Lawmakers approve boundary fight

From the Associated Press ...

Georgia lawmakers took a different route Friday to urge that Georgia's boundary with Tennessee be moved about a mile north. The House voted on the legislative session's chaotic final day to urge mapmakers to redraw Georgia's northern boundary in hopes of tapping the mighty Tennessee River and empower the governor to settle the dispute. If negotiations fail, it would authorize Georgia's top attorney to file a lawsuit to try and force a boundary change. But the latest version of the bill dropped an attempt to create a border commission after Tennessee lawmakers voted to refuse to send representatives to the panel. A growing number of Georgia lawmakers are also beginning to question the measure. It passed the Senate unanimously, but it drew a handful of outspoken supporters in the House, where it was adopted by a 132-24 vote. Democrat Representative Brian Thomas of Lilburn said Georgia shouldn't look at the Tennessee River as a "canteen" for Atlanta's growth.