A.M. ATL: The land of cornbread

Morning, y’all! It’s finally happened: Cornbread is the official bread of Georgia. And the official state stew: Brunswick.

These are just some of the hundreds of new state laws that take effect today after being adopted by the state’s Republican-led Legislature.

Let’s take a look.

WHAT’S NEW FOR YOU

The laws have a wide range. Some — like a law restricting transgender students from playing on school sports teams that don’t match the gender they are assigned at birth — mirror President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Others are aimed at community needs, such as the IVF bill that amends the state health code to formally establish in vitro fertilization as a legal right, preventing future restrictions on the procedure.

Tax breaks

• Starting next year, a $250 income tax credit for parents of children under age 6. The bill also increases an existing credit for child and dependent care expenses and gives businesses a $1,000 tax credit in the first year and $500 in subsequent years for any employee for whom the business pays for child care.
• In 2027, veterans will be exempt from up to $65,000 in benefits and income.
• People in disaster-prone areas can put money aside tax-free to prepare for the worst.

Film tax credit

After numerous attempts to revive an expired Georgia film and media tax credit, it finally landed on the second-to-last day of the session, affixed to a bill designed to preserve farmland.

• Supporters say the postproduction tax credit, which will expire in 2031, is needed to boost an important slice of the struggling film and media business.
• Critics say such tax credits are giveaways to special interests and have little economic impact beyond the companies that profit from them.

Schools:

After the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School last September, lawmakers sought to examine schools to ensure students were learning under the most supportive conditions. New laws and measures now:

• Prevent students from being expelled because of absenteeism and install new procedures to address school attendance.
• Create an interstate compact for school psychologists to address a shortage in the system.
• Ban students from using cellphones during the school day. This takes effect statewide next July, but some districts already have such a policy in place.

🔍 Read More: U.S. Supreme Court clears way for Georgia law aimed at limiting porn access

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‘DISEASES OF DESPAIR’

In construction, the dangers are both mental and physical.

When it comes to mental health, it’s easy to write it off and say, “I’m working on it.” That’s especially true for construction workers.

This excellent piece from AJC intern Safa Wahidi examines the multitude of mental and physical factors (the pace, the uncertainty, the culture of “bravado”) that are leading to dangers in the industry. Here are a few of the alarming numbers:

• Construction workers made up about 20% of Georgia’s fatal occupational injuries in 2023, despite constituting only 8.2% of the workforce. (The Center for Construction Research and Training)
• Male construction workers face a suicide rate 75% higher than that of the general population. (CDC)

With few options for paid leave, construction workers often work through injuries, which can lead to lingering problems.

Zooming out: The construction industry is still growing in Georgia. Data center construction projects are on the rise, and this summer, Atlanta Public Schools has partnered with Construction Ready to launch a four-week training program in the construction trades.

🆘 Resources: If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

29 MINUTES ...

That is the average amount of time it takes the Highway Emergency Response Operators (HERO) to clear a traffic accident.

The highway helpers who patrol metro Atlanta’s interstates will return to 24/7 service on Tuesday, just in time for the busy holiday weekend.

HERO crews have helped stranded motorists since 1994, but staffing issues led the Georgia Department of Transportation to scale back both service hours and the patrol area two years ago.

• They will patrol nearly 400 miles of interstates
• Their primary focus is clearing roadways after traffic incidents
• Did you know: They also offer free roadside assistance to drivers with flat tires, dead batteries and other minor mechanical issues.

📱Motorists in need of help can call 511, use the 511GA app or visit 511GA.org.

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

🏠 Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said a property tax hike is almost unavoidable, as Atlanta’s leaders work to keep up with population growth that brings increased demand for city services.

📖 Two recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings could impact a high-profile lawsuit by Cobb County teacher Katie Rinderle, who was fired over a book she read to her class.

✈️ Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport saw a cascade of thousands of flight cancellations and delays over the weekend. But Delta Air Lines, which represents nearly 80% of capacity at the airport with its partners, says its operations have recovered and it is ready for the busy July Fourth travel weekend.

🚽 DeKalb County is indefinitely postponing a 10% water and sewer rate increase that was scheduled to begin today.

🏛️ President Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House next Monday. The trip will mark Netanyahu’s third visit to the White House since Trump returned to office in January.

PARENTING NEVER ENDS

Summer just started. So what does that mean? Better prepare for the end of summer and kids heading back to school/the roads being once again clogged with minivans like mine. Here are the school start dates to know.

NEWS BITES

With the current No. 2 recruiting class, Georgia football had a hot June

Expect the smack talk to begin soon, if it hasn’t already.

Michael Penix Jr. celebrated in hometown of Dade City, Florida

They really missed an opportunity on the street name. Michael Penix Jr. Pass, anyone?

Billy Torpy: 35 years in Atlanta’s news salt mine. I’ve seen wild transformation.

Best line from Torpy’s column came via Mike King: “In 1990, we were heading into the salad days of American newspapering. You had to (screw) up to not make a lot of money. And we made a lot of money. Next to selling drugs on the street, it was the most profitable thing you could do.”

ON THIS DATE

July 1, 1917

The Atlanta Constitution — “Bone dry” time begins in 23 states; law prohibiting liquor shipments goes into effect. Twenty-three states will be bone dry after midnight tonight, the effective hour of the Reed amendment … Eleven other states are partially affected by the legislation.

The 1917 Reed Amendment was designed to prevent the shipment of alcoholic beverages into states that had already prohibited the sale and manufacture of alcohol (referred to as “dry” states). Those states included the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee.

ONE MORE THING

For those prepping for marriage, you might consider stealing this cuteness from the weekend wedding of former Gov. Nathan Deal and Brenda Micali.

From the Politically Georgia newsletter: “The couple held a long rope during the ceremony as a sign of their new bond. After the ‘I dos,’ every guest lifted the rope above their heads while the newlyweds quite literally tied the knot.”

It was a moving tribute to the joy of finding love again. Deal’s first wife, Sandra, died in 2022. Deal wrote a children’s book in her honor last year.

Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.