(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*Last August, state Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King announced he would fine health insurance companies for violations of Georgia’s Mental Health Parity laws and he recently delivered on that promise by issuing nearly $25 million in fines. The Mental Health Parity Act of Georgia, in coordination with the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, requires that insurers provide coverage for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in a manner comparable to that of physical health coverage.
*After a deadly crash, a Savannah lawmaker proposes a bill to limit police chases. The proposed legislation called the Darren Lewis Saving Lives Act is being pushed by Rep. Carl Gilliard in response to the death of Darren Lewis during a high-speed police chase. The bill aims to place tighter limits on chases in residential areas and increase training for law enforcement on when to call off pursuits. Gilliard emphasizes that the proposal is to improve safety for officers and residents. The bill is set to be introduced at the Georgia Statehouse on Jan. 28, with support from Lewis’ wife, Kathy Lewis.
*A recent report by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts revealed that the economic impacts of data center construction in the state were significantly lower than initially reported. The revised numbers showed a decrease in job creation levels for both construction and data operations. Tax revenue expectations were also marked down to $227.2 million dollars, which is nearly 50% drop from the original forecast. The University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, which conducted the audit, attributed the lowered forecast to a tax exemption for data centers. The revisions were made in January after a calculation error was discovered in the summary of the report.