Category Archives: Politics

Hufstetler’s solution to fuel tax fight: Raise taxes on tobacco, generate $611 million — and maybe reduce smoking, medical costs

Hufstetler’s solution to fuel tax fight: Raise taxes on tobacco, generate $611 million — and maybe reduce smoking, medical costs

Please click the above bar to hear Sen. Chuck Hufstetler on Monday’s Hometown Radio. State Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Ga., joined us Monday morning on Hometown Headlines Radio Edition on WRGA 98.7 FM to discuss his proposal to raise transportation funds from a different source: higher taxes on tobacco products. What follows are some of the notesRead more

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Rome City Commission resolution torches legislative bid to siphon fuel tax from local government

Rome City Commission resolution torches legislative bid to siphon fuel tax from local government

The bid to stop a legislative proposal that would detour more than $3.1 million in funds from county and local governments — including both school systems — into a statewide transportation account is under fire from members of the Rome City Commission. At tonight’s meeting, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the commissioners have an agenda itemRead more

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Hufstetler: Raise cigarette tax to fund transportation

Hufstetler: Raise cigarette tax to fund transportation

From WRGA: With local officials vowing to fight the Transportation Act of 2015, state lawmakers are considering alternatives. The bill, as written, would take about $1.5 million of out the City of Rome’s coffers and about $1.3 million from the Floyd County Commission by cutting the local gas taxes. read more

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Dempsey,  Davis have strongly different takes on the effects on the House’s transportation funding proposal

Dempsey, Davis have strongly different takes on the effects on the House’s transportation funding proposal

On Friday morning, state Rep. Katie Dempsey joined us on Hometown Headlines Radio Edition on WRGA 98.7 FM to discuss House Bill 170, a transportation funding proposal that is causing an uproar among city and county goverments as well as school boards across the state. At issue: If passed, the bill would siphon $500 millionRead more

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Dempsey resolution supports Friday’s ‘Go Red for Women’ heart health campaign

Dempsey resolution supports Friday’s ‘Go Red for Women’ heart health campaign

Media release: State Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) recently sponsored HR 121, a resolution recognizing the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement and National Wear Red Day. Members of the General Assembly wore red at the State Capitol on Wednesday in support of National Wear Red Day. read more

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Legislature’s ‘Transportation Act’ would detour several million dollars from city, county, school boards to state for road needs

Legislature’s ‘Transportation Act’ would detour several million dollars from city, county, school boards to state for road needs

From WRGA: The Transportation Funding Act of 2015 could cost Rome more than $1.5 million in revenue, according to Rome City Manager Sammy Rich. He shared the numbers during a transportation meeting Wednesday at the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce office. The number represents a 9.5 percent decrease to the city’s overall Local Option Sales Tax RevenueRead more

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Newsline: What’s buzzing. Off Broad opens. A ‘Luau to Die For.’ Politics: Gingrey, U.S. senators, gas tax fight

Newsline: What’s buzzing. Off Broad opens. A ‘Luau to Die For.’ Politics: Gingrey, U.S. senators, gas tax fight

Newsline is a mix of information gathered Friday by Hometown Headlines from a variety of sources. Off Broad hits the on switch: Since Thursday evening, Off Broad — a new lounge with a light menu at River Center and Hawthorn Suites — has been pouring and serving as Ira Levy’s latest project brings a newRead more

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Rec authority chair challenges county commissioners’ comments on operations/services; offers potential solution

Rec authority chair challenges county commissioners’ comments on operations/services; offers potential solution

The following is a note from Caroline P. Blaylock, the chair of the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority, regarding the continuing operations of the agency and a possible solution to continuing funding concerns. As Board Chairman of the RFPRA, I feel compelled to respond to the current situation between the RFPRA – city and county forRead more

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A $500 million question on state transportation plan: Money diverted from city, county resources?

A $500 million question on state transportation plan: Money diverted from city, county resources?

Rome City Commissioner Wendy Davis is sounding the red alert — and several stories in today’s AJC confirm — over the state’s proposed transportation “solution” that would divert nearly $500 million that current goes to cities and counties into transportation funding. read more

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Newsline: What’s buzzing today. Business. Politics. Churches. The arts.

Newsline: What’s buzzing today. Business. Politics. Churches. The arts.

Newsline is a mix of information gathered Thursday by Hometown Headlines from a variety of sources. Late 2015 opening for Kroger Marketplace? That’s what the marketers for other retail spots of Main Street in Cartersville as they try to fill the storefronts adjacent to Kohls. They write: “New 100,000 (square-foot) Kroger relocating across the streetRead more

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Politics: Perdue named chair of subcommittees. Floyd County Republican Women meet Tuesday.

Politics: Perdue named chair of subcommittees. Floyd County Republican Women meet Tuesday.

Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) announces Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) will serve as chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development. This bcommittee will have responsibility for reviewing the budget and operations of the State Department and USAID. “From the debatable effectiveness of our foreign aid programsRead more

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Loudermilk completes four-day tour of the southwest border with Homeland Security Committee

Loudermilk completes four-day tour of the southwest border with Homeland Security Committee

Media release: U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) recently spent four days touring the Southwest border with fellow members of the House Homeland Security Committee. Led by Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, the delegation examined security along several major cities along the U.S. border, including San Diego, California, Tuscan and Sierra Vista, Arizona, and McAllen, Texas. “MyRead more

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Graves, Loudermilk vote to ban federal funds for abortions, abortion insurance

Graves, Loudermilk vote to ban federal funds for abortions, abortion insurance

Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) released the following statement after voting in favor of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015 (H.R. 7), which prohibits taxpayer funded abortions: “This legislation is especially meaningful to me because my days working to protect and promote innocent life go back many years. FromRead more

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Updated: Holtzendorf, Lee, Shell are the finalists for the Coosa seat on the Floyd County Board of Education; interviews are Friday

Updated: Holtzendorf, Lee, Shell are the finalists for the Coosa seat on the Floyd County Board of Education; interviews are Friday

New: Official release from the Board of Education on the final three. New: Interview times for the board candidates on Friday; all are open to the public. Three applicants for the vacant Coosa seat on the Floyd County Board of Education have been asked back for interviews beginning Friday. On Tuesday, following talks with representativesRead more

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President Obama’s State of the Union address. Plus: Reaction from the Georgia delegation

President Obama’s State of the Union address. Plus: Reaction from the Georgia delegation

For more on the president’s speech, please click White House or State of the Union As reported by the Washington Post: President Obama, who took office six years ago amid a historic recession and two U.S. wars, declared unequivocally Tuesday that the nation had clawed its way out of those dire straits, praising Americans for theirRead more

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