Demonstrators gather during a protest over the death of Tyre Nichols, Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Alex Slitz)

Demonstrators gather during a protest over the death of Tyre Nichols, Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in Atlanta.

Credit: AP Photo/Alex Slitz

The panel

Eric Tanenblatt, @ericjtanenblatt, Republican insider

Jen Jordan, former state senator

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

Tammy Greer, professor of political science, Clark Atlanta University

 

The breakdown

1. Last Friday, Memphis police released four videos that detailed the death of Tyre Nichols.

  • Five Memphis police officers fatally beat Nichols following a traffic stop. Nationwide, activists are calling for reform yet again.
  • The Memphis Police Department disbanded the "Scorpion" unit responsible for Nichols' death. Tennessee Democrats also vowed to propose legislation to reform policing.
  • Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens collaborated, mobilizing the National Guard, seemingly in anticipation of violent protests that never came.

LISTEN: Tammy Greer on Tyre Nichols' death at the hands of Memphis police.

2. The Legislature seems to have no appetite for culture wars — for now.

  • Notably absent from the agenda are issues like the Buckhead City Movement, legislation around LGBTQ+ rights, and abortion access.
  • Georgia's current abortion law is tied up in court. It's been up in the air; a Fulton County judge struck down the law before it was reinstated by the state Supreme Court.
  • Sports betting is also on the table. According to the AJC, 49% of Georgians support gambling on sports events through in-state businesses.

LISTEN: Patricia Murphy on the Legislature's agenda.

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

Tags: Georgia  Politics  Georgia Politics  Atlanta  Macon  Savannah  Police  police brutality  Tyre Nichols  Memphis