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Two bills that are Ga. Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) call for reforms to the state’s tort laws are advancing during the current legislative session. The state Senate has approved SB 68 and SB 69. Among the provisions in SB 68 is one limiting owners’ liability for injuries on their property and placing restrictions on damages awarded for medical bills to what was paid by the plaintiff. SB 69 places regulations on third-party litigation financing. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce immediately supported both pieces of legislation, SB 69 in particular. “Georgia’s

Basketball, rowing, trade shows, and conferences are expected to pack a big economic punch in the CSRA this month. In the lineup, this year is a new event. The Augusta Sports Council confirmed that Riverview will play host to the first EYBL Scholastic Conference Championship and Nike Invitational Post-Season Tournament. “These are new tournaments that will be hosted at Riverview Park in North Augusta and kicked off yesterday. Both events run from March 5-8, with the Postseason Tournament starting today,” said Hayley Fox, Communications Manager with the Augusta Sports Council.

All the variables in the Augusta Leading Economic Index (LEI) were adversely affected according to December data. This is the first time all five components have been negatively affected since April 2022. Residential building permits fell 23 percent from November and initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 40 percent. Job openings fell 2.3 percent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished December 0.04 percent lower than the end of November. Inflation in the south increased by 0.1 percentage points to 2.8 percent. Overall, the Augusta LEI fell 1.2 percent