Brandon Beach heralds end of the penny as the ‘return of common sense’
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Andre Dickens pushes MARTA expansion.
- State lawmakers lock up their phones.
- Canceled flight spoils Van Johnson’s trip.
End of an era
The U.S. penny died on Wednesday at the age of 232. A former Georgia state senator read the last rites at a ceremony in Philadelphia.
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, just months from his job a GOP state legislator, commemorated the final penny strike with a social media post celebrating the “return of common sense.”
The penny has been on life support for years. As The New York Times noted, not even penny candy costs a penny anymore.
Still, lawmakers treated eliminating the one-cent piece like a political third rail. No one wanted to be accused of triggering inflation by declaring war on Abraham Lincoln’s forehead.
President Donald Trump changed that in May when he ordered the U.S. Mint to stop putting new pennies in circulation as a cost-cutting maneuver.
Now it’s headed to the great coin jar in the sky, felled by modern math and old-fashioned inefficiency.
The Treasury Department said the cost to mint the penny had spiked to nearly 4 cents. Ending the production will save taxpayers $56 million a year, according to the agency.
In the coming years, some businesses that rely on cash deals may have to round prices to the nearest nickel.
But fear not, penny loyalists. Though the coin has been falling out of favor for years, there are still roughly 114 billion of them in circulation, jangling in pockets, drawers and couch cushions nationwide.
Things to know
Good morning! The government shutdown ended last night after 43 days when President Donald Trump signed a law to restore federal funding. Georgia’s five Democratic members voted against it while its nine Republican members voted for it.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- Two environmental groups have asked the Public Service Commission to delay a crucial vote on Georgia Power’s expansion request so that two recently elected Democrats can participate, the AJC’s Drew Kann reports.
- The State Election Board has settled a lawsuit brought by a left-leaning watchdog group that alleged members obstructed access to public records, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
- A judge struck down Savannah’s law requiring people to lock their vehicles if they leave a gun inside, a mandate aimed at reducing firearm thefts, the AJC’s Adam Van Brimmer reports.
Suburban sell
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is setting an ambitious second-term goal: expanding MARTA service into Cobb and Gwinnett counties.
He told Channel 2 Action News he knows it won’t be an easy sell. Voters in both suburbs have rejected expansion plans before, and any new push would face a familiar mix of political skepticism and tax concerns.
But Dickens said his landslide win gives him the mandate — and the confidence — to think bigger.
“I really want Gwinnett and Cobb to start thinking about what it would look like to have public transit in their communities that is connected to the city,” he said.
It’s another sign that Dickens intends to use his second term to push a more regional approach, even if it means trying to persuade two of metro Atlanta’s historically reluctant counties to go along for the ride.
Coaching up
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Derek Dooley is fond of accusing former President Joe Biden of overreaching.
But during an appearance Wednesday at the University of Georgia, he was asked whether President Donald Trump abused his power by encouraging the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The former football coach said what matters most to him is “trust in our elections systems,” our AJC colleague Fletcher Page reported.
And he backed the 2021 rewrite of election rules championed by Gov. Brian Kemp, his top ally.
“I think the elections of 2022 and 2024 gave the voters trust that we’re doing the right thing. Now, having said that, we always gotta stay vigilant,” Dooley said.
“Every election, we gotta stay vigilant. I mean, it’s the human condition, right? That’s why we have officials in football, right?”
Phone free
State Rep. Scott Hilton drew the ire of some middle schoolers this year when he wrote a law banning them from using their phones during school hours. But it was Hilton on Wednesday who had to lock up his phone in a secure pouch before entering a legislative committee room.
“This is traumatic,” the Republican from Peachtree Corners joked before walking inside.
Hilton testified before a Senate committee studying the impact of social media on children. All of the senators agreed to lock up their phones for the meeting. But some, notably Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, and Sheikh Rahman, D-Lawrenceville, needed some gentle reminders from committee co-chair Sally Harrell, D-Atlanta.
“The chair is cracking the whip,” Setzler quipped as he walked outside to retrieve his phone pouch.
The law doesn’t take effect until next year, but many school districts are already complying. The pouches lawmakers used on Wednesday came from Yondr. The California-based company is contracting with nine Georgia districts, including all of Atlanta Public Schools’ middle and high schools.
“I thought this meeting would be a good opportunity for us to feel what we’re asking our students to do,” Harrell said.
Harrell had her own moment of anxiety. Her phone buzzed soon after she locked it up in the pouch, leaving her helpless to check the notification.
Shutdown blues
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson scored coveted speaking slots at the annual United Nations’ Climate Change Conference in Brazil this week, in part because the Trump administration boycotted the event.
But Johnson didn’t make it to Brazil, undone by the government shutdown.
Flight delays and cancellations related to air traffic controller shortages meant Johnson never got off the ground in Savannah. He was scheduled to fly to Atlanta on Sunday and then to Miami before the long connection to South America.
Johnson took solace that more than 100 other Americans, including California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, did make it to the conference to highlight U.S. efforts to curb global warming. Especially with no federal government representatives in attendance.
“The theme of the trip was, ‘We’re still in,’” Johnson said.
Johnson currently heads the national African American Mayors Association and was scheduled to speak during four sessions of the conference, also known as COP30. The event opened Monday and runs through Nov. 21.
Delta’s CEO said he expects flights will be "close to normal" this weekend now that the government shutdown is over.
Frayed relations
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office will no longer send its investigators to present cases to the State Election Board.
The move comes after the Republican-controlled board delayed acting on investigations, causing a backlog of more than 300 cases in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. Officials in Raffensperger’s office say they’re tired of seeing their investigators abused by board members and blamed for the board’s inaction.
Instead, investigators will forward reports to the board that contain “factual details about the investigations” but won’t include recommendations regarding possible violations, according to Charlene McGowan, general counsel for the secretary of state’s office.
Still, the move rankled some board members who say the decision will make it harder for them to get their questions answered about allegations of election-related wrongdoing.
“I don’t need them to present (reports),” election board member Janelle King said. “But at least have someone present to answer questions. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”
McGowan said the move is consistent with how the secretary of state’s office handles investigations for Georgia’s professional licensing boards.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast former congressional aide Brendan Buck joins the show to talk about the politics of the government shutdown. Then you’ll hear from Democrat Jason Esteves from our recent gubernatorial candidate forum.
You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia for free an Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.
Today in Washington
- President Donald Trump will receive an intelligence briefing and sign an executive order focused on strengthening foster care systems.
- The House and Senate are done for the week.
Ad watch
Americans for Prosperity-Georgia says it is spending more than $1 million on a new ad criticizing Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff for voting against a law to indefinitely extend some federal tax cuts.
The law, known by President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” nickname, made permanent some tax cuts passed during Trump’s first term. But it also included big budget cuts to pay for them, including slashing spending for Medicaid and food assistance programs.
“When Ossoff puts his party’s progressive agenda first, his bad vote ripples through every Georgia household,” the ad’s narrator says. “Ossoff’s vote would have made life hard and hope feel even further away.”
The ad will run on digital platforms across the state. AFP-Georgia, the state chapter of the conservative political advocacy organization started by the Koch brothers, says it has knocked on 100,000 doors already as it ramps up its ground game ahead of the 2026 election.
Shoutout
Today’s birthday:
- Georgia Court of Appeals Presiding Judge Stephen Dillard, who doubles as a social media star.
Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
Before you go
After moving most of its paperwork online, the state’s Professional Licensing Boards Division has moved into a new 9,700-square-foot office, down from the previous 83,000-square-foot location. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger will be in Macon today for its grand opening.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
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