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Celebration, challenges mark Georgia’s post-Roe world
Anti-abortion activists celebrate after the Supreme Court issued its opinion on Dobbs v. JWHO. The opinion reverses the federal right to abortion decided in Roe v. Wade, allowing each state to set its own laws. (Credit: Allison Bailey/NurPhoto via AP)
Editor’s note: This is the second story in a series looking at the lack of health care in areas of rural Georgia and how providers and lawmakers are dealing with the issue. Read the first story here.
Abortions in Georgia have fallen by nearly half in the past year, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. And abortions after six weeks of pregnancy essentially don’t exist, DPH data shows.
That’s good news for people like Cole Muzio, whose organization, Frontline Policy Council, is hosting an event to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that overturned a half-century-old law giving women the constitutional right to an abortion. That decision now belongs to the states.
Overturning Roe v. Wade also cleared the path for Georgia where abortions now are banned once a heartbeat is detected, generally at about six weeks of pregnancy.
“We’re ecstatic,” Muzio, Frontline’s president, told State Affairs. “Based on the studies we've seen, about 20,000 lives will be saved in Georgia this year because of the Dobbs decision [which led to the overturn of Roe v. Wade] and the implementation of the Georgia Heartbeat law.”
The number of abortions may be down but that doesn’t tell the full story of what’s happening in post-Roe Georgia, especially in the rural parts of the state.
Abortion restrictions have only exacerbated existing health care challenges for women in rural Georgia.
Nine Georgia counties don’t have a doctor and 18 counties have no family medicine physician. More than half of the state’s counties —82 — don't have an OB-GYN and 65 don’t have pediatricians.
Dr. Curtrina Strozier, an OB-GYN in Columbus who has been practicing in rural south Georgia for a decade, doesn’t do abortions. But she said that over the last year, she has sent about two dozen patients with unwanted pregnancies out of state because they were more than six weeks pregnant. Many of them couldn’t afford to leave the state, she said.
“In order to even meet certain criteria for medical termination, people have to go through very stringent processes,” Strozier said, adding that abortion clinics in most states need to know how far along a woman is in her pregnancy. So they often require an ultrasound, and some clinics won’t do that until they “see a baby fetal pole [one of the first stages of an embryo’s development], which by the time you see that you may see a heart flicker.”
A 2019 study by University of California-San Francisco researchers concluded that women denied an abortion were more likely than women who received an abortion to experience yearslong economic hardship and insecurity. The study also found laws that restrict access to abortion may result in worsened economic outcomes for women.
One troubling post-Roe development: More women appear to be turning to medications to induce abortions.
While surgical abortions are down, instances of women using medications to induce an abortion is up nearly 20% since Georgia’s abortion law took effect last July, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
“It’s created a huge dilemma,” Strozier said. “People have been exposed to abortion pills yet it doesn’t terminate, and now they've had a drug exposure. Now they have a heartbeat of a baby that may have had a lethal or potentially harmful drug exposure early in the pregnancy. Now they're legally obligated to continue that pregnancy with the drug exposure. We don’t know what the long-term effect is going to be on that baby.”
Through it all, Strozier said she’s encouraged by state lawmakers’ decision to extend postpartum coverage for Medicaid recipients to a year. Nearly half of the births in Georgia — roughly 58,000 — were financed by Medicaid in 2020, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Dr. Keisha Callins, an OB-GYN who practices in Jones and Twiggs counties, said, “We're one of only a few states that have made that adjustment which is excellent.”
The extension enables postpartum women to get mental health services, “which is important because mental health-related issues are now the No. 1 cause of maternal mortality,” Callins said, citing a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study.
Mental health services are spotty in many rural communities in Georgia and across America. More than 60% of nonmetropolitan counties lack a psychiatrist, and almost half of nonmetropolitan counties do not have a psychologist, compared with 27% and 19% of urban counties, respectively, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Roughly 60% of the patients Callins sees are uninsured. Her focus is working with women before they get pregnant. She talks with them about contraception and provides resources and information where they can get help.
In the last year, a lot of women have found they have more options than abortion, according to Claire Bartlett, executive director of Georgia Life Alliance.
“A lot of women discover pregnancy resource centers, which are wonderful organizations throughout the state,” Bartlett said. “Two main reasons for abortion are financial insecurity and support. Pregnancy resource centers offer both of those. The centers provide prenatal care and have other medical services.”
State lawmakers also passed a law earlier this year that extends some welfare benefits to pregnant women.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s abortion law is being challenged in the Georgia Supreme Court. Last November, a Fulton County Superior Court judge threw out the state law, allowing abortions after six weeks. Shortly after, the state Supreme Court said the law would stand while it's being challenged. The Supreme Court has not issued a ruling yet.
