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.
The Georgia Public Service Commission this week approved a plan expected to reduce utility bills for Georgia Power customers by a few dollars a month.
The commission said the change will generate about $285 million in total annual savings for Georgia Power customers, or roughly $50 per year — about $4.04 per month — for the average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month.
The Georgia PSC voted Thursday to lower overall rates as part of the approved plan.
Georgia Power Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Tyler Cook said the decision will provide “real savings for Georgia families and businesses as the heat of summer begins and energy use increases.”
“At Georgia Power, our teams work every day to run our business efficiently and keep reliable and affordable energy flowing to our customers,” Cook said.
Cook said the outcome followed months of work between Georgia Power and PSC staff, including reviews, public hearings and input from residents and intervenors.
The approved plan is tied to a stipulated agreement reached earlier this month involving two cases filed with the PSC in February, the Fuel Cost Recovery case and the Storm Cost Recovery case. Those cases addressed recovering fuel costs used to generate electricity and expenses tied to restoring power after storms.
Georgia Power said its rates remain, on average, about 15% below the national average and that it is still on track to provide additional annual savings of about $102 per year for typical residential customers beginning in 2029.
ATLANTA – The Georgia Public Service Commission approved a stipulated agreement on Thursday to lower utility rates for Georgia Power customers starting June 1.
The regulatory body voted to pass the deal without changes, establishing how the utility can bill for fuel costs and storm damage restoration expenses.
State regulators approve rate cuts
What we know:
The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted 3-2 to reject several utility cost amendments before ultimately passing the overall deal. Under the approved agreement, a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see monthly bills decrease by roughly $4.03 to $4.04. Total annual savings across all 2.8 million Georgia Power customers are projected to reach approximately $285 million.
The deal reduces how much money the utility can recover from its customer base for storm expenses by nearly 60%, dropping the revenue requirement from $270 million down to $109 million. The agreement also extends the amortization of storm recovery costs, largely tied to Hurricane Helene in 2024, to 67 months, caps natural gas advance purchases at 20% over a 36-month window, and cuts $13 million from the company’s original fuel recovery estimates.
Accountability questions remain unresolved
What we don’t know:
While the PSC agreed to launch a separate investigation into how fuel costs are allocated, officials have not yet confirmed how much large industrial operations will be forced to pay in future rate cases. Consumer advocacy groups argue that massive data center companies are driving up fuel costs for everyday ratepayers without paying for the infrastructure upgrades they require. Critics note that it remains unclear if a future utility asset structure will successfully shift financial burdens away from residential homes.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official press releases issued by the Georgia Public Service Commission and Georgia Power, as well as previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting.
Georgia
St Louis CITY2 Goalkeeper Lucas McPartlin Called Up to U.S. U-19 MNT Domestic Training Camp in Fayetteville, Georgia | St. Louis SC
St Louis CITY2 goalkeeper Lucas McPartlin has been called up to the U.S. U-19 Men’s National Team for their upcoming domestic training camp in Fayetteville, Georgia from June 1-10, led by head coach Gonzalo Segares. McPartlin will be representing the U.S. for the first time in his youth national team career. McPartlin is the first CITY SC goalkeeper in club’s history to get a national team call up.
The U.S. U-19’s will face Argentina in back-to-back matches on June 5 and 7, then close out their final match against Japan on June 9.
McPartlin has been a member of St Louis CITY2 since 2025 and made his professional debut against Sporting KC II in August 2025, earning his first professional clean sheet in a 3-0 win. The Missouri Native has made seven starts and appearances for CITY2 this season, earning three clean sheets and making 24 total saves, with a 3-1-3 record. McPartlin spent time with CITY SC in both preseason camps this year and has been a regular in first team training this year.
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