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E-Team on crime (Credit: BRITTNEY PHAN for State Affairs)
Editor’s note: This is the fourth and final installment looking at key election issues through the lens of 10 Georgians heading into next week’s midterm election. This story is Part II of this week’s two-parter highlighting what the focus group has to say about crime. Part 1 is here. The opinions expressed in this series are that of the participants and do not reflect the position of this news outlet. Subscribe at STATEAFFAIRS.COM to read all of our election coverage.
Crime occurs once every 2 minutes and 47 seconds in Georgia, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s 2021 Crime Statistics Summary Report, the latest data available.
Depending on where you live in the state, that stat may be familiar or foreign to you. In any case, crime is a top concern for Georgians — up there with inflation and abortion.
State Affairs’ Election Team members weighed in this week about crime, how it’s changing communities, how it can be solved, and which candidates do and don’t have the right message and mettle to deal with rising crime.
Here’s what five members of the E-Team had to say.

James Flanagan, 39, Conservative, veteran and veterans’ advocate, married with two children, lives in Peachtree Corners.
How concerned are you about crime in your community?
Being a family man, I am very much a law and order guy. When we first moved to Atlantic Station four years ago, it was a great environment for families. And then three years ago there was a steep rise in crime, to the point where I didn’t feel it was even safe for my wife to take our baby out for a walk. That’s just unacceptable. Once I was running in the morning and a bunch of kids jumped out of a car, tried to grab my cell phone as I was running. There were a number of break-ins in the apartment we were living in, people breaking into cars and gunshots at night. So it was an environment that turned pretty sour pretty quickly after we moved in there. And it just wasn’t a good place for my wife or my child, and we had to get out of there.
So we voted with our feet and we moved to Peachtree Corners, where the environment is much more family-friendly. But I’m very aware that there are a number of people in Atlanta who just don’t have the resources to move. I have some friends who are still there who say they are running into the same issues. It’s a shame, because there are some nice stores and restaurants there. And it’s one of those things where it feels beyond the quality of life. If you can’t feel safe, you can’t think about anything else.
I feel like we have a lot of opportunity in Atlanta and other parts of our state to do a better job of combating crime.
How does/did the issue of crime factor into your voting decisions in the upcoming midterm election?
Crime has a big impact for me. I firmly believe one of the few roles that government has is keeping citizens safe, and that means combating crime on a daily basis. People have a right to feel safe in their homes and their communities. I think Governor Kemp has done a pretty solid job in this area. I know that he’s given raises to law enforcement to help with recruiting. He’s also created an anti-gang unit in our GBI which is important for a number of reasons. One is that we have a big human trafficking problem in Georgia and we need to do a good job with prosecuting the bad guys and helping the victims. So yeah, the issue of crime is a big factor in how I vote. It’s important for me when it comes to our races for local government and for the state house and senate. With crime, probably the biggest impact you can have as a voter is on a local level.

Ellis Davis, 19, political science major at Valdosta State College, Republican, hometown St. Mary’s, in coastal Georgia.
How concerned are you about crime in your community?
In St. Mary’s there’s not a whole lot of crime. We’ll get a few drug busts off the interstate just because I-95 runs through our county, and a lot of people that are transporting drugs come through, and sometimes they get caught here.
Now in Valdosta there is significantly more crime. You hear gunshots every two weeks. I’ve had friends robbed outside of the Waffle House here. All the gunshots, that was kind of a culture shock to me. I’d never really heard that in my hometown. Now I can see why people want no cash bail. The Georgia Republican Party has been sending out mailers saying that Warnock wants no cash bail and is soft on crime and they’re labeling it a get out of jail free card.
Crime is a huge problem in the state. That’s why they’re talking about creating Buckhead City. It’s a huge problem in Atlanta. I don’t go to Atlanta often mainly because of all the traffic, unless I’m traveling. But people in south Georgia think Atlanta and Macon have very bad crime. Some of my friends go to Mercer [University] and they say the crime there is horrible and they’re thinking about transferring to other schools.
How does /did the issue of crime factor into your voting decisions in the upcoming midterm election?
I’m definitely not going to vote for anyone who I think is soft on crime. Jen Jordan, who’s running for attorney general, said she wouldn’t enforce certain crimes — she believes the heartbeat bill [making abortion illegal after six weeks] is unconstitutional. As the chief prosecutor in the state, she is supposed to enforce the laws, not make the laws, so that troubles me.
Kemp has the support of law enforcement, and he’s seen as tough on crime and smart on crime.
I really don’t like Stacey Abrams’ comments about the 107 sheriffs. To say that 107 sheriffs want to get Black people off the streets, that’s not the case and no sheriff wants to be represented that way. I would like to think that the sheriff is the most popular elected official in every county. I know in my county — Camden County, Jim Proctor is probably one of the most popular people. He’s one of the greatest and kindest men I’ve ever met. There used to be a lot of fraud in our sheriff’s office. And Sheriff Proctor did a good job of cleaning that up. So the fact that she said that about my sheriff in my hometown, I was offended by that. He’s not trying to get Black people off the streets. We’re a military town. We have all kinds of people who come in from all over the country and from foreign military bases and we treat everyone who comes in with respect, and the sheriff does, too. Anybody that’s in those 107 counties probably took offense to that. It makes her look soft on crime. She seems to be attacking law enforcement. I haven’t heard Warnock say those kinds of things.
Now this does fall back on the Republicans a little bit. Herschel Walker has kind of exaggerated some of the things he’s done with law enforcement, and that doesn’t make him look the friendliest to law enforcement.
Overall, I think Republicans seem tougher on crime, they’re endorsed by more sheriffs and that will help a lot come [election day].

Art Gallegos, 48, Republican, community organizer with Latinos Conservative Organization; married, 5 children, lives in Gainesville, second generation Mexican-American.
How concerned are you about crime in your community?
Gainesville is a huge hub for fentanyl use and drug-related crimes. We have lots of people overdosing in our hospitals. There are a lot of other drugs coming to our city. People are fed up with it and trying to deal with it. I know families who’ve had members pass away due to fentanyl, and are dealing with family members who have been exposed to these types of drugs. So we need to get a handle on it.
In Gainesville city, we need a lot more police officers. Our police department is heavily recruiting and hiring. I hear they’re only at like 70 percent capacity. So that tells me they’re trying to recruit and make it diverse but not a lot of people are applying. And some people get hired and trained and then leave for other counties offering better incentives.
Statewide, unfortunately there are counties like Cobb and Fulton where they do have a lot of crime, and the Democrats are not supporting funding to hire more officers. Who wouldn’t want security in their schools, businesses and community? And it gets too political. There are misconceptions about police. If one cop is bad — it’s like anything. You’ll never find a perfect pastor, a perfect church. And you’ll never find a perfect police officer or chief.
How does/did the issue of crime factor into your voting decisions in the upcoming midterm election?
Crime is probably my second most important issue after the economy. I’ll vote for people who are pro-security, pro-law enforcement, who want to protect our schools, our communities. Gainesville public schools have just hired 10 or 15 officers to be stationed in every school. That’s what we need. And I’m glad our city has taken that measure for our schools. We need to do more officer recruitment for the whole city.
Herschel Walker is very pro law enforcement. I know they say he isn’t part of it. But if you research what he’s said about law enforcement, he’s very supportive. I look at what a candidate has done, what have they said, what have they voted for and against, if they’ve been in office.

Casey Villarreal, 38, Conservative, mother of three children, lives in Cartersville.
How concerned are you about crime in your community?
It’s not a huge concern. We have a pretty safe area that we live in here in Cartersville, which as a small town doesn’t have a lot of crime, which we take as a huge blessing.
Looking at our state, [we] definitely have had crime on the rise in some of our populated cities. We saw a lot of crime break out … two years ago in Atlanta. And that is a concern for me. We have a right to protest here in America, but it should be done peacefully. So that part, just being able to be respectful when voicing our opinions, and staying within the confines of the law.
How does the issue of crime factor into your voting decisions in the upcoming midterm election?
The economy and inflation continue to be the most important issues for me. And fortunately, crime doesn’t affect my family that much. But I do want candidates who are supportive of law enforcement and who value our first responders. They put their life on the line for us.
I can say Kemp has been a good supporter of law enforcement.

Marion Butler, 76, retired since 2008 from a 34-year career as a developmental disabilities caretaker; lives in Cuthbert; single, widowed, lifelong Democrat.
How concerned are you about crime in your community?
I’m very concerned. We’ve got a lot of guys standing under the street light, not working, not doing anything. A lot of young adults who say they can’t find a job — we do have high unemployment here in Randolph County. That contributes to a lot of crime — people breaking into homes and cars. I don’t hear about robberies and violent crime here. We do have some fighting.
Now in Albany, where we visit a lot to shop, the crime is more serious. They have a lot of gun violence and violent crimes involving weapons. I also think those young people need a job or something better to do.
How does/did the issue of crime factor into your voting decisions in the upcoming midterm election?
I’ve seen where all of the guns are laid out when they arrest some people. I think we need to have better control over these guns. We need to be able to check your background and see if you’ve committed crimes before you get to buy a gun. If you’re already a criminal you shouldn’t be allowed to purchase a weapon.
And the police need more money. We need to hire and train more police to protect people and keep the community safe. I mean, their lives are on the line. They need to be paid more.
Want to participate in the conversation? Share your thoughts on social media:
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Contact Jill Jordan Sieder at [email protected] or on Twitter @journalistajill.
Catch-up with our E-Team:
STATE AFFAIRS SELECTS 10 GEORGIANS FOR ELECTION TEAM FOCUS GROUP
GEORGIA VOTES: INFLATION REMAINS TOP OF MIND FOR GEORGIANS
GEORGIA VOTES: INFLATION REMAINS TOP OF MIND FOR GEORGIANS (PT. 2)
ELECTION FOCUS GROUP: ON HEALTH CARE COSTS, MEDICAID EXPANSION AND ABORTION RIGHTS (PT.1)
ELECTION FOCUS GROUP: ON HEALTH CARE COSTS, MEDICAID EXPANSION AND ABORTION RIGHTS (PT. 2)
ELECTION FOCUS GROUP (PT. 1): DEMOCRACY FACES CHALLENGES, BUT OPTIMISM REMAINS STRONG
ELECTION FOCUS GROUP (PT. 2): DEMOCRACY FACES CHALLENGES, BUT OPTIMISM REMAINS STRONG
Concerns over crime critical in midterms for Election Focus Group (Pt. 1)
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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].
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