To date, 13 states — eight of which are in the south — now completely ban abortion, leaving large regions of the country without abortion care and leading to increased wait times at clinics in states where abortion remains legal, according to Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy nonprofit.
Some states also have banned helping a young person travel to other states to get a legal abortion, Guttmacher noted.
“The status of abortion rights in many states is dismal and complex legal questions continue to create chaos and confusion,” the institute notes.
Callins sees it this way: “Abortion here is really the smoke. The fire is access to health care for women. Everybody should have that.”
RESOURCES
- Peace for Moms: Connects Georgia health care professionals with psychiatrists who specialize in perinatal mental health.
- Local health departments: Each of Georgia’s 159 counties has one. Find yours here.
- Georgia has 35 Federally-Qualified Health Centers. Find them here.
Have questions, comments or tips? Contact Tammy Joyner on Twitter @lvjoyner or at [email protected].
Twitter @StateAffairsGA
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A conversation with GBI Director Chris Hosey
If anyone knows the inner workings of Georgia’s top law enforcement agency, it’s Chris Hosey.
In his 36 years with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia native has worked under five GBI directors and held every sworn supervisor rank in the bureau’s investigative division.
On Aug. 1, he assumed the helm of the 86-year-old bureau, succeeding Michael Register who returned to Cobb County where he is public safety director. Hosey is the third director of the bureau in the last four years. Register’s predecessor, Vic Reynolds, was appointed by the governor to be Superior Court judge in Cobb County.
Hosey takes on a bureau with a staff of about 850 and a budget that topped $147 million in FY 2023. The bureau has investigated 65 officer-involved shootings since January, according to its latest monthly statistical report released this month.
State Affairs spoke with Hosey about his nearly four-decade tenure with the bureau, his plans for moving the agency forward, the case of the headless goats, and Will Trent, television’s quirky, fictional GBI special agent.
The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Q. What inspired you to go into law enforcement?
A. While I was in college, I had the opportunity to meet GBI agents and learn about the agency a little bit. I liked the professionalism that I saw in the agents that I met. I liked the fact that it was a statewide agency. And I had the ability to travel throughout the state to investigate crime and that sort of thing.
I don’t mean this to sound bad but violent crime interested me. Just the ability to investigate and solve a complex situation intrigued me.
Q. You’re a career GBI employee. What unique attributes do you bring to the bureau?
A. Knowledge of the agency. There was still a learning curve obviously going into the director position. But I think I brought a lot of knowledge of the agency and the operations of the agency from just being around it for 36 years. I’ve served in literally every capacity the GBI has, beginning in the investigative division and then as deputy director over investigations. DirectorRegister made me assistant director last year. So I got a lot of exposure to what the director does, prior to his leaving.
Q. You’ve been with the GBI a long time, what do you love about the job?
A. I enjoy the work. I enjoy the people. I enjoy the partnerships in working with our state partners, our sheriff’s office, our local partners in our sheriff’s office and police departments. I’m just big on relationships like that because I don’t believe one agency can do the job by itself. It takes everybody working together with a common goal in mind, set egos aside and work together and get the job done.
When you find yourself a part of a great team, that makes you not want to leave. It makes you want to stay. It makes you want to see that team develop. It makes you want to see new players come, watch them grow and be successful as well.
Q. The GBI has had three directors in the last four years? Has that created disruption within the organization and its goals?
A. As I’ve said before, the success of this agency doesn’t depend on who’s sitting in the director’s chair. It’s dependent upon the men and women that are out there doing the job everyday. The director provides guidance, oversight, sets goals, whatever. Every one of the directors I’ve worked for were … very, very good leaders. Very good vision for the agency. They did great jobs.
Q. How does your leadership style differ from your predecessor?
A. I don’t know that there’s a lot of difference. One thing that I recognized when he came was, in a lot of ways, we were a lot alike in our leadership styles. We believe there’s a mission out there. We set our goals and we give our people within the agency the ability to do their job, and we support them in that. He taught me a great deal in the time that he was here. He exposed me to a lot.
I think one thing important about leadership is … once you get in a leadership position, it is not about you anymore, it’s about taking care of your people.
Q. What are the biggest challenges facing the bureau?
A. We have to make sure that we’re staying current with the times. The world is changing around us as a law enforcement agency; we’ve got to change with it. That involves technology, additional resources, equipment, personnel, whatever the case may be. We’ve got to be forward thinkers. We’ve got to be dealing with a day in front of us, but we’ve also got to be looking down the road trying to predict what could change next that we can be ready for and prepared for and not trying to catch up.
