Raphaela Aleman
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Athens-Clarke County
Georgia Hate Crimes Legislation Stalls in Senate, Proponents Hope for Passage in 2020
The state’s first hate crimes bill, HB 426, passed the Georgia House but stalled in the Senate and will not be taken up until the next Georgia state legislative session in 2020. Dacula Republican Rep. Chuck Efstration sponsored House Bill 426 in the most recent 2019 legislative session. HB 426…
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Athens-Clarke County
Sustainable Agriculture as Welfare and Healthcare
When the sun rises and many people are still fast asleep, Matthew Schneider and the other employees of the Hickory Hill Farm are already awake and working in the fields. From 7 a.m. to noon or later, Schneider harvests produce that he will later sell at the Athens Farmers Market.…
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Athens-Clarke County
Atlanta Native Brings Awareness to Political Causes Through Character-Based Performance Art
On Sine Die—the name for the final day of the Georgia legislative session— Priscilla Smith is found in the hallway of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building writing condolence letters to state legislators who voted to advance the controversial House Bill 481. Nicknamed the “heartbeat bill,” HB 481 would ban most…
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Athens-Clarke County
Athens-Clarke County to End Cash Bail, So What are the Alternatives?
According to Mayor Kelly Girtz, the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission plan to take steps to end cash bail at the municipal court level this spring. The Municipal Court handles county ordinance violations, state misdemeanor traffic violations, state misdemeanor crimes of theft by shoplifting, possession of less than an ounce…
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Athens-Clarke County
DUI Arrests Decreasing Each Year in Athens-Clarke County
Since 2007, the number of DUI arrests in Athens-Clarke County has decreased steadily from 827 cases in 2007 to just 350 cases in 2018. Two factors may contribute to this decline: a decline in the number of police officers and fewer people choosing to drive drunk. Since 2016, the…
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Athens-Clarke County
Use of Unpaid Inmate Labor Scrutinized in Athens-Clarke County
On March 22, Athens for Everyone released a statement reaffirming their position against unpaid inmate labor in Athens-Clarke County. The group contends that the city should pay people to do the jobs that inmates are doing for free. In a work session on March 20, ACC’s mayor and commission discussed…