The centrist No Labels movement this week took a step toward fielding a third-party presidential candidate, forming a 12-person committee tasked with recommending a nominee.
Some supporters have pushed for former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan for that ticket. The Republican, an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump, is seen as a candidate who can appeal to swing voters in Georgia and other battleground states. He’s declined to comment about the possibility.
No Labels unveiled its 12-person selection committee Thursday. The panel’s recommendation would be vetted by a second group prior to moving forward with a nomination, said former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, No Labels’ convention chair, in a social media post.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
DO OVER. With just a handful of days left until the end of the two-year state legislative session, Republican leaders managed to pass two of their top priorities that failed last year.
On the House side, Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, again brought up the school voucher bill that failed last year when a group of rural Republicans defied leaders and voted against the measure. But after several changes, and sustained lobbying that kicked off with Gov. Brian Kemp declaring it a top priority, the bill passed the House narrowly on Thursday, 91-82.
On the Senate side, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones managed to flip his chamber on a bill to overhaul hospitals’ Certificate of Need regulations that he had retreated on in 2023. House Bill 1339 passed 43 to 11, thanks in part to the support of many once-skeptical Democrats. It includes a study committee to consider Medicaid expansion, along with a measure that could pave the way for Morehouse School of Medicine to have its own teaching hospital in Atlanta.
House members, who had not previously considered the Morehouse language, called the potential project “aspirational,” and noted that there is no money in next year’s state budget to begin what would be a costly process of opening a new in-town hospital.
That difference, and many others, will need to be hammered out between the two chambers within the next four legislative days.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
BLANK BALLOTS. At least 6,446 Democratic voters left their primary ballots blank across Georgia, according to an analysis of election results and turnout by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The blank ballots, which represent about 2.5% of all Democratic votes cast during Tuesday’s election, reflect an organized effort to send a warning to President Joe Biden over his support of Israel’s war against Hamas, our colleagues Mark Niesse and Phoebe Quinton report.
Some of the highest rates of blank Democratic ballots were found in metro Atlanta counties, including 8% in Forsyth County north of Atlanta, a conservative-leaning area with a growing number of liberal voters. Clinch County in South Georgia had the state’s biggest proportion of blank Democratic ballots, at 11% of 189 ballots cast.
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DECISION DAY? Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is expected to rule today on whether District Attorney Fani Willis can remain working on the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and his allies.
McAfee heard arguments earlier this month on a motion to disqualify Willis based on defense allegations that she benefited financially from an improper romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, creating a conflict of interest that has tainted the racketeering case.
Keep an eye on AJC.com throughout the day for updates.
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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
LISTEN UP. Today’s edition of the “Politically Georgia” radio show features the AJC’s Shannon McCaffrey as we await Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee’s ruling on whether District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from the election interference case involving former President Donald Trump.
The team will also be joined by Michael Jones, author of the “Once Upon a Hill” newsletter. He will provide insight on the U.S. House bill that could lead to a ban on TikTok and how the legislation is being perceived by young voters.
Plus the Friday favorites: listener mailbag and who’s up/who’s down.
Listen live at 10 a.m. on 90.1 FM, at AJC.com and at WABE.org.
In case you missed it, Thursday’s show featured state Rep. James Beverly, the House Democratic leader from Macon, and Josh McKoon, chair of the Georgia Republican Party, and is available for a listen anytime on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC
Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC
UNDER THE GOLD DOME:
- The House and Senate are out of session, returning to work Monday.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
RALSTON REMEMBERED. Three Georgia governors honored the late House Speaker David Ralston on Thursday during the unveiling of his official portrait that will hang in a hall of the Capitol.
The recognition for Ralston, who led the House for more than a decade before he died in November 2022, came just before state Sen. Colton Moore used the occasion to attack the former speaker, leading to the senator being banned from the House.
“David wanted the best for Georgia,” said former Gov. Sonny Perdue. “He had the DNA in his heart and his life and his family of public service, and he just wanted the best solutions for Georgia, regardless of where they came from.”
Former Gov. Nathan Deal remembered trying to recruit Ralston, a lawyer, to work in his Gainesville firm. Ralston declined, choosing to remain in Blue Ridge.
“He was a good friend. He was the kind of person that you didn’t have to go back and try to recreate your friendship every time you saw him. You simply picked up where you left off,” Deal said. “That’s what David Ralston brought to the table — common sense that has been marinated in the brine of experience.”
Gov. Brian Kemp said Ralston helped “marinate” him as well over the years.
“He was a fighter who always showed respect to everyone regardless of what side of the issue they were on. He was a man of decency,” Kemp said. “His portrait will serve as a lasting reminder of this man and those memories. And for those that knew him, it will bring back moments of shared triumph in times of bittersweet defeat, made more bearable because of his friendship.”
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
NO MOORE. A day to celebrate the memory of late House Speaker David Ralston took a turn later in the afternoon Thursday as the state Senate considered a measure to name a building at the University of North Georgia in his honor.
That’s when state Sen. Colton Moore, a Republican from Trenton, went to the Senate well to object. “This body is about to immortalize, in my opinion, one of the most corrupt Georgians we’ve seen in our lives,” Moore said.
Moore had multiple run-ins with Ralston when he was previously a member of the House and was ejected from the Senate caucus last year for raising money to spend against fellow Republicans.
As he went on about Ralston with unsubstantiated attacks, groans began to rise in the chamber. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones twice eventually cut him off. “Senator, not the time or place,” Jones said.
