Georgia Today: Gov. Kemp sworn in; indictment in South GA drug ring; trouble at Plant Vogtle

Peter Biello: Welcome to the new Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Thursday, Jan. 12. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode: Gov. Brian Kemp is officially sworn in for a second term; federal prosecutors announced the largest ever indictment in South Georgia in connection with a sprawling drug ring;. and more trouble at Plant Vogtle has Georgia Power pushing back its start update once again. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

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Peter Biello: Gov. Brian Kemp took the oath of office for a second term this morning in a ceremony at the new Georgia State Convocation Center. GPB's Stephen Fowler reports on Kemp's optimistic vision for the future of Georgia.

Announcer: Please welcome the 83rd governor of the great state of Georgia, Brian P. Kemp.

Stephen Fowler: In a crowded convocation center just south of the capital, Kemp reflected on his first term in office that saw many highs and lows from the coronavirus pandemic and election turmoil to unprecedented job growth and investment in the state. Now, with billions in budget surplus, new leadership in the legislature and national attention, he's planning for the next term.

Gov. Brian Kemp: Over the next four years, we're going to be focused on growing Georgia, not growing government. That's why we will invest state dollars by putting them back in your pockets, not using them to build new bureaucracy.

Stephen Fowler: In his inauguration address, the governor proposed another tax refund, pay raises for state employees and teachers, and a one-time property tax relief. His full spending plan comes out Friday morning. For GPB News, I'm Steven Fowler at the Capitol.

Caption

State Sen. Burt Jones (R-Jackson) officially launched his campaign for lieutenant governor of Georgia on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021.

Credit: Stephen Fowler / GPB News

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Peter Biello: Newly sworn-in Lt. Gov. Burt Jones of Jackson used his first official speech to lay out his vision for Georgia as he takes on the role as leader of the state Senate. The former state senator praised the accomplishments of Gov. Brian Kemp and said he would bring a rural perspective to governing.

Burt Jones: And those small-town values I learned in Jackson, Ga., showed what can be accomplished by doing a lot with a little — putting political social economic differences aside to accomplish some pretty great things.

Peter Biello: Jones says he wants to lower the state's income tax, increase support of law enforcement and toughen penalties for violent and repeat offenders.

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Peter Biello: The inauguration is not the only news out of the Georgia governor's office today. Kemp will be addressing the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week. The World Economic Forum brings together decision makers from across the globe to share strategies and discuss policy initiatives around the world. The annual event is a who's who of global political and business leaders, economists and other academics. This year's attendees include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry (now the Biden administration's special envoy for climate), FBI Director Christopher Wray, corporate CEOs and several other governors, congressmen and U.S. senators. This will be the governor's first trip overseas since he was reelected in November. During his first term, he traveled to South Korea and Germany on trade missions.

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Peter Biello: Federal prosecutors in Southeast Georgia announced yesterday a massive drug trafficking indictment charging more than 70 people with dealing opioids and other controlled substances. GPB's Benjamin Payne reports.

Benjamin Payne: The Department of Justice is calling this the largest-ever indictment in the Southern District of Georgia. The investigation centered around Brunswick's Glynn County and nearby communities. That's where prosecutors say the 76 defendants operated a sprawling distribution network of drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, meth and alprazolam, the generic form of Xanax. They say some of the dealing happened inside state prisons, aided by at least one prison guard who is named in the indictment. Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. Prosecutors say a number of gangs were involved — chief among them, the Ghostface Gangsters, a white supremacist street gang. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne.

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Peter Biello: Georgia Power said yesterday the startup of the third nuclear reactor at Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro will be pushed back a month after its operator found a vibrating pipe in its cooling system. The unit was originally scheduled to start up in March but has now been pushed to April. A Georgia Power spokesperson says the problem is not a safety issue. Completion of the third and fourth reactors at Plant Vogtle are already years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. The fourth reactor is still under construction and is supposed to start generating electricity sometime in 2024.

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Peter Biello: Georgia has the second-lowest state tobacco tax in the nation. One lawmaker says raising that tax to match the federal average will not only increase revenue but improve the health of Georgians. GPB's Ellen Eldridge reports.

Ellen Eldridge: Research shows smoking harms the entire body, not only the lungs. Georgians who use tobacco are also more vulnerable to stroke and vascular disease. That's according to Dr. Michelle Au, who's also a state representative. Last session, she put together a committee to study the costs of smoking.

Dr. Michelle Au: Taking care of the health care costs of patients who do smoke amounts to something like $900 per household, Right? So this is money that we are paying because of our high smoking rates, and it basically amounts to a subsidy incentivizing bad health behaviors.

Ellen Eldridge: Au says her bill would raise Georgia's tax on cigarettes from 37 cents to $1.91 a pack. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge.

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Peter Biello: Animal rehabilitation specialists are still caring for a pair of endangered green sea turtles that washed ashore along Georgia's beaches during the cold snap a few weeks ago. Rachel Overmeyer of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island says while four recently cold-stunned sea turtles have been treated and released, two remain in critical condition at the center. She says this was the first time in 10 years that the center took in cold-stunned sea turtles from Georgia waters.

Rachel Overmeyer: The temperature of the water is the temperature of their body. So when their body shuts down, they don't eat, they don't do anything. They float to the surface and then that's when they usually strand.

Peter Biello: Cold stunning generally occurs when water temperatures drop below 50 degrees and can be fatal for sea turtles. The Georgia Center usually treats sea turtles that have been hit by boats, caught on fishing hooks or are otherwise sick or injured.

And that is it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you haven't yet hit subscribe on this podcast, take a moment right now and do so. You'll keep us current in your podcast feed. The legislative session is bound to be consequential and we'll bring you the latest. And that is just one reason you should subscribe. There are many others. If you've got feedback, we'd love to hear it. Send it by email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org.

I'm Peter Biello. Thank you so much for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.

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