Political Rewind: Could the race for governor creep into the 2022 General Assembly session?

Caption

The Georgia State Capitol

Credit: GPB Staff

The Panelists:

Dr. Andra Gillespie — Professor of political science and director, James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference, Emory University

Margaret Coker — Editor in chief, The Current

Jim Galloway — Former political columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Breakdown:

1. The opening week of David Perdue’s gubernatorial campaign focused on false claims about the 2020 election.

• On Friday, the former U.S. senator filed a lawsuit that recycles claims of fraud already disproven by investigators and rejected by the courts.
• Jim Galloway also weighs in on how the race for governor could affect other races down the ballot.

2. Speaking of legislative matters, what role will the elections play in the upcoming General Assembly’s upcoming session?

• In January, the legislator will have a bevy of issues to tackle including crime, rural access, and most notably the City of Buckhead movement.
• Margaret Coker says fractions in the legislature from the 2022 election cycle could lead to short-term solutions for Georgians.

3. A task force on the Smyrna City Council set to discuss the fate of Aunt Fanny's Cabin restaurant site.

• The restaurant, made famous for its "ode to the old South," closed down in the 1990s. It will cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars to turn it into a historical monument.
• The task force on the matter will discuss budget options in a meeting tonight. Opponents of keeping the restaurant say it's a reminder of a painful time in history.
• Professor Andra Gillespie weighs in on how we teach that history to the next generation.   

Coming up on tomorrow's Political Rewind: Many families in Georgia rely on a federal tax credit. If an extension is not passed with the Build Back Better plan in Congress, payment will dry up this month, Georgia Public Broadcasting's Riley Bunch reports.