A downed oak tree blocks traffic in Macon's Mercer Village after a line of storms with heavy winds blew through Monday morning, March 27, 2023.

A downed oak tree blocks traffic in Macon's Mercer Village after a line of damaging storms blew through the state Monday morning, March 27, 2023.

Credit: Grant Blankenship / GPB News

The panel

Chuck Williams, @chuckwilliams, reporter, WRBL-TV Columbus

Jim Galloway, @JimJournalist, former political columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

King Williams, @IamKingWilliams, journalist and documentary filmmaker

Rahul Bali, @rahulbali, politics reporter, WABE

 

The breakdown

1. Devastating storms swept through the South over the weekend.

  • A deadly tornado blew through Mississippi, killing at least 25 and injuring dozens.
  • In West Georgia, a tornado destroyed buildings and injured five.
  • Gov. Brian Kemp is visiting the affected areas after putting out a state of emergency.

2. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones abandoned his push to end certificate of need requirements for rural hospitals.

  • The lieutenant governor's family potentially could have made money should a hospital be built on his family's rural land.
  • It's the first real test of Jones' dynamic with Kemp and the Legislature itself. Sparring over the budget continued this morning, with just a few days left in the session. The current budget proposal features sharp cuts for the University System of Georgia and Georgia Public Broadcasting.

 

3. A few key bills to watch as the Legislature enters its last week.

  • This year's expansion in mental health care legislation is also facing obstacles. The first bill passed last year under the hand of the late Speaker David Ralston.
  • A bill which would add antisemitism in hate crime sentencing is also facing pushback.
  • Legalized sports betting hangs on under the Dome, with a long shot on its passage.

LISTEN: Rahul Bali on efforts to legalize sports betting.

4. Developments from the planned Atlanta police training center.

  • During a The Atlanta Journal-Constitution interview, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens defended his continued support for the training center.
  • DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond shut down Intrenchment Creek Park to the public, citing safety concerns due to alleged traps on the site. At the time of broadcast, police were sweeping and clearing the site.

LISTEN: King Williams on the planned Atlanta police training center.

5. Kemp ruled out a 2024 presidential run, says he's got an open mind for primaries.

  • In a Wall Street Journal interview, Kemp name-checked former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as primary candidates for 2024.
  • Kemp quickly and quietly signed SB 140, which bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

Tuesday on Political Rewind: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Tamar Hallerman joins the panel.

Tags: Georgia  Georgia Politics  Atlanta  Macon  Savannah  storm  tornado  Burt Jones  Brian Kemp  Mental Health