Georgia

Georgia Signs 'Foreign Influence' Bill Into Law

Published

2 years ago

June 3, 2024

Georgia Signs 'Foreign Influence' Bill Into Law

Georgia signed controversial “foreign influence” legislation into law on Monday, prompting its pro-European opposition to vow far-reaching political reforms if they win October’s elections.

The law, which critics say is modelled on Russian legislation used to stifle dissent, has triggered weeks of daily protests in the capital Tbilisi and condemnation from Georgia’s Western partners.

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Brussels has warned the move will derail the Black Sea nation from its path to European Union membership, and the United States has also threatened Georgian officials with individual travel bans.

Despite those warnings, the speaker of Georgia’s parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Monday signed the measures into law — the final approval stage after the chamber voted last week to override a veto lodged by President Salome Zurabishvili.

“I signed today the law on transparency of foreign influence, whose main goal is to strengthen the sustainability of Georgia’s political, economic, and social systems,” Papuashvili said in a statement.

The measures require NGOs and media outlets that receive at least a fifth of their funding from abroad to register within two months as “organisations pursuing the interests of a foreign power.”

The plans sparked nearly two months of daily mass protests that saw police use tear gas and water cannon to disperse rallies, beating and arresting demonstrators.

– Pro-EU charter –

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The measures have exposed and deepened divisions in Georgian society ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.

The vote is seen as a key test of Georgia’s democracy more than 30 years after Tbilisi gained independence with the break-up of the Soviet Union.

On Monday, almost all of Georgia’s opposition parties began signing up to a pro-European policy charter advanced by President Zurabishvili in a bid to create a united front ahead of the vote.

They agreed to pursue far-reaching electoral, judicial and law enforcement reforms through an interim multi-party government, should they win enough seats in parliament to command a majority.

Early elections would then be called next year, the groups agreed.

The plan would involve revoking the “foreign influence” law and several other pieces of legislation adopted by Georgian Dream which the opposition says are “detrimental to Georgia’s European course.”

Among the groups signing up to the pact was the country’s main opposition force, jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili’s fervently pro-Western United National Movement.

“Georgian voters expect the opposition to show unity in the election run-up,” Tina Bokuchava, one of its leaders, told AFP.

– ‘Transparency’ –

Dozens of Georgian NGOs have vowed to defy the “foreign influence” law and appeal to the country’s constitutional court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Georgian Dream faces mounting accusations of leading the country away from its Western trajectory and back into Russia’s orbit.

Those charges have intensified since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and with the passage of the “foreign influence” law.

The party says it is committed to Georgia’s European aspirations and says the law will ensure “transparency” concerning Western-funded groups which it says undermine the country’s sovereignty.

Georgian activists, independent journalists and opposition politicians have also accused the government of a concerted campaign of violence and threats against NGO leaders.

Georgia’s EU bid is enshrined in the country’s constitution and supported — according to opinion polls — by more than 80 percent of population.

Tbilisi was granted EU candidate status last year, but Brussels stressed the need for “meaningful and irreversible” reforms in areas such as the judiciary, the power of oligarchs and media freedoms.

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Georgia

Ga. lawmakers propose changes to state’s early voting process

Published

9 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Ga. lawmakers propose changes to state’s early voting process

ATLANTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – State legislators are considering more changes to Georgia’s voting law, proposing a new bill that would alter the way early voters cast ballots.

State Sen. Greg Dolezal, a Republican from Cumming, introduced SB 568 this week. The proposal would assign early voters to one precinct in their county. Currently, voters can cast early votes at any precinct in their county.

It would also move early voting to a hand-marked paper ballot system, where voters use a pen to mark their selections, instead of the currently used touchscreen system.

“So that we would not have to print so many permutations at the paper ballots, we would assign voters to an early voting location,” said Dolezal. “Most people are going to vote to the at the early voting location closest to their home anyway.”

The bill was immediately met with backlash from democrats as a barrier to the vote.

“I have no idea how voting on a piece of paper, marking it down with your pencil in any way suppresses the vote,” said Dolezal. “For most counties out of, you know, 140 call it out of 159, they just have one location.”

Dolezal’s proposal would also require local clerks to publicly post their entire voting rolls ahead of elections.

“Making public every single voter who is qualified to vote is to some extent, a little bit of an invasion of privacy for each individual voter,” said state Sen. Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta). “We need to have trust in our election officials to run those elections.”

It’s the latest change the legislature has proposed to Georgia’s voting system.

“You have dirty, dirty voting rolls, you’re going to have dirty elections,” Dolezal said.

The bill would also shift responsibility for voter challenges from the counties to the State Elections Board. In addition, it would also move the threshold for an automatic recount in the state from a 1.5% margin to 2%.

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Georgia

No. 3 Georgia to Host Top-Ranked Auburn for Regular Season Finale – University of Georgia Athletics

Published

21 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

No. 3 Georgia to Host Top-Ranked Auburn for Regular Season Finale – University of Georgia Athletics

ATHENS – The third-ranked Georgia equestrian team will host No. 1 Auburn on Saturday at 12 p.m. to conclude the regular season.

Georgia fell at Auburn 14-6 to wrap up the fall slate of their season. The overall record against the Tigers currently stands at 31-31, including a 13-7 record in Bishop.

During their National Championship run in the 2024-25 season, the Mane Dawgs faced off against Auburn on three separate occasions. Georgia was victorious at home, 11-9, before falling on the road, 11-8. In the quarterfinals of the NCEA National Championships in Ocala, the Bulldogs stunned the second-ranked Tigers, 13-4, en route to their eighth National Championship title.

Georgia returns to action following a trip to Blythewood, South Carolina, to take on the third-ranked Gamecocks.

Top-ranked Auburn travels to Bishop after hosting No. 4 SMU at home the prior weekend. The Tigers defeated the Mustangs 13-7 and swept all four MOP honors.

Following the conclusion of the meet, Georgia will honor their seven seniors for their dedication and contributions to the program.

The meet will be streamed on SECN+ at https://gado.gs/e7v, and live scoring will be available at https://gado.gs/e7w.

HOW TO FOLLOW GEORGIA EQUESTRIAN: For complete information on Georgia equestrian, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGAEquestrian on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

JOIN OUR MANE DAWGS FUND: Mane Dawgs Fund contributions make a direct impact in supporting our student-athletes and equines at the Georgia Equestrian program. A gift to the Mane Dawgs fund helps provide resources such as equipment upgrades for our student and equine athletes, travel assistance, and enhance overall team experiences. Contributions to the Mane Dawgs provide benefits such as membership gifts and information about upcoming special events. Click here for more information.

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Georgia

Georgia OC Mike Bobo gets giant pay raise, salary matches DC Glenn Schumann

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Georgia OC Mike Bobo gets giant pay raise, salary matches DC Glenn Schumann

Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann will be paid equally in 2026 after receiving raises, according to an Athens Banner-Herald report.

Coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are coming off a second consecutive SEC championship season and College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal appearance.

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