Friday on Political Rewind: House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) joined the show to discuss a recent visit with Republican leaders in Congress and speculation he is considering a run for the U.S. Senate in 2022. Ralston, a top leader of Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly, said he was interested in the role representing Georgia in the U.S. Congress, but had not made a decision yet.
Thursday on Political Rewind: GOP legislative leaders have begun a series of hearings they say are designed to address the spike in violent crime in Atlanta. Also: Reports indicate that Georgia’s Newt Gingrich may work with former President Donald Trump on his campaign messaging leading up to the 2024 elections.
Wednesday on Political Rewind, Gov. Brian Kemp has issued an executive order banning state agencies and schools from requiring proof of vaccination against the coronavirus. Also, after days of silence, Republican leaders of the U.S. House have now issued stern criticisms of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s repeated statements comparing mask and vaccine rules to Nazi Germany’s vilification of Jews.
Thursday on Political Rewind: A bipartisan vote in the U.S. House approved the establishment of a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The proposal was opposed by all of the Republican members of Georgia’s congressional delegation. Meanwhile, Gov. Brian Kemp launched his reelection campaign with a series of TV and newspapers interviews.
Adopting a child can be a complicated and even expensive process. But new laws are aimed at making it easier to adopt a child in Georgia, especially children in foster care.
Gov. Brian Kemp is planning to end enhanced unemployment benefits from the federal government. As of June 26, the maximum weekly benefit will be cut by $300. Georgia is one of 17 states to stop federal benefits designed to help out-of-work residents during the pandemic. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge reports.
Tuesday on Political Rewind: Georgia’s economy struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic slump. And in 2022 election news, Attorney General Chris Car announced he will seek reelection, not entering his name into the race for Sen. Raphael Warnock’s seat. What does his decision tell us about the landscape of the Republican party?
Monday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill that stops local governments from making sharp reductions to their police department budgets. Also, Atlanta’s mayoral election is now six months away, and a number of prominent players are considering whether to jump into the race after incumbent Keisha Lance Bottoms’ surprise announcement she will not seek reelection.
Wednesday on Political Rewind: Candidates continue to line up for the 2022 election in races that will determine just how purple Georgia has really become. Plus, the results of a new poll from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reveal approval numbers for top elected officials in Washington and Georgia.
Monday on Political Rewind: Recent data shows the spread of the virus is slowing in many state, for now. In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp lifted many of the remaining pandemic restrictions placed on Georgia businesses such as gyms, bars and restaurants. Across the state, colleges and universities across the state have yet to announce their plans for the fall semester.
Friday on Political Rewind: President Joe Biden marked his 100th day in office in Georgia, where he made the pitch for his expansive progressive agenda. Meanwhile, Attorney General Chris Carr announced this week he would step down as chair of a controversial association of Republican state attorneys general. The move comes as Carr sizes up 2022 reelection challenges from Democratic opponents.
Thursday on Political Rewind, the three men awaiting trial for murder in the death of Ahmaud Arbery now also face federal hate crimes charges. Federal indictment could lead to life sentences for Travis and Gregory McMichael and Roddie Bryan. And, after telling the nation that America is on the move again in a speech before a joint session of Congress last night, President Joe Biden is in Georgia today.
Wednesday on Political Rewind: A college accrediting agency advises Georgia’s board of regents to keep politics out of the search for the next chancellor of the state’s university system. The concern is apparently driven by reports that former Gov. Sonny Perdue is a leading choice for the job. Plus, President Joe Biden travels to Georgia tomorrow following his first speech to a joint session of Congress tonight.
Tuesday on Political Rewind: Newly released census figures show Georgia’s population grew by one million people, a more than 10% increase, in the past decade. What do the new numbers mean for Georgia? Also, former Georgia congressman Doug Collins announced he will sit out the 2022 election cycle.
Friday on Political Rewind: Blue Ridge Republican David Ralston has finished presiding over yet another session as Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives. It is the election law that will likely be the legacy of the 2021 session. That’s just one of the issues the AJC’s Patricia Murphy and host Bill Nigut discussed with Ralston.