Stay ahead of the curve as a political insider with deep policy analysis, daily briefings and policy-shaping tools.
Request a Demo
ATHENS, Ga. — The advance team of the Stacey Abrams campaign knows how to whip up a crowd. Doling out “Students for Stacey” signs to a diverse group of University of Georgia students and onlookers assembling in downtown Athens, her purple-clad staff ushered them to gather around a blocked-off spot in the middle of the street, to await the arrival of Abrams on her tour bus.
Abrams press secretary Jaylen Black, a proud University of Georgia (UGA) grad, led the crowd in a rousing series of chants, ending with a refrain of “Let’s get it done!” and invited a few students to grab the mic.
Watching from the sidewalk was Tamaine Jordan, a 43-year-old lifelong Athens resident who works in community outreach for Clarke County Public Schools. Describing himself as politically independent — though Republican-leaning of late, he said he was undecided about his vote for governor and had come to the rally because he wanted to hear what Abrams had to say face to face and not on TV, especially on the issues of homelessness and improving wages for people in Georgia.
Jordan, who is Black, said he’s been “a constituent” of Gov. Brian Kemp, a fellow Athens native, for years. He said he got to know Kemp casually while serving him as a waiter and bartender at the 76-year-old, members-only Athens Country Club. Jordan said he appreciates Kemp’s moves to “put us back to work right after COVID, which really helped to sustain the Georgia economy.”
The purple-wrapped bus (Abrams’ signature color) arrived and Abrams stepped off, joining an entourage that included Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz.
Secretary of State candidate Bee Nguyen spoke ominously about voter suppression in Georgia, pointing to SB 202, also known as the Election Integrity Act of 2021. “They do not want us to vote!” she warned.
After hearing from other female candidates on the ballot next week, Abrams took the mic. She spoke with fiery passion about her agenda as the next governor of Georgia, including plans to divvy up the $6.6 billion fiscal year 2022 surplus to expand Medicaid coverage to an additional half million Georgians, which she said would also create 64,000 new jobs in the state. She promised to spend more on housing and public education. And she criticized Kemp’s support of the concealed carry gun law he signed this year.
“What if we didn’t have to be worried about gun violence taking our families and ruining our communities? What if we had the right to control our bodies as women?” she asked. “We deserve a governor who sees us, who serves us, who will help us to be our best selves!”
A week later, Jordan said he was impressed by what he saw and heard at the Athens rally.
“It was electrifying,” he said. “Those women came with excitement. When they got off the bus and waved their hands, it was like, ‘Wow!’ And then they grabbed the mic and spoke with power. It really did it for me. Being an African-American male raised by an African-American woman, I see the power in the minority — and with all of them working together, I think they could change the perspective of Georgia and America, and really make a difference.”
Jordan said he liked the solutions offered by Abrams on health care and affordable housing. “And she reminded me it was Kemp who reduced the regulations on gun licensing and purchasing. That doesn’t sit well with me. We have so much crime here. Just this weekend three young men under 20-years-old were shot here in Athens. I’d like to see some new leadership with a different perspective come in and shake things up.”
Asked about his current choice for governor, he replied, “Well, let’s just say I’m a strong, strong, strong Stacey Abrams supporter now.”
Stacey and the Fellas and the Gender Gap
That undecided voter conversion outcome might just be the dream scenario for the Abrams campaign, which is working hard to connect with Black voters, particularly Black men.
Abrams has made a point of declaring that she can’t win without the Black male vote.
“If Black men vote for me, I will win Georgia,” she said during an event at a restaurant in Kennesaw this past August. The gathering, hosted by popular radio DJ Frank Ski, was one of her “Stacey and the Fellas” campaign events held this year, aimed at helping her connect with Black men.
But current polling numbers paint a bleak picture for her ambitions. Abrams has lost traction in the polls since August, when she was trailing Kemp by 3.5 points. Now she’s behind Kemp by 7 points (51% to 44%) in the latest Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC)/UGA poll released this week, and losing by almost 8 points in recent two-week polling averages tracked by Real Clear Politics.
The Black male voters she’s pursuing traditionally represent the second largest and most faithful voter block, behind Black women, for Democratic candidates in Georgia. In voter surveys and exit polls, Abrams consistently places lower with Black men than with Black women.
