1. Bill to fix flawed garnishment law awaits governor's signature.
State legislators successfully rewrote Georgia's flawed garnishment law, approving a final bill that, if signed by the governor, will allow garnishments to resume in Gwinnett County, where they have been stalled since September. Then, a federal judge said the state law was unconstitutional — but he only stopped garnishments in Gwinnett. In 2014, that county processed 31 percent of all garnishments in the state, more than any other county. In the state House of Representatives, an amended version of the law passed 174-1 before being sent back to the Senate. There, it was approved 45-2. Read more.
2. School testing overhual legislation goes to the Georgia governor.
Legislation that diminishes the role of state tests in public school classrooms passed through the Georgia General Assembly Thursday and now heads to Gov. Nathan Deal for his signature. Senate Bill 364 reduces the amount of testing tied to teacher performance and reduces the weight of test results in teacher evaluations. Student test "growth" — the change in scores over time — currently counts for at least half of each evaluation but that drops to 30 percent under the legislation, which also reduces the number of Georgia Milestones tests from 32 to 24. Read more.
3. MARTA expansion bill scores victory in Legislature.
A plan to let the city of Atlanta pursue a $2.5 billion expansion of MARTA scored an improbable victory on the last day of Georgia's legislative session Thursday, championed by some of the same lawmakers who tried to defeat a similar proposal weeks ago. The MARTA expansion, which is likely to include a long hoped for light rail system along the Beltline, would be funded with a half-percent sales tax increase that Atlanta voters first have to approve. The legislation, Senate Bill 369, represents a compromise with GOP lawmakers who opposed an earlier plan put forth by Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, that included Fulton and DeKalb counties. Read more.
4. Income tax cut fails to get final vote in Georgia legislature.
Lawmakers headed toward the end of the 2016 General Assembly session Thursday debating tax breaks to promote development of the Philips Arena area, help rural hospitals, and aid the mobile home industry, but they ignored a measure that would have reduced the top state income tax rate for Georgians. The Senate had passed two pieces of legislation that, combined, could have cut the top state income tax rate by more than 10 percent, but the House never took up the measures, in part because Gov. Nathan Deal had made it clear he wasn't on board. Instead, legislators spent the 40th and final day of the session debating pretty much the same type of tax breaks they do every year: for select projects, businesses or individuals. Read more.
5. Braves' game rained out in 4th inning.
The Braves' game Thursday night against the Phillies was rained out in the fourth inning, but Matt Wisler got in most of his scheduled work. The Braves' young starting pitcher allowed two hits and two walks in 3 1/3 scoreless innings before play was halted with a runner on base and the score 0-0. Wisler was scheduled to pitch five innings in his fourth start of spring training, but got in enough work that the Braves didn't have him throw more indoors after play was halted. Read more.
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