Dave WilliamsCapitol Beat News ServiceView CommentsATLANTA – While initial unemployment claims in Georgia continued to decline last week, the state paid out an all-time record of more than $857 million in state and federal jobless benefits.That’s almost three times the benefits payments the state agency issued during all of last year.“We are paying more Georgians more benefits than we ever have before,” Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler said Thursday. “No one would have imagined in the same year we experienced our lowest monthly number of claims since 1975 that we would pay almost...…Dave WilliamsCapitol Beat News ServiceView CommentsATLANTA – While initial unemployment claims in Georgia continued to decline last week, the state paid out an all-time record of more than $857 million in state and federal jobless benefits.That’s almost three times the benefits payments the state agency issued during all of last year.“We are paying more Georgians more benefits than we ever have before,” Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler said Thursday. “No one would have imagined in the same year we experienced our lowest monthly number of claims since 1975 that we would pay almost...WW…

Beau Evans and Dave WilliamsCapitol Beat News ServiceView CommentsLegislation to permit sports betting in Georgia made a comeback Friday in the state Senate as lawmakers scramble to drum up new revenues to plug the state’s coronavirus-ravaged budget.A measure by Sen. Burt Jones, R-Jackson, that would legalize sports betting and hand management responsibilities to the Georgia Lottery Corporation was tacked onto a separate bill dealing with traffic tickets.It would allow online betting platforms like FanDuel and Draft Kings to operate legally, so long as they secure licenses from the lottery....…Beau Evans and Dave WilliamsCapitol Beat News ServiceView CommentsLegislation to permit sports betting in Georgia made a comeback Friday in the state Senate as lawmakers scramble to drum up new revenues to plug the state’s coronavirus-ravaged budget.A measure by Sen. Burt Jones, R-Jackson, that would legalize sports betting and hand management responsibilities to the Georgia Lottery Corporation was tacked onto a separate bill dealing with traffic tickets.It would allow online betting platforms like FanDuel and Draft Kings to operate legally, so long as they secure licenses from the lottery....WW…