Politically Georgia

Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon joins the podcast on the eve of a fundraising trip that brings Donald Trump to Atlanta. McKoon tells the hosts he’s confident that the Georgia GOP will have the financial resources and organizational infrastructure needed to deliver the state to Trump in November.    McKoon goes on to defend Trump’s decision to call for individual states to pass their own laws on abortion. And he also explains why he is leading the effort to dismiss GOP First Vice Chair Brian Pritchard from that position.   Then, Dr. Stephen Owens describes why he decided to leave his long-held position as education director of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. He believes legislators have lost the moral thread that he thinks should underlie many of the proposals they introduce.   Links to topics Trump’s abortion stance faces Georgia backlash on both sides of the issue Trump races to catch Biden fundraising with event in Atlanta Longtime education advocate calls it quits  Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour "Politically Georgia" Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.   Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”   CREDITS  Executive Producer- Shane Backler Producer- Natalie Mendenhall Engineer- Matt McWilliams Editor- Matt Owen   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran Republican political consultant Heath Garrett joins the podcast to discuss strategies GOP candidates are likely to use to try to blunt the impact the overturning of Roe v. Wade is having in energizing Democratic voters to turn out in key races. How will it affect Georgia races?   Then, Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz discusses how he is trying to navigate the political tumult that has been ratcheted up following the killing of Laken Riley.   An AJC investigation revealed that across metro Atlanta, the wait time for 911 operators to answer calls for help has grown longer and potentially more deadly. In scenarios where every second counts, some callers have been placed on hold for minutes. Reporters Stephanie Lamm and Katherine Landergan join the podcast to discuss their investigation.   Link to topics AJC: Biden highlighting how overturning Roe has impacted women's health decisions Democrats see choice as key to winning 2024 races Tensions in Athens boil over as incidents pile up 911 callers left on hold across metro Atlanta  Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour "Politically Georgia" Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.   Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”   CREDITS  Executive Producer- Shane Backler Producer- Natalie Mendenhall Engineer- Matt McWilliams Editor- Matt Owen  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan joins the podcast after the No Labels organization announced it won’t field an independent candidate for president. Duncan speaks from the perspective of one of the possible candidates interviewed for the position.  Then, a powerful gas lobbying group is running ads in Georgia and a handful of other states attacking the Biden administration’s new rule which will likely force automakers to build more electric vehicles. The ad campaign flies in the face of Governor Kemp’s major push to make Georgia the country’s center of electric vehicle production.   Plus, the hosts and Editor-in-Chief Leroy Chapman answer questions from the listener mailbag and give their choices for who’s up and who’s down this week.  Links to today’s topics:  No Labels statement on deciding not to run a candidate for president Powerful gas lobby attacks Biden electric vehicle policy, flying in the face of Georgia's emergence as center of EV production  Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour "Politically Georgia" Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.   Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”   CREDITS  Executive Producer- Shane Backler Producer- Natalie Mendenhall Engineer- Matt McWilliams Editor- Devan Kortan  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The First Lady of Georgia, Marty Kemp, says she hasn’t decided whether to vote for Donald Trump despite her husband's statement that the former president would be “better than Joe Biden.”  But first, Melita Easters, founder and executive director of the Georgia WIN List, joins the podcast to discuss how her organization goes about identifying and supporting pro-choice Democratic women for seats in the legislature. And she offers her thoughts on the role she believes the restrictions being placed on abortion in Georgia and elsewhere will have on races this year.   Then, Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs tells the podcast that voters should see little difference in voting procedures when they cast ballots in the upcoming election. She also comments on the humorous letter Brad Raffensperger wrote to Larry David in response to the comedian’s spoof on a Georgia election law on his show “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”  Plus, GOP state chairman Josh McKoon is leading an effort to remove first vice-chair of the party Brian Pritchard, who a judge ruled has voted illegally numerous times.  Links to today’s topics:  Georgia WIN List website Brad Raffensperger responds to comedian Larry David: You won't be arrested for giving water to voters GOP chair calls for resignation of party official for voting illegally AM Newsletter: Marty Kemp unsure she'll vote for Trump  Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour "Politically Georgia" Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.   Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”   CREDITS  Executive Producer- Shane Backler Producer- Natalie Mendenhall Engineer- Matt McWilliams Editor- Devan Kortan  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even as Governor Kemp has invested heavily in making Georgia a center for electric vehicle production, a powerful gas lobbying group is running ads here and in other states criticizing new Biden administration regulations that will push automakers to ramp up building electric vehicles.  But first, Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson and Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul join the podcast to discuss the state of their Georgia cities today. What are the biggest concerns of their constituents? How do their problems reflect similar issues facing cities across the state?  Then, AJC education writer Maureen Downey joins the podcast to look at how the just-ended session of the legislature dealt with issues related to schools.  She weighs in on the controversial bill, passed after years of failure, that creates a voucher program for parents to send their children to private schools.     LINK TO TOPICS  Gas lobby ads target ev industry - a key Kemp agenda Downey on school vouchers and moreß Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour "Politically Georgia" Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.   Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”   CREDITS  Executive Producer- Shane Backler Producer- Natalie Mendenhall Engineer- Matt McWilliams Editor- Matt Owen  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brad Raffensperger isn’t taking any guff from Hollywood star Larry David. The podcast hosts discuss the playful letter Georgia’s secretary of state sent to David after David’s show, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” poked fun at a state law that prevents the distribution of water and food to people waiting in line to vote within 150 feet of a polling place.   But first, Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns discusses his take on the ups and downs of the just-concluded 2024 legislative session. He talks about his reaction to the failure of a bill to suspend mining operations near the Okefenokee Swamp.    The 75th House speaker also explains why the House didn’t pass Medicaid expansion and the so-called culture war issues sent over from the Senate.   And on the other side of the aisle, state Rep. Jasmine Clark joins the podcast to give a Democratic perspective on the outcome of the session.     LINK TO TOPICS What we learned from 2024 legislative session AJC publisher Andrew Morse: protect the Okefenokee With enthusiasm, Raffensperger cautions Larry David to curb his attacks on election law  Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour "Politically Georgia" Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.   Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”   CREDITS  Executive Producer- Shane Backler Producer- Natalie Mendenhall Engineer- Matt McWilliams Editor- Matt Owen   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President Donald Trump is headed back to Georgia as the race to the White House heats up. Trump will be here next week for a major fundraiser.   Meanwhile, Democrats fear President Joe Biden's campaign may not invest heavily in winning here. And are Black voters beginning to like Trump’s message?     But first, a look at how the emotionally fraught immigration bill won passage in the final hours of the Legislature's session.   Do local sheriffs have the capacity to uphold federal law requiring them to detain people suspected of entering the country illegally? Gov. Brian Kemp has less than 40 days to sign the bill into law or veto it.   LINKS TO TOPIC   What we learned from 2024 legislative session Trump set to return to Georgia soon Democrats fret about Biden reelection chances in Georgia Are Black voters turning to Trump? Republicans give final passage to new immigration rules  Sheriffs worry about new burden from immigration bills  Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour "Politically Georgia" Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.   Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”   CREDITS  Executive Producer- Shane Backler Producer- Natalie Mendenhall Engineer- Matt McWilliams Editor- Matt Owen  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The hosts talk to WABE’s Sam Gringlas about the issues that won final approval, and those that went down in flames as the 2024 session came to an end in the early hours of Friday morning.  Then, Andrew Morse, president and publisher of the AJC joins the podcast to discuss why he’d led the charge to save Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp from mining companies setting up operations nearby. And the panel discusses the failure of the legislature to act on a bill that would have provided a temporary halt on mining near the swamp.  And, it’s Friday, so the hosts take questions from the “Politically Georgia” listener mailbag and give their picks for who’s up and who’s down this week.   LINK TO TOPICS Key measures fail in final hours of session Here's why the session went into the early morning hours Sine die: a tale of two chambers Andrew Morse: Swamp must be protected Lawmakers fail to pass Okefenokee protection bill   Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour "Politically Georgia" Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.   Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”   CREDITS  Executive Producer- Shane Backler Producer- Natalie Mendenhall Engineer- Matt McWilliams Editor- Devan Kortan  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch joins the podcast to describe the measures still on the table on the final day of the session.   He indicated the state Senate would likely not take up a measure the House passed overwhelmingly to protect the Okefenokee Swamp. He also said he prefers Governor Kemp’s limited expansion of Medicaid to a measure Democrats tried to pass that would allow a full expansion of the government program.  On the other side of the aisle, Senate minority leader Gloria Butler responds to Gooch’s comments and adds that she thinks rejection of a measure to pass a full expansion of Medicaid is one of the biggest failures of the session.   LINK TO TOPICS Bill to protect Okefenokee from mining is at crossroads AJC calls for protection of swamp from mining Bill for full expansion of Medicaid narrowly fails in committee   Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour "Politically Georgia" Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.   Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”   CREDITS  Executive Producer- Shane Backler Producer- Natalie Mendenhall Engineer- Matt McWilliams Editor- Devan Kortan  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Tamar Hallerman joins the podcast to discuss the in-depth interview she and colleague Bill Rankin conducted with attorney Ashleigh Merchant. Merchant explained the process she went through before deciding to file a motion seeking the dismissal of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the election interference case against former President Donald Trump.   Over at the state Legislature, state House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, a Republican, and Democratic state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver describe the overall tenor of the session as it approaches its end Thursday.   And on Capitol Hill, Tia Mitchell offers her insights on what it’s like to cover one of Washington’s most controversial elected officials, GOP U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is back in the headlines after filing a motion to remove U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson.      LINK TO TOPICS Attorney who filed motion to dismiss Willis says she had to act GOP House majority leader Chuck Efstration Democratic state representative Mary Margaret Oliver Tia Mitchell's Marjorie Taylor Greene profile   Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour "Politically Georgia" Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.   Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”   CREDITS  Executive Producer- Shane Backler Producer- Natalie Mendenhall Engineer- Matt McWilliams Editor- Matt Owen  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices