Republicans are backing Georgia state legislation that aims to block a proposed titanium mine and protect the Okefenokee Swamp, possibly intervening in one of the country’s highest-profile battles over federal wetlands protections.
If the bill becomes law, it would be an unusual environmental victory led by Republicans, who generally favor mining over conservation.
The level of Republican support for an environmental measure in Georgia is “unprecedented,” said Joshua Marks, an environmental attorney at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP in Atlanta.
Five Republicans and one Democrat this week introduced the legislation, H.B. 1289, which would prohibit the ...