Political Rewind: Kemp Opens Vaccine Eligibility To Teachers; GOP Vies To Restrict Voting

Caption

Used COVID-19 vaccination syringes used to administer the Pfizer vaccine are shown in a container Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021.

Credit: Ted S. Warren, AP

Friday on Political Rewind: Georgia teachers will soon be able to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Yesterday, Gov. Brian Kemp announced his plan to expand the circle of Georgians eligible for shots to include educators and school staff starting early in March. Kemp said the move is an important step in encouraging schools to reopen for in-person classes.

Also, Democrats and voting rights groups are mounting a furious counterattack to legislation designed to restrict early and absentee voting in Georgia. Stacey Abrams’ organization Fair Fight Action is putting millions of dollars into ads condemning the bills under consideration at the state Capitol. Lawmakers described the legislation as voter suppression yesterday.

In testimony before a U.S. House committee on Thursday, Abrams urged Congress to pass a federal law that will block states looking to pass legislation that would make it harder to vote.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Patricia Murphy and our panel look at these stories and more.

Panelists:

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

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

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