Clear-cutting trees for billboards now law

Outdoor advertisers can start taking chain saws to trees that block their signs under legislation signed into law Thursday by Gov. Nathan Deal

House Bill 179 allows billboard owners to clear-cut trees on the public rights of way in front of their signs. The measure passed the Legislature this year after a decade-long battle between the industry and advocates of beautified highways.

Deal signed 115 other bills into law Thursday. Most were local legislation.

About the Author

April Hunt

Firebrand state senator running for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat

State Sen. Colton Moore, R-Trenton, announced plans to seek the 14th District seat, although it wasn't clear whether he will run in a special election or in November.

2h ago

Raffensperger sues to scrap fundraising laws he says favor Jones in governor’s race

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is challenging Georgia election laws he says give his Republican rival an advantage as they campaign for governor.

State lawmaker charged with unemployment fraud

Authorities say State Rep. Sharon Henderson, while a candidate for the Georgia House in 2020, applied for federal pandemic unemployment benefits under false pretenses.

The Latest

Credit: TNS

Firebrand state senator running for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat

2h ago

Raffensperger sues to scrap fundraising laws he says favor Jones in governor’s race

Who will replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress?

Featured

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

When ICE takes breadwinners, it takes a toll on families ... and on the economy

For immigrant families, brushes with ICE can result in financial precarity that could have implications for the broader economy.

‘I’m a bad kid,’ he told himself. How Georgia’s special ed program failed one child.

Parents find that it's easy to get into the GNETS program, but in some districts, difficult to leave.

‘A lot of blame, but not enough action’: Atlanta leaders lack path to fix jail

Stakeholders across Atlanta and Fulton County grapple with a complex web of issues that contribute to overcrowding, crumbling structure.