Political Rewind

Wednesday on Political Rewind: Legislators move on consequential bills in the Georgia General Assembly.

The state Senate yesterday passed a first wave of measures designed by Republicans to change how Georgians vote. A bill that requires increased proof of identity such as a photo identification or driver's license for absentee voting now heads to the state House.

Rene Alegria of Spanish-language news site Mundo Hispanico said communities struggling with inequity are more likely to be disproportionately deterred from voting as a result of these measures.

“These are the little hurdles that, when you put them in front of voters, it just makes it a pain in the butt to vote,” Alegria said. “And for the Hispanic community, these are just examples of a system that is trying to implement voter disenfranchisement. Where does it stop?”

More dramatic changes to absentee balloting and early voting are waiting in the wings for debate in the House and Senate. Supporters insist the bills are needed to assure confidence in elections, while Democrats and election observers express concerns that the measures are akin to voter suppression.

Also, despite recently filing paperwork to run against newly minted Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, David Perdue announced yesterday he will not enter the 2022 race. Perdue’s announcement clears the way for a number of Georgia Republicans to run for Warnock's seat.

Panelists:

Greg Bluestein — Politics Reporter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Donna Lowry — Host, Georgia Public Broadcasting's Lawmakers

Rene Alegria — President and CEO, Mundo Hispanico

Adam Van Brimmer — Editorial Page Editor, Savannah Morning News

Tuesday on Political Rewind: A year has passed since the death of Ahmaud Arbery. The 25-year-old was shot and killed in a residential neighborhood outside of Brunswick, Ga., not far from his home. Gregory and Travis McMichael, accused of his murder, claim they believed Arbery was responsible for a string of burglaries in the area.

But on that day one year ago, the incident received little attention from the rest of the world. It was not until three months later, when video of Arbery's death reached the general public, that attention was drawn to the case.

Arbery became one of the names serving as a rallying cry for change during nationwide protests demanding an end to racial inequity and police brutality.

“This is a pattern," Marissa McCall Dodson of the Southern Center for Human Rights said. "It’s something that families are dealing with all across our state and all across the country. So I just think this is the moment where we need to say, ‘This is not an outlier. We continue to see Black lives taken.'"

One year later, where do we stand in seeking justice for this young man from Georgia? How has the country grown and where is more attention needed?

Panelists:

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

Marissa McCall Dodson — Public Policy Director, Southern Center for Human Rights

Larry Hobbs — Reporter, Brunswick News

Tamar Hallerman — Senior Reporter, The Atlanta Journal Constitution

In this morning's headlines, four mass vaccination sites are now open across the state. They’re being run by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.

Monday on Political Rewind: Voting rights groups are expressing outrage over a newly introduced 48-page bill that consolidates the dramatic changes Republican legislators want to make in how Georgians now vote. Opponents say the bills are clear efforts at voter suppression, but advocates say they are needed to restore public faith in the integrity of the state’s elections.

Plus, former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler announced a new voter registration group aimed at helping Republicans register likely conservative voters and advocating for conservative electoral policies. Some are already describing this initiative as the Republican version of the Fair Fight voting rights group that Stacey Abrams started after her defeat in the 2018 election for Georgia governor.

Also: The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today in the long-simmering "water war" between Georgia and Florida. The case pits Florida oystermen against farmers along the Flint River in southwest Georgia.

Our panel of experts and analysts weighs in on these topics and more.

Panelists:

Rep. Sam Park — (D) Lawrenceville

Heath Garrett — Republican political consultant

Riley Bunch — Statehouse reporter, CNHI News

Jim Galloway — Veteran political analyst

Thursday on Political Rewind: While partisanship continues to drive almost every aspect of how Congress operates today, at the local level, political leaders are more likely to be practical problem solvers dealing with issues their neighborhoods are experiencing every day.

Today, we talk with mayors of three Georgia cities to get an up-close look at how their communities are coping with the problems of our times. These issues are broad and ranging, from the progress of COVID vaccination programs to the ongoing struggle for racial justice in their cities.

Panelists:

Mayor Van Johnson — Savannah

Mayor Rusty Paul — Sandy Springs

Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham — East Point

Kevin Riley — Editor of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution

Friday on Political Rewind: A return to a previous conversation with author Jerald Walker, writer of How to Make a Slave and Other Essays.

