Political Insider Blog
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
The Jolt: Mental health bill stalled over Burt Jones’ hospital fight
The impasse over health care regulations still looms over the legislative session, but Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is pressing...
Credit: robert.andres@ajc.com
LISTEN: A final mad dash at the Georgia Legislature
The final stretch of the Georgia legislative session is here, and things are getting wild under the Gold Dome.
Credit: Phil Sears/AP
DeSantis brings unofficial 2024 campaign to Georgia next week
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will bring his yet-to-be announced presidential campaign to Georgia next week when his book...
More Political Insider
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
The Jolt: Lawmaker standoff could hurt Children’s Healthcare credit
The feud between the Georgia House and Senate over hospital regulations ratcheted up on Wednesday, with no sign of...
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
The Jolt: House and Senate tensions boiling as session deadline nears
A few weeks ago, a veteran lobbyist told us one of the most surprising developments of this year’s legislative session...
Credit: Seth Wenig & Ben Gray
LISTEN: Trump’s potential indictment could be dry run for Atlanta
In this episode of the Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy explain why potential...
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Why a divide over hospital rules is roiling Georgia politics
The General Assembly is primed for a new battle over hospital regulations that has divided some of Georgia’s most...
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
The Jolt: Awaiting DNC decision, Atlanta leaders fight for best position
President Joe Biden and his inner circle haven’t yet announced where they plan to hold the Democratic National...
Credit: TNS
Analysis: Why Kemp prefers a behind-the-scenes approach in new term
When Gov. Brian Kemp gathered bipartisan lawmakers a few days ago to celebrate the signing of the state budget, it...
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
The Jolt: Jones-backed hospital fight could tie up legislative session
A few weeks ago, the Georgia Senate passed a measure to make it easier for new hospitals to be built in smaller...
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
The Jolt: Fireworks erupt in Senate committee as sports betting is revived
How did an innocuous measure honoring the annual soapbox derby race in Lyons, Georgia, suddenly morph into one of the...
Credit: TNS
LISTEN: An extraordinary look inside the Fulton grand jury probe
In exclusive interviews, five members of the Fulton County special grand jury revealed behind-the-scenes details about...
Credit: Alex Brandon/AP
The Jolt: Special grand jurors reveal Trump call to David Ralston
The AJC’s dynamic duo of Tamar Hallerman and Bill Rankin broke loads of news with their bombshell interviews with five...
Credit: AP
The Jolt: Wellstar says Fulton leaders trying for ‘cheap political points’
Under fire from multiple fronts, the Wellstar Health System is pushing back against political forces assailing its...
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
LISTEN: Why transgender policies are front-and-center in Georgia
In this episode of the Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy discuss why a measure to...
Biden withdraws from Alaskan road deal after pressure from Jimmy Carter
President Joe Biden’s administration backed away from a deal to allow a new road through a vast wildlife refuge in...
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
The Jolt: Medical community blasts Georgia bill targeting transgender kids
As a committee prepares to consider a bill that would ban medical professionals from assisting minors with gender...
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
New rift over HOPE funding divides Georgia leaders
A few weeks ago, Gov. Brian Kemp tucked a surprise into his spending proposal for the upcoming fiscal year: a budget...
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
The Jolt: GOP infighting roils county party elections
Gov. Brian Kemp and his allies may have won the GOP civil war in last year’s midterm. But this weekend’s county GOP...
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
The Jolt: Is the ground ‘shifting’ on Georgia health care policy?
No, it wasn’t a sneak attack to expand Medicaid. But House Speaker Jon Burns’ comments, when asked about whether he’d...
Credit: AP
LISTEN: How Atlanta’s public safety center became a national controversy
In this episode of the Politically Georgia podcast, AJC political insider Greg Bluestein is joined by DeKalb County...
Credit: File photo
The Jolt: An embattled Athens prosecutor fuels ‘accountability’ push
To some, the impetus of the Republican-backed effort to rein in local prosecutors is Fulton County District Attorney...
Credit: Miguel Martinez for the AJC
The Jolt: Amid criticism, antisemitism bill draws uncommon coalition
The Georgia Legislature begets strange alliances. But we’ve rarely seen a coalition quite as unique as the one that...
Credit: Miguel Martinez
LISTEN: Georgia’s Crossover Day is over. What’s next?
In this episode of the Politically Georgia podcast, AJC political insider Greg Bluestein is joined by statehouse...
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Georgia Republicans target transgender issues over other culture wars
Georgia Republicans are putting their energy behind a fresh debate on transgender policies — and leaving other...
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
The Jolt: These bills didn’t make the cut on Crossover Day
The Crossover Day deadline is as notable for what made it across the finish line as well as what didn’t. And this year...
Credit: Miguel Martinez
LISTEN: Go behind the scenes of Crossover Day
In this special edition of the Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy take you inside...
Credit: Alex Brandon/AP
The Jolt: Trump attacks Fani Willis as he pushes Georgia prosecutor bills
Former President Donald Trump lashed out twice over the weekend against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis...
Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@
Buckhead cityhood movement calls it quits ‘for now’
The leaders of the effort to split Atlanta into two municipalities have called it quits “for now” after their Buckhead...
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
The Jolt: Behind the scenes of the ‘Buckhead City’ defeat
The Buckhead cityhood push was doomed long before it reached Thursday’s vote. Several GOP insiders tell us the...
Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com
Politically Georgia: The Buckhead bill stops here
Moments after the Senate rejected the pro-Buckhead cityhood push, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones indicated he’s ready to move on...
Credit: Nicole Craine/The New York Times
The Jolt: Georgia Senate to vote on ‘Buckhead City’ bills today
Almost every elected official in Atlanta and Buckhead opposes the push to allow Buckhead to secede from Atlanta and...
Politically Georgia: Is the Buckhead breakaway doomed again?
The Buckhead cityhood movement is back again after Lt. Gov. Burt Jones cleared the way for a Senate committee vote on...
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
The Jolt: Rivian aims to recharge connection with Georgia lawmakers
Rivian’s plans to build a $5 billion electric vehicle factory in northeast Georgia last year became an unexpected...
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Kemp administration deals blow to Buckhead cityhood push
Gov. Brian Kemp’s administration raised sharp concerns that the Buckhead cityhood effort could violate a range of...
Credit: AJC
The Jolt: Buckhead businesses urge senators to reject cityhood push
As soon as a state Senate committee approved bills Monday morning to allow Buckhead voters to de-annex and create “the...
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Why creating ‘incredibly insulting’ new Buckhead city would be so complex
The supporters of Buckhead’s proposed secession often mention that lawmakers have approved a flood of new cityhood...
Credit: Jenni Girtman for the AJC
The Jolt: ‘Buckhead City’ vote could stop police training center
The supporters of Buckhead’s potential secession from Atlanta have testified that they’re fueled by public safety...
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Podcast: Why is the leader of Fulton’s grand jury probe speaking out?
In this episode of the Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy are joined by Tamar...
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
The Jolt: Kemp heading to Texas for national donor retreat
Gov. Brian Kemp is continuing to expand his national political reach. Along with a recent trip to Washington, D.C. and...
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Kemp moves to take command of GOP, leaving state party behind
Gov. Brian Kemp took his most significant step yet to break from the Georgia GOP and bolster his own growing political...
Credit: Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com
Biden to welcome Georgia football champions to White House
The Georgia Bulldogs should expect an invitation from President Joe Biden to celebrate the team’s latest college...