Political Rewind: Judge allows new Ga. maps for 2022 election; A look at State of the Union address

Credit: Sam Bermas-Dawes, GPB News

The Panel:

Greg Bluestein – Politics Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 

Rahul Bali – Politics Reporter, WABE 

Steve Fennessy – Host of Georgia Today, Georgia Public Broadcasting

The Breakdown:

1. Georgia's new political maps will remain...for now. 

• Federal judge Steve Jones said it is too close to the May 24 primary to redraw districts.
  • Jones didn't rule on the underlying concerns from activists that districts violate the Voting Rights Act.
• The U.S. Supreme Court had a similar ruling for a case in Alabama.

2. David Perdue addresses backlash to Rivian manufacturing.

• Perdue traveled to Rutledge and joined local residents to protest the $5 billion Rivian auto plant planned for the area.
• Georgia Today's Steve Fennessey reported on the resistance. 
  

3. President Biden's State of the Union 

• The president opened by talking about Ukraine and announced that the U.S. would close its airspace to Russia.
• The president also called for cutting drug prices, including capping insulin at $35. 
  • This is a bill that U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock is backing. 
• The 46th president also made headlines for rallying against calls to defund the police. 

• U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene heckled the president on several occasions Tuesday night. 
  • She shouted “build the wall” when the speech touched in immigration.
  • Greene shouted out “stay out of women’s sports" when he touched on protections for transgender youth. 

• Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds gave the Republican response to the State of Union.

4. Sonny Perdue will be the next chancellor over public higher education in Georgia.

• Perdue will lead the University System of Georgia’s 26 public colleges and universities.
• Critics raise concerns that the former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and two-term Georgia governor has no background in academia.

5. "Constitutional Carry" passes in state Senate, fulfilling one of Kemp's big promises.

• The bill passed along party lines 34-22. It will now go to the state House. 
• An amendment proposed by Democrats to increase gun sales background checks failed to pass.
• GPB's Lawmakers team breaks down SB 319 and other gun measures in the Georgia General Assembly. 

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