Peach State Politics (May 28, 2021)
Kemp bans vaccine passports and school mask mandates, ATL Mayor candidate's car stolen, state lawmakers hold hearings on crime, top GOP state senator enters LG race, This Week in Washington, and more
Let’s get you up to speed on the week in Georgia politics as we head into the long holiday weekend. This week, Gov. Brian Kemp issued a pair of executive orders targeting COVID-19 mask and vaccine guidelines. We will go over what supporters and opponents have to say about the orders. Plus, an Atlanta mayoral candidate fell victim to a car theft as state lawmakers begin to hold hearings to discuss crime in the city. Also, a powerful State Senator is entering the race for Lieutenant Governor. And as always, this week’s top stories from Washington. Let’s get started!
Kemp bans vaccine passports & school mask mandates
With the country beginning to emerge from the darkest days of the pandemic, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is taking bold new actions targeting the implementation of vaccine passports and school mask mandates.
The Republican announced this week that he is signing two executive orders: one that will prevent state agencies from requiring vaccine passports and another that will prohibit public schools from implementing mask mandates this fall.
Kemp was asked about the school order in an interview on Fox News this week, reminding everyone that all teachers are eligible for the vaccine and that parents still have the option to send the children to school with masks. State School Superintendent Richard Woods, also a Republican, has said that he supports the governor’s order, citing the availability of vaccines and the decline in COVID-19 cases.
Opponents of the order, however, say that the governor is playing politics with Georgia students. “This is nothing more than a political stunt at a time when Georgians deserve real leadership to help us emerge from the pandemic,” Atlanta school board chairman Jason Esteves told the AJC.
ATL Mayor candidate’s car stolen
A candidate for Mayor of Atlanta is now one of a growing number of victims of the city’s rising crime rate.
City Councilman Antonio Brown was in a Northwest Atlanta neighborhood on Wednesday morning to discuss affordable housing when a group of four kids, who he said looked no older than 12, stole his white Mercedes-Benz coupe after visiting a nearby convenience store.
Police are working to identify the thieves, but Brown says that he will not press charges against the kids if his car is recovered. Click here to listen to the 911 call.
Atlanta’s rising crime rate has become the backdrop of the upcoming race for Mayor. From homicides, to robberies and carjackings, residents have grown frustrated with the growing crime in the city. Last week, I examined how the crime rate will impact the race for Mayor. You can read it here.
State lawmakers begin hearings on ATL crime rate
Speaking of Atlanta’s crime rate, a special state legislative committee this week held its first of what will be several hearings to discuss ways the state could help the city tackle crime.
I told you all earlier this year that House Speaker David Ralston had formed the committee to examine Atlanta’s rising crime rate and to determine if state troopers should step in to help the city. The committee must report their findings to Speaker Ralston by the start of the 2022 legislative session.
One lawmaker at the hearing said that the committee will “sidestep” any attempt to turn the hearings into a partisan showdown. “This committee wants to dig down and look at the facts,” he said. Another lawmaker credited the Mayor’s office for willing to be cooperative during the hearings.
Several of the city’s top law enforcement officials were present at the first hearing, including Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat, who said that he looks forward to working with state leaders. “This is not them versus us,” Labat said. “This is us trying to solve collectively a problem that's — a crime wave — that's hit the nation.”
Top GA Senate Republican launches bid for LG
Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan’s decision to forgo re-election set off a crowded race for the state’s No. 2 job.
This week, Senate President Pro Tempore Butch Miller became the first major Republican to join the race. Miller, who owns a car dealership in Gainesville, noted in his campaign announcement that he presided over the passage of Georgia’s controversial new election law. (Duncan refused to do so.) He also said that conservative policies are “clearly working” for Georgians.
Despite being a very powerful Senator, it’s unlikely that Miller will clear the field. Several of his Senate colleagues, including Trump ally Burt Jones, could soon enter the race. And former State Sen. David Shafer, who currently chairs the Georgia Republican Party, has not completely ruled out running for LG again.
As for Democrats, two state lawmakers have entered the race for LG so far: State Rep. Derrick Jackson (D-Tyrone) and State Rep. Erick Allen (D-Smyrna).
This Week in Washington
This week, President Joe Biden hosted the family of George Floyd at the White House to mark one year since the world first watched his tragic murder on cell phone video. The President had hoped to mark the somber milestone by signing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act into law, but lawmakers are continuing to debate and negotiate the final draft of a police reform bill. Plus, Senate Republicans appear poised to block a bill that would create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the January siege at the Capitol.