Bloomberg noted that when Abrams lost to Kemp in 2018 by 55,000 votes, “exit polls found that 97% of Black women had voted for Abrams, compared with 88% of Black men. That nine-point gender gap represented 120,000 votes.”
More recently, in a September 2022 AJC/UGA poll, 79% of Black respondents said they planned to vote for Abrams, including 82% of Black women and 74% of Black men, prompting concern that she was losing support from Black men.
Her campaign staff argued at the time that the AJC poll skews Republican.. In the latest October AJC/UGA poll, where Kemp won 51% of all likely voters, 50 percent of respondents in the poll identified as GOP voters, 41 percent as Democrats, and 9 percent as Independents.
Overall, 87% of Black voters supported Abrams in the October poll, an 8 percent increase since September.
“The Black vote is going to continue coalescing around Abrams, including Black men,” says Trey Hood, a professor of political science at UGA who conducts the AJC poll. “Black support for Democratic candidates will be 90 to 95 percent, as it has been for the last several decades. It will be big news if there’s a divergence from that pattern.”
His UGA colleague Charles Bullock, a professor of political science, notes that closing the gender gap is a challenge for any female candidate.
“It’s a gap that you find between men and women voters within all ethnic groups. Women are more likely to be Democratic than men; that’s part of it. The other part in the governor’s race is that some Black men are pleased with what Kemp has been able to do with the economy. Our unemployment — currently less than 3 percent — that probably translates into better pay. “
But Abrams’ biggest challenge is that she’s running against an incumbent, says Bullock. “Four years ago it was an open seat. And now Kemp’s got a record and there are elements of his record that are broadly popular.”
Bullock notes that Republicans and many business owners “are glad that Kemp opened up the state very quickly after COVID closed things down. Lots of people are very happy to get those [tax] refund checks. He has bragging rights on the Hyundai and Rivian [automotive] plants that have come to Georgia, bringing new jobs. And he connects the dots and says, ‘It’s because I’ve created such a positive environment for business.’ A lot of things that have happened on his watch that he takes credit for have won him some independent voters, and he’s even picking up some Democratic voters.”
Count Sultan Karim among them.
The 48-year-old barber says his shop in East Lake would have likely gone under if not for Kemp’s decision to reopen the state for business early on in the pandemic.
While he voted for Abrams in 2018, he says Kemp “has done a good job with the economy.
“And he ain’t scared to get out of the car with Trump, with that voter fraud fiasco. He’s showing me that he’s a shrewd politician. Why would I vote for Stacey — just because she looks like me? If she walked in right now, I’d kiss her on the face — but Kemp has shown me he’s a good governor.”
Karim added, “I see voting as a quid pro quo. If I vote, I should get something. Kemp did me a solid two years ago. So he’s already paid. If and when I vote, I’ll return the favor.”
Pursuing New and Unlikely Voters
Abrams campaign staff says its strategy has been to expand the electorate overall, in part by pursuing younger voters and people of color and reengaging inactive voters. That includes taking aim at the 400,000 of the state’s 1.2 million registered Black male voters who have opted out of voting in the past five election cycles.
The Georgia electorate is certainly bigger and more diverse since Abrams ran four years ago. Since 2018, 1.6 million new voters have registered to vote in Georgia, and they now represent 20 percent of the total 7.7 million registered voters in the state, according to data from the AJC. People of color, voters under the age of 35 and urban voters number among the demographic groups that have shown the largest increases. Those voter groups tend to favor Democrats.
Not surprisingly, Abrams scoffs at the polls showing her losing to Kemp by a seemingly insurmountable margin, calling them a “snapshot” of voters that doesn’t capture the changes in the electorate.
Bullock says Abrams “can take some solace when looking at the polling, which shows her down 6, 8, 10 points and saying, ‘Well, what they’re doing is polling likely voters, and what I’m trying to do is to get unlikely voters to the polls, and they’re not being tapped.’ And it’s true,” Bullock said. “Who they’re polling now are individuals who voted in the primary or in the last election cycle. So if she’s succeeding at getting some of these new voters in Georgia, these 1 million-plus folks who have signed up to vote since 2020, maybe she can overcome the gap that we see.”
