Brian Kemp will sign litigation law on Monday as allies launch support tour
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Democrat Everton Blair picks up key endorsement in his bid for Congress.
- Sonny Perdue bemoans increase in online course enrollment.
- Raphael Warnock launches a book tour.
Victory lap
Gov. Brian Kemp will cement the signature legislative achievement of his second term on Monday when he signs his sweeping legal overhaul into law at the state Capitol. His allies, meanwhile, are launching a new effort to sell it to Georgia voters.
Kemp’s office this morning unveiled the timing of his plans to sign the vast overhaul of Georgia’s legal landscape. The push to limit lawsuits and reduce jury awards took nearly all of the governor’s political capital to eke through the Legislature.
The event could serve as a bookend to the pep rally Kemp held weeks ago at the same spot, where he was surrounded by hundreds of supporters as he outlined details of the proposal. Only this time, they’ll be celebrating the final product.
It took months of arm-twisting, political threats and more than a few concessions. And the work isn’t quite done. A parallel effort to promote the changes is underway from Greater Georgia, the conservative political group founded by former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler.
The group launched the first of an eight-stop statewide “education tour” on Wednesday to build support for the measure. It started in an unlikely place: a senior center in deep-blue south DeKalb County.
Insurance Commissioner John King, a Kemp ally and potential U.S. Senate candidate, headlined the event before a crowd of about 50 attendees. King said he’s ready to ramp up pressure on insurance companies “to do their part.”
“We are going to have public hearings and they’re going to have to justify raising rates,” he said. “I don’t mind holding their feet to the fire.”
But as our AJC colleague Michelle Baruchman reports, the group faced a mostly skeptical audience on Wednesday.
“I don’t think he was being truthful when he said they are looking out for the little people,” said Telessa Ammons, a Stonecrest resident who walked out of the meeting.
Things to know
Good morning! Gov. Brian Kemp has 27 days left to either sign or veto bills passed by the state Legislature this year. He’s signed eight bills into law so far and hasn’t vetoed anything yet.
Here are five things to know for today:
- State Rep. Devan Seabaugh, R-Marietta, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors after crashing into a bicycle in Grant Park last year. Prosecutors dropped previous charges of driving under the influence of both drugs and alcohol, the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman reports.
- A small group of supporters made the long trip from Sapelo Island to the Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday to hear oral arguments in a case that could impact the Gullah Geechee community’s future, the AJC’s Adam Van Brimmer reports.
- U.S. District Judge Victoria Calvert, a Biden appointee, will hear arguments this morning challenging the revocation of 133 student visas, including 27 from Georgia, the AJC’s Jason Armesto reports.
- Many of Gov. Brian Kemp’s closest friends doubt he will run for Senate, but some say the odds have ticked up, Greg Bluestein reports. Kemp says he has no timetable for a decision.
- Tia Mitchell profiles Brian Jack, Georgia’s newest Republican congressman, who is already making an impact in Washington.
Georgia 2026
Democrat Everton Blair quickly nabbed a key endorsement after announcing his primary campaign against U.S. Rep. David Scott, a 12-term incumbent facing pressure to step aside.
State Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs backed Blair over both Scott and state Sen. Emanuel Jones, a Decatur Democrat who launched his campaign for the seat months ago.
“I think it’s time,” McLaurin said. “Democrats need energy and fight more than ever before. Everton will rise to the moment.”
Chamber warning
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is taking the lead among business groups in monitoring the effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Georgia businesses.
On a call with reporters, CEO Chris Clark predicted “a continued and long-term disruption in trade” and said the effects of the tariffs on Georgia farmers, retailers, and ports are likely to be significant. He also repeatedly suggested that Georgia businesses contact their members of Congress to tell them how the tariffs are impacting them.
“Congress has a role to play in this, our delegation, everyone, and they need to be very vocal and share these stories,” Clark said, “They need to listen to their constituents and they need to share that back (with the Trump administration).”
For that reason, Clark said the Chamber had recently reached out to the office of Kelly Loeffler, the former Georgia U.S. senator who is now head of the Small Business Administration. And he said they’ll be going to Washington soon to meet with Georgia lawmakers, too.
“But it’s not enough yet.”
Is that a threat?
Five years after the start of the pandemic, Georgia’s university students are loving online courses — but maybe a little too much, according to Sonny Perdue.
The former governor and current chancellor of the University System of Georgia said he’s proud of the new state budget, which includes nearly $100 million for a new health sciences building at Augusta University. So he was dismayed during Wednesday’s Board of Regents meeting to see data showing a growing number of students are enrolling in online courses and don’t use any of the system’s buildings.
