Tuesday on Political Rewind: Voting rights advocates remain concerned Republican legislators are angling to use Georgia’s new voting law to take over operation of Fulton County elections. However, critics of past chaos in the county’s elections say change is needed. Meanwhile, as cases of COVID-19 propelled by the dangerous delta variant spread in the state, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson has once again issued a mask mandate for the city.
Monday on Political Rewind, we are joined by New York Times and internationally bestselling author Karin Slaughter. Her newest novel, False Witness, incorporates many timely issues into its narrative. Published in 120 countries with more than 40 million copies sold across the globe, Slaughter’s novels include Cop Town and Pretty Girls, The Good Daughter, and Pieces of Her.
Friday on Political Rewind: Vaccination rates in Georgia remain stubbornly low, even as the coronavirus is establishing a foothold again across the country. Hospitalizations are up in the state too, with the vast majority of patients being unvaccinated. What role are misinformation and partisan politics playing in the continuing spread of the virus? And how is this affecting other national topics, such as immigration? Our panel weighs in.
Plus, all five candidates for mayor of Atlanta took aim at what they say is a destructive campaign to create a new city of Buckhead.
A new law passed by the Georgia General Assembly last session creates a pathway to early felony probation termination that, advocates say, will ease individuals reentry back into daily life and give a voice to many previously disenfranchised.
From lawsuits to legislation to lingering false claims of fraud in 2020, Georgia occupies a central role in the national conversation about voting rights and elections.
Thursday on Political Rewind: Speaker of the House David Ralston has unveiled a sweeping $75 million proposal to confront escalating crime, especially in metro Atlanta. The plan includes bonuses for local law enforcement officers and an increase in funding for law enforcement agencies — as well as for an expansion of mental health services. Democratic House members said they’ll work with Ralston on his plan even as they recognize it’s part of a GOP effort to use crime-fighting as a wedge issue in the 2022 election cycle.
Meanwhile, the guessing game over the possibility of a big-name Republican emerging to challenge U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock continues this week, and the effect of COVID on U.S. life expectancy is discussed.
Wednesday on Political Rewind: We all know that the pandemic has had a profound impact on our buying habits — from how we shop for groceries to the services we use to stream new movies at home; from the sticker shock that awaits us as we shop for a new (or even used) car to the soaring price of houses.
The travel industry is only now coming back to life. But can you feel safe booking a cruise? Flights are full again, but do you want to fly on an airplane with every seat filled?
House Speaker David Ralston is proposing a $75 million package for law enforcement and mental health in the 2022 state budget.
The proposed funding includes a one-time $1,000 bonus for law enforcement and $7 million for crisis beds, distributed through the Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability.
Tuesday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp says he’ll ask the General Assembly to pass laws to fight crime during a special session of the legislature later this year. The session’s primary mission will be to redraw political maps based on new census data. But Kemp has the power to add measures to combat violent crime, especially in Atlanta, to the agenda.
Plus, we look at the outcome of the U.S. Senate field hearing examining Georgia’s new voting law.
Monday on Political Rewind: Sen. Amy Klobuchar is in Atlanta today to hold a field hearing on the impact of Georgia’s new election law on voters of color. It’s unlikely that any Republicans on the committee will attend the hearing, which Klobuchar hopes will shine a spotlight on the need to pass a federal voting rights act.
Meanwhile, Georgia Republicans are doing a bit of counterprogramming today. At the same time of the Klobuchar event, GOP House leaders are holding a committee hearing to look at rising violent crime in Atlanta. And Gov. Brian Kemp has scheduled a conference call with reporters to defend the new election law.
Friday on Political Rewind: Debates about access to health care have been a dominant theme in politics here in Georgia and across the country for decades. Author Elinor Cleghorn presents us with a new and deeply troubling look at health care and medical treatment. In her new book, Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World, she tells the harrowing story of how medicine has failed women throughout history.
Democrat-turned-Republican gubernatorial candidate Vernon Jones is hoping a wave of pro-Trump unhappiness with incumbent Brian Kemp will propel him to victory in 2022's primary.
Thursday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia legislators will face a happy problem as they begin determining how to spend state revenues over the next year. Despite the pandemic, Georgia tax collections reached a record $3.2 billion in the recently ended fiscal year.
In Georgia, students are showing up to public redistricting meetings and voicing their concerns about how politicians and mapmakers draw political lines in the future.
