Morning, y’all! I reminded you earlier this week, but I’ll remind you (and myself) again: It’s Daylight Saving time this weekend. While we’re at it, it’s also “Daylight Saving,” not “Daylight Savings.” You’re welcome.
Let’s get to it.
REVISITING GEORGIA’S DEATH PENALTY
A bill that would help intellectually disabled people avoid the death penalty has attracted robust, unanimous support in the Georgia House, and is considered by many to be a necessary fix to part of Georgia’s capital punishment laws.
Why is it so important?
- It is illegal to execute intellectually disabled people, in Georgia and the whole U.S. However, it’s left to states to determine whether someone is intellectually disabled.
- Every state that allows the death penalty, except for Georgia, requires a “preponderance of evidence.” In other words, it has to be more likely than not that a person is intellectually disabled.
- In Georgia, it has to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
- Legal experts say that standard is nearly impossible to prove, leading to a higher likelihood a person with intellectual disabilities could end up on death row.
The bill is now on to the Georgia Senate.
State Rep. Bill Werkheiser, the Republican who introduced the bill, cited past cases when the state executed men with very low IQs or who had strong claims of intellectual disability. “This is the fix that ensures we don’t do that anymore,” he said.
State Rep. Esther Panitch, a Democrat from Sandy Springs, voiced her support as well.
“Executing an intellectually disabled person is not an act of justice, but a moral failure,” she said.
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HOW CROSSOVER DAY WENT
After a long session at the Capitol yesterday, Georgia legislators narrowed down which items they’ll focus on for the rest of the year. By this point, if a bill hasn’t passed from the House to the Senate or vice versa, it’s probably not going anywhere.
Some of the bills that have passed at least one chamber:
- A bill that bans public school students up to 8th grade from using cellphones at school
- A bill that requires schools to install panic alert systems to connect with first responders
- A bill, strongly backed by Gov. Brian Kemp, that limits how businesses can be sued and how personal injury payouts are calculated*
Some of the bills that didn’t
- A bill to legalize sports betting
- A bill to withhold funding from schools with diversity programs
Don’t see a bill you were wondering about? To the bill tracker! Plus, more from Crossover Day here.
Gov. Brian Kemp also signed an amended 2025 state budget that includes $863 million in Hurricane Helene relief, about $1 billion in tax refunds and several hundred million for prison security upgrades.
*This type of legislation is often called “tort reform,” but the AJC doesn’t call it that. Yes, there’s a reason.
PRAYING FOR THE POPE
It’s now Lent, the solemn period in the Christian year before Easter. It’s feeling especially Lent-y for area Catholics as they pray for Pope Francis, who is battling chronic lung disease and a serious respiratory infection.
For Ash Wednesday, the Pope wrote a moving homily confronting death. It was a message that echoed through Atlanta congregations as they prepared for their own 40-day journey to confront the same.
Rev. Monsignor Francis G. McNamee of the Cathedral of Christ the King told the AJC Francis is urging people to see death as a hopeful and natural part of life.
“(The pope) reminds us that death is not something that is always negative and that we must prepare ourselves and must be ready to stand before God,” McNamee said. “He does not fear death.”
VETERANS CONCERNED ABOUT VA STAFF CUTS
This week, the Trump Administration outlined its plan to cut the Veterans Affairs workforce by 15% — about 72,000 workers. While VA Secretary Doug Collins said the cuts won’t affect healthcare or benefits, some Georgia veterans aren’t so sure.
Less people means less service: Johnny Miller, a two-time Purple Heart recipient, said it’s hard enough getting appointments with the VA. “If you cut that many folks, we are not going to get any service,” he said, adding that many VA employees are veterans themselves.
Cuts could lead to other concerns: Jason Dozier, a Bronze Star Medal recipient says a decrease in services could weaken the military. “I feel strongly that if we don’t get veterans services right, that has huge national defense implications.”
EVERYBODY’S LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WEEKEND, WEEKEND
Time to find something fun to do!
☸️ Dunwoody Holi Festival: Happy Holi! Celebrate the Hindu Spring Festival of Colors this Sunday in bright clouds of nontoxic paint. There will also be live music and a DJ spinning global tunes.
👟 42nd Annual Chattahoochee Road Race: 5k or 10k, pick your poison. Oh, it’s also a Peachtree Road Race qualifier (and a mostly flat course, so it’s a good one for it).
😋 Taste of Suwanee: Great food, an artist market and a zone for the kiddos? Say less.
💃🏽 Atlanta Salsa and Bachata Festival: There are also workshops, if you’re salsa-challenged.
📚 Kid-Con 2025: Dress up and nerd out with your little ones at this kids’ lit and pop culture fest at the Smyrna Library (my beloved!). There will also be crafts, games and character appearances.
Learn more about all of the events above, and even more, right here!
NEWS BITES
Some moms might make their way to the podium at the bobsled and skeleton world championships
After having a baby, rocketing down an icy track is nuthin’.
Angry Birds and Frogger are among the finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame
Which one have you lost hours of your life to?
Toys are expected to cost more as soon as fall because of new China tariffs
Do you know how many toys sold in the U.S. come from China? Nearly 80%! Whew.
Monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico rebounded this year despite threats
A little time away can be so refreshing! (But seriously, how often do we get good nature news?)
ON THIS DATE
March 7, 1914
From the front page of The Atlanta Constitution, two very good pieces of headline poetry:
This Pretty Stenographer Wouldn’t Have a Poodle; Alligators Are Her Pets. No word on what ugly stenographers prefer. (The alligator’s name, by the way, was “Uncle Dudley.”)
In Race with Death, Georgia Sheriff Loses. Incredible. No notes. Apparently he was a murderer, so ...
ONE MORE THING
My biggest goal for the weekend is to eat a giant pancake at Fluffy Fluffy Dessert Cafe in Duluth. Truly the stuff of dreams.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
AJ Willingham is an National Emmy, NABJ and Webby award-winning journalist who loves talking culture, religion, sports, social justice, infrastructure and the arts. She lives in beautiful Smyrna-Mableton and went to Syracuse University.
