Atlanta Civic Circle

Our goal is to educate the community about the key challenges in metro Atlanta. We do this through thorough reporting and by offering potential solutions, along with chances for residents to get involved both online and in their neighborhoods.

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Protests and police action roil Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Cobb town hall

1 week ago | atlantaciviccircle.org | Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon

Several constituents were tased, forcibly removed, and arrested by law enforcement for interrupting a town hall that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene held for her district at the Acworth Community Center on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside to protest the Republican congresswoman’s full-throated support for President Donald Trump’s MAGA agenda.
As Atlanta Housing touts development progress, specter of Trump cuts looms

1 week ago | atlantaciviccircle.org | Sean Keenan

Atlanta Housing (AH) CEO Terri Lee struck an optimistic chord at the first-ever State of Atlanta Housing address on Tuesday, touting a surge of affordable housing projects that AH has built, is building, or has in its development pipeline. The city of Atlanta is over halfway done producing and preserving the 20,000 units of affordable housing that Mayor Andre Dickens promised on the 2020 campaign trail, Lee said.
Massive Atlanta Hands Off! protest rallies thousands against Trump cuts

2 weeks ago | atlantaciviccircle.org | Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon

Tens of thousands of Atlantans converged on Piedmont Park last Saturday and marched down Peachtree Street to the state Capitol to decry President Donald Trump and billionaire DOGE chief Elon Musk’s attacks on the federal government. Well over 20,000 protestors, according to organizers’ estimates, represented a kaleidoscope of progressive political interests.
Democracy, housing and labor: What bills will become Georgia law?

2 weeks ago | atlantaciviccircle.org | Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon |Claire Becknell |Sean Keenan

It wasn’t the usual late-night lawmaking frenzy under the Gold Dome for Sine Die on Friday. The Georgia legislature passed the state’s annual budget — $38 billion this year — in the morning and adjourned relatively early on April 5, the last day of the 2025 legislative session. The Senate wrapped up around 9:15 p.m., and the House concluded just over an hour later.
Journalists' demand for 'Cop City' records puts Atlanta Police Foundation secrecy on trial

2 weeks ago | atlantaciviccircle.org | Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon |Sean Keenan

A Georgia judge will soon rule in a major press-freedom case that could clarify to what extent private groups doing government business are subject to the state’s open records laws.
Bill passes for out-of-state landlords to have Georgia staff for tenant issues

2 weeks ago | atlantaciviccircle.org | Sean Keenan

A bill requiring many out-of-state landlords to employ at least one in-state staffer to handle tenant complaints is bound for Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk. House Bill 399’s passage last week marks a minor win for affordable housing advocates. They celebrated that the law will increase landlord accountability, but cautioned that it could also lead to retaliation against lower-income tenants who raise concerns about living conditions. Authored by Rep.
Anti-squatter legislation targeting motel residents fails -- for now

2 weeks ago | atlantaciviccircle.org | Sean Keenan

Legislation that would make it easier for hotel managers to eject long-term guests failed to get a Senate vote before the end of Georgia’s 2025 legislative session — but lawmakers are likely to try passing House Bill 61 next year.
Atlanta’s new interim watchdog pledges to rebuild public trust

3 weeks ago | atlantaciviccircle.org | Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon

The year-long feud between Atlanta’s Office of Inspector General and Mayor Andre Dickens’ administration came to a head when Inspector General Shannon Manigault resigned on the steps of City Hall on Feb. 17. That followed the resignations of the majority of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) governing board.
Georgia ‘voter integrity’ bills could do the opposite, and reduce voter access

3 weeks ago | atlantaciviccircle.org | Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon

Two Republican-backed election-overhaul bills that are rapidly heading to floor votes — one in the Senate and the other in the House — would cause a raft of changes to Georgia’s elections, alarming both state elections officials and voting rights advocates.
Legislators' novel push to rein in giant housing investors is faltering

3 weeks ago | atlantaciviccircle.org | Sean Keenan

As this year’s legislative session barrels toward its April 4 conclusion, a wide-ranging, bipartisan bid to limit institutional investor activity in local housing markets appears to be sputtering — at least until next year. Powerful hedge funds, private equity groups, and real estate investment trusts have bought up tens of thousands of single-family homes across Georgia, driving up housing prices and shutting out first-time homebuyers from already expensive markets.