Last December, we spoke with Walker about his recently published collection of essays and his own personal journey as a writer. Walker's How to Make a Slave and Other Essays is a finalist for a National Book award. It illuminates an intimate account of the writer as an African American man in the United States. In the process of examining his own experiences, Walker challenges white readers to confront their assumptions of the Black experience in America today.

Recent years may have only just initiated a long-needed and vital conversation among white people about racial justice. The essays in How to Make a Slave defy preconceived ideas of race with wry wit and unyielding honesty.

Panelist:

Dr. Jerald Walker — Author of How To Make A Slave and Other Essays and Professor of Literature and Writing at Emerson College

Wednesday on Political Rewind, a bipartisan coalition of legislators has come together to support Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposal to replace Georgia’s citizen’s arrest law, which became the center of public outrage in the aftermath of the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery.

"I am really glad the governor is pushing for this. This is an outdated law that has allowed a lot of racists to take the law into their own hands and arrest black and brown people," Democratic strategist and former candidate for Congress Nabilah Islam said. "Its hard to believe that was a year ago, but we are definitely moving in the right direction."

Also, the debate over whether to open Georgia schools for in-person classes continues to cause friction among teachers, parents, school administrators and policy makers. Teachers fear that without access to vaccines, they are vulnerable to COVID-19.

Finally, candidates have already begun to line up for the next election cycle. Former senator David Perdue filed the necessary paperwork to stake his spot in the race against Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock in 2022.

Panelists:

Greg Bluestein — Politics Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 

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

Nabilah Islam — Democratic Political Strategist

Eric Tanenblatt — Republican Strategist, Global Chair of Public Policy and Regulation of Dentons Law Firm

Tuesday on Political Rewind: Reform to Georgia's citizen's arrest law sees new movement. Support from a bipartisan group of lawmakers and Gov. Brian Kemp could mean the swift passage of legislation to change the controversial law.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration pauses Kemp’s plan for a partial expansion of Medicaid. President Donald Trump had approved Kemp’s plan, which ties expanding Medicaid to a work requirement, but now the Biden administration says the requirement is unfeasible during a pandemic. This leaves the opportunity for Georgia's Democratic party to push again for a full expansion of Medicaid in the state.

Former Sen. David Perdue took the first steps in mounting a 2022 challenge to newly elected Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock. Perdue is expected to decide within the next month whether to formally enter the race, but by filing the legal paperwork need to run, he has effectively frozen out other potential Republicans challengers.

Panelists:

Sen. Jen Jordan – State Senator (D-Atlanta)

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

Dr. Bernard Fraga – Professor of Political Science, Emory University

Monday on Political Rewind: the fallout from the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.

Few were surprised when Trump was acquitted over the weekend. But the trial did come with some last-minute drama. The Senate took an unexpected vote to allow witnesses on Saturday morning, only for Democrats to abandon that path hours later in the interest of a speedy conclusion to the trial. What motivated the shift?

Meanwhile, the 43 Senate Republicans who voted to acquit provide a glimpse onto the hold that the former president continues to have on the party.

Also, Gov. Brian Kemp is working to reframe himself as the vaccine governor. Is that a risky proposition if supplies of vaccine continue to lag behind demand?

Join guest host Tamar Hallerman, senior reporter with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the panel as they discussed the latest.

Panelists:

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

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

Tharon Johnson — Senior Adviser, Biden Georgia Campaign and President of Paramount Consulting

Brian Robinson — Consultant and President, Robinson Republic

Friday on Political Rewind: There's new movement on legislation in the Georgia General Assembly.

Bills regarding sports wagering and human trafficking were considered. Top Republican representatives pushed a bill to curtail absentee voting. But one of the more emotional debates in the legislature concerns visitation policies at nursing homes and hospitals. If passed, House Bill 290 would punish hospitals and nursing homes with policy in place to keep visitors away from patients during a “declared public health emergency,” such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our panel looked at the action in the state Capitol as the session continues.

Meanwhile, new investigations launched in Georgia are digging into the conduct of former President Donald Trump. And in the nation's capitol, the impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump is likely to end with a vote by U.S. Senators this weekend. It appears conviction will not receive enough support from Senate Republicans to pass.

Panelists:

Buddy Darden — former Democratic Georgia Congressman

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

Edward Lindsey — former Republican State Representative

Mariela Romero — Regional Community Empowerment Director, Univision