A man receives a vaccine

Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr have expanded their legal battle against the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, even as Georgia passed 25,000 deaths from COVID-19.

Credit: John Bazemore, AP

Monday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr have expanded their legal battle against the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. They filed a new lawsuit even as Georgia passed 25,000 deaths from COVID-19.

Axios political reporter Emma Hurt pointed out that Kemp's resistance to the vaccine mandate falls in line with his strategy throughout the pandemic, and his opposition to Biden. 

"He says, 'This is your choice,'" she said of Kemp's approach. "'You and your doctor should decide. I think it's a good idea, but I'm not going to tell you what to do. I'm the government. You decide for yourself.' So it really fits in with that track record. And it also positions Kemp well. As you know, I think we've seen him do this repeatedly, going back to the good politics point, as kind of a foil on the national stage to Biden. We saw it with the voting law. And so it is it does make political sense as well beyond know the legal arguments that they are making."

A federal appeals court has temporarily stayed the order calling for companies with more than 100 employees to require vaccines for their workers by early next year.

Meanwhile, the state senate is moving quickly to pass new Georgia voting districts. The redistricting committee approved new senate districts on just the third day of the special session. Democrats say GOP legislators aren’t giving them or the public the time needed to weigh in on the new maps.

Also: If Stacey Abrams chooses not to run for governor, is DeKalb Democratic CEO Michael Thurmond likely to enter the race? He hinted he might on our show late last week.

Panelists:

Emma Hurt — Political reporter, Axios Atlanta

Stephen Fowler — Political reporter, GPB news

Leroy Chapman — Managing editor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jim Galloway — Former political columnist, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tags: Georgia  Politics  Georgia Politics  Lawmakers  Political Rewind  Atlanta  Savannah  Macon  COVID 19  Redistricting