Georgia’s newest political battlefield? Waffle House
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Georgia’s House budget proposal is heavy on hurricane aid and prison changes.
- Lawmakers could intervene in the dispute over Atlanta’s jail.
- Democrats criticize Republicans’ plan to overhaul voting laws.
Waffle House has landed in the middle of Georgia’s latest political food fight.
The restaurant chain is a Southern cultural icon and often makes the news when some of its restaurants are forced to close for severe weather — giving rise to the unofficial “Waffle House Index.”
But the Georgia-based chain has waded into politics in a big way in recent weeks. They’re big supporters of Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposal to overhaul civil litigation rules. Kemp even read aloud from the Waffle House menu during his State of the State address last month, adding that “companies like Waffle House and small businesses across Georgia are being crushed by a broken legal system.”
This week, Waffle House added a 50-cent surcharge on every egg it sells — a reaction to the spike in prices caused by a nationwide bird flu outbreak that recently hit Georgia’s commercial poultry industry.
Democrats were quick to tie the decision to President Donald Trump, whose victory in November in part was driven by anger over increasing prices.
“Waffle House raising prices on eggs is smothered and covered in irony considering Trump campaigned on lowering these costs on Day 1,” Democratic Party of Georgia spokesperson Dave Hoffman said.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., even brought up Waffle House when explaining his vote against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Bird flu is impacting public health and making your All-Star Special at Waffle House cost more,” Warnock said on social media. “It’s clear how important it is that we have qualified leaders who are ready and able to meet this moment at the helm of government agencies like HHS.”
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GOOD MORNING! The “Politically Georgia” crew is in Washington for a special live taping of the podcast tonight. But before that, Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and House Speaker Jon Burns were at the White House on Wednesday to witness President Donald Trump sign an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in school sports against girls and women. The Georgia Senate is scheduled to vote on a similar measure today.
Here are three things to know for today:
- The federal government under former President Joe Biden sued Georgia to block a 2021 state voting law that prompted a fierce backlash, including causing Major League Baseball to pull its All-Star game from Atlanta. But now that Trump is in charge, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has asked new Attorney General Pam Bondi to drop the lawsuit, the AJC’s Mark Niesse writes.
- Most Georgia lawmakers are lining up behind a proposal to compel school districts to share more information about students following a deadly shooting last year. But they disagree on what to do about physical security around schools and how best to report threats, the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman and Maya T. Prabhu report.
- If you thought Georgia’s $16.5 billion budget reserve was big, you’re right, writes the AJC Caleb Groves.
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BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS. Georgia’s “amended budget” is kind of like the baggy jeans of public policy — it’s so last year.
Before passing a budget for next year, lawmakers first must make changes to the budget they passed last year to make sure everything balances out. That’s why the amended budget is typically just an appetizer before the main course.
Not this year. Now, as the AJC’s David Wickert writes, the amended budget is having a moment, for two reasons: prisons and Hurricane Helene.
The hurricane caused billions of dollars of damage that requires a lot of fixing. The prison system is a dangerous mess that, as the AJC’s Carrie Teegardin and Danny Robbins have reported, will take years to fix.
The House of Representatives revealed its version of the amended budget on Wednesday. Some highlights:
- Farm and timber support. Gov. Brian Kemp authorized $100 million in low-interest loans to help farmers and timber owners who lost their harvest in the hurricane. The House added another $150 million to this pot, noting that the demand is already higher than the supply.
- Hospital grants. It’s not just farmers. The state’s rural hospitals also had big expenses from the hurricane. The House wants to spend $35 million in grants for 45 rural hospitals, 35 of which are in disaster areas.
- More prison officers. The plan spends $2.2 million to hire more corrections officers, with the goal of having one officer for every 11 inmates. Georgia currently has one officer for every 14 inmates, according to state Rep. Bill Hitchens, R-Rincon.
- Repairing prisons. $36 million to address the backlog of prison repairs and renovations. It covers things like cameras, wastewater systems and boilers.
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VOTING RIGHTS. Democrats and voting rights groups united on Wednesday to criticize the Georgia Republican Party’s proposed overhaul of the state’s voting laws.
The Democratic Party of Georgia called it a “voter suppression wish list” because it calls to end early in-person voting, automatic “motor voter” registration and no-excuse absentee voting while moving toward a paper ballot system.
“Georgia voters, not right-wing activists, decide who wins our elections,” said party spokesman Dave Hoffman.
Lauren Groh-Wargo of the Fair Fight voting rights group said the push to gut early voting is “part of a decades-long strategy to suppress our votes because they fear losing control.”
“Voting is your right — it’s the foundation of American democracy,” she said. “When they try to make it harder, it’s because they know how much it matters.”
