Jack Link’s Plan to Invest in $450 Million Snack Meat Production Facility in Georgia

Jack Link’s plans to invest $450 million in a new manufacturing facility in Perry that will create 800 jobs.

The company is building a snack meat production plant on a 120-acre Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development certified site near Interstate 75 in Houston County. Officials said it would be operational by the end of 2023.

Read More

Georgia State Senate Candidate Shawn Still Wants to ‘Eliminate Drop Boxes’ in Georgia

During an appearance on The John Fredericks Show, Georgia State Senate candidate Shawn Still reminded the audience that he filed a lawsuit in 2020 against Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and stated very clearly how important election integrity is to him.

“I have been on the forefront on election integrity since all of this began, when we saw the election irregularities. When we saw that we knew the election results, that we knew the election had been stolen, I filed a lawsuit in State Superior Court in Fulton County against the Secretary of State,” said Still.

Read More

Investigators in Georgia Ballot Harvesting Probe Zero In on Funding, Eyewitness Whistleblower

Georgia investigators have signaled their focus in a wide-ranging investigation into alleged illegal ballot trafficking during the 2020 election with subpoenas that target the possible source of funding for such an operation and any eyewitness participants.

Read More

Georgia Policy Group Warns That State’s Labor Force Participation Rate Lags Behind Other States

While state officials touted their recent unemployment numbers as an all-time record, a state organization says a deeper analysis of the numbers shows a troubling undercurrent.

Georgia’s unemployment rate in March dropped to an all-time low of 3.1%, down from February’s revised rate of 3.2%, as the number of employed Georgians also hit a record high. Georgia is tied with Arkansas for the 16th lowest unemployment rate, according to an analysis from the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO).

Read More

Polls Show Walker and Jones with Massive Leads in Georgia Senate and Lt. Gov Races, Raffensperger Trails Trump-Endorsed Hice

Two different polls were released that show Herschel Walker and State Senator Burt Jones with massive leads in the Republican primaries for U.S. Senate and Lt. Governor, respectively.

Current Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger trails Trump-endorsed U.S. Representative Jody Hice in both polls and has a massive deficit in the second survey.

Read More

Raffensperger Says He Referred More Than 1,600 Georgia Election Cases for Possible Prosecution

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said he referred more than 1,600 cases of potential non-citizens attempting to register to vote in Georgia to local prosecutors and state investigators.

The secretary of state referred the cases to the State Election Board, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and local prosecutors. The announcement comes weeks after Raffensperger said the state completed the first citizenship audit of the state’s voter rolls.

Read More

President Trump Amplifies Accusations That Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Blocked Election Integrity Bill

President Trump amplified accusations that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp used Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan to block an election integrity bill in a Monday morning email to supporters and media.

Trump shared a statement issued by VoterGA, a Georgia-based election integrity group. Its website says it is “a coalition of citizens working to restore election integrity in Georgia. We advocate for independently verifiable, auditable, recount-capable and transparent elections.”

Read More

Trump, Perdue Back Buckhead City’s Escape from Atlanta

The man running to unseat Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp in the May 24 Republican primary told The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network that Kemp failed Georgians out in many ways, and one of them was when Kemp refused to back the separation of Buckhead City from Atlanta.

“Look, this is a governor that has sold us out,” said former senator David A. Perdue Jr., the man President Donald J. Trump endorsed to defeat Kemp.

Read More

21 States Join Lawsuit to End Federal Mask Mandate on Airplanes, Public Transportation

Twenty-one states have filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s continued mask mandate on public transportation, including on airplanes.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody are leading the effort. Moody filed the suit in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida along with 20 other attorneys general. DeSantis said the mask mandate was misguided and heavy-handed.

Read More

John Fredericks Commentary: Atlanta Fake News Lies About Trump Rally Attendance

The Georgia Fake News machine was working in overdrive on Saturday night in Commerce, Georgia.

