Monday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp signed multiple bills in the past several days, including legislation Friday forbidding local governments from making sharp reductions to their police department budgets.

The governor used hyper-partisan language in a statement following the signing. Kemp said the new law prevents Democratic officials from passing "radical" defunding measures that would endanger law enforcement officers.

House Bill 286 bars cities and municipalities from decreasing police budgets by more than 5 percent. The Republican-led bill was overwhelmingly opposed by Democrats. Critics say the legislation takes important budget decisions out of the hands of local leaders.

In other news, Atlanta’s mayoral election is just six months away and the race is still without a clear frontrunner. A number of prominent players are considering a jump into the race after incumbent Keisha Lance Bottoms’ surprise announcement she will not seek reelection. Who might we see jump into the race, and how does her decision change state governance in the weeks to come?

Further down the road, the panel discusses the possibility of a Herschel Walker run for Georgia office.

Panelists:

Dr. Karen Owen — Professor of Political Science, University of West Georgia

Dr. Alan Abramowitz — Professor of Political Science, Emory University

Tia Mitchell — Washington Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jim Galloway — Former Political Columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution