Political Rewind

Thursday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia legislators find themselves determining how to spend unexpected state revenues over the next year. Despite the pandemic, Georgia tax collections reached a record $3.2 billion in the recently ended fiscal year. How to best appropriate that surprising windfall will likely become a hot political issue in 2022's election campaigns.

Cases of COVID-19 are ticking upward in largely rural areas of Georgia where vaccination rates are lagging. What will it take to break down vaccine resistance that is widespread among Republicans particularly?

Also: Former President Donald Trump sent a new warning shot across the bow of Georgia Republicans who fail to pay him fealty. He declared he will not support any candidate who has not voiced support for lawsuits challenging the results of Georgia’s presidential election.

Panelists:

Kevin Riley — Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Rep. Debbie Buckner — State Representative (D-Junction City)

Mariela Romero — Community Empowerment Director, Univision

Heath Garrett — Republican Consultant

Wednesday on Political Rewind: In a fiery speech in Philadelphia, President Joe Biden reasserted his contention that Republican-backed election bills passed in Georgia and other states amounted to "Jim Crow 2.0."

He described the fight against the laws as the most significant test of American democracy since the civil war. But some Democrats are frustrated that Biden continues to oppose ending the senate filibuster, which republicans have used to block a new federal voting rights act.

Meanwhile, Texas Democratic legislators have blocked the GOP effort to pass a controversial election bill by fleeing to Washington and denying state House leaders the ability to pass legislation.

Plus, what appears to be an error in how a handful of Fulton County ballots were counted last fall is giving Trump supporters fuel for their insistence that the former president lost Georgia through fraud.

Also: A new report from the Brookings Institute sheds light on consequential demographic changes happening across America.

Panelists:

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

Margaret Coker — Editor-in-Chief, The Current

Greg Bluestein — Politics Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tuesday on Political Rewind: The first pitch in Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game is set to be thrown in Denver tonight instead of Cobb County as originally planned. Republicans have launched a blistering campaign blaming Democrats for the relocation.

MLB moved the game in response to the state's new election law, which league officials insist discriminates against minority voters. Gov. Brian Kemp is showcasing the move in his kickoff for reelection, calling it a damaging example of “cancel culture.”

Meanwhile, research by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and GPB News suggests that the limited availability of ballot drop boxes written into the new law may have a disproportionate impact on likely Democratic voters. Data reveals that in the 2020 election, far more absentee voters in metro Atlanta used drop boxes than in rural communities across the state.

Panelists:

Tamar Hallerman – Senior Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Stephen Fowler – Politics Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham – Mayor of East Point

Leo Smith – GOP Strategist and President, Engaged Futures Group

Monday on Political Rewind: The latest campaign financial reports in races across the state reveal once again the staggering sums of money that now are commonplace in political campaigns. And a new Georgia law opens the door for the state’s political leaders to rake in even more cash. We took a look at the latest fundraising reports and the powerful impact of money in politics with our panel.

But first: A GPB News joint report with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution crunched the numbers to see how many Georgians filed their absentee ballots in 2020 — a number that will be heavily affected by the new Georgia election law both codifying drop boxes and constraining their use.

Meanwhile, after releasing his first campaign ad late last week, Gov. Brian Kemp traveled to Perry, Ga., over the weekend to launch his bid for reelection in front of an enthusiastic crowd. While Kemp faces an initial primary challenge, he is already taking steady aim at his presumed opponent, prominent Democrat and former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.

Plus, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary at a party in Plains, Ga., on Saturday. The former president shared his recipe for a successful marriage.

Panelists:

Sam Olens — Former State Attorney General

Buddy Darden — Former U.S. Representative

Tia Mitchell — Washington Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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

Friday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp is launched his campaign for reelection recently. He starts the race with a formidable war chest but he continues to face criticism from former President Donald Trump and his allies. Is there a credible Republican primary challenge waiting in the wings?

And what kind of tone will Kemp seek to strike in his campaign? Does he have a chance at attracting crucial suburban votes?

Also: In the first court challenge of Georgia’s new election law, a federal judge has rejected a lawsuit seeking to block sections of the law from being enforced in two special legislative runoff elections.

However, the ruling may not be a foreshadowing of how courts will view other efforts to overturn the new law. In this case, the judge rejected the lawsuit on the basis that it was too late in the runoff cycle to change the rules.

Panelists:

Patricia Murphy — Politics Reporter and Columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Rep. Chuck Efstration — State Representative (R-Dacula)

Sen. Michelle Au — State Senator (D-Johns Creek)

Chuck Williams — Reporter, WRBL-TV Columbus

Thursday on Political Rewind: First lady Jill Biden is in Savannah today. Her visit is designed to encourage younger Georgians to become vaccinated against COVID-19. The Georgia Department of Public Health reports that only 6% of those between ages 12 and 15 have been fully vaccinated, even as the new school year approaches at the end of the summer break.

Compared to other states, overall rates of immunization remain low in Georgia. Only 39% of residents are fully vaccinated, according to health department data. Low vaccination rates continue to be a concern as epidemiologists consider how best to contain the virus. 