Petrified by the resurgence of Donald Trump in Georgia, they coordinated a blatant effort to portray a minimal crowd for Trump’s rally at a North Georgia raceway. This equates to lying to your readers to create a phony narrative. Putin and Pravda would be proud.

Read More

Georgia Experiences All-Time High Employment Numbers in February

Georgia recorded all-time high employment numbers in February.

The number of workers – more than 5 million – increased by 21,102 in February, the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) said. The Peach State’s labor force of more than 5.2 million workers also is at an all-time high and increased 18,994 during the month.

Read More

Georgia Plans to Use Tax Dollars to Upgrade State-Owned Rail Lines

Georgia plans to spend about $10 million to upgrade state-owned rail lines to Class II standards, which officials said would better integrate the lines with the national rail network and allow faster speeds.

The funding is included in the proposed fiscal year 2023 budget Georgia lawmakers are considering. However, the funding isn’t enough for the state to completely overhaul the lines, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) spokesperson Natalie Dale told The Center Square.

Read More

David Perdue Harpoons Georgia Gov. Kemp’s Swamp Corruption

Live from Virginia Monday morning on The John Fredericks Show – weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond; WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia; WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 (7-9 p.m.) – Hampton Roads; WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke; and weekdays 6-10 a.m. and 24/7 stream – host Fredericks welcomed David Perdue to discuss his enthusiastic endorsement by Donald Trump for Governor of Georgia and his attempts to talk to Brian Kemp about 2020’s election integrity.

Fredericks: David Perdue joining us now, running for governor, Georgia. That’ll be decided primary May 24th. And zero chance of that being a runoff.

Read More

LeVell: Trump ‘The Number One Kingmaker in the GOP, Period’

Bruce LeVell

The Star News Network’s National Political Editor, Neil W. McCabe, visited Dunwoody, Georgia, on Wednesday and spoke to former Diversity Advisor Bruce LeVell under President Trump about why the president appealed to black voters.

Read More

Georgia Gas Prices Now Highest Ever Recorded

A Georgia’s General Assembly prepares to eliminate the state’s gas tax to alleviate increasing prices at the pump, the state’s gas prices soared to a record high.

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), Thursday’s average cost per gallon of gas was $4.29 in the Peach State, eclipsing its previous record of $4.16 per gallon on September 15, 2008. 

Read More

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr Joins Lawsuit Challenging Biden Administration Concealing Federal Intimidation Tactics Against Parents

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said late last week that he has joined a lawsuit to force the Biden administration to release records that might reveal Biden’s attempts to intimidate parents. In a statement, Carr said these parents tried to speak out on issues concerning their children’s education. The lawsuit follows Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed last fall.

Read More

Athens, Georgia Pastor Says County Officials Turn Deaf Ear to Complaints of Homeless Harassing His Church Members

Members of one Athens church fear for their safety after they said homeless people — many of whom they suspect aren’t even from that city — have harassed and threatened them on church grounds. Luis Ortiz, senior pastor of the Athens’ Young Harris Memorial United Methodist Church, said his complaints to Athens-Clarke County officials go mostly ignored. He and other city residents told The Georgia Star News they believe Athens’ officials are using a $60 million federal grant to bestow upon homeless people. Consequently, homeless people from other areas of the state are relocating to Athens.

Read More

Georgia Redistricting Causes Democrat Incumbent U.S. Representative Lucy McBath to Flee the State’s 6th Congressional District

Georgia’s redistricting process has caused Democrat Incumbent U.S. Representative Lucy McBath to flee the 6th Congressional District, leaving an open seat.

McBath has left the race for the Sixth district and is running in the much bluer neighboring new Seventh district, taking on fellow Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative Carolyn Bourdeaux. The new GA-7 has a partisan rating of D+16. According to the FEC, McBath has raised $3,199,954.75 and has a war chest of $2,452,731.80 cash on hand. Bourdeaux has $2,005,771.81 cash on hand and has raised $2,406,048.45 for the 2022 election cycle.

Read More

Georgia Speaker David Ralston Proposes Major Tax Reform Legislation

Speaker David Ralston presides over the Georgia House chamber

Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) and House Ways and Means Chair Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire) on Tuesday announced legislation that would, if enacted into law, lower Georgia’s maximum income tax rate. Ralston and Blackmon want to reduce Georgia’s maximum income tax rate from 5.75 percent to a single and flat rate of 5.25 percent. They said at a press conference that state residents would save an estimated $1 billion per year if and when the proposed cut goes into effect for calendar year 2024.

Read More

Buckhead Site of Yet Another Violent Crime, Brian Kemp and Other GOP Leaders Still Not Endorsing Movement to Separate City from Atlanta

News of yet another violent crime in Buckhead apparently won’t nudge Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and other high-ranking GOP legislators to push for legislation to allow Buckhead residents to vote on separating from crime-plagued Atlanta. Members of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) reported a violent carjacking in Buckhead on Sunday.

Read More

Georgia Church Members Could Carry Guns Into Church Under New Bill

A new bill in the Georgia General Assembly would, if enacted into law, remove places of worship from a list of unauthorized locations where people in the state may carry weapons or long guns. Representative Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper) is the primary sponsor of the bill, HB 1378, according to the Georgia General Assembly’s website.

Read More

Georgia Legislators to Consider New Gun Rights Bill This Week

Jason R. Anavitarte

Members of the Georgia General Assembly this week will consider a bill that would, if enacted into law, allow all lawful weapons carriers to carry a firearm without needing a government permit. Senator Jason Anavitarte (R-Dallas) is the primary sponsor of the bill, SB 319, according to the Georgia General Assembly’s website.

Read More

Georgia Republican Candidate Rich McCormick’s Name No Longer Appears on List of RINO-Endorsed Candidates

An organization tagged as catering to Republicans-In-Name-Only (RINOS) has apparently endorsed Republican Rich McCormick, who is running for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District — but reports say that they are keeping that endorsement under the radar. Members of McCormick’s campaign staff did not return The Georgia Star News’ repeated requests for comment this week.

Read More

Georgia Legislator Burt Jones Files Bill to Create New ‘Back the Blue’ Fund

Senator Burt Jones (R-Jackson) filed a bill last week that would, if enacted into law, allow Georgia residents to contribute money to increase law enforcement officers’ pay. Georgia residents would subsidize this Back the Blue fund through motor vehicle insurance policies. According to the language of the bill, SB 532, state residents would pay into this fund voluntarily.

Read More

Nonprofit Blasts Georgia Officials for Lack of Transparency on Rivian Deal

Georgia officials recently announced that the company Rivian will construct a $5 billion Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant in Morgan and Walton counties, but no one knows how much money the company took in government incentives. This, according to a statement that the Washington, D.C.-based Good Jobs First issued this month. According to its website, Good Jobs First is a policy resource center that promotes corporate and government accountability in economic development.

Read More

Georgia State Senate Members Want Political Candidates to Spend Campaign Expenses on Personal Childcare

Sixteen Democrats and two Republicans in the Georgia State Senate filed legislation this week that would, if enacted into law, allow political candidates to use campaign funds on childcare and other caregiving expenses. Senator Nikki Merritt (D-Grayson) is the primary sponsor of the bill, SB 523. On Thursday she did not return The Georgia Star News’ requests for comment.

Read More

Top Georgia Official Indicted for Allegedly Faking Pregnancies Through Family and Medical Leave Act

Members of a Fulton County grand jury have indicted a former top-ranking state official for allegedly and repeatedly lying that she was pregnant just so she could take advantage of the Family and Medical Leave Act. That woman, Robin Folsom, 43, previously directed external affairs for the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency. This, according to a statement from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

Read More

Buckhead City Committee Members Say Georgia Legislators’ Recent Actions Will Endanger Lives

BUCKHEAD —  Georgia General Assembly members have, for this year, written off legislation that would allow Buckhead residents to vote on separating from Atlanta, but members of Buckhead’s City Committee aren’t done and announced new priorities Wednesday. Buckhead City Committee members held a press conference at Buckhead City Headquarters. There, they announced that Bill White will continue to serve as the Buckhead City Committee CEO. Committee members then called on Governor Brian Kemp, Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), and other high-ranking GOP legislators to use their clout to push for a vote.

