Political Rewind: Is gerrymandering leading to noncompetitive voting? Internet filters in schools

Credit: Sam Bermas-Dawes, GPB News

The panel:

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

Dr. Karen Owen — Professor of political science, University of West Georgia

Michael Thurmond — CEO of DeKalb County

Sam Olens — Former Georgia attorney general

The breakdown:

1. Federal hate crimes trial is set to begin for Ahmaud Arbery's convicted killers

• Three white men convicted in the murder of Arbery will stand trial in a federal courtroom for alleged hate crimes.
• Gregory and Travis McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan received life sentences in a 2021 state trial.
• Jury selection begins Monday in the federal trial, which focuses on whether the killing was racially motivated.

2. Partisan gerrymandering reduced the number of competitive congressional seats, according to new reporting.

• A new report from The New York Times finds the number of competitive political districts has dropped to levels not seen in three decades.

•  University of West Georgia's Karen Owen said gerrymandering makes it more competitive for women in politics. 
  • She points to the 7th District race between Georgia U.S. Reps. Lucy McBath and Carolyn Bourdeaux.

3. New bill would require publicly funded schools to put filters on students' computers. 

• HB 1217, or The Student Technology Protection Act, was introduced by Republican lawmakers into the General Assembly last week.
• The Republican-backed legislation is sponsored by Rep. Jan Jones, the highest-ranking woman in the state House. 

4. The Washington Post highlights the first Black students at the University of Georgia.

• The Post article looked back at the reaction from white UGA students to Black students Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, who integrated the campus in 1961.
  • The article draws comparisons to efforts in the legislature to outlaw teaching “divisive” concepts about race.

Tomorrow on Political Rewind: 

The Atlanta Journal Constitution's Tamar Hallerman joins a panel of Georgia mayors for a discussion about city governance.