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Georgia Today: Atlanta mayor on upcoming Trump inauguration; New health insurance marketplace
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LISTEN: On the Jan. 17 edition of Georgia Today: Mixed reactions from Georgia politicians ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday; state officials address potential problems with Georgia's new health insurance marketplace rollout; and the revival of an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert tradition will commemorate Martin Luther King Day.
Orlando Montoya: Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Friday, Jan. 17. I'm Orlando Montoya. Coming up on today's episode: mixed reactions from Georgians ahead of President elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday. State officials addressed potential problems with Georgia's health insurance marketplace rollout; and the revival of an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert tradition commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. Day. These stories and more coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.
Story 1:
Orlando Montoya: Many Georgia Republicans are approaching Monday's inauguration of President Donald Trump with a mix of anticipation and excitement. Among those heading to Washington, D.C., to attend inaugural events, about 80 will leave tonight on six buses normally used by touring rock stars. Danny Hamilton owns the Atlanta-based company that operates those buses, now decked out with Trump- and MAGA-themed exteriors.
Danny Hamilton: These folks are going up to go to balls. They're going to be going dancing. They're going to all these special events. It has been so exciting. The people are so excited to have Trump back in. A lot of times I get on the phone, I can't get off. The people want to talk about the future.
Orlando Montoya: Georgia country singer Jason Aldean is scheduled to perform at one of three official inaugural balls.
Orlando Montoya: On the other hand, many Georgia Democrats are going into Monday with concern or just focus on other priorities, including the federal holiday commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is in Washington, D.C., today for a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where he said mayors discussed how a second Trump administration might change their relationships with the federal government. Speaking with me this morning, Dickens said he will not participate in any inaugural events.
Andre Dickens: I will be commemorating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Ebenezer Baptist Church. I'll actually be one of the speakers, as I have been the last three years. And, you know, being the birthplace of Dr. King and the birthplace of civil rights, we hold this tradition to our heart. And we also love to be able to share in commemorating his wonderful life and legacy and taking his messages to heart so that we can build a beloved community each year to get closer to his goal. So I'll be doing that. In Atlanta, we also have the college football championship going on that same evening, Jan. 20. And, you know, I'll be back in Atlanta from the U.S. Conference of Mayors by that time.
Orlando Montoya: What was the mood like among the mayors that you spoke to at the mayors' conference about the second inauguration of Donald Trump?
Andre Dickens: You know, U.S. Conference of Mayors is bipartisan. So there are mayors that are Republicans, and then there's mayors that are Democrats. The Democrats, like myself, are not participating in any inauguration events. Most of the Democrats are going home. And we're not really participating in anything that has to do with Donald Trump's reelection and inauguration. There are some Republican mayors that are going to stay and, you know, be able to make their presence felt as mayors in the inauguration. But for most of us, we're really just down to the work that is about our cities. We're sharing ideas, sharing our opportunities to network and to really get best practices. Mayors across the country are dealing with infrastructure, dealing with challenges related to housing insecurity, related to food insecurity. Really highlighting successes we've all had in overcoming those challenges. And we're mainly focused on that.
Orlando Montoya: And on housing affordability, infrastructure and the concerns that you have, how do you expect the Trump administration to work with cities?
Andre Dickens: Yeah, I'm hopeful that the Trump administration works with all cities, regardless of how they voted for him or regardless of how their state voted for him — or didn't vote for him — is, you know, really has to look out for all of America. We are experiencing a housing crisis in this country: 18% increase last year of homeless individuals. Since the pandemic, we had a 63% increase across the nation of individuals experiencing homelessness since 2019. So we are constantly seeing rents and mortgage costs go up and people's incomes aren't keeping up with it. So this is a crisis that I know the Biden administration was working on and we were getting — we got a lot of support through HUD in the city of Atlanta to be able to do a lot of housing development and vouchers that were helpful for our families. We want to see that continue and actually expand as much as possible during the Trump administration. So for me, our goals don't change because who is president. Our strategies do. So we might make more relationships in that cabinet and we may also, you know, understand where their leanings are and how to best tap into those things. But our goals don't change. The city of Atlanta has a goal of building or preserving 20,000 units of affordable housing by 2030. Through the Biden administration was able to build 6,500 units, and we have about 4,500 more in the pipeline under construction. We want to continue that that level of productivity with the transition of power.
