Police arrested nine people for trespassing on city property Monday afternoon, after “a group of protestors were found setting up tents as part of a protest to bring attention to homelessness in Atlanta,” an Atlanta Police Department (APD) statement said. That group, the newly formed ATL Homeless Union, had pitched tents outside Atlanta City Hall as part […]
Category: Atlanta Civic Circle
Posted inDemocracy
Legal challenge heard as Georgia’s new election reform law takes effect
A federal judge Thursday heard arguments seeking clarity on Georgia’s new election reform law as key parts of the new law take effect. The start of what’s expected to be a long legal battle over Georgia’s voting process beganas U.S. District Judge Jean-Paul Boulee took on the first of eight lawsuits opposing the new law. The lawsuits […]
Posted inHousing Affordability
“It looks like a prison”: Housing project derided for design shortfalls
By Sean Keenan and Sukainah Abid-Kons for Atlanta Civic Circle A proposed Southwest Atlanta development has drawn the ire of neighbors who say blueprints make the residential complex look “like a prison.” Members of the Skip Mason’s Vanishing Black Atlanta History Facebook group blasted plans for the 200-unit mixed-use project, which is expected to rise on Campbellton […]
Posted inDemocracy
As feds probe past campaign expenses, Kasim Reed says his mayoral bid has drawn $1 million
By Sean Keenan, This article first appeared on Atlanta Civic Circle Just hours after a news report claimed he could be under federal investigation for campaign finance law violations, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced his current bid for his old seat has garnered $1 million in contributions. Reed declared his campaign’s fundraising success during a party […]
Posted inDemocracy
The real financial impact of moving the MLB All-Star Game
By Ben Abrams, Atlanta Civic Circle’s summer intern. This article originally appeared on ACC. Local business leaders and economists alike are unconvinced the game would have made a major financial impact. Small businesses in Cobb County are still getting national attention after Major League Baseball (MLB) decided to relocate the All-Star Game from Atlanta to […]
Posted inHousing Affordability
Apply for Atlanta’s emergency rental assistance money while you can
This story originally appeared on Atlanta Civic Circle By Sean Keenan Atlantans seeking help avoiding possible eviction better hurry if they want to get money from the city’s emergency rental assistance program. Only the first 2,000 applicants who file the requisite paperwork will be considered before the application window closes again. The online application portal opened […]
Posted inDemocracy
U.S. Justice department sues Georgia over new election reform law
The U.S. Department of Justice sued Georgia Friday over its new elections overhaul law, marking the Biden Administration’s first salvo against the nation’s wave of voter suppression laws. “Recent changes to Georgia’s election law were enacted with the purpose of denying or abridging the right of black Georgians to vote on account of their race […]
Posted inHousing Affordability
CDC extends residential eviction moratorium one last time
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday extended the federal mandate prohibiting landlords from evicting people unable to make rent payments. This will be the last time the moratorium is lengthened, CDC officials said. After numerous extensions, the eviction ban was set to expire at the end of June. Now, millions of U.S. […]
Posted inHousing Affordability
How planning officials want to densify city, boost housing affordability
Atlanta’s Department of City Planning has been architecting an updated zoning code that, in short, endeavors to make better use of intown space — in the pursuit of housing affordability — but not at the expense of the way things are. When Atlanta planning officials and urban design experts say the city needs to be more […]
Posted inDemocracy
Landmark voting rights bill stalls in Congress
One of the biggest boosts to protecting voting rights hit an impenetrable partisan wall Tuesday as Congress stalled one of the most sweeping elections overhaul bills in 50 years. Senate Republicans blocked the Democrats’ efforts to begin debates on S1, better known as the For The People Act. Sixty votes were needed to bring the […]
Posted inDemocracy
Democracy’s big week: lawsuits, legislations, and looking ahead
For the political junkies and disciples of democracy, this is the week that counts. Two key voting rights-related battles are unfolding: one in Georgia, one in Congress. Georgia’s case centers around the validity of 147,000 absentee ballots cast in Fulton County during last November’s presidential election. Nine Georgia voters sued to have the ballots examined […]
Posted inDemocracy
What I’ve Learned: Garland Favorito, election integrity activist
When it comes to keeping Georgia’s election process honest, Garland Favorito is one of the toughest advocates and critics. Favorito has been rattling the nerves of many Georgia political elites for 15 years while testing the mettle of the state’s election system. The retired information technology professional is co-founder of VoterGA, a nonpartisan election integrity nonprofit with […]
Posted inHousing Affordability
After cyberattack, DeKalb County reboots emergency rent relief program
Nearly four months after international hackers cracked into DeKalb County computer servers, sabotaging the government’s emergency rental assistance program, officials say they’ve rebooted the system and begun accepting applications again. The data breach, which occurred on March 24, forced the county to shut down the email account it had been using to collect applications for […]
Posted inDemocracy
Georgia lawmakers want to hear from you about reapportionment and redistricting
This fall, Georgia lawmakers will take up the crucial task of redrawing political boundaries and maps that will determine how and who you get to vote for in future elections. The decennial duty ultimately decides federal representation for your state as well who sits on your county commission, city council and school board. While state […]
Posted inDemocracy
Proposed federal legislation would cut long lines for voters
Waiting in long lines for hours to vote could be a thing of the past if just-introduced federal legislation becomes law. On Thursday, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a state already known for its innovative approach to voting, introduced the People Over Long Lines or POLL Act. The bill requires governments to guarantee every voter has a […]
Posted inAtlanta Civic Circle
Redistricting could face a raft of lawsuits
Expect lawsuits to abound once lawmakers finish redrawing political boundaries sometime this fall. “I think there’s going to be a fair amount of litigation on the back end,” Marina Jenkins, director of litigation and policy at the National Redistricting Foundation, told Atlanta Civic Circle. “The greedier the legislature gets, the more they open themselves to litigation.” The […]
Posted inHousing Affordability
Georgia soon to debut $354 million emergency mortgage assistance program
In August, Georgia officials are expected to roll out a massive program aimed at helping homeowners avoid foreclosure. The $354 million program, supported by federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funds and administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), is anticipated to provide a lifeline to residents who might be delinquent on their […]
Posted inDemocracy
Proposed federal legislation would cut long lines for voters
Waiting in long lines for hours to vote could be a thing of the past if just-introduced federal legislation becomes law. On Thursday, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a state already known for its innovative approach to voting, introduced the People Over Long Lines or POLL Act. The bill requires governments to guarantee every voter has a […]
Posted inDemocracy
Redistricting could face a raft of lawsuits
Expect lawsuits to abound once lawmakers finish redrawing political boundaries sometime this fall. “I think there’s going to be a fair amount of litigation on the back end,” Marina Jenkins, director of litigation and policy at the National Redistricting Foundation, told Atlanta Civic Circle. “The greedier the legislature gets, the more they open themselves to litigation.” Read […]
Posted inAtlanta Civic Circle
Juneteenth is now the nation’s 12th federal holiday; the first new holiday in 38 years
With a stroke of his pen, Pres. Biden on Thursday made June 19th – or Juneteenth – the nation’s 12th national holiday. Passage of the Juneteenth Independence Day legislation recognizes June 19, 1865 as the day enslaved Blacks in Galveston,Tex. were told they were released from chattel bondage. That pronouncement 156 years ago came more […]
