running for re-election.
The forecast finds Republicans have an edge to hold the Senate overall.
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