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STEPPING IN. Georgia lawmakers pass lots of “local bills” each year that get little attention because they only apply to one county. But a bill moving through the Legislature targeting the Atlanta Detention Center has raised alarms beyond City Hall.
Fulton County officials have been talking about buying the Atlanta Detention Center to help alleviate problems at its own troubled jail. But the two sides haven’t reached a deal.
State Sen. John Albers is tired of waiting. The Roswell Republican has introduced a bill that would let Fulton County use Atlanta’s jail whenever it wants. The bill cleared a legislative committee on Wednesday. He’s vowed the bill will become law unless the two sides reach a “reasonable conclusion.”
Atlanta officials say the proposal undermines their negotiating position. And the Georgia Municipal Association is afraid that if the General Assembly intervenes in one local dispute, what’s to stop them from doing it again?
“That’s a dangerous precedent that can replicate itself in 159 counties,” said Jim Thornton, GMA’s director of governmental relations.
Albers is undeterred. Atlanta already lets Fulton County use up to 700 of its jail beds and, interestingly, notes the county often doesn’t use all of them. But the AJC’s Reed Williams reports the lease restricts the type of inmates who can be housed there.
Still, Albers notes that agreement will expire eventually, and he doesn’t want to count on it being extended. “We had to get involved,” he said.
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OSSOFF OPPOSED. With so much news coming out of the White House right now, Democratic lawmakers in Washington are being strategic in what to react to and when.
Late Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff spoke out about the moves President Donald Trump has made against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, including shuttering websites with public health information.
“The Trump Administration is undermining vital CDC data, research, and public health reporting, endangering Georgians and all Americans who depend on the world’s leading public health agency,” he said. “The Trump Administration’s apparent campaign to hollow out America’s public health system puts us all at risk. I will vigorously fight back against attempts to weaken the CDC and political attacks on its employees.”
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GOLD DOME. It’s the 13th day of the legislative session. Some happenings:
- 9:30 a.m.: House convenes and could vote to approve the $40.5 billion amended 2025 state budget.
- 10 a.m.: Senate convenes and could vote on Senate Bill 1, which would ban transgender athletes from competing against women in high school and college sports.
- 2 p.m.: Senate Judiciary Committee will consider Senate Bill 9, which would outlaw child pornography generated by artificial intelligence.
- 4 p.m.: The Senate Insurance and Labor Committee will consider Senate Bill 55, which would phase out the practice of some organizations paying less than minimum wage for people with intellectual disabilities.
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LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” the hosts discuss President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports. Then, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, discusses the passage of the Laken Riley Act and what else he’d like to see from the Trump administration. Plus, Ernie Suggs talks about 10 years of leading the AJC’s Black History Month series.
Be sure to download the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Have a question for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us. You can also listen live at 10 a.m. EDT on 90.1 FM WABE.
On Wednesday’s show, the hosts discussed former Georgia U.S. Rep. Doug Collins’ confirmation as the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Then, state Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, talked about the state’s budget priorities.
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SECRETARY COLLINS. On his first day as Veterans Affairs secretary, Doug Collins quickly amassed thousands of followers on his new account on X, @SecVetAffairs.
He posted pictures of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas swearing him in on Wednesday morning, followed by an introductory video shot in his brand new office. Collins, a former Georgia congressman and Air Force Reserve chaplain, said he was still figuring out where to find the bathroom but was clear on the work ahead.
“Our mission is that the VA will be so America First focused, because America First puts our veterans first,” he said. “That’s what you’re gonna get from me. You’re gonna see me a lot here. I’m gonna keep you up to date. We’re gonna be transparent, because our veterans deserve nothing better.”
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Donald Trump will deliver remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol and later will meet at the White House with Republican members of the U.S. House.
- The U.S. House will vote on a bill that would permanently classify fentanyl as a schedule 1 controlled substance alongside other drugs deemed to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, such as heroin and LSD.
- U.S. Senate Democrats will continue their planned 30 hours of continuous speeches in opposition to the nomination of Russell Vought to serve as director of the Office of Management and Budget.
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SHOUTOUTS. Transitions:
- President Donald Trump has nominated Billy Kirkland to be assistant secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, the Navajo Times reports. A member of the Navajo Nation, Kirkland managed David Perdue’s 2014 Senate campaign and was a key adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign. He was also then-Vice President Mike Pence’s senior strategist. More recently, Kirkland has advised former Georgia U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Agricultural Commissioner Tyler Harper. In the last election cycle, he helped navigate U.S. Rep. Brian Jack’s victory in an open west Georgia-based House seat.
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AS ALWAYS, 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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