Georgia Today: Democrat flips state House district; Biz owners face health insurance sticker shock

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, the Georgia State Election Board rejects proposed new rules for paper ballots. A Democrat flips a Republican state House district in Georgia, and some small business owners face sticker shock on their health insurance plans. 

David Sgrignoli: Honey, you're not gonna believe this. The cheapest plant I found was just south of $15,000 for the premium alone. 

Peter Biello: Today is Wednesday, Dec. 10. I'm Peter Biello, and this is Georgia Today. 

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Georgia Power and staff for the Georgia Public Service Commission have reached a tentative agreement aimed at quelling anxiety about rising power bills and paving the way for more big data centers in the state. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more. 

Grant Blankenship: Georgia Power wants nearly 70% more ability to make electricity; most of this would be carbon-emitting. But PSC staff have said that if we're in a data center bubble, household customers could be left paying billions of dollars for unneeded power plants. The agreement between PSC staff and Georgia Power would give the utility what it wants in return for spending half a billion dollars in projected data center revenue to cut the average power bill by at least $100 a year. That cut would be guaranteed. More revenue would mean a bigger cut. PSC Electric Unit Director Robert Choke:

Robert Choke: Georgia Power is assuming financial risk through 2031, providing a significant buffer for ratepayers. 

Grant Blankenship: The PSC will vote on Georgia Power's request on the 19th of December. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon. 

Caption

Health insurance

Credit: Stock photo

Story 2:

Peter Biello: A Democrat-sponsored bill to extend expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits is expected to fail in the U.S. Senate this week. The partisan deadlock over health care comes as small business owners experience sticker shock over rising prices for coverage premiums. GPB's Orlando Montoya spoke with several Georgia entrepreneurs about their experiences with health care costs going into 2026.

Orlando Montoya: At a fitness center in Sandy Springs, north of Atlanta, about a half dozen people lift kettlebells and squat at a high-energy morning training session. This was Kendra Fuentes' dream: to open a business that brings people together on a shared path to self-improvement.

Kendra Fuentes: Everyone's at different points in their fitness journey, but here they're all in a room doing the same workout together, cheering, coaching. 

Orlando Montoya: She and her mother have run this ISI elite training location since 2024. Like many new business owners, she didn't pay herself during her venture's first year, so she qualified for federally subsidized coverage under Georgia Pathways. That's Georgia's Medicaid alternative for low-income workers. She says while her business is growing, she still qualifies for Georgia Pathways. And generally, the lower your income, the more your health insurance is going to be covered by federal subsidies. 

Kendra Fuentes: I'm just gonna stay with the same plan that I have from the previous year, but I'm all — I'm always gonna do the lowest plan because I don't ever — thank gosh, like I'm pretty healthy, I don't have any prescriptions. 

Orlando Montoya: Problems start when you earn a little bit more. 

Molly Dickinson: This is my office slash also our guest room. 

Orlando Montoya: Molly Dickinson and her husband David Sgrignoli of Atlanta are a pair of self-employed work-at-home consultants. She in brand strategy and he in health care leadership coaching. Despite Sgrignoli's proximity to the health care industry, he says he and Molly still were taken aback by the premium increases as they searched for 2026 coverage under Georgia Access, the state's year-old alternative to the federal marketplace. 

David Sgrignoli: And I came back to the kitchen table here with Molly and said, "Honey, you're not gonna believe this. The cheapest plant I found was just south of $15,000 for the premium alone."

Orlando Montoya: That's about $1,200 a month, up from about $700 a month they're paying now, before deductibles and without kids. Dickinson sees skyrocketing health insurance premiums as part of a larger problem. 

Molly Dickinson: Which is that the economy is becoming harder for all of us to — to work and to succeed within. 

Gina Palmer: And how are we cutting it?

Orlando Montoya: At a hair salon in Atlanta called She Salon, just south of downtown, women wait for shampoos, trims, color, and styling on a bright and busy weekday. Business owner Gina Palmer has been cutting hair for 30 years. 

