The impasse over health care regulations still looms over the legislative session, but Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is pressing ahead on his push to make it easier to build new hospitals — and punish the Wellstar Health System and others who oppose the idea.
The Republican pushed forward on multiple fronts on Thursday, orchestrating the passage of a budget that strips $105 million from Gov. Brian Kemp’s spending proposal — the same amount that legislators recently approved for a records system that could benefit Wellstar.
Senate lawmakers are also poised next week to vote on a measure that would rollback tax benefits that Wellstar now receives, along with a tweak that protects Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta after it was inadvertently dinged in the rebuke.
And Senate lawmakers engineered a last-minute revamp of a mental health bill that had already cleared the House 163-3, leaving it in an uneasy purgatory. Jones’ allies warned the mental health package, championed by House leaders, could stall if his hospital overhaul failed.
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
The flurry of moves comes despite an olive branch from House lawmakers in the form of a resolution by state Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, to form a study committee to evaluate the “certificate of need” program that Jones wants to remake. Senate leaders pointed out they floated their own study committee two weeks ago.
Either way, Jones has continued to push for Senate Bill 99, which would make it easier for new hospitals to be built in rural counties, including a proposed 100-bed private facility that could be constructed on his father’s land near his hometown in Jackson. Wellstar opposes the measure because it could directly threaten two nearby hospitals it operates.
State officials are adamant about scuttling Jones’ measure because they want Wellstar to agree to a potential takeover of the state-run Augusta University Health System, which is mired in financial trouble. This week, Moody’s downgraded the health system’s bonds due to cashflow struggles and a “very weak liquidity position.”
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LISTEN UP. We’re breaking down the latest House-Senate maneuvers, Gov. Brian Kemp’s behind-the-scenes posture, the possibility of indictments for former President Donald Trump, and exciting news about the AJC’s leadership – all in the latest edition of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Listen in your feeds now at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher or right here with us.
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Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC
Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC
UNDER THE GOLD DOME:
- The House and Senate are officially off today, although the Senate Rules Committee will meet to determine Monday’s agenda. Both chambers resume for Day 39 on Monday.
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATES. On a busy Thursday:
- The state Senate passed the $32.4 billion annual budget 51 to 1. Since the House refused to agree to some Senate changes, including a 26% cut to Georgia Public Broadcasting, the budget now goes to conference.
- The House passed Senate Bill 1, 99 to 69, to prevent state and local governments from requiring proof of COVID vaccinations for state services;
- After a heated debate, the Senate passed House Bill 189, a modified bill to temporarily increase maximum truck weights on state and local roads. The bill now goes back to the House.
- Gov. Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 140, the bill banning surgery and hormone replacement therapy for transgender minors.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
ANTE UP. Even as Lt. Gov. Burt Jones pushes the rural hospital measure, he is also sticking to a vow to allow Senate lawmakers render a “verdict” on legalizing sports betting in what would be the state’s first major expansion of gambling since the lottery was established in the early 1990s.
“It is time to seize the opportunity and finalize the decision on sports betting,” he said in a tweet. “Do we add revenue to expand HOPE or do we continue to leave money on the table? I stand behind the efforts to legalize safe and secure sports betting.”
Senate lawmakers will get their chance early next week. The Rules Committee included House Bill 237, which stripped out a measure commemorating a soap box derby race and replaced it with one that would legalize sports betting.
Senate Rules Committee added 68 bills to the calendar for legislative days 39 and 40, including two zombie bills - HB 144, which would include antisemitism as part of the state’s hate crimes law, and HB 237, which would legalize sports betting. #gapol pic.twitter.com/uGXvEv7s64
— Maya T. Prabhu (@MayaTPrabhu) March 23, 2023
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AUGUSTA ANGST. Some lawmakers who see the $105 million taxpayer-funded medical records system for a unit of the AU Health System as a giveaway that could sweeten the pot for the Wellstar takeover have suggested that other large hospital systems could be better partners.
We checked around and obtained emails from Northside and Piedmont — two of the state’s biggest health care providers — that showed executives from both passed on requests to negotiate a partnership in 2021-2022.
