State Sen. Freddie Powell Sims, D-Dawson, confirmed Wednesday that a government consolidation bill with changes to original legislation requested by the Albany City Commission has been dropped into the Senate hopper for consideration.

The bill, if passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor, would allow Albany and Dougherty County voters to decide in a referendum whether the city and county governments should be merged.

The new bill, Senate Bill 538, would replace House Bill 800, which passed the Georgia House last year after being introduced by State Reps. Ed Rynders, R-Leesburg, and Carol Fullerton, D-Albany. HB 800, which stalled in the Senate, sparked controversy after local officials said that it was presented without local input. (More at The Herald)