On the Road Again
In the closing weeks of her campaign, Abrams has embarked on a bus tour all over Georgia, holding rallies in urban and rural areas. Besides the slate of women Democrats who often flank her at these events, which also includes attorney general candidate Jen Jordan, she’s enlisted the support of some high-wattage stars.
Actors Kerry Washington and Lin Manuel-Miranda appeared with her and revved up supporters to vote early at events in Stone Mountain and Atlanta, where rapper and actor Common joined Democratic canvassers to knock on doors. Abrams popped on stage briefly with hip hop stars Lizzo and Latto to say, “I’m not gonna interrupt your fun. I just want to remind you that if you believe in my body, my choice, I need your vote, I need your big energy.”
Abrams did a short rap during a live taping of the “Questlove Supreme” podcast in Atlanta, followed by a serious discussion with musician Questlove about police misconduct, generational poverty and Kemp’s role in disenfranchising Black voters. Questlove called Abrams “the human being I credit for holding our democracy in place.”
Abrams also had a cozy virtual confab with media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who oozed support of her candidacy during their split-screen conversation.
Abrams said, if she is not elected, “Our children will continue to go to underfunded schools where transgender children have been banned from playing with their friends. We will have divisive laws that say that you have to lie to your children about their history. The members of the LGBTQ community will not have protection.” She told Oprah that Kemp “has proven he doesn’t care, and he won’t help,” and if elected “will attack our freedoms, especially if you’re a woman.”
Winfrey asked rhetorically, “What can we do to help? And the biggest answer is, you vote, because too much is at stake not to.”
Earlier that day, Abrams spoke to a group of mostly Black supporters at a barbecue joint in a working class neighborhood of College Park. In addition to laying out her sweeping platform of Medicaid expansion, subsidizing affordable housing, repealing the six-week abortion ban, and investing in public schools, she vowed to be “the Maynard Jackson of Georgia,” doling out pieces of state contracts to small business owners and people of color, whom she said currently get only 1.5 percent of such contracts. She also pledged to make technical college tuition free, to provide paid apprenticeship opportunities for college students, and to create a $10 million small business investment fund. Many heads nodded in approval, and joined Abrams in her closing call-and-response routine: “More Money! More Opportunity! More Freedom!”
Her messaging lands well at her rallies, but Abrams is encountering some interference from both expected and unlikely sources.
Kemp and his supporters routinely call her “Celebrity Stacey” and try to link her to currently unpopular President Joe Biden (who has a 37% approval rating in conservative-leaning Georgia), high inflation rates, and “liberal Hollywood elites,” as with this campaign ad featuring the image of Abrams as President of Earth from her cameo in a recent “Star Trek: Discovery” episode.
After her appearance with Winfrey, Kemp spokesperson Tate Mitchell said, “While Stacey Abrams continues to solicit the help of out-of-state billionaires, Gov. Kemp will continue to talk to hardworking Georgians about his record of economic success and plan to build a safer, stronger Georgia.”
Atlanta’s conservative Black radio host Shelley Wynter regularly retweets Kemp’s messages and digs at Abrams. Recently he has faulted Abrams for telling CNN she would not defund the police, but “reallocate resources from the police departments into community resources,” which he says “is the same thing.” Meanwhile, Abrams has also said she would raise the salaries of some law enforcement officers and expand mental health training for officers if elected.
And then there’s pop icon Killer Mike.
The blunt-talking Atlanta rap star and activist was famously Democratic Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottom’s go-to peace maker in 2020, the day after George Floyd’s murder at the knee of Minneapolis police set off angry protests, looting and destruction in Atlanta and nationwide. On live TV, he urged people to go home and “plot, plan, strategize and mobilize” to “beat up the politicians you don’t like” in the next election.
Some feel that Killer Mike, whose real name is Michael Render, is now beating up on Abrams. Last month, he appeared on Comedy Central’s “Helluva Week with Charlemagne the God” show and praised Kemp for attending a gathering of conservative Black businessmen in Atlanta. His advice to Abrams: “Whatever white person you got running your Black outreach, fire them … You need to go everywhere Brian Kemp just went, because what Kemp just did was have an effective week with Black people.”
