Christian Broadcasting Network’s blogger weighs in on Georgia’s adoption bill debate

A new blog post from Mark Martin, a reporter and anchor at CBN News, is headlined: "Georgia GOP Siding With the Secular Left in the Culture War." In the blog, Martin declares that the Peach State is "turning sour on religious liberty," and the effects of that "could be felt by some of Georgia's most needy citizens: orphans." He's referring to action by the state Senate Judiciary Committee last week to remove religious liberty protections that last year stalled a bill that's supposed to make adoptions easier and faster. Martin shares with his readers reservations about the bill expressed by conservative blogger and talk show host Erick Erickson and state Sen. Josh McKoon of Columbus. He quotes Erickson as saying "Georgia Republicans are afraid of offending Hollywood studios and Amazon.com, which they are desperate to bring into the state."

Georgetown grad plans challenge to 13-year state House member

Kyle Rinaudo, a 2017 graduate of Georgetown University and an Acworth native, talks about his plans to challenge veteran Republican state Rep. Ed Setzler in a piece that appears this week in The Hoya, a student newspaper at his alma mater. He told the newspaper that lackluster job opportunities led him to consider alternative career paths — including the Georgia General Assembly — as a way to serve his community. He'll run as a Democrat against Setzler, and, if successful, at 21 years old, he will be the state's youngest lawmaker, the newspaper reported.

Could this be big year for mass transit at the Capitol?

Kerry Armstrong, the chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission, told Gwinnett County leaders this week that something big could be proposed on mass transit this year in the state House of Representatives. "If there's been a window when something big could happen, it's right now more than any time before," Armstrong said in his State of the Region address to the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce. The Gwinnett Daily Post quoted the ARC chairman and Gwinnett developer as saying: "I can tell you for the first time in my lifetime, there's actually some real discussion about this. Regional governance and funding — the House has had a study commission on this that's met on this, and they've had a very robust, huge amount of input from a variety of different angles." The Post said he predicted "the House will take that up this year."