Read More

Government Could Increase New Home Construction Costs in Georgia by Mandating They’re Wired to Charge Electric Vehicles, Expert Says

Some people want to mandate that every new home comes wired ready to charge electric vehicles (EVs), and those mandates, if enacted, would likely raise a home’s construction costs. And the people who want those mandates will likely push for them in about two years, said Home Builders Association of Georgia Vice President Austin Hackney.

Read More

Brad Raffensperger Calls for More ‘Policing’ to Protect Georgia’s Election Integrity

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger this week said state officials must do more to protect the integrity of the state’s elections, and, toward that end, he said it’s time for the state to provide additional security. Raffensperger called for greater vigilance of elections in a statement that his office published Monday. He also said it was essential for state officials to take extra steps to protect voters and poll workers. Raffensperger said the state can accomplish this by dispatching state law enforcement resources at polling places, early voting locations, and county election offices where officials handle absentee ballots.

Read More

Jody Hice Announces Election ‘Integrity Fly Around Tour’ for Georgia

Representative Jody Hice (R-GA-10), currently running to replace Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, will launch a statewide tour later this month to address election integrity and connect with voters. Hice announced that this Election Integrity Fly Around Tour will commence Tuesday, February, 22. No one from Hice’s campaign returned The Georgia Star News’ request for comment on Monday.

Read More

Buckhead City Committee Members Say All is Not Lost, Despite Setback in Georgia General Assembly

Members of the Georgia General Assembly are unwilling to move forward with legislation that would allow Buckhead residents to vote later this year on forming an independent city. But members of the Buckhead City Committee, who have pushed for a vote, said media reports about the matter lack important context.

Read More

Republican Governors Association Assists Brian Kemp’s 2022 Gubernatorial Campaign, but Not David Perdue’s

Brian Kemp

Members of The Republican Governors Association (RGA) are contributing money to assist Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s reelection campaign. This, even though former U.S. Senator David Perdue, also a Republican, has challenged Perdue for his seat.

Read More

Commentary: Raphael Warnock’s Loyalty Lies with Joe Biden, Not Georgians

It has been over a year since Raphael Warnock was sworn in as one of Georgia’s senators. In that period, Warnock has proven to be more beneficial and useful to Joe Biden than to Georgians.

Since Warnock’s swearing-in, Georgians have experienced record-breaking inflation, empty shelves due to an unmanaged supply chain crisis, a resurgence in record-setting COVID-19 cases, and a botched withdrawal in Afghanistan at the hands of Joe Biden.

Read More

Retailers Who Want to Profit Off Electric Vehicle Chargers Say Georgia Power Thwarting Their Efforts

Georgia retailers say that the public’s demand for Electric Vehicles (EVs) grows more and more with every passing year and, with that, so does the public’s demand for EV chargers. Those same Georgia retailers want to capitalize on that trend — but they said this week that officials at Georgia Power stand in their way.

Read More

New Bill Would Require Georgia Law Enforcement to Check People’s Citizenship Status

Senator Butch Miller (R-Gainesville) this month filed a bill that would, if enacted into law, mandate that Georgia’s law enforcement officers check people’s citizenship status as they make arrests. According to the language of the bill, SB 448, available on the Georgia General Assembly’s website, law enforcement officers could perform this task with or without a warrant.

Read More

Vernon Jones Drops Out of Georgia’s Gubernatorial Race, Announces Run for Congress

Republican Vernon Jones announced last spring that he would run for governor of Georgia to unseat incumbent and fellow Republican Brian Kemp, but on Monday Jones announced he will depart that race to run for Congress. Jones posted the news on Facebook and Twitter. He then endorsed another Republican for governor.