While Killer Mike has since insisted on Twitter that he’s “making no public endorsements” and will keep his voting preferences private, his rhetoric of late has infuriated many Black people and progressive Democrats.
That includes Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown, whose Atlanta-based organization is working to engage and mobilize Black voters in Georgia and all over the South.
“What Killer Mike has been saying is damaging and misleading,” says Brown. “He framed in some way that Brian Kemp is stronger than Stacey Abrams on economic issues by connecting him with Black business. Well, where was Brian Kemp for the last four years when he could have gotten contracts for Black businesses? Although the state is 30 percent African-American, why is it that under his watch Black businesses only received one percent of state contracts?” Brown also observes that sexism is at play in Abrams’ failure to win over some Black male voters.
“Are there some Black men who may have issues with her because she’s a woman? Absolutely. Sexism is historically present in our community and even more so in the white community. We saw this with Hillary [Clinton]. I always say that racism is nonpartisan, and sexism is nonracist, so it’s across the board. And as a Black woman, Stacey has to navigate across racism and sexism.”
Reading the Turnout Tea Leaves
Last summer, Kemp announced plans to return $2 billion of Georgia’s $6.6 billion fiscal year 2022 surplus in the form of tax rebates to Georgia residents and to help local governments reduce homeowners' property taxes. Abrams pledged to invest $1 billion in tax rebates and to invest the rest in infrastructure and an array of services.
Abrams received high praise for her plans from perhaps the most popular Black man in America last Friday when former President Barack Obama appeared with Abrams, incumbent U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock and other top Democratic candidates before 7,000 excited Atlantans at a rally inside a College Park convention center.
“What Stacey Abrams is obsessed with … is making sure every Georgian has an opportunity to get ahead,” said Obama. “She’s investing Georgia’s surplus in the fundamentals: Good schools, a higher standard of living, more affordable health care and housing. That’s her agenda.”
Early voting numbers, by mail-in ballot and in-person voting, have continued to break records on an almost daily basis since voting started Oct. 14. As of Nov. 2, some 2.1 million people in Georgia had voted, a turnout 25% higher than at this time last year. Black voters currently represent 29.1% of votes cast, a percentage almost equal to their share of registered voters in the state.
Operatives of all political parties are picking apart the early voter data to predict success or failure for their candidates and opponents.
UGA’s pollster and political scientist Hood cautions against this, as “it’s not really reliable data to project from.
“We typically know that Democrats and African-Americans like to vote early and in person. Republicans tend to vote more often on election day. So we won’t really know where things stand until election day,” said Hood, adding that a more reliable metric might be the 30/30 rule.“If overall turnout is 30 percent Black, and a Democrat can get 30 percent of the White vote, then a Democrat has a good chance of winning,” he says.
Want to participate in the conversation? Share your thoughts on social media:
Twitter @STATEAFFAIRSGA
Facebook @STATEAFFAIRSUS
LinkedIn @STATE AFFAIRS
Contact Jill Jordan Sieder at [email protected] or on Twitter @JOURNALISTAJILL.
Read this story for free.
Create AccountRead this story for free
Create your free account or login to continue reading.
By submitting your information, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy.
Latest Stories
Republican-drawn congressional map passes Senate committee
State lawmakers are days away from a judge-imposed Dec. 8 deadline to create new electoral maps for the Georgia General Assembly and U.S. Congress, also known as redistricting.
Our senior investigative reporters, Tammy Joyner and Jill Jordan Sieder, have been giving special attention to the special legislative session at the Capitol. Joyner is following the Senate proceedings, while Sieder is following the House proceedings. They are your eyes and ears during the session, which means you will find a variety of stories and live updates on what’s happening inside and even outside of the Capitol.
We’d love to hear from you — our readers. If there’s something you would like us to report on during the special session or just have a question about what’s going on, shoot us an email at [email protected].
Here are some of the highlights of Monday’s session.
Quote(s) of the day:
“Don’t act in this body based on the way people treat you, act in this body because it’s right, it’s just, it’s wise. Do what’s right because it’s the right thing to do.”
