Political Rewind: Dawgs dominate first day of session; Kemp's 2nd term; McCarthy wins speakership

Caption

The first day of legislative session will be interrupted as legislators leave town to watch the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship game in California.

Credit: Brian Kemp - @GovKemp

The panel

Emma Hurt, @Emma_Hurt, reporter, Axios Atlanta

Margaret Coker, @mideastmargaret, editor-in-chief, The Current

Maya Prabhu, @MayaTPrabhu, government reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Patricia Murphy, @MurphyAJC, political reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The breakdown

1. The Georgia Bulldogs are aiming to win their second national championship in a row.

• The Dawgs will face Texas Christian University's Horned Frogs tonight in Los Angeles.
  • The late Vince Dooley narrated a promotional video ahead of the game.

2. The state Legislature begins its 2023 session today.

• The first day will likely be a short one as legislators head to Los Angeles to watch the Dawgs.
• The incoming freshman class is large and diverse, making up over a fifth of the Legislature.
• Rep. Jon Burns, a Newington Republican, will be sworn in as Speaker of the House after the unexpected passing of Rep. David Ralston.

3. What to expect in Gov. Brian Kemp's second term.

• Kemp ran in 2018 with a specific image: asking a daughter's boyfriend his stance on the Second Amendment and saying he'd round up "illegals" in a truck.
  • In the years since, he became a national figure after running a successful reelection campaign in opposition to former President Trump.
• After defeating Stacey Abrams by a solid margin, Kemp vowed to take on violent crime in his second term.

4. Two Georgia representatives were frontstage in the drama around electing Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

• Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde were featured prominently.
  • Greene worked alongside McCarthy and Clyde vocally opposed his election.

Tuesday on Political Rewind: The AJC's Tamar Hallerman joins the panel.