ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — As temperatures climb in metro Atlanta and the rest of Georgia, a federal judge has declined to temporarily block a key part of Georgia’s election law that restricts giving food and water to voters waiting in line near polling places.
In a Thursday order, U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee denied a renewed request for a preliminary injunction targeting the state’s elections law’s “food, drink and gift” ban, ruling the plaintiffs had not shown the court could grant effective relief against the officials they sued.
The food and water ban is part of SB 202, a law passed by the Georgia legislature in its 2021-22 session after the tumultuous 2020 presidential election and its aftermath.
The measure banning water at polling stations drew national ridicule from entertainers such as Larry David, whose final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm featured the comedian being arrested for giving a bottle of water to a voter standing in line outside a polling place.
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The plaintiffs in this most recent challenge were the Sixth District of the African Methodist Church against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and the Republican National Committee, and the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP against Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
The groups were arguing the law’s criminal penalties chill their “line relief” work, such as handing out food or water, because they fear prosecution.
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But Boulee ruled those who were sued, such as the secretary of state and others, aren’t the ones who can prosecute crimes under this law. In Georgia, district attorneys decide whether to bring criminal charges. The plaintiffs did not sue any district attorneys.
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SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Officials in Georgia launched a new program that will allow survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, human trafficking, stalking and other similar crimes to shield their addresses on public records.
Georgia’s Safe at Home Program will give qualified residents a substitute address for use on most state and local public records, a spokesperson from the Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s Office reported.
The goal of the program is to prevent abusers from locating survivors through public information, the press release said.
“Every Georgian deserves to feel safe in their own home,” Raffensperger said. “For far too many survivors, something as simple as a home address can become a tool for those who seek to harm them.”
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The program will also provide mail forwarding and protected voter registration.
“This program is about more than protecting an address. It’s about protecting people,” Raffensperger said. “Survivors should be able to build a new life without constantly worrying that the person who harmed them can find them through a public record.”
The Safe at Home Program was established by Senate Bill 324, which passed the Georgia General Assembly in 2024, and officially started Wednesday.
Advocates called the bill a historic milestone for survivors across the Peach State.
“This program recognizes that every survivor deserves the opportunity to rebuild their lives without fear of being found by the person who harmed them,” said Karimah Dillard, Director of Policy for Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “The Address Confidentiality Program is a lifesaving investment in survivor safety, dignity, and independence.”
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To learn more about the program, click or tap here.
ALBANY, Ga. (WWSB) – A man on the run since a March murder in Bradenton has been arrested in Georgia, officials said.
Maurice McCary, 35, was located Tuesday in Albany, Georgia, nearly four months after fleeing the scene of a shooting on March 8 that left one man dead and another injured.
Following a tip, local law enforcement found him hiding under a bed before taking him into custody. McCary will be extradited to Manatee County to face charges.
On March 8, 27-year-old Jamari Murray-Barnes and 22-year-old De’Ryan Lopez were stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of U.S. 41 and 53rd Avenue West in Bradenton.
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McCary allegedly pulled his vehicle alongside theirs and fired multiple shots into the car, fatally wounding Murray-Barnes and injuring Lopez.
Detectives believe the shooting stemmed from an altercation involving the men at a local bar two nights earlier.