— The Rev. George Dillard, pastor of Peachtree City Christian Church, speaking to the Georgia Senate.
“Isn’t it true that the only good thing that ever came from Alabama is I-20?”
— Majority Leader Sen. Steve Gooch, during the point of personal privilege portion of the Senate session in response to Sen. Shawn Still’s “roll tide” utterance in the well. (“Roll tide” is a University of Alabama phrase used to rally Crimson Tides fans.)
Biggest thing that happened today:
Gov. Brian Kemp, backed by House and Senate members, announced plans to introduce a bill in the upcoming legislative session to accelerate tax cuts for Georgia taxpayers, to the tune of an estimated savings to their individual income tax of $1.1 billion.
The Senate Reapportionment & Redistricting Committee approved by a vote of 7-4 the “Proposed Congressional Districts of Georgia” map that was released Friday afternoon. The committee also approved the House’s Republican drawn maps by a vote of 7-4.
Interesting observation inside the Capitol:
The 33rd Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony featuring the Atlanta Boy Choir and the Atlanta Boy Choir Alumni Choir. The 25-foot red cedar tree was donated by the Roy family of Ringgold.
Happening while lawmakers are in session:
Lots of school children touring the Capitol, including the Marietta Center for Advanced Academics.
What’s for lunch?
Visitors to the Capitol — and there were many on Monday due to the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony — were treated to complimentary red and green sprinkle Christmas cookies and bottles of water.
If any senators missed lunch, they had a giant bag of Georgia peanuts waiting for them on their chamber desk for the afternoon session, compliments of Sen. Russ Goodman, R-Cogdell.
— Tammy Joyner
Quote(s) of the day:
“There is no way to create a brand new district or two new districts and not make changes to other districts that surround it. … Creating a new district is like dropping a rock on a still pond, and the ripples go out.”
– Rep. Rob Leverett, R-Elberton, House redistricting committee chair, responding to a question from Rep. Sandra Scott, D-Rex, about why the Senate map was “changed drastically.”
“The one thing we’re missing is the thousands and thousands of lives that have been lost on all fronts, Jewish and Palestinian … This resolution needs to be a call for peace, a call that condemns the terror but also the unilateral killing of civilians on all sides.”
– Rep. Spencer Frye, D-Athens, on HR 4EX, condemning Hamas terrorism and expressing support for the Jewish people, which passed after an hour of debate on the House floor.
Biggest thing that happened today
The House Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee voted 9-4 to approve the Senate redistricting plan passed by the Senate last week. Earlier, the committee released its proposed electoral map for the U.S. House in Congress. Public comment on the map will occur tomorrow, and can be made online here.
Interesting observation inside the Capitol:
After the Atlanta Boys Choir performed, Lane Howard spoke on behalf of Clark’s Christmas Kids and her husband, radio and tv personality Clark Howard, who she said was being prepped for heart surgery. This year the charity is collecting gifts for about 12,000 Georgia children in foster care, both online and at Walmart stores across the state.
Gov. Brian Kemp said he was not surprised that Howard’s heart needed a bit of repair, “since he works that heart hard” in his effort to bring joy to foster children.
Happening while lawmakers are in session:
Among the groups of school kids visiting today were students from the Wesleyan School in Peachtree Corners, who proposed a series of new laws to their district representative, Rep. Scott Hilton, while gathered in the balcony of the House. Many of their proposals would allow children to drive before age 16.
What’s for lunch?
Tables with bags of holiday snack mixes of Chex cereal, pretzels, nuts and M&Ms were available to Capitol visitors.
— Jill Jordan Sieder
[email protected]
In case you missed it, here’s what you need to know about the special legislative session.
In case you missed it, here’s what you need to know about the special legislative session.
- What is a special session of the Georgia Legislature, and why is it happening?
- Legislators schedule special assembly to address redistricting, but will they make headway?
- Say what? Terms you may hear during the special session
Subscribe to State Affairs so you will have unlimited access to all of our stories.
We’d love to hear from you. If there’s something you would like us to report on during the special session or just have a question about what’s going on, shoot us an email at [email protected].
