Outside group targets Mike Collins over support for Iran war
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Hemp producers could get another month to fight a looming ban.
- The U.S. Senate could vote on the Protect College Sports Act this week.
- Georgia earns a top election policy rating in a new review by the R Street Institute.
Iran war hits the Georgia airwaves
Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is getting a $4.8 million assist from an outside group targeting Republican nominee U.S. Rep. Mike Collins over his support for President Donald Trump’s war in Iran.
Defend the Vote Action Fund, a voting-rights advocacy organization aligned with Democrats, is launching an ad campaign this morning accusing Collins of rubber-stamping Trump’s foreign policy as the conflict drives up federal spending and gas prices.
“Mike Collins is always with Donald Trump, no matter how much it costs,” the narrator says in the ad. “On the war in Iran, Collins said, ‘I fully support President Trump and what he is doing in Iran,’ even though the conflict has already cost taxpayers $100 billion and caused gas prices to surge across Georgia.”
The campaign will run on broadcast television, radio and digital streaming platforms across metro Atlanta.
It’s the latest burst of spending in a race already awash in outside money. Ossoff is beginning to tap the more than $42 million he has stockpiled, while Republican groups backing Collins have pledged nearly $60 million.
The ad gives us an early example of how Democrats are trying to turn the Iran conflict into a pocketbook argument in Georgia. Collins has opposed congressional efforts to limit Trump’s war powers, while Ossoff backed measures aimed at curbing the president’s authority.
Things to know
Good morning! We’re 91 days away from the midterms. Here are three things to know for today:
- Former Republican U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake has endorsed Ossoff’s reelection campaign, Greg Bluestein reports.
- The State Ethics Commission overruled an administrative law judge who had ruled the Georgia Republican Assembly and it’s political action committee did not violate campaign finance laws, David Wickert reports.
- A coalition of Georgia nonprofits is suing the Trump administration for access to records about the growing footprint of immigration detention in the state, Lautaro Grinspan reports.
Hemp reprieve?
The hemp industry has been working for more than a year to convince Congress to repeal a looming Nov. 12 ban on most of their products. Now, they might get another month to make their case.
The U.S. Senate released its version of a continuing resolution that would keep the government funded through Dec. 11. Tucked into the bill is language that would delay the Nov. 12 ban on most hemp products to Dec. 11.
David Spang, co-owner of Coastal Green Wellness — a hemp retailer with locations in Georgia — said the delay itself doesn’t provide “any real level of comfort” for business owners. The real takeaway, he says, is the government signaling “there is a willingness to regulate, not eliminate, this industry.”
It’s been difficult to keep up with Trump’s hemp policy. He signed a law during his first term in 2018 that legalized some hemp products. But last year, he signed another law that would ban most of them.
Then in December, he signed an executive order setting up a pilot program for reimbursing Medicare recipients for CBD products — products that would be banned once the law takes effect.
Spang views all of this as a sign the administration is working with Congress to find another solution.
Making the grade
Georgia is one of four states to receive the highest overall rating for its election policy, according to a new review from the right-leaning R Street Institute.
The review evaluated election laws and procedures for every state. Georgia, Florida, Ohio and Utah received full credit on 17 of the 18 policies the institute reviewed. Meanwhile, the group said Mississippi, New Hampshire and Wyoming need the most improvement.
Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger lauded the results in a news release, saying it “confirms that Georgia has achieved what every state should strive for: elections that are both easy to vote in and hard to cheat.”
“Good election administration isn’t about partisan talking points — it’s about earning the confidence of every legal voter,” he said.
College sports
The two most powerful conferences in collegiate sports, the Big Ten and SEC, are now in favor of a bill pending in the U.S. Senate that would create federal standards for how athletes are treated and compensated.
The AJC’s Ken Sugiura wrote about the turnaround for the Protect College Sports Act, a bill that once appeared to be dying on the vine. He also breaks down what’s in the legislation and the pros and cons for schools and athletes.
The House has a rival bill, the SCORE Act, which has stalled because of opposition from Democrats who say it doesn’t do enough to protect athletes.
One member of Georgia’s delegation appears to support of the Senate proposal. Arkansas head basketball coach John Calipari wrote on X Monday that he had a chance to meet with U.S. Rep. Brian Jack, R-Peachtree City, to talk about why they both are in favor of the Protect College Sports Act.
“It is not perfect and needs tweaked BUT it protects young American athletes opportunities, increases the pool of money for athletes with the retention bonus, and adds stability to the whole system as we continue to make it better!” Calipari wrote.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast AJC contributor Erick Erickson discusses his latest column on split-ticket voters and why they continue to make the difference in Georgia’s statewide elections.
You can listen and subscribe to “Politically Georgia” for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 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.
Avoiding shutdown
The U.S. Senate on Monday took a step toward providing stopgap funding to federal agencies ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to avoid a shutdown.
The procedural vote showed that the bill, known as a continuing resolution, has bipartisan support. The vote to advance the legislation was 89-4 with both Ossoff and fellow U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock voting for it. Final passage could come later this week.
The bill would keep most federal agencies at the same funding levels through Dec. 11 while Congress continues to work on full-year funding legislation. There is also language backed by Democrats to prevent money from being shifted to the Border Patrol and to delay a proposed rule that would allow White House officials to review federal grants before they are awarded.
The House passed its own continuing resolution, or CR, before starting its August recess. But very few Democrats in that chamber backed it.
Members of both parties want to approve a temporary funding proposal to avoid a shutdown ahead of the midterms.
Today in Washington
- Trump will meet at the White House with the Penn State wrestling team that won the 2026 NCAA championship. He will also swear in Jay Clayton as director of National Intelligence and then travel to Los Angeles for a Republican National Committee fundraiser.
- The Senate is in session but votes are pending.
- The House is out until Aug. 31.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination to be attorney general.
Shoutouts
Belated birthday:
- State Rep. Noelle Kahaian, R-Locust Grove. (was Monday.)
Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
Before you go
Lots of Braves fans are upset today after the team failed to make a big move before the trade deadline. But Attorney General Chris Carr is looking on the bright side, posting on X: “To quote this part-time Georgian … ‘Sometimes the best deals you make are the ones you don’t.’ — Nick Saban.”
That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider information to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.