Georgia
Lawmakers seek to limit who can purchase Georgia farmland
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – State lawmakers want to keep foreign investors from purchasing Georgia farmland.
Senate Bill 420 would make it a felony for investors to purchase farmland if they have ties with any countries deemed adversarial by the Department of Commerce.
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper has been vocal in pushing lawmakers to act quickly.
“We can’t be the best state for business if the number one industry in our state isn’t successful. We can’t ensure that our kids have healthy foods in their school and that they have clothes on their backs if agriculture isn’t successful,” said Harper.
Harper feels foreign investors pose a threat to the livelihood of farmers and national security.
Harper’s office reports that roughly 2,000 acres of farmland in Georgia is owned by companies with ties to adversarial nations. This includes Henry County where Jake Carter is a fifth-generation farmer.
“Farmers in general have a tough row to hoe. We face adverse conditions, climate, disease, and outside pressures. When you have foreign investors come in that makes it an even harder position for Georgia agriculture. We are here. We dont want to go anywhere. We want to remain on our land we want the farmers in America to continue producing,” said Carter.
12 states enacted similar laws last year. Florida’s bill that mirrors the proposal here in Georgia is held up in a discrimination lawsuit.
At a bill hearing on Wednesday, critics of the bill offered suggestions. Some wanted changes, others wanted it to be killed altogether.
Thông Phan with Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta said the bill is constitutionally vague and would perpetuate dangerous stereotypes.
“we find this bill deeply troubling… This feeds into anti-Chinese hysteria while achieving no measurable benefits to national security,” said Phan.
Bill sponsor Sen. Jason Anavitarte listened to the feedback and will now have time to change or present the bill for a vote as is.
Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.
GEORGIA, Ga. (WALB) — A new bill introduced to the Georgia Senate could create a constitutional amendment to restrict voting to legal U.S. citizens.
The bill, Senate Resolution 4EX says, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people.”
If passed, Georgians will vote on the constitutional amendment in the November election.
Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger said “I have been calling on the legislature for years to pass this amendment to the state constitution. I am glad to see the legislature finally act to ensure only American citizens are voting in our elections.”
According to Raffensperger, Georgia was the first state in the nation to conduct citizen verification of voter rolls. Since 2022, Raffensperger’s office conducted two citizenship audits of Georgia’s voter rolls.
SR 4EX Text
“Casting a vote is one of the most important elements of American citizenship. Any illegal vote dilutes the value of a citizen’s lawfully cast ballot. U.S. Citizens should decide Georgia elections. Period. I urge the legislature to pass this important legislation.”
The state uses information from the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) to identify people who are non-citizens. This data is based on documents provided to DDS, through its REAL ID drivers licenses or state identification cards.
That information is also ran through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify an individual’s citizenship status.
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Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.
The Oklahoma Sooners left no doubt in their 11-4 win over the Georgia Bulldogs to advance to the College World Series finals. It is OU’s second trip to the finals since 2022 but this one feels far more improbable.
A bubble team toward the end of the regular season and down 8-2 in an elimination game against Georgia Tech, Oklahoma has defied the odds and powered its way to the finals in Omaha. On Wednesday night, the Sooners hit five home runs against a Bulldogs team that led the nation in home runs per game this season.
Jason Walk got the home run party started, and Dasan Harris hit a pair of two-run bombs to help Oklahoma separate from one of the best teams in college baseball.
From the mound, freshman Nick Wesloski put together a strong performance for the Sooners, allowing just one earned run in 5.2 innings pitched. L.J. Mercurius worked 3.1 and allowed just one earned run against the vaunted Georgia offense.
Everything is clicking for Oklahoma heading into the finals, which begins on Saturday. They’ll face a good North Carolina Tar Heels for all the marbles. But before we get to the championship series, here’s a look at how social media reacted to the Sooners win over Georgia.
Playing for a Natty
Incredible Job by Skip Johnson
Definition of Team
Just Unreal
Got Hot at the Right Time
The Moment from the Dugout
Freshmen Phenoms
Nothing Easy, Everything Earned
Team of Destiny?
Exceeding All Expectations
Dasan Harris is that Dude
Incredible Story
Sooner Magic is alive and well
Playing for a trophy
Time to lay it all on the line
Just doing ridiculous things
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
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