Despite opposition, both chambers pass their proposed redistricting maps
It’s crunch time for state lawmakers tasked with meeting a Dec. 8 deadline for creating new electoral maps for the Georgia General Assembly and U.S. Congress, also known as redistricting.
Our senior investigative reporters, Tammy Joyner and Jill Jordan Sieder, were covering the special legislative session at the Capitol this week. Joyner is following the Senate proceedings, while Sieder is following the House proceedings. They will be your eyes and ears during the eight-day session, which means you will find a variety of stories and live updates on what’s happening inside and even outside of the Capitol. The special session will resume on Monday. And so will we.
We’d love to hear from you — our readers. If there’s something you would like us to report on during the special session or just have a question about what’s going on, shoot us an email at [email protected].
Here are some of the highlights of Friday’s session.
In and about the Senate
Quote(s) of the day:
“In the maps being drawn by the Republican majority, 80% of the Black voters on the map who are being redistricted come from outside these new growth areas where there are large and growing Black populations. And yet the court specifically identified disenfranchisement areas within the order. Eighty percent of Black voters are being shuffled around. This is like the Republicans’ mother scolded them and said, ‘Clean your room.’ And instead of doing that, they hung up a couple of shirts and left all of the dirty underwear all over the floor.”
— Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, said of the proposed map change
“It hurts my feelings. I get defensive because I feel like I’m essentially being called a racist for supporting a map that is compliant with racial numbers the judge wants.”
— Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, who gave an eloquent history of redistricting in Georgia
Biggest thing that happened today:
The Congressional map proposed by the state Senate for the U.S. House was quietly released Friday afternoon to little fanfare after both chambers’ sessions had adjourned. Next week’s session will clearly focus on that map.
Meanwhile, after more than four hours of debate, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1 EX by a vote of 32-23. The bill is the proposed revised district map, which drew lots of opposition from voting rights groups and Democrats who say the map still dilutes Black voting power and violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Lots of partisan volleying back and forth. Democrats accused the Senate Committee on Reapportionment and Redistricting of not allowing enough time for people to speak about the map. Republicans held firm that the map meets U.S. District Judge Steve Jones’ order.
After the Senate map’s passage, the Senate Redistricting Committee met briefly to hear public comment on House Bill 1 EX — the House’s proposed district map, which also passed the House on Friday. No action was taken.
Interesting observation inside the Capitol:
A group of children, babies in strollers and their parents with South Cobb Homeschool filed through the Capitol.
Happening while lawmakers are in session:
A group of health care professionals greeted lawmakers and visitors as they entered the Capitol with signs urging safe storage of firearms. They handed out information that noted 4.6 million children live in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm. They mentioned HB 161, hoping that bill will see some movement when the Legislature reconvenes on Jan. 8.
What’s for lunch?
There was no official break for lunch. Some senators worked through lunch, grabbing snacks from the nearby mini cafe off the side of the chamber.
— Tammy Joyner
In and about the House
Quote(s) of the day:
“This map is an undemocratic, un-American, blatant exercise of partisan gerrymandering that harms the freedom of Georgians to elect their candidates of choice … Unfortunately it seems that we are repeating the mistakes of our dark past under Republican control of the Georgia Legislature.”
— Minority Whip Sam Park, D-Lawrenceville, on the proposed state House map
“I had to take a test to vote … I understand why voting matters … and as an attorney, I understand that when a judge tells you to do something in an order, you comply. He said to create five majority-Black districts — not opportunity districts or coalition districts or crossover districts. Chairman [Rob] Leverett’s map complies with everything the judge required.”
— Rep. Soo Hong, R-Lawrenceville, Gov. Kemp’s floor leader
Biggest thing that happened today:
The state House voted 101 to 78 along party lines to pass the proposed House electoral map crafted by Republican leadership, over the intense objections of Democrats, who said the map violates the Voting Rights Act by breaking up two minority opportunity districts and unnecessarily eliminating or vastly changing Democratic districts.
Minority Leader James Beverly, D-Macon, said the GOP maps “failed to remedy the wrong directed toward our African-American electorate that was disenfranchised” by the maps enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2021. He was also frustrated by the earlier decision of House redistricting committee chair Rob Leverett, R-Elberton, to bar a Democratic amendment that would have presented an alternate map for the committee to consider. The amended plan would have decoupled six incumbent Democrats and two incumbent Republicans who were paired in the same districts in the GOP plan.
