An eleventh-hour bill at the Georgia Legislature sparked by a controversial legal settlement over a famed fishing spot will protect fishing access for the public, proponents say.

Driving the news: On March 27, the state agreed to a settlement that granted a landowner along the Flint River the right to control fishing access near their property, surprising some elected officials and environmentalists.

• Lawmakers responded with last week's passage of Senate Bill 115, a piece of legislation asserting that the state can't convey rights like regulating fishing on navigable rivers — something that prior to the settlement, few thought was disputable.
• The bill now sits on Gov. Brian Kemp's desk.

Why it matters: Georgia's water rules are complex, but they generally allow the public ample access to fish, float and otherwise enjoy "navigable" fresh-water streams and rivers.

• The unexpected settlement created a roadmap for riverside property owners elsewhere in Georgia to make similar arguments, Mike Worley of the Georgia Wildlife Federation told Axios.

Catch up quick: The Flint River property is owned by Four Chimneys, a private entity managed by Augusta attorney Benjamin Brewton.

• In the lawsuit filed this past October in Upson County, Four Chimneys argued that their property at Yellow Jacket Shoals includes the riverbed, thus giving them the right to post no fishing signs.

State of play: It's unclear, however, why the state ultimately decided to settle the case.

• Brooke Gram, Four Chimneys’ attorney, told Axios in a statement that the entity considers the matter resolved.

The big picture: The General Assembly's Sine Die action likely headed off years of litigation from other property owners who might have wanted to assert their rights based on the settlement, Gordon Rogers of the Flint Riverkeeper, which supported SB115, told Axios.

• "The alternative of this was litigating it, patch of river bottom by patch of river bottom, up and down every river in Georgia. I just don't think that that was a very nice future."

What's next: First, we see whether Kemp decides to sign the bill. And later this year, a special Gold Dome committee will meet to study fresh-water fishing rights throughout Georgia.

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Teresa Finney owns At Heart Panadería, a micro-bakery producing some of metro Atlanta's most beautiful and creative cakes and pan dulce including conchas and churros. Also: recipes.

• Here's the second-generation Mexican American's ideal day in Atlanta.

Morning: She and her fiancé will likely lounge about while drinking a couple of cups of Firelight Coffee, a local, small-batch specialty coffee. Then they'll head to the Grant Park Farmers Market for breakfast, flowers, produce and "whatever else looks good that morning."

• "Since this is my ideal day, my fiancé and I probably have an appointment after the market at Only You Tattoo."

Noon: They'll walk to Six Feet Under Pub & Fish House for fish and chips, Oysters Rockefeller, crab cakes and a cocktail. Then comes Little Tart for ham and cheese croissants and "too many other pastries for just two people."

• "We like to indulge when visiting Little Tart because we have one life and we are going to eat delicious, expertly-made pastries about it," Finney says.

Night: Finney and her fiancé live OTP, so dinner's back at home. She'll likely cook pasta with the fresh produce, cheese and Osono Bread they purchased at the market.

Yes, but: For a dream dinner: Iberian Pig in Decatur. Her favorite cocktail is the Pink Panther (tequila, Mezcal, Aperol, grapefruit and Espelette).

• They'd end the day by walking around downtown Decatur and having one last cocktail at The S.O.S. Tiki Bar.

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The owners of two major title lending brands based in Georgia have been successfully stalling any new reforms for the scrutinized industry, The Current's Margaret Coker and ProPublica's Mollie Simon report.

Driving the news: This session, State Rep. Josh Bonner (R-Fayetteville) brought a bill to try to close a loophole title lenders use to charge triple-digit annual interest, more than three times what other financial companies can charge.

• But that bill died in committee, making it "the sixth time in nearly two decades that Georgia Republicans tried and failed to erect better guardrails for the industry," Coker and Simon write.

Context: Georgia is home to two of the country's largest title lenders, the parent company of TitleMax, TMX Finance and the parent company of LoanMax, Select Management Resources.

What's happening: "The companies and their founders have spent millions of dollars trying to defeat regulation attempts both in Washington, D.C. and in state legislatures across the country," per the investigation.

• Indeed, TitleMax sponsored a breakfast for the House majority whip’s team on the same day Bonner’s bill was scheduled for its committee hearing.

What they're saying: “Privately my colleagues all tell me that almost no one is against reform,” said state Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee and is in favor of reform.

• "But publicly we can’t get that support."

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Our esteemed colleagues at Axios Sports present a challenge on opening day of the Masters in Augusta.

The 72-hole scoring record at the Masters is 268 (20-under par).

• Question: Who holds the record?
• Hint: This century.

Send us your guesses before 5pm ET. We'll pick the winner out of a hat and send some newfangled Axios swag.

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