Biden, White House host George Floyd’s family to mark one-year anniversary of his murder
Lawmakers continue negotiations on police reform bill
Senate debates House bill to establish 9/11-style commission to probe Capitol insurrection
Manhattan DA convenes grand jury in Trump org investigation
Senate GOP unveils counteroffer to Biden infrastructure plan
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan weighs in on the direction of the GOP
Senate confirms Christine Wormuth as Army secretary after reversal
Poll: 25% of Americans, majority of Republicans say Trump is the “true president”
CNN congressional correspondent Manu Raju spots a cicada during his live shot in a must-see video
Election 2022: Dems, GOP await decisions from top recruits
With the 2022 campaign kicking into high gear, the two marquee races have been largely sleepy affairs so far as both parties await decisions from their most prominent recruits
Nearly five months his upset victory in a January runoff, no Republican heavyweight has emerged to challenge Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. That’s because everyone is waiting to see if former football star and Texas resident Herschel Walker will bulldoze the field with Trump’s endorsement. Several candidates have made it clear that they will only enter the race if Walker chooses not to.
In the race for Governor, Democrats fully expect voting rights activist and 2018 Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams to mount a rematch against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, but the former Georgia House minority leader appears to be in no rush to announce her plans: she is republishing her romance novels and her organization is leading the charge against election restrictions recently passed in Georgia and other Republican-led states.
But what happens if neither candidate ends up running? I explain here.
Greene, facing controversy, rallies with Gaetz and Hice
Controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, facing bipartisan condemnation over her recent comparison of mask mandates to the Holocaust, spent her 47th birthday on the campaign trail in her Northwest Georgia district. Flanked by fellow conservative firebrands Matt Gaetz and Jody Hice, Greene not only doubled down on her recent remarks: she drew a comparison between the Democratic Party and the Nazis. More details on the event can be found in the Twitter thread above.
Judge allows inspection of Fulton mail-in ballots
A legal battle is brewing in Fulton County after a judge cleared the way for thousands of absentee ballots to be inspected. While the inspection will not overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state, critics are pointing to a similar situation unfolding in Arizona’s Maricopa County, where Republican state legislators ordered a full hand recount of ballots in the state’s largest county.
Rob Pitts, the chair of the Fulton County Commission, lashed out at the court order: “The votes have been counted three times, including a hand recount, and no evidence of fraud has been found,” Pitts said. “The fact remains that Fulton County safely and securely carried out an election in the midst of a public health pandemic. It’s a shame to see that the ‘Big Lie’ lives on and could cost the hardworking taxpayers of this county.”
Georgia’s largest county, Fulton County is the home of the state capital of Atlanta. Joe Biden’s 73%-26% margin in Fulton was crucial to his 12,000-vote victory in the state.
GA GOP, GA Dems release share post-2020 analyses
Both the Georgia Republican and the Georgia Democratic parties have released detailed reports explaining what went right — and wrong — in the 2020 election.
The Democratic report, which can be read here, uses multiple charts, tables and graphs to break down all of the factors that lead to the recent victories of Joe Biden, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. It also outlines the party’s strategy heading into the 2022 elections, from registering new voters and energizing voters of color.
The Republican report, which was released earlier this month, begins with a message from former President Trump endorsing chairman David Shafer for re-election. While it did not provide any specific details or reasons for their recent losses, the memo said that the party was unable to overcome an electoral system that they say was “rendered defenseless by foolish legal settlements.” The full document can be read here.
Embattled Newton County coroner resigns
In February, I told you about a metro Atlanta coroner who was facing backlash for her conduct on the job. This week, she announced her resignation.
Investigations from Atlanta TV stations revealed that Newton County’s new coroner, Dorothea Bailey-Butts, refused to transport bodies, disrespected mourning families and interfered with crime scenes, among other disturbing allegations.
In her resignation statement, Bailey-Butts reiterated her claim that the county was setting her up for failure. She also made accusations of racism, saying that people within county government were “intimidated” by her knowledge and experience. “I didn’t fail the people who trusted me, the system failed me,” she said.
A judge will now appoint an interim coroner until a special election can be held.
Congratulations, Adrienne and Kirkland!
I would like to send a big congratulations to Georgia Democratic Party recruitment vice chair Adrienne White and Gwinnett County Commissioner Kirkland Carden! The two welcomed a baby boy at 8:22 AM ET on Thursday morning. I send my warmest wishes to Adrienne and Kirkland as they welcome their new Georgia peach! If he’s anything like his new mom and dad, I think it’s safe to say he’ll be out on the campaign trail before we know it!