Senate Majority Leader John Kennedy, who had not planned to speak, stood later to apologize to Ralston’s family and friends who were watching from the gallery. Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch told Maya T. Prabhu Moore’s comments were “unprofessional and probably the meanest thing I’ve seen anybody do in this chamber in the 14 years I’ve served.”
But the strongest response came from House Speaker Jon Burns, who told House members that Moore was not just “vile” in what he said about Ralston, he was wrong. Burns, R-Newington, then announced to the chamber that Moore would be banned from both the House anteroom and the House floor for his conduct. House Minority Leader James Beverly seconded the motion.
Every member of the state House stands and applauds as Speaker Jon Burns announces that Sen. Colton Moore will be banned from the House floor after his disparaging comments about Speaker Ralston. Democratic Leader James Beverly seconds the motion. #gapol pic.twitter.com/bGigS27xw1
— Patricia Murphy (@MurphyAJC) March 14, 2024
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KEMP CLAPBACK. Gov. Brian Kemp pushed back on a letter from U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and Rep. Lucy McBath, saying they were spreading misinformation about Georgia’s Medicaid program.
We told you in Thursday’s newsletter that Ossoff, D-Atlanta, and McBath, D-Marietta, had demanded Kemp provide “detailed information” about the Georgians, including nearly 150,000 children, who have been disenrolled from Medicaid.
State officials have been re-certifying Medicaid eligibility for Georgia residents since the expiration of a COVID-19 pandemic related expansion of the program, but mismanagement, understaffing, and poor administrative execution were causing a lag, their letter said. They cited AJC reporting as proof.
But a spokesman for Kemp said that Georgia has staffed up its Medicaid office and users are not experiencing long wait times for application reviews. Spokesman Garrison Douglas said data from the federal government shows that Georgia is not among the worst states when it comes to the percentage of children who lost Medicaid coverage. (Ossoff and McBath had criticized Georgia for being third-worst in raw numbers.)
“Our state has taken considerable steps, including allocating $54 million in surge staff funding, to efficiently and effectively carry out the review process within the confines of federal guidance and provide innovative alternatives through Georgia Pathways and Georgia Access for those who are no longer eligible for traditional Medicaid coverage,” Douglas said.
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POLITICOS ON PARADE. Saturday marks a marching milestone in Georgia — the 200th anniversary Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade — and Gov. Brian Kemp will be among the politicians doing the walk-and-wave along the nearly 3-mile route through the historic district.
The parade organizers, the Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, haven’t publicly released the parade lineup yet but interest in the bicentennial has been strong, especially given that this is an election year. Local elected officials, from school board members and city aldermen to state lawmakers such as Georgia Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, and U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island, are parade regulars. Your insiders will also be on the lookout for other high-profile politicians.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Over its two centuries of history, the parade has attracted governors, vice presidents and even presidents. Insider Adam Van Brimmer, who doubles as the AJC’s Savannah bureau chief, will be onsite Saturday. Feel free to visit his parade day office on Oglethorpe Square — you might even catch at least one other of your insiders there as well. But remember, it is BYOB.
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Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC
Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC
THREAT OF CONTEMPT. Republicans on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis Thursday. This one threatened to hold her in contempt for allegedly failing to fully comply with the committee’s subpoena and document requests.
In February, the committee asked for paperwork related to a whistleblower’s complaint about her office’s use of federal funds.
The latest letter says that Willis produced a narrow set of documents on Feb. 23 but did provide everything listed in the subpoena. It set a March 28 deadline for full compliance.
“If she fails to do so, the committee will consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings,” the lawmakers said in a news release.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden meets with Prime Minister Leo Varadkar of Ireland at the White House and delivers remarks at the Friends of Ireland Luncheon at the Capitol.
- The House and Senate are done for the week.
- Sen. Jon Ossoff holds a press conference in Smyrna to discuss his inquiry with the Federal Trade Commission regarding fraud threatening Georgia’s small businesses and his efforts to protect veterans from insurance scams.
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Credit: Katelyn Myrick/AJC
Credit: Katelyn Myrick/AJC
CANCER DIAGNOSIS. Bruce Thompson, the Georgia Labor commissioner, announced Thursday that he is battling an advanced case of pancreatic cancer.
The AJC’s Michael Kannell reports that Thompson, a Republican who lives in Cartersville, will remain in office as he undergoes treatment.
“Yesterday, I was suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which has spread to my liver,” Thompson said in a statement he provided to the AJC. “While we wait on a final prognosis, I can assure you I will continue to be who I have always been — a fighter.”
Thompson has been the state’s labor commissioner since January 2023.
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Credit: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Santiago Lepper
Credit: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Santiago Lepper
PRESIDENTIAL VISIT. Georgia is a popular stop for presidents this election year, be it current leader Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump. This week, another country’s head of state, Poland’s Andrzej Duda, made a visit.
Duda spent Wednesday at Fort Stewart, an Army installation near Savannah that is home to the 3rd Infantry Division. Members of the 3rd ID have been stationed in Poland since the start of the conflict between Poland’s neighbors, Ukraine and Russia, in 2022.
Duda met with U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeremy Wilson and several 3rd ID soldiers before attending a live-fire demonstration at a gunnery range. The training exercise incorporated the Abrams tank, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and an AH-64 Apache helicopter
The “presence of U.S. soldiers in Poland is a symbol of stability in our region,” Duda said.
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DOG OF THE DAY. Here boy (and girl)! We are calling all dogs for inclusion in our daily newsletter. Send us your pets of any political persuasion to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us at @MurphyAJC.
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AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