There’s a lot that doesn’t change in investigations. There’s the traditional investigation, talking to people, collecting evidence, whether it be physical or testimonial evidence. I believe we should always be at the top tier of doing that. But with today’s times, with the technologies out there for something as simple as cell phones we’ve got to be able to ensure that we are utilizing current technology that can assist us and complement the traditional investigative tasks that we have done for years.
Q. What will be your top priority going forward?
A. We’ve got to continue to address violent crime and gang activity across the state. We’re continuing to look at ways we can advance in that. But again, that’s an area GBI will not fix by itself. We rely heavily on those partnerships around the state as we do in every investigation that we work.
My focus is on the agency and providing the resources, manpower, and the leadership that it needs. We’re an agency that has always adapted regardless of all of the instances that have come up. We have always found a way to adapt and get the job done.
Q. What budget and policy requests will you make for the upcoming amended FY 2024 and FY 2025 budget?
A. We’re still working through that right now. We’ve not finalized anything, budget wise. I’m looking at what our needs are coming from the division directors and how that can best support the agency over the next year or the following year.
Q. Are you expecting any policy or legislative changes with regard to the GBI during the 2024 session?
A. No, hopefully. Not to my knowledge.
Q. Senate Bill 11, which enables the GBI to investigate all acts of terrorism, passed during the last session. This bill opens the door for the GBIto pursue alleged crimes that local law enforcement agencies have deemed not worth their time. Are there some cases you’d like the GBI to pursue?
A. Not that I can think of right now. We take them as they come. If they’re worthy of an investigation, then we’re going to pursue that.
Q. SB 44, which is intended to limit gang activity, appears to have some unintended consequences. Apparently, critics believe more people could face prison sentences if they miss a court date or, for example, if they get stopped for something like a broken tail light. Thoughts?
A. In general, I think we have very good gang laws in this state. It’s not hard to work across the state and realize that there are concerns when it comes to gang activity. There’s a nexus between human trafficking and gang activity at times; it just depends on where in the state you want to look. The fact that we’re seeing evidence of gangs attempting to recruit 11 year olds, 12 year olds is very uncomfortable to see and hear about. I believe we have good gang laws. I believe we’re pursuing it in the right way. And at the end of the day it’s to make Georgia safer.
Q. Have you personally sat down with gang members or alleged gang members?
A. Years back I have.
Q. Would you consider doing that again going forward?
A. Yeah, absolutely.
Q. The GBI is investigating a case involving headless goats that have been dumped in the Chattahoochee River over a number of years now. Has any progress or arrests been made in that case?
A. I’d have to go back and check on that. I’m not really familiar with the incidents.
Q. Georgia’s ban on abortion after six weeks, or the first detection of a heartbeat, took effect last year. Have you had a case where an individual had violated Georgia’s abortion law? If so, did you arrest that person?
A. I’m not familiar with any. But just like any other law that is set forth for us to enforce, if we had the need to investigate one, we will. I’m not familiar with any we’re working on right now.
Q. Aside from becoming head of the bureau, what’s your biggest accomplishment at the GBI?
A. Probably them allowing me to stay here 36 years.
Q. What’s your biggest disappointment?
A. I don’t know that I’ve had a big disappointment. There’s things that have come up through 36 years that bothered me. But you know, I live under the adage that this too shall pass.
Q. Have you seen the [ABC Friday night television show] Will Trent. It’s about a GBI special agent. Do you have a Will Trent on staff and more importantly do you recognize the TV version of the GBI?
A. I watched it the first night [it came on] and I wasn’t real sure. Then I continued to watch it. It’s entertainment. I mean, it’s Hollywood. You know, Will Trent is depicted as an excellent investigator and from that standpoint I got 300-something of him. I enjoy watching it.
I actually went to an out-of-state conference in the spring of this year. When they handed me my name tag, my name was on one side and [the name] Will Trent was on the other side. They knew I was from Georgia and that show was out. I was getting ragged about that a little bit.
Want to get a glimpse of what the GBI does? Take a look at its monthly statistical reports here.
The Christopher E. Hosey Files
Title: Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Age: 59
Hometown: Newnan
Current residence: Thomaston
Education: Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Georgia Southwestern State University and a Masters in Public Administration from Columbus State University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Class 247.
Career path: Narcotics agent, local violators squad, 1987-89; special agent, Region 5 in Statesboro, 1989-90; special agent, Region 2, Thomaston/Greenville, 1990-2001; assistant special agent in charge, Region 2, Greenville, 2001-05; assistant special agent in charge, West Georgia Drug Task Force/West Metro RDEO, 2005-08; special agent in charge, Region 5, Statesboro, 2008-09; special agent in charge, Savannah RDEO, 2009-12; inspector, headquarters, investigative division, 2012-20; deputy director of investigations, HQ, investigative division, 2020-22; GBI assistant director, 2022-23.