Orlando Montoya: Mr. Mayor, thank you for taking our questions. It's been a pleasure and I hope you enjoy the MLK holiday.
Andre Dickens: Same to you. Thank you.
Story 2:
Orlando Montoya: Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns says state Sen. Colton Moore will be allowed into the state House chamber for future joint sessions of the General Assembly. Moore, a Republican from Trenton in Northwest Georgia, was arrested yesterday after he attempted to violate a ban on his entering the House chamber. This was right before the joint session for Gov. Brian Kemp's State of the State address. Burns had said that Moore would not be allowed into the state House until he apologized for disparaging remarks he made in the state Senate about the late House Speaker David Ralston. Today, Burns said the Ralston family has expressed desire that the House continue its usual business, including having all senators present at joint sessions, with or without an apology. Burns reminded anyone who visits the House to be respectful and comply with its rules.
Story 3:
Orlando Montoya: State offices will be closed on Monday, MLK Day. So state lawmakers remembered the slain civil rights leader today at an annual ceremony held at the state capitol. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.
Sarah Kallis: The Atlanta Boy Choir performed on the north steps of the Capitol as legislators commemorated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Georgia Legislative Black Caucus Chair Sen. Nikki Merrit says it is important for Georgians to keep King's message in mind.
Nikki Merrit: I am proud to stand today to honor the struggle and recommit ourselves to the principles that Dr. King championed: equity, opportunity and unity. Let us take his lessons to heart, not just this day, but every day.
Sarah Kallis: Gov. Brian Kemp and Speaker of the House Jon Burns also spoke at the ceremony. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis at the state capitol.
Story 4:
Orlando Montoya: A new study finds Georgia is among the costliest states in the nation for homeownership when it comes to damage from flooding. GPB's Benjamin Payne reports.
Benjamin Payne: $140,000. That's roughly how much money the average home buyer in Georgia should expect to pay in flood damages over a new 30-year mortgage. This is among the findings of a new report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council, a nonprofit that advocates for better policies to protect against climate change. One policy that could help Georgians: creating a state law requiring realtors to disclose whether a home has been flooded before. So says Joel Scata, an environmental lawyer with the NRDC.
Joel Scata: There is clear evidence that buying a previously flooded home is that you're likely to flood again. We want people to know what they're getting into.
Benjamin Payne: Georgia ranked No.3 nationwide in flooding costs for new home buyers, behind only Alabama and Connecticut. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.
Story 5:
Orlando Montoya: State officials are working to address potential problems that about 20,000 Georgians could have in accessing health care after the rollout of the state's new health insurance marketplace. Georgia Access auto-enrolled them in new insurance policies while the policyholders enrolled themselves in duplicate coverage. The Office of Insurance then canceled the auto-enrolled policies, which could lead to expensive confusion at doctor's offices and pharmacies. Spokesperson Brian Ralson with the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner's Office says letters went out to everyone affected and no one went without coverage, but —
Brian Ralson: If there are issues in that small window, we're happy to work with them to see if we can get some of those issues resolved. But folks aren't without the copay.
Orlando Montoya: Ralson says about 1.3 million Georgians were auto enrolled without issue when Georgia migrated from federal to state management of the Affordable Care Act last year.
Story 6:
Orlando Montoya: The U.S. Justice Department is suing Middle Georgia's Houston County, alleging that its method of electing county commissioners violates the rights of Black voters. The lawsuit filed yesterday asks a judge to stop the county from continuing to use countywide elections for each of its five commission seats. The agency says those elections unfairly dilute the influence of Black voters who make up nearly one-third of the county's electorate, while all five of its current commissioners are white.
Story 7:
Orlando Montoya: Global food and agriculture firm Cargill celebrated the opening of its Atlanta technology and engineering hub yesterday. The new office in Georgia Tech's Technology Square is expected to employ about 400 people specializing in data engineering and artificial intelligence. Minnesota-based Cargill is the nation's largest privately held company by revenue, according to Forbes, and joins Delta, Home Depot and others with hubs in Technology Square.
Story 8:
Orlando Montoya: Monday is Martin Luther King Day. And in Atlanta, celebrations are tinged with an urgency to heed the civil rights leaders messages of peace and nonviolence. That includes the revival of an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert tradition commemorating the national holiday. GPB's Kristi York Wooten takes us behind the scenes.
Kristi York Wooten: On a chilly Friday afternoon in Atlanta, a streetcar passes by a group of tourists outside the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church with its famous neon sign on the red brick chapel where Martin Luther King Jr. Preached until his murder in 1968. Across Auburn Avenue sits the current sanctuary where the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is preparing a concert with the church for the first time since 2012. The concert for the King Holiday came together last fall when the ASO executive director, Jennifer Barlament, had a chance meeting with Sen. Reverend Raphael Warnock, who serves as pastor to the Ebenezer congregation.
Jennifer Barlament: So I said, "Hey, Reverend Warnock, nice to meet you." And sort of introduced myself. And one thing led to another. We just had a really nice conversation about music and how much he loves music, how great the acoustics are here at Ebenezer and how the orchestra and the church have had this relationship in the past. And so he basically said, "Well, come on down, let's do something together."
Kristi York Wooten: The concert planning would be a whirlwind for Ebenezer as director of worship, Dr. Patrice Turner, who says she fulfilled a childhood dream of showcasing the full breadth of music in the Black church.
Dr. Patrice Turner: People know about Ebenezer being a social justice — a home for social justice. They know about the great preaching that has happened at this church. But they might not necessarily realize that there was a wealth of musical and arts-related production that has come out of Ebenezer. And so this particular concert reflects that.
Kristi York Wooten: Turner curated a concert taking in jazz, gospel and the symphonic work of Atlanta-based composer Carlos Simon, who contributed his brass suite, "Amen!" Simon says he hopes his music informs growing conversations around issues of social justice.
Carlos Simon: I think that more composers are having the courage to speak about what's happening in the world, whether it be, you know, politics or socioeconomic problem, and to embed that into the music and so that there is a cultural awareness that happens and people — hopefully, audience members will leave and say, "Wow, I had no idea."
Kristi York Wooten: Three Saturdays before the King holiday, Ebenezer 800-seat Sanctuary was packed for the recording of the concert. In attendance was Dr. Bernice King, who serves as CEO of the King Center. She is the youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Correta Scott King. She said the official theme of this year's observance, of which the concert is just one part, is "Mission: Possible."
Dr. Bernice King: What is possible is that we can continue to cultivate and protect freedom, justice and democracy, if we — if we align ourselves with the teachings of my father: nonviolence and not just the actions, but the mindset that he — he left for us to consider when we are approaching, you know, championing causes.
Kristi York Wooten: The hope is that the concert at Ebenezer will soundtrack the mindset of Dr. King — this year and in other performances in years to come. For GPB News, I'm Kristi York Wooten in Atlanta.
Orlando Montoya: And Georgia Today, like many other people, will be taking MLK Day off on Monday. We'll be back on Tuesday, and Peter Biello will be back then as well. So we hope you tune in. A great way to remind yourself to do so is to hit the subscribe button on the Georgia Today podcast. That way, you never miss an episode. Send us feedback to GeorgiaToday@GPB.org and as always go to GPB.org/news to find out what's going on around Georgia today and every day. I'm Orlando Montoya. I hope you have a great weekend.
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