Leverett said he could not find a way to comply with the court order to create five majority-Black districts without creating some incumbent pairings, noting, “we did not inflict political casualty solely on the opposing party — we took some damage ourselves.”
Interesting observation inside the Capitol:
Facility staff put the finishing touches on holiday decorations inside the Capitol, including putting the star on the giant Christmas tree in the rotunda, which will be decorated with much fanfare on Monday.
Happening while lawmakers are in session:
The Christmas decorating wasn’t limited to inside the corridors of the Statehouse. Facility staff were also sprucing up the outside with Christmas cheer, too.
What’s for lunch?
Some House members enjoyed pizza, and this intrepid reporter had what is certain to be her first — and last — Hot Pocket.
— Jill Jordan Sieder
In case you missed it, here’s what you need to know about the special legislative session.
Subscribe to State Affairs so you will have unlimited access to all of our stories.
We’d love to hear from you. If there’s something you would like us to report on during the special session or just have a question about what’s going on, shoot us an email at [email protected].
On the ground: Day 2 of the Georgia special legislative session
It’s crunch time for state lawmakers tasked with meeting a Dec. 8 deadline for creating new electoral maps for the Georgia General Assembly and U.S. Congress, also known as redistricting.
Our senior investigative reporters, Tammy Joyner and Jill Jordan Sieder, are at the state Capitol for the special legislative session. Joyner is following the Senate proceedings, while Sieder is following the House proceedings. They will be your eyes and ears during the eight-day session, which means you will find a variety of stories and live updates on what’s happening inside and even outside of the Capitol.
We’d love to hear from you — our readers. If there’s something you would like us to report on during the special session or just have a question about what’s going on, shoot us an email at [email protected].
Here are some of the highlights of Thursday’s session.
Quote(s) of the day:
“Don’t take life for granted.”
— Sen. Rick Williams receives a standing ovation from his peers after conveying his ordeal getting medical help in his rural community following a Nov. 3 heart attack.
“Do the right thing here, people, it’s not that hard.”
— Community organizer Michelle Sanchez
Biggest thing that happened today:
After some heated exchange, the Senate Reapportionment & Redistricting Committee approved its proposed map, rejecting the Democrats’ plan. The 7-5 vote fell along racial and party lines, with the committee’s five Black members voting in favor of the Democratic-drawn map. Sen. Gloria Butler, who presented the Democratic plan to the committee, expressed concern about the way the process was handled regarding the two maps. The map now goes to the Senate floor.
“Yesterday [when the Republican plan was presented], the committee didn’t ask questions. Today, the committee members got to ask questions. All of the public did not get an opportunity to express themselves but they did yesterday. So in my view, that’s two processes. We need to be consistent,” said Butler.
Interesting observation inside the Capitol:
Senators arrived for the afternoon session to find two books wrapped in a bow at their chamber desk. One book was photos of the lawmakers during the 2023 session. The other book was “Unlimited” by Benny Tate. The books are an early holiday gift from Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, president of the Senate. Tate is senior pastor of Rock Springs Church in Milner, where Jones attends services.
Happening while lawmakers are in session:
Unlike Wednesday’s opening session when community activists, school children and other visitors swelled the hallways of the Capitol, Thursday’s special legislative session was rather low-key.
What’s for lunch?
Senators had a catered lunch of chicken and steak fajitas from On the Border.
— Tammy Joyner
Quote(s) of the day:
“The truth of the matter is that we have delivered a map that we’re sure complies with the judge’s order. Y’all have not. There is a remedy. If we were to look at the area south and west of Atlanta, there’s one representative that you’re trying to save, but that one representative that you save is going to cost us all in the end. If you accept our map, then one representative may be eliminated. That’s the will of the voters. If you don’t accept our map and the judge has to do a special master, then every last one of us, 180 of us, are in jeopardy. Y’all have some big decisions to make.”
