Georgia Today: Dems rally in Cherokee; Cash bail lawsuit; Sea turtle nesting season begins

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, Democrats rally in one of Georgia's Republican strongholds, two incarcerated women sue the state over Georgia's cash bail law, and Coastal Georgia's sea turtle nesting season is officially underway.

Will Hicks: It's always exciting when we get a nest first in the season. You know, we live for this, we live for sea turtles.

Peter Biello: Today is Friday, May 2. I'm Peter Biello, and this is Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Two incarcerated women in Atlanta are suing the state of Georgia over its recently enacted cash bail law. The law, Senate Bill 63, added 30 crimes to the list requiring cash bail. More than half of those added are always or often misdemeanors. In their lawsuit, the women argue the law prevents judges from considering whether cash bail is actually needed to ensure that people accused of crimes appear in court or don't pose any public safety risk. Republicans who supported the measure have argued that people let out of jail without bail are less likely to show up for court, although national studies contradict that claim. Since the bill was proposed, advocates have warned it would hurt low-income people who are less likely to have the means to pay cash bail. The law was a reversal of the course lawmakers took in 2018 when criminal justice reform passed by then-Gov. Nathan Deal let judges release people accused of misdemeanors without bail. At the time, Deal said it would combat unnecessary incarceration, make sure kids grew up with parents in the home, and save taxpayer money.

Caption

Members of the Union of Southern Service workers were among the hundreds of workers gathered at the state capitol protesting for better rights on May 1, 2025.

Credit: Amanda Andrews / GPB News

Story 2:

Peter Biello: Hundreds of workers and union members from around Georgia gathered at the state Capitol yesterday, part of a nationwide campaign on May Day. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports.

Crowd: WE ARE THE WORKERS! MIGHTY, MIGHTY WORKERS!

Amanda Andrews: The rally began with a variety of speakers, from farm laborers to baristas to teachers, all stressing the importance of solidarity and workers' rights. Speaker Katie Getty represented the Union of Southern Service Workers. She says they're pushing back against the idea that all fast food workers are teenagers who don't need benefits.

Katie Getty: Teenagers cannot work at midnight when you're drunk and trying to come in to get a waffle to sober up. It's grown women. It's your grandmother still working. It's your aunts, your uncles. It's the people of this community.

Amanda Andrews: Amaya Ward is with the Teamsters Local 728. She says workers deserve every right and opportunity.

Amaya Ward: We will not be replaced by artificial intelligence, and we will not replaced by cheap labor, and we will not be stripped of our dignity. And come 2028, Teamsters will secure an even stronger contract.

Amanda Andrews: The rally concluded with a march with stops at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Office and City Hall. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Democrats say they're beginning to unite in an unlikely place: the Republican stronghold of Cherokee County. Hundreds of people showed up at a rally last night in the metro Atlanta county, including some Democratic state lawmakers. Nate Rich is chair of the Cherokee county Democrats.

Nate Rich: Historically, it's just been a game of like numbers — we were so small, that it was like a supper club. Very social in nature because it was just like survival so people don't feel alone because we're in a deep red rural community, right? That's really changed in like the last 16 months.

Peter Biello: The goal, he says, is to have more Democrats run in Cherokee County in next year's elections. District 11 is represented by Republican Barry Loudermilk.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: The Historic Savannah Foundation has released its first-ever Endangered Places List. GPB's Benjamin Payne reports it's part of an effort to raise awareness of properties in need of preservation.

Benjamin Payne: The inaugural list includes six properties: a historically Black cemetery, a defunct fire station, three houses in downtown Savannah, and Nicholson Borough Baptist Church. That church was founded by formerly enslaved people displaced from St. Catharines Island after the federal government's 40 acres and a mule policy was rescinded by President Andrew Johnson. Ellie Isaacs is director of preservation at the Historic Savannah Foundation. She says they modeled their program after the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's "Places in Peril" list.

Ellie Isaacs: We wanted something that was hyperlocal to Savannah and bring awareness to sites that may or may not, you know, may get to the state list.

Benjamin Payne: The Historic Savannah Foundation is accepting nominations online for its next Endangered Places list, expected to be released later this year. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: A Georgia pilot program aims to provide exams to people who are victims of strangulation. GPB's Sofi Gratas reports.

Sofi Gratas: Cases of abuse where someone is strangled are common, says forensic nurse Heather Williams. But less so are exams for these cases at shelters because nurse availability and reimbursement from the state is limited.

Heather Williams: We've got the cameras. We've the swabs. We have envelopes. It's minor supplies. The biggest line item would be to pay the nurse for her time.

Sofi Gratas: Now, funding organized by state Representative Karen Lupton through the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council will help seven centers, including in Gainesville, Vidalia, and Marietta to pay for these non-fatal strangulation exams through next year. With the funding comes better documentation to aid in prosecution and fill a data gap on these nonfatal cases. People strangled are far more likely to die from abuse. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas.

​​​​​​​Story 6:

Peter Biello: The Trump administration is calling off a federal grant that the Biden administration awarded to the city of Savannah for an energy efficiency program. The $1 million grant promised to serve households with energy efficiency needs and train more local electricians and HVAC technicians. The grant came from an environmental protection agency initiative that was aimed at disadvantaged communities and climate resilience.

​​​​​​​Story 7:

Peter Biello: A new law will memorialize a little-known chapter in Georgia history. The Original 33 Memorial Act honors the 33 Black legislators who were expelled by white lawmakers from the General Assembly during Reconstruction. At least 14 were lynched. Lawmakers now have authorized construction of a monument on the grounds of the state Capitol. Next steps include appointing members to the Memorial Committee.

​​​​​​​Story 8:

Peter Biello: University of Georgia officials broke ground today on a research farm next to the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. The 250-acre farm will serve as a hub for research, education, and sustainable farming practices. It'll use precision agriculture, robotics, and data analysis to increase productivity while conserving resources.

​​​​​​​Story 9:

Peter Biello: A Georgia Tech commencement speaker left graduating students with more than inspiring words today. Alumnus and tech entrepreneur Christopher Klaus promised to cover the incorporation costs for any graduate launching a startup.

Christopher Klaus: Every founder needs someone to believe in them early. Through this gift, we're offering that belief.

Peter Biello: Georgia Tech has spent years cultivating an entrepreneurial ecosystem around its campus in Midtown Atlanta. Klaus co-founded a company to connect students with mentors and funding to launch startups.

​​​​​​​Story 10:

Peter Biello: And finally, Coastal George's sea turtle nesting season is officially underway, as the first loggerhead nest of the year was found yesterday on Jekyll Island. Will Hicks is a conservation technician with the Jekyl Island Authority. He and a colleague were the lucky ones who spotted the nest while patrolling the beach on their utility terrain vehicle.

Will Hicks: We both got out of our UTV, literally jumped for joy. It's always exciting when we get a nest first in the season. You know, we live for this, we live for sea turtles.

Peter Biello: The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is forecasting a busier nesting season than last year when the endangered species laid around 2,500 nests in the state.

Peter Biello: And that's a wrap on a busy week of news. But thank you so much for tuning in. You can check GPB.org/news over the weekend for all of the latest headlines. And remember to subscribe to this podcast because we will be back in your feed on Monday afternoon. Your feedback powers this podcast and makes our work better. So please do send it our way. Email is the best way to reach us: GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Bello. Thanks again for listening and have a great weekend.

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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news