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Sen. Randy Robertson to Attend Naming of Honorable Richard H. Smith Memorial Interchange

ATLANTA (October 1, 2024) — On October 8, Senate Majority Whip Sen. Randy Robertson (R–Cataula) will participate in the designation of the interchange of Interstate 185 at US-27-Alternate/Manchester Expressway as the Honorable Richard H. Smith Memorial Interchange in Columbus, Georgia.

Richard Smith was born in Wrightsville, Georgia in 1945. He served the public in numerous capacities, including as interim city manager for the Columbus Consolidated Government before serving as a city councilor from 1999 to 2002 and, later, as a State Representative for Georgia House District 139. During his remarkable career as a legislator, Smith served as Chairman of the House Insurance Committee and, in 2020, was appointed Chair of the esteemed House Rules Committee.

Sen. Robertson spoke about the significance of his friend and the impact he made on the Columbus area, stating, “To many throughout our state, Richard was a man to be respected and a legislative force. To me, Richard was also a close friend that I loved. Richard was both at my wedding and present through numerous moments of my life. I’m grateful that we are designating this interchange in Richard’s name. He’s eternally impacted Columbus for the better, just as he has eternally impacted me.”

EVENT DETAILS:                      

  • Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2024
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Location: Cunningham Center, Columbus State University; 3100 Gentian Blvd., Columbus, GA 31907

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Sen. Randy Robertson serves as Majority Whip of Senate Majority Caucus. He represents Senate District 29, which includes Harris, Meriwether, and Troup Counties and a portion of Muscogee County. He can be reached at 404.656.0045 or at randy.robertson@senate.ga.gov

For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

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Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes Celebrates Legal Victory as Georgia’s Six-Week Abortion Ban is Struck Down

ATLANTA (October 1, 2024) — Today, Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes (D–Duluth) applauded the recent ruling by Fulton County Superior Judge Robert McBurney striking down the State’s six-week abortion ban. The ruling declared Georgia’s six-week abortion law unconstitutional, stating that the law violates the protections in the state’s constitution regarding privacy and bodily autonomy. According to Georgia law, the statutory limit to have an abortion is within a 22-week time period.

Sen. Islam Parkes has been an outspoken critic of the State’s six-week abortion ban since its inception, stating, “This is a huge win for women seeking the reproductive healthcare they need. The six-week abortion ban was a deeply harmful law that stripped women of their autonomy and disproportionately impacted marginalized communities. With this ruling, we take a critical step toward protecting women’s right to choose in Georgia. Women’s healthcare continues to be under attack at both the state and national levels. I will keep fighting to ensure that every woman in Georgia has the right to make decisions about her body without interference from politicians.”

More information on the full court case is available here.

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Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes represents the 7th Senate District, which includes a portion of Gwinnett County. She may be reached by phone at 404.463.5263 or by email at NabilahIslamParkes@senate.ga.gov.

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Sen. Sonya Halpern Announces Partnership with HBCU Brilliance Initiative to Support Historically Black Colleges and Universities

ATLANTA (October 1, 2024) – In a significant move to bolster support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Sen. Sonya Halpern (D–Atlanta), has announced a new partnership between her office and the HBCU Brilliance Initiative. This collaboration aims to enhance funding, resources and opportunities for HBCUs, empowering them to continue their vital role in the community.

Continue reading “Sen. Sonya Halpern Announces Partnership with HBCU Brilliance Initiative to Support Historically Black Colleges and Universities”
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Senate Study Committee on Artificial Intelligence to Hold Fifth Meeting

ATLANTA (October 1, 2024) — On Wednesday, October 2nd,2024, at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Study Committee on Artificial Intelligence, chaired by Sen. John Albers (R–Roswell), will hold its fifth hearing, in conjunction with the House Technology and Infrastructure Innovation Subcommittee on AI.

EVENT DETAILS:                      

  • Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Location: Virtual
  • This event is open to the public and will be live-streamed on the Georgia General Assembly website here.

ABOUT THE MEETING:         

The committee is tasked with promoting responsible innovation, competition, and collaboration in public and private sectors will allow Georgia to be a leader in ensuring that such technology will advance in a way that enforces the existing consumer protection laws and principles for its citizens while enacting any additional appropriate safeguards against, fraud, unintended bias, discrimination, infringements on privacy, and other potential harms from AI.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:

We kindly request that members of the media confirm their attendance in advance by contacting Jantz Womack at senatepressinquiries@senate.ga.gov. 

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Sen. John Albers serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety. He represents the 56th Senate District, which includes portions of Cherokee, Cobb, and North Fulton counties. He may be reached at his office at 404.463.8055 or by email at john.albers@senate.ga.gov.