State Legislators Hold Press Conference with Hog Hammock Residents, Call on McIntosh County Officials to Reconsider Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment

ATLANTA (September 6, 2023) | Today, State Representatives Sandra Scott (D – Rex), Kim Schofield (D – Atlanta), Viola Davis (D – Stone Mountain), State Senators Nikki Merritt (D – Grayson), Sheikh Rahman (D – Lawrenceville) and residents from Sapelo Island’s Hog Hammock community held a press conference to urge the McIntosh County Board of Commissioners to reconsider its scheduled vote on a proposed zoning ordinance amendment for the Hog Hammock District. Both residents and lawmakers discussed the effects that the amendment may have on Hog Hammock residents and the Gullah Geechee community.

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Russian Cyber Attack a Wake-Up Call for Georgians

ATLANTA (June 21, 2023) | Recently the University System of Georgia and several federal agencies were the victim of a massive cyber attack. Russian hackers have claimed responsibility for the attack which exploited a vulnerability in a program called “MOVEit,” a popular tool for securely transferring data.

Senator Jason Anavitarte (R – Dallas), Chairman of the Senate Study Committee on the Creation of a Georgia Cybersecurity Force and author of legislation to ban CCP malware applications like TikTok on state government networks offered the following statement on the attack:

“This attack on our government systems is a wake-up call that American computer networks are constantly at risk from cyber-attack.  Georgians in both the public and private sector should use this as a learning experience and ensure all of their computers, phones and tablets have the latest security updates.  I also call on the Georgia House of Representatives to follow the Senate’s lead and immediately pass legislation to create a Georgia Cyber Command.”

During the 2023 Legislative Session, Sen. Anavitarte introduced the Georgia Cyber Command Act as Senate Bill 97. The Georgia Cyber Command Act passed the Senate with bipartisan support but it has not yet been considered for a vote before the House of Representatives.

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Sen. Jason Anavitarte serves as Chair of the Senate Majority Caucus. He represents Senate District 31 which includes Paulding and Polk Counties. He can be reached at 404.656.0085 or at Jason.anavitarte@senate.ga.gov

Senator Sonya Halpern Appointed to Study Committee on Occupational Licensing and Secretary’s GA WORKS Licensing Commission

ATLANTA (May 24, 2023) | Yesterday, Lt. Governor Burt Jones announced his appointees to the Senate Study Committee on Occupational Licensing, including Georgia state Senator Sonya Halpern (D – Atlanta).

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