Where property rights start and end between neighbors has long been a thorny issue.

Legislation being debated at the state Capitol would tip rights strongly in favor of farmers, who say they need protection from nuisance lawsuits as Georgia’s population grows.

Critics say it diminishes other property owners’ rights and could spawn huge animal-feeding operations like those in neighboring North Carolina that disrupt communities and hurt the environment.

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A migrant farmworker harvests Vidalia onions at a farm in Collins, in 2011. A coalition of farmworkers, including one based in Georgia, filed suit last month in federal court arguing that cuts to H-2A wages will trigger a cut in the pay and standard of living of U.S. agricultural workers. (Bita Honarvar/AJC)

Credit: Bita Honarvar