The Georgia State Senate passed the controversial airport takeover bill, which would essentially give the state control of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The bill, numbered SB 131, will now move to the state House of Representatives.
The airport is currently managed by the City of Atlanta, but has come under fire in recent years over vendor contracts and hiring practices.
The city of Atlanta, Delta, Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, the NAACP and the Urban League of Greater Atlanta have come out against the bill.
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The bill would create a board to oversee the airport that would consist of the governor or his designee, the lieutenant governor or his designee, the speaker of the house or his designee, the commissioner of transportation, the commissioner of public safety and four people with who according to the bill would have “extensive experience in business, aviation, law, or accounting.” Two of those four would be appointed by the Speaker of the House and two would be appointed by the President of the Senate.
For real time updates on the bills being considered by lawmakers on Crossover Day, click here.