— House Minority Leader James Beverly
Biggest thing that happened today:
In the House Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee meeting, Republican members rejected an alternate House district plan proposed by Democrats and the committee voted 9 – 5 along partisan lines to approve the Republican chair’s plan already submitted.
House Minority Leader James Beverly, D-Macon, and civil rights attorney Bryan Sells presented the Democrats’ proposed plan. Sells said it cures a problem in the Republicans’ plan, which “unravels or dismantles two protected coalition districts” with majority minority voters, which he said would likely cause a federal judge to find the plan in violation of the Voting Rights Act.
Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, who has served in the Legislature for 25 years, told the redistricting committee she was shocked to learn her House District 82 in Dekalb County has been redrawn in a way that tears apart a growing coalition district of diverse minority communities. She called the changes a “glaring violation” of voting rights law that Judge Jones is likely to take issue with, and offered to help GOP lawmakers to remedy the plan.
Interesting observation inside the Capitol:
During their morning session House members watched a 120-second time-lapse video of the renovation work performed inside the Capitol over the summer and fall, which included painting virtually all the walls, columns and balconies in the building. After watching the blur of scaffolding, ladders and workers transform several spaces, members applauded all of the workers responsible for the transformation.
Happening while lawmakers are in session:
There was nothing of note happening outside the Capitol today.
What’s for lunch?
Members of the House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee enjoyed Jersey Mike subs today, including roast beef, turkey, Italian and club sandwiches.
— Jill Jordan Sieder
Our stories explaining what’s behind the special legislative session:
- What is a special session of the Georgia Legislature, and why is it happening?
- Legislators schedule special assembly to address redistricting, but will they make headway?
- Say what? Terms you may hear during the special session
Subscribe to State Affairs so you will have unlimited access to all of our stories.
Georgia lawmakers push for repeal of law determining where medical facilities are built
A study committee of Georgia senators took a decisive step Tuesday toward ending a longstanding and contentious law that regulates how and where new medical facilities are located in the state.
The committee’s decision centers on the 44-year-old Certificate of Need law. It was created to control health care costs and cut down on duplication of services and unnecessary expansions. It determines when, where and if hospitals need to be built. Opponents have said the law prevents competition and enables big hospitals to have a monopoly, often shutting out small and private medical outlets.
On Tuesday, the Senate Study Committee on Certificate of Need Reform effectively said the law needs to be repealed. The committee approved, in a 6-2 vote, nine recommendations.
“Based upon the testimony, research presented, and information received, the Study Committee on Certificate of Need Reform has found that the problem Georgia’s CON law was intended to combat no longer exists,” the report said.
However, the head of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals said Tuesday that repealing the law would be a bad idea.
“It would have a devastating financial impact on hospitals and the quality and access to health care,” Monty Veazey, the alliance’s chief executive, told State Affairs.
Veazey said he has not seen the recommendations yet but his organization has sent its own set of recommendations to the senate and house study committees.
“We believe that the certificate of need really does need some modernization and we look forward to working with the committee to work through those recommendations and see if we can reach a compromise position during the upcoming legislative session,” Veazey said. “We still want to see what the House committee recommends before moving forward.”
Here’s what the senate study committee recommends, according to a draft:
- Repeal CON requirements for obstetrics services, neonatal intensive care, birth centers and all services related to maternal and neonatal care across Georgia.
- End requirements for hospital-based CON on Jan. 1, 2025.
- Reform CON laws to eliminate CON review for new and expanded inpatient psychiatric services and beds that serve Medicaid patients and the uninsured.
- Repeal all cost expenditure triggers for CON.
- All medical and surgery specialties should be considered a single specialty, including cardiology and general surgery.
- Multi-specialty centers should be allowed, particularly in rural areas.
- Remove CON for hospital bed expansion.
- Revise freestanding emergency department requirements such that they must be within 35 miles of an affiliated hospital.
- Remove CON for research centers.
The committee will present its recommendations to the Georgia General Assembly when it reconvenes in January.
Have questions? Contact Tammy Joyner on X @lvjoyner or at [email protected].
And subscribe to State Affairs so you do not miss an update.
X @StateAffairsGA
Facebook @StateAffairsGA
Instagram @StateAffairsGA
LinkedIn @StateAffairs