Gina Palmer: If I cut it dry, then I'm gonna mess up the waves up front. Right? So if I cut it...

Orlando Montoya: She seems to know her clients like old friends, and she says she doesn't want to pass along her higher costs to them. She knows her coverage under Georgia Access will cost more next year. She's trying to figure out exactly how much more. So how will she budget for that? 

Gina Palmer: I'm not trying to work more. But I have to do what I have to do. So that looks like working more. That may look like cutting my marketing budget. 

Orlando Montoya: She says she might consider scaling back on a weekly cleaning service, a social marketing guru, or a business coach. 

Gina Palmer: Those are the first things that are gonna go. If it's my health care "or," you know. 

Orlando Montoya: So if she doesn't cut, she'll have to cut. The deadline to apply for 2026 ACA coverage beginning on Jan. 1 is Dec. 15. For GPB News, I'm Orlando Montoya. 

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Democrat Eric Gisler is claiming victory in a Republican state House district. Gisler narrowly led Republican Matt Guest in unofficial returns from a special election after voting ended Tuesday. Republicans still control the Georgia House, but their majority falls to 99 to 81. Gisler's win is part of a series of Democratic successes this year, reflecting voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump. Democrats romped to two blowout victories in statewide special elections for the Georgia Public Service Commission in November. Gisler won a district in the Athens area northeast of Atlanta. The seat became open after the Republican incumbent resigned to focus on his business interests. 

Story 4:

Peter Biello: Georgia's State Election Board has rejected a new rule defining when hand-marked paper ballots should be used instead of touchscreen voting machines. The effort failed on a 2-2 vote today. Proponents argue the current machines violate the law by not allowing voters to read their ballots and denying voters' privacy. Opponents say the rule would have overstepped the board's authority and usurped the role of lawmakers. Critics also say it could have bypassed state law, requiring ballot marking devices and led to widespread use of paper ballots. The board plans to lobby lawmakers to address concerns. 

Story 5:

Peter Biello: State senators looking into the impacts of social media and artificial intelligence on children say they'll file bipartisan legislation to regulate tech use in schools. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports. 

Sarah Kallis: Senators on the committee say they will recommend extending the state's cellphone ban to high school students, limiting the use of AI in schools, and extending privacy laws surrounding AI chatbots. State Sen. Ed Setzler says the regulations would help parents. 

Ed Seltzer: The best we have among us feel powerless in the face of the conditions that exist today in our culture. To do nothing about that, to turn a blind eye to that, is to be derelict in our duties. 

Sarah Kallis: Senators can introduce legislation in January at the start of the legislative session. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis at the state Capitol. 

Story 6:

Peter Biello: A planned life sciences research park is moving forward in metro Atlanta's Gwinnett County. The Rowan Convergence Center is expected to unite innovators in a range of fields, spurring jobs and scientific discovery. Yesterday, the Rowan Foundation announced a construction partner for its first building, expected to be complete by 2027. 

Story 7:

Peter Biello: A Georgia high school football coach is stepping down in the wake of an on-field brawl that led to penalties against his team. The Glynn County School System announced the resignation of Brunswick High School head coach Garrett Grady yesterday. School officials and Grady did not mention the Nov. 21 incident in their statements, although they apologized for it in prior statements. The wild, viral fight led to suspensions for dozens of players, as well as a fine and a playoff ban against Brunswick — sanctions the school has appealed. Grady led Brunswick to three regional championships and four consecutive state playoff berths in four seasons, with an overall 36-10 record at the helm.

That's a wrap on Georgia Today. Thank you so much for listening and thanks for supporting GPB especially during this season of giving. If you'd like to make a contribution, you can do it at GPB.org. That's also where you should check out the latest news stories: GPB.org/news. You'll also find updates to any of the stories you heard on the podcast today. And don't forget to subscribe to this podcast because we will be back in your podcast feed tomorrow afternoon with all the latest news from Georgia. Your feedback is welcome by email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We will see you tomorrow. 

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