State Sen. Freddie Powell Sims doesn't typically wade into Republican politics. Just elected to her sixth Senate term, the Albany-area Democrat is one of the more reliable liberal votes in the chamber.
But Sims called your Insider while navigating southwest Georgia roads to issue a rare vote of confidence for a Republican incumbent whose post could be vulnerable after upheaval in the GOP-controlled chamber.
“I’m not on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, but I know this: When I call Renee Unterman, she’s there to help me. And that’s what a chairperson should do.”
In what’s one of the more poorly kept secrets under the Gold Dome, Unterman’s role as chair of the health committee could soon come to an end.
A top ally of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, the Gwinnett Republican seemed assured to be tapped to head a state health department had he won. But Kemp’s victory and a reshuffling of leadership in the Senate put Unterman’s position in doubt.
(She and Kemp, in particular, have a rather strained relationship.)
We've heard several names floated as a potential successor, but the most likely rival appears to be Ben Watson, a Savannah physician who is urging lawmakers to roll back "certificate of need" requirements that regulate hospitals.
He would bring a different outlook than Unterman, a former nurse who is one of two female Republicans left in the chamber – and among the few GOP lawmakers from the close-in suburbs to survive November’s vote.
That's because Unterman has been an outspoken supporter of a Medicaid expansion, which she sees as the only way to cover a growing number of rural and lower-income residents.
That's counter to the views of most of her party's leadership – including Kemp and Lt. Gov.-elect Geoff Duncan – who see expansion as too costly in the long run and instead want a form of waivers. Watson, too, favors this approach.
She also is seen by her allies as a bridge to the most vulnerable Republican constituency - suburban white women, who defected the GOP in droves last month. In particular, she was the sponsor of legislation that toughens penalties and fines against sex traffickers.
With her unequivocal endorsement, Sims didn’t dwell much on partisan stances or the fight over expansion. Instead, she talked of Unterman’s frequent trips to southwest Georgia to shed light on the epidemic of opioid abuse, the troubling infant mortality rates and the struggles of rural hospitals.
Behind the scenes, she said, Unterman has worked to help get Dr. Karen Kinsell – the only doctor in Clay County – a new facility. And she's helped assess healthcare needs for southwest Georgia after Hurricane Michael ravaged the area.
“This is what a chairperson should do. You’re working to make sure that the needs of Georgians are met,” said Sims. “The election is over, and Georgians expect us to have someone in that position, like Renee, who understands what the health needs are.”
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