State election board offers differing outlook on security

ATLANTA — Members of the Republican-controlled State Election Board offered differing views on election security Aug. 29 when lawmakers held their third of six listening sessions around the state.   Board members also disagreed about whether there is a problem.

Legalized gambling backers optimistic ahead of 2026 session

ATLANTA - For more than a decade, supporters of legalizing gambling in Georgia have pitched casinos, pari-mutuel betting on horse racing and - more recently - sports betting to the General Assembly, but come up snake eyes.

Lawmakers discuss ways to discourage tobacco sales and use

ATLANTA — Smoking kills, but many still do it, and a small group of Georgia lawmakers want to help people kick the habit and discourage others from starting.

Georgia lawmakers to weigh repealing state income tax

ATLANTA - Policy wonks on both sides of an upcoming debate in the General Assembly over whether to eliminate Georgia’s income tax are advocating a cautious approach.

Synovus, Pinnacle Financial Partners to merge

ATLANTA - Columbus-based Synovus Financial Corp. and Pinnacle Financial Partners, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, have announced a planned merger, an $8.6 billion deal that will create the highest-return regional bank in the Southeast.

Merger to create nation’s first transcontinental railroad

ATLANTA - Freight railroad companies Union Pacific and Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern announced a merger agreement Tuesday that will create the nation’s first transcontinental railroad.

Georgia elections agency initiates voter roll scrub, audit

ATLANTA — Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is initiating a four-year process that could delete the registrations of nearly a quarter million inactive voters.   “Clean voter rolls mean clean elections,” Raffensperger said Tuesday.