First Slice 1-15-13: Deal unveils ‘bed tax’ legislation, which Grover Norquist says is a ‘step in the wrong direction’

• Joeff Davis/www.Joeff.com
• A Todd Akin supporter at the 2012 RNC. Congressman Phil Gingrey, R-Gillette, said Akin was partly right when he said the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

The 2013 legislative session kicked off yesterday. Among the highlights: new Senate rules loosely addressing ethics reform and Gov. Deal’s proposed “bed tax” solution. The regarding the latter, the AJC says that the legislation may appeal more to Republicans who are wary of approving the providers’ fee, as it shifts the responsibility from lawmakers to the Department of Community Health. But Grover Norquist seems to think otherwise...

Georgia State has topped a list ranking them as the fasting growing “sugar baby school” in the nation. In response, university spokesman Don Hale stated: “Georgia State prides itself on fostering an enterprising and entrepreneurial spirit among its students. We are surely surprised to see it manifested in this way by these women.”

In the wake of Rep. Phil Gingrey giving his two cents on Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” remarks last week, the congressman has since decided to delete his Twitter account.

Two former Atlanta Police officers have come out and said that the APD has had arrest quotas, which is a practice that the police department has long denied doing.

Dennis Lockhart, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said yesterday at the Rotary Club of Atlanta that he thought 2013 would likely be another slow year of economic growth.

Atlantic Station’s Central Park will be undergoing renovations aimed to “create an outdoor living room of sorts.”