Some Middle Georgians are organizing against what they call a threat to their drinking water. They say Senate Bill 110 would make it easier to get landfill permits.

State legislative leaders on Thursday proposed lowering the income tax rate and leaving groceries untaxed. During a special committee meeting, lawmakers endorsed some recommendations from a tax reform council but rejected others. State Republican leaders created the tax reform council last year, with the idea of boosting job growth by rewriting the tax code.

More than 5,000 opponents of two state immigration bills rallied at the state Capitol Thursday. The rally included chants, drumming, prayers and a song by a homegrown duo. In English and Spanish, speakers denounced the bills because they would allow police to verify the immigration status of suspects. And they would allow employers to see if new hirees are citizens.

State lawmakers recently tabled legislation that would have created a federally-mandated state health care exchange. That leaves Georgia with some unused cash. Georgia received a $1 million grant from the federal government to create a state healthcare exchange. Forming the exchange is mandatory for all states under Pres. Obama’s healthcare reform law.

Georgia’s unemployment rate has been hovering around 10 percent for over a year. Creating jobs was a much talked about issue during last fall's election. Although no jobs creation bills have been taken up this year, if you ask Republican leadership under the gold dome about the issue, they’ll tell you the session isn’t over yet.