“This trend, which I think is rather disturbing, if it continues post-COVID into 2025, then we won’t need buildings in the university system,” he said.
That’s most likely hyperbole from Perdue, as it’s hard to imagine a world without the UGA Chapel or Tech Tower. But the trend could weaken Perdue’s negotiating power with state lawmakers as the state’s budget tightens.
It’s not just students. Perdue also made it clear he wants university system employees back in the office five days a week.
“COVID is over,” he said. “My expectation is when the family of a prospective student call a campus on Friday afternoon, they get an answer.”
Going nuclear
As Georgia Power rushes to meet the needs of power-gobbling data centers, a key question before the all-Republican Public Service Commission is where the investor-owned utility will get all of that new electricity over the next two decades.
A recently retired Georgia Power official said the answer is likely what most observers have been thinking: nuclear.
“I’m not trying to make news, but I think it’s inevitable we will look in that direction,” Ronny Just, Georgia Power’s former government relations manager, told the University System Board of Regents on Wednesday.
But don’t look for Georgia Power to build a new reactor anytime soon. The utility recently completed the second of two new nuclear units at Plant Vogtle — the first new commercial reactors in the U.S. in more than three decades.
“I tell utilities around the country that we were the yellow jersey wearer of the Tour de France for about 12 years,” Just said. “We now need another utility to get ahead of us so we can draft for a little while and then we’ll come back and build more.”
Listen up
Today on "Politically Georgia‚” the hosts unpack the chaos at U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s town hall in Acworth. Plus, you’ll hear from some Atlanta-based workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who were impacted by President Donald Trump’s plan to downsize federal agencies.
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.
You can listen and subscribe to the show for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Big Ridge Fire
U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Gainesville, traveled to Rabun County on Wednesday to receive a briefing on the Big Ridge Fire from the U.S. Forest Service. The wildfire was the largest the region has seen in nearly a decade and burned more than 3,400 acres.
WDUN reported on April 3 that firefighters had reached 90% containment, roughly 10 days after the blaze was first spotted. After his visit, Clyde praised first responders and emergency operations officials, which at the height of the fire included 280 Forest Service firefighters and support staff.
“Due to the incredible work and partnership among local, state, and federal personnel, this wildfire resulted in no private property damage or loss of life,” Clyde said in a news release.
Warnock on tour
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock will appear on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” tonight to promote his new children’s book, “We’re in This Together: Leo’s Lunch Box.” The book is a modern-day retelling of the Bible story of Jesus feeding a great crowd with just a few fish and loaves of bread.
In Warnock’s telling, a boy named Leo, who is used to eating just a bologna sandwich for lunch everyday, sees his fortunes change and his lunchbox overflowing. “The more he shares, the more he receives,” Penguin Random House teases in a blurb on its website.
Warnock, who is the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, will also be promoting the book with in-person events in Georgia.
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta will host “Storytime with Senator Warnock” on Friday that includes a reading of the book followed by a signing. The event is included with museum admission that day.
And on Saturday, the children’s bookstore Little Shop of Stories will host a reading with Warnock followed by a question and answer period. This free event will be held at the First Baptist Church of Decatur and in conjunction with the Georgia Center for the Book.
Trump today
President Donald Trump will meet at the White House with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and sign executive orders.
Easter with Trump
Georgia megachurch pastor Jentezen Franklin was a featured speaker at a White House prayer service and dinner Wednesday ahead of Easter.
President Donald Trump introduced Franklin, who is among the evangelical leaders who have long supported him. Franklin, who lives in Gainesville, is the pastor of Free Chapel megachurch, which has multiple campuses.
Franklin said God is using Trump to expand Christianity in America.
“There’s a movement going on in our churches, Mr. President, and I think this group here can testify we’ve never had attendance like we’re having,” he said. “We’re running over. Our buildings are packed. God is moving in this nation mightily, and we’re thankful for that.”
Franklin is also scheduled to participate in a White House staff worship service today.
Shoutouts
Today’s birthdays:
- Tania Duarte-Pena, a devoted reader of this newsletter.
- State Rep. Bruce Williamson, R-Monroe.
- Thomas Worthy, chief public policy officer for Piedmont Healthcare
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
The signs out front of the Columbus-area U.S. military base now say “Fort Benning” again. But, at least on Victory Drive in Columbus, state highway signs still displayed “Fort Moore” as of Wednesday afternoon, as captured by photographer Natrice Miller.
That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
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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