"This is really a pandemic of unvaccinated people," journalist Keren Landmen said. "The more spread we have among unvaccinated people — it's not just that there are consequences for [the unvaccinated], but there are also consequences for the virus. It gets more fit and more able to evade the defenses that vaccinated people have."

Overall, the pandemic’s grip on the state has loosened. New cases and hospitalizations have fallen to new lows, and deaths from the virus have become far more rare. As a result, Gov. Brian Kemp lifted the restrictions he had imposed more than a year ago.

But because Georgia remains in the lower tier of states for putting shots in arms, especially in rural areas, how should public health officials respond to this latest stage of the pandemic? And what are best practices for the public as current rates of infection, and vaccination, remain low?

Panelists:

Dr. Carlos del Rio — Executive Associate Dean, Emory School of Medicine and Grady Health System

Dr. Keren Landmen — Epidemiologist, Health Journalist

Andy Miller — Editor, Georgia Health News

Kevin Riley — Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Wednesday on Political Rewind: As Gov. Brian Kemp prepares to formally launch his bid for reelection later this week, his campaign sends a warning signal to those looking to challenge him. His campaign revealed the Republican had raised roughly $12 million so far this cycle for his bid for a second gubernatorial term, with $3.9 million in cash collected over the last three months.

For Republican challengers waiting in the wings to announce their bids, do Kemp's big fundraising numbers represent too formidable an obstacle?

And what about the yet-unknown Democratic challenger in the 2022 gubernatorial race? Stacey Abrams is expected to run for the seat, but she has not yet announced her campaign. If she is planning to campaign, what is the strategy behind waiting to make her run official?

Meanwhile, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report shows how black farmers were systemically denied funds as they struggled to keep their businesses alive.

Panelists:

Edward Lindsey — Republican Strategist

Dr. Andra Gillespie — Professor of Political Science and Director of the James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference at Emory University

Jim Galloway — Former Columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mary Margaret Oliver — State Representative (D-Decatur)

Tuesday on Political Rewind: Voting rights experts are assessing the impact of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in an Arizona voting case. The July 1 decision will make it harder to challenge new voter rules put in place by Republican lawmakers following the 2020 election. Advocates also worry the decision will further weaken federal laws designed to protect the rights of minority voters. What might that mean for the many challenges to Georgia’s new election law?

Also, award-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones announced she would not be taking a tenured position at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill following a drawn-out, contentious hiring process. Instead, the New York Times journalist will be the inaugural Knight Chair in Race and Journalism at Howard University's School of Communications

Meanwhile, sharing a rally stage in Ohio with former President Donald Trump over the weekend, Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene launched a grievance-filled rant calling for the firing of Anthony Fauci, encouraging the crowd’s chant to ‘lock him up.’ She also called New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a 'little communist.' How far will her strident attacks carry her with the far-right base?

Panelists:

Dr. Charles Bullock — Professor of Political Science, University of Georgia

Leroy Chapman Jr. — Managing Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Riley Bunch — Reporter, GPB News

Friday on Political Rewind: As the July 4 holiday approaches, New York Times bestselling author Sebastian Junger joined us to reflect on the basic tenets of freedom in society.

In his new book, Freedom, Junger writes that throughout history, humans have always been drawn to two competing ideals: community and freedom. The author writes that the two have never coexisted easily. After all, we value individuality and self-reliance yet are dependent on community to meet our most basic material and emotional needs.

His insights are relevant to how we view our own roles and responsibilities in modern society.

“What you have is freedom from oppression, not freedom from obligation," Junger said. "Your society has the right to ask things from you.”

Junger explores that tension in his book while recounting his travels, on foot and off-the-radar, along the railroad tracks crisscrossing the American countryside.

Thursday on Political Rewind: As the Peach State seeks a new permanent chancellor for its public universities and colleges, leaders of North Carolina's public university system find themselves embroiled in a national debate over race, journalism and academic freedom.

The attention came after trustees of the University of North Carolina system initially denied tenure to journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer prize-winning reporter widely known for her work on the New York Times' 1619 Project. The initiative, led by Hannah-Jones, sought to study the lasting legacy of slavery in U.S. society. On June 30, the university's trustees voted to give tenure to the reporter after mounting pressure to reconsider their decision.

In Georgia, Sonny Perdue is seeking the top position over the state's system of public universities and colleges. The former Georgia governor and Agricultural Secretary under President Donald Trump told reporters he would bring "stability" during a period of "cultural revolution" to Georgia's public institutions of higher education.

Perdue also said he would like to promote conservative values if chosen to be chancellor. Perdue's comments, and the debate over tenure for Hannah-Jones, is spurring debate about academic freedom over education curriculum.

In related news, Perdue finds himself under scrutiny for potential ethics violations. Calls for an ethics investigation from leading Democratic senators could threaten Perdue's chances of gaining the chancellorship. The move comes following an investigation by the Washington Post.

Also, reporting from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows Gov. Brian Kemp received an immense fundraising haul as he gears up for his reelection campaign. Is it enough to keep out a credible Republican primary challenge?

Panelists:

Dr. Audrey Haynes — Professor of Political Science, University of Georgia

Dr. Adrienne Jones — Professor of Political Science, Morehouse University

Kevin Riley — Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Donna Lowry — Host, GPB's Lawmakers