Family: Married 34 years to Powell; two daughters.
Hobbies: “I go to the gym. I’ve been doing that for years. I enjoy golf. Working in the yard. I like woodworking. I just haven’t had time to do much of that here lately.”
If you weren’t in the field of law what would you be doing? “The first thing that popped in my mind was probably something in the medical field. I went to school for EMS [Emergency Medical Services]. The GBI actually sent me to school for that for our tactical team. Once I completed it, I actually went to work part-time with an ambulance service at home. And I did that up till last year. Then things just got so busy. I didn’t have time to do it anymore but I enjoyed it. I still have the uniforms. I still intend on going back and doing it some more when I can, when things settle in.”
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Putting long lines in the rearview: driver services continues technology update
The Gist
The days of standing in long lines to get or renew a driver’s license may soon be in the rearview mirror for good.
Over the next month, Georgia drivers will continue to see significant updates in services as the Georgia Department of Driver Services continues its push to modernize through state-of-the-art technology and to cut back on long wait times caused by a shortage of workers and backlogs due to Covid-19.
What’s Happening
The department will roll out about 20 kiosks in its metro Atlanta offices where motorists can get or renew driver’s licenses, replace lost or stolen ones and record address changes. The rollout is a pilot program and will be extended to the rest of the state later, department spokesperson Susan Sports told State Affairs.
At the same time, the kiosks you use at Kroger and Publix to renew your car tags “are being updated and modified to add the driver’s license [renewal services] to them,” Sports said. Initially, those kiosks will renew licenses and ID cards. More services will be added later. The grocery store kiosks are run by the state Department of Revenue.
Driver services has also taken steps to make traveling easier for Georgians.
The department now allows Georgians to add their driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch, making check-in at airports quick, easy and secure. It is not intended as a replacement for a physical copy of your license or ID but it can speed up the process at TSA checkpoints. Android users will soon have a similar option, Sports said. Georgians meanwhile also have the option of renewing their driver’s license online.
Despite the online presence, some people still prefer to come into the office, Sports said. Now, they’ll have the option of using a self-serve kiosk rather than having to stand in a long line.
Why It Matters
The state is spending close to $2 million to add the kiosks and update services for Georgia drivers, an initiative driven by fewer department staff and greater demand for quicker services.
“The kiosks especially should help with the agency’s workforce issues,” DDS Commissioner Spencer R. Moore said. “If you have a self-service kiosk that is handling that renewal customer coming in, not having to take a break or a lunch or take vacation, it’s going to really offset some of those staffing challenges that we have.”
The new technology isn’t just for giving short-handed staff some help. It also is intended to head off a potential rise in wait times once a round of license expirations kicks in over the next two years, Sports said.
“Having a self-service kiosk option will save wait time for customers,” she said. “In turn, the driver examiners will be able to assist those customers that cannot be served in any way but in person. It will save customers time because if they use the kiosk, they do not have to fill out the required ‘application for service’ or take a ticket number for service as is required for all customers visiting in person.”
While as many as 45 Department of Motor Vehicle agencies in the United States were using some type of self-service kiosks in 2021, there is still a large number of government agencies that have not yet taken advantage of the technology, according to Kiosk Marketplace.
What’s Next?
Meanwhile in Georgia, the Department of Driver Services’ kiosks are currently wrapping up the test phase, Sports said, and should be rolling out over the next 30 days at the 65 DDS offices statewide and in grocery stores.
“That’s the wave of the future and our customers are on the go. They want more options,” said Sports. “In the old days, you’d go to the DDS and you would take a lounge chair and you’d take a book and you knew you were going to be there all day. So now … our service goal statewide is less than 30 minutes.”
Check out our TikTok summary:
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Header image: City of Warner Robins former Police Chief John Wagner poses with a Georgia driver’s license. (Credit: Georgia Department of Drivers Services)
Lawmakers plan another run at rent control legislation
The Gist ATLANTA — Skyrocketing rents and punitive fees by homeowners associations that place some Georgia residents at risk of losing their homes are among the targets of several housing-related bills that Sen. Donzella James, D-Atlanta, and other members of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus hope to revive in the next legislative session. Four such …
New Georgia law mandates active shooter drills in public schools
THE GIST ATLANTA — Georgia K-12 public schools have been conducting informal active shooter drills for years, just like they have for fire, tornadoes and other emergencies. But earlier this year, state lawmakers made the safety precaution against active shooters and other intruders mandatory. Gov. Brian Kemp signed The Safe Schools Act into law in …