Data center restrictions, doxing protections and a greater crackdown on street racing are just a few proposals on the city of Atlanta’s legislative wish list for the Georgia General Assembly as lawmakers gear up for a return to the Gold Dome.
The state’s 2025 legislative session kicks off Jan. 13, but city lobbyists already are working to push policy changes that Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and City Council members hope to see backed by the GOP-controlled legislature.
A draft legislation package written by the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs shows that city leaders want a number of public safety changes.
Those proposals include the creation of penalties for criminal use of artificial intelligence; amendments to the Open Records Act to prevent doxing, a form of cyberbullying; increased penalties for street racing, including the ability to seize cars; and legislation that allows law enforcement to shoot down suspicious drones.
“There’s not a lot that local governments can do when it comes to drones, but we know the drones are flying over areas that they’re not supposed to, including areas that are connected to jails,” said Justin Kirnon, the city’s director of intergovernmental affairs.
City leaders are also asking again for lawmakers to create misdemeanor and felony penalties for weapon modifications. In the past, the city pushed for a statewide ban on machine gun conversion devices known as “auto sears” or “Glock switches” that can automatically fire more than one round at a time.
Another debate that’s recently dominated public discussion is the impact of the exponentially growing data center industry that has created headaches for Atlanta leaders. The businesses put a large strain on utilities, particularly because of their high water usage.
“Companies are coming in, building these massive data centers, and they’re not transparent about the amount of water that these data centers are using,” Kirnon said. “And in a lot of cases, it’s actually three or four times more water being used (than is) actually disclosed.”
City officials will monitor for cityhood movements from Atlanta neighborhoods seeking to become their own municipalities — a threat that still looms despite Dickens’ success in quashing the Buckhead effort. And in-state tuition for refugees and those granted protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is a proposal backed by the city that’s slowly gained traction over the past few sessions.
But the city’s lobbyists are also on defense for any far-right policies being pushed by state lawmakers in the wake of President Donald Trump’s reelection.
“I think this is going to be perhaps a more lively session than some we’ve had in the past for various reasons,” Council member Howard Shook said during the legislative briefing.
We’ll keep you up to date throughout the legislative session on how the city’s policy priorities are advancing — or not.
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Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC
Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC
Speaking of cityhood movements, our colleague Greg Bluestein reported over the weekend that a prominent Buckhead cityhood leader has been tapped for an ambassador position by President-elect Donald Trump.
Bill White — one of Dickens’ most outspoken foes during his early months in office — is expected to be nominated by Trump to be the U.S. ambassador to Belgium. White was arguably the most well-known advocate of the movement to sever one of Atlanta’s most prosperous neighborhoods into a city of its own: Buckhead City.
White had already left Atlanta after the failed cityhood movement, in which he also picked a fight with Gov. Brian Kemp.
In a statement, Trump called White a “highly respected businessman, philanthropist, author and advocate” for military and veterans.
After the 2020 election, White helped raise funds to underwrite Trump’s legal team as it questioned vote counts in several states. White called for recounts and court challenges seeking to overturn the election.
The impact of Trump’s reelection is still to be seen, but local Democratic officials are bracing themselves. Read more about how Dickens plans to handle the Republican president during the remainder of the mayor’s first term.
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Got tips, tricks or just want to say hello? Email me at riley.bunch@ajc.com.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
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