Morning, y’all! Hope you like the rain, because we’re getting a lot of it this week. It’s a good excuse to break out a seldom used word: petrichor, or the earthy smell of new rain on dry ground.
Let’s get to it.
GETTING TICKY-TACKY ON TAXES
Credit: Branden Camp
Credit: Branden Camp
Georgia has a new $37.8 billion state spending plan for 2026. The budget adds more funding for prison upgrades and education. That’s great, assuming the Trump administration‘s federal workforce cuts, tariffs and possible Medicaid cuts don‘t transfer burdens to state budgets and force lawmakers to rewrite it all.
For now, let’s talk about taxes.
💸 Income tax elimination
Georgia officials have cut income taxes and doled out tax refunds for years now, and the cuts keep coming. Some GOP state leaders want to eliminate income tax altogether. However, the plan has some experts worried.
- Any kind of recession could eat into Georgia’s budget surplus.
- That would necessitate new cash flows in the form of other taxes like, say, on health care or services.
- Instead of new taxes, lawmakers could also enact cuts to critical services to save money.
- Other states that have cut taxes, like South Carolina, have learned the hard way that tax cuts for some groups inevitably mean more taxes for others.
🔎 READ MORE: Who really pays when income tax shrinks
🚙 An electric vehicle tax, maybe
Gov. Brian Kemp could soon approve a bill taxing the use of public electric vehicle charging stations. However, leaders don‘t know how it would work.
Turns out, it’s tough to measure kilowatt hours on a statewide scale, let alone regulate it or properly tax it.
Georgia lawmakers want to find a way, though, because electric vehicle owners don‘t pay a traditional gas tax like dinosaur soup guzzlers do, and that’s money slipping through their fingers.
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HOMICIDE RATE DROPS IN ATLANTA
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Atlanta’s homicide rate is down 23% through the first four months of 2025. The Atlanta Police Department investigated 30 cases through that time, compared to 39 through the first four months of 2024.
- That’s a continuing trend. Homicide rates also dropped from 2023 to 2024.
- City leaders say the numbers show anti-violence tactics, like community policing and better communication between law enforcement and neighborhoods, are working.
- Homicide rates are also dropping in other major cities.
🔎 READ MORE: Does that mean Atlanta’s safer? The mayor‘s office and others weigh in
MARTA’S NEW ‘NORTH STAR’
Credit: Ben Hendren/AJC
Credit: Ben Hendren/AJC
MARTA planned a smaller budget for the upcoming fiscal year, with a focus on cleanliness, safety and reliability. The budget actually anticipates a drop in fare revenue and no increase in ridership as the agency takes care of long-standing issues like broken fare gates.
No fare hikes are on the table — for now.
MARTA’s total ridership fell 43% from 2019 to 2024, and the agency’s priority is getting people back on trains and buses. However, leaders agree fare increases could be in the conversation some day.
🚇 Did you know? MARTA says each rail or bus ride costs the agency between $11 and $12 — far more than the $2.50 fare.
MEASLES IS ON THE MOVE
The U.S. had at least 1,001 measles cases as of last Friday. Eleven states have active outbreaks, including Texas and Tennessee.
- The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. Other states have reported isolated cases, including Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, and Virginia.
- The epicenter of this measles wave is West Texas, where two elementary-aged unvaccinated schoolchildren have died of the disease. An adult in New Mexico also died of a measles-related illness.
- Prior to this surge in cases, measles was considered eradicated in the U.S. since 2000.
- Health experts are worried the spread could stretch on for another year.
- Measles is highly preventable by vaccination
🔎 READ MORE: State-by-state details on current outbreaks
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
🐘 U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene ruled out a Senate run against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Some Republicans feared her polarizing reputation would endanger a chance to flip Ossoff’s seat.
🚔 The mayor of Newark was arrested outside a New Jersey immigration detention facility this weekend. Ras Baraka was charged with trespassing when he and three members of Congress visited the facility unannounced. The escalation created another dramatic conflict between lawmakers and the Trump administration‘s immigration policies.
🏭 Puerto Rico wants to lure manufacturing plants to the island to boost its fragile economy and possibly take advantage of the roiling global trade war.
💍 Jewelers are seeing big business as gold prices soar because of economic anxiety. One jeweler said everyone from rappers to everyday inheritors are melting down pieces for cash.
👀 Google will pay the state of Texas $1.4 billion to settle claims the company collected users’ geolocation, incognito searches and biometric data without permission. The biometric data, the suit alleged, included voiceprints and records of face geometry.
NEWS BITES
Atlanta United lost; Braves are under .500 again
Another great day to be an Atlanta sports fan!
Colorado Rockies fire their manager after losing 0-21 to San Diego
Guess Atlanta could have it worse ...
Liam and Olivia topped the list of U.S. baby names for the sixth year in a row
Weddings are going to get really confusing in a few decades.
How Candy Crush uses AI to keep gamers coming back for more
On a completely unrelated note, new Pope Leo XIV said AI is a big challenge for humanity. He probably didn‘t mean Candy Crush, but you can‘t deny he’s on to something.
ON THIS DATE
May 13, 1961
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
From the front page of The Atlanta Constitution: George Krasle and Sara Janice Martin started out to get married just once Saturday under 16 feet of water. But now they find they will have the knot tied twice.
Technically, May 13 is tomorrow but this was too interesting to delay. Apparently, Atlanta’s Methodist bishop at the time didn‘t care for the fact a priest was going to marry them in a motel pool and suggested an additional church wedding.
Who got pool duty, then?
“Judge Charles A. Wofford of Fulton Criminal Court will do the underwater honors.”
I’m sure he was thrilled.
ONE MORE THING
I hope you have a beautiful week! I’m grateful for you! Mwah.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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