Read More

Georgia Representative Barry Loudermilk Says America COMPETES Act Full of Weird Provisions

Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11) this week said his chamber’s recently passed America COMPETES Act does not hold China accountable for trade abuses and human rights violations, per the bill’s original intent. Loudermilk, in a podcast, said Speaker of House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) and other members of the far Left hijacked the bill. Loudermilk said the Left then added what the congressman called a wish list of socialist items.

Read More

Trump Blasts Pence’s Claims About January 6: Vice Presidency Not an ‘Automatic Conveyor Belt for Old Crow Mitch McConnell to Get Biden Elected President’

Former President Donald Trump released a blistering attack Friday afternoon on former Vice President Mike Pence’s claims earlier in the day about the January 6, 2021 Joint Session of Congress over which Pence presided at which Electoral College votes submitted by the states were counted.

In a speech before the Florida Chapter of the Federalist Society in Orlando on Friday, Pence asserted, “There are those in our party who believe that as the presiding officer over the joint session of Congress, I possessed unilateral authority to reject Electoral College votes. And I heard this week that President Trump said I had the right to ‘overturn the election.’ President Trump is wrong. I had no right to overturn the election.” (emphasis added)

Read More

Sixteen States File New Lawsuit Against Federal COVID Vaccination Mandate

Sixteen states again are challenging a federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health care workers who work at facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding.

Friday’s filing in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana comes after the issuance of final guidance on the mandate from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS), arguing the guidance is an action that is reviewable.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled by 5-4 vote Jan. 13 against the original Louisiana challenge to the mandate and a similar Missouri filing.

Read More

Five Atlanta Residents Charged with Fraud in Alleged COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program Scheme

Federal officials in Atlanta have charged 22 people nationwide, including Georgia, with wire fraud conspiracy and other charges in an alleged scheme to obtain nearly $4 million in COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. This, according to a press release that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia published this week.

Read More

Georgia Legislators Set to Discuss New Election Reform Bill Regarding Ballot Inspection

A new bill making its way through the Georgia General Assembly would, if enacted into law, remove provisions that keep election ballots and other election documents under seal — but only under certain conditions. The main sponsor, Representative Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire) did not return The Georgia Star News’ requests for comment Friday.

Read More

Vernon Jones’ Most Recent Social Media Remarks Suggest He’s Uncertain If He’ll Remain in Georgia Governor’s Race

Republican Vernon Jones commented Wednesday about his status as a Republican gubernatorial candidate for Georgia, but the messages he sent seemed unclear and came across as mixed. This, after media outlets speculated that Jones might suspend his campaign and seek another office, per the supposed wishes of former President Donald Trump. Trump, in December, endorsed Republican David Perdue’s campaign to unseat incumbent GOP Governor Brian Kemp.

Read More

Georgia Republican Legislator Denies His Bill Gives In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrants

State Representative Wes Cantrell (R-Woodstock) on Monday denied that a new bill he’s sponsoring would grant in-state tuition benefits to illegal immigrants.

This, even though the website Immigration Politics Georgia has warned about the bill, HB 932.

Cantrell filed the bill this month, according to the Georgia General Assembly’s website.

Read More

Georgia Republican Legislator Denies His Bill Gives In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrants

State Representative Wes Cantrell (R-Woodstock) on Monday denied that a new bill he’s sponsoring would grant in-state tuition benefits to illegal immigrants.

This, even though the website Immigration Politics Georgia has warned about the bill, HB 932.

Cantrell filed the bill this month, according to the Georgia General Assembly’s website.

Read More

Georgia’s December Net Tax Revenues Up 24.3 Percent

Georgia’s net tax collections in December totaled $2.98 billion, for an increase of $582.9 million, or 24.3 percent, compared to December 2020 when net tax collections totaled $2.40 billion, state officials announced this month. “Year-to-date, net tax revenue collections totaled $14.85 billion, for an increase of $2.28 billion, or 18.1 percent, over FY 2021 after six months,” according to Governor Brian Kemp’s office.

Read More