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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
SOAPBOX SAVED. Speaking of that soapbox derby bill, which was gutted to give sports betting backers a bill to ride to Sine Die, House leaders restarted the effort to designate the race in Lyons as the state’s official one.
Our Mark Niesse reports Senate Bill 158 passed the House unanimously Thursday, with state Rep. Leesa Hagan, the bill’s sponsor, getting a standing ovation after the vote — but only after state Rep. Steven Sainz, a Republican from St. Marys, told Hagan. “I’m going to be voting ‘yes’ on this because I’d never dare to take a gamble on you.”
The bill now goes to the Senate.
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START YOUR ENGINES. To keep the theme going, the 2024 race is officially on here in Georgia, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis scheduling his first stop in Georgia ahead of an expected run for the GOP presidential nomination.
DeSantis will be in Cobb County Thursday as a part of his “Florida Blueprint” tour. Politico also reported this week that Never Back Down, a Super PAC aligned with DeSantis, has recently opened shop with an Atlanta headquarters with operative Chris Jankowski as executive director.
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TIKTOK FURY. Members of the U.S. House showed bipartisan fury toward the chief executive of Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, which has 150 million active users in the U.S. CEO Shou Zi Chew was grilled by members during a hearing that lasted roughly five hours Thursday.
Two Georgia Republicans serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Like their colleagues, they detailed what they consider the problematic behavior TikTok embodies, from videos that encourage dangerous behavior to the potential abuse of user data.
“I don’t speak for everyone, but there are those on this committee, including myself, who believe that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in psychological warfare through TikTok to deliberately influence U.S. children,” U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, told Chew.
Credit: Shuran Huang/The New York Times
Credit: Shuran Huang/The New York Times
Congressman Rick Allen, R-Augusta, mentioned videos exhibiting images of sex and drug use that were shown on the feed of an account registered to a 13-year-old. Chew said such content violates TikTok policy and the company works to weed out such “bad actors.”
“I would say you’re not doing enough,” Allen responded. “I have 14 grandchildren.”
There is bipartisan support in Congress for banning TikTok in the U.S. President Joe Biden said he supports a ban unless the Chinese owners sell the app.
Biden has already directed federal agencies to remove TikTok from governmental devices. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a similar executive order that applies to devices owned by the state. The state House and Senate followed suit, passing legislation of their own earlier this session.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- The U.S. House is expected to vote on legislation that Republicans say will give parents more oversight over their children’s public school curriculum.
- U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, will speak at a rally on the National Mall with other proponents of a federal assault weapon ban.
- U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, will host a bipartisan group of lawmakers for a tour of the D.C. jail then hold a news conference afterward.
- The Senate is done for the week.
- President Joe Biden’s trip to Canada continues with an address to the country’s parliament, a joint news conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a gala dinner.
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GRAHAM ADMONISHED. The Senate Ethics Committee on Thursday officially admonished U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham for a 2022 TV appearance in which he solicited donations for Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker on federal property.
The letter detailed a November 2022 Fox News interview that Graham conducted from the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building. During a conversation about the Georgia Senate runoff, the South Carolina Republican told viewers to donate to Walker’s campaign five separate times.
It is against Senate rules to solicit campaign contributions from federal buildings. But the Ethics Committee decided against sanctioning Graham beyond the “public letter of admonishment” signed by Chairman Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, and Vice Chairman James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican.
“The public must feel confident that Members use public resources only for official actions in the best interests of the United States, not for partisan political activity,” the letter said. “Your actions failed to uphold that standard, resulting in harm to the public trust and confidence in the United States Senate.”
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HITTING THE ROAD. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other top White House officials will be fanning out across the nation over the next three weeks to highlight the president’s economic agenda.
Georgia will be among at least two dozen states included in the tour, the White House said, although details have not yet been announced.
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Credit: Christina Matacotta for the AJC
Credit: Christina Matacotta for the AJC
DEMOCRATIC WOMEN. U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta, has been elected vice chairwoman of the House’s Democratic Women’s Caucus. She will work alongside Chairwoman Lois Frankel of Florida and New Mexico’s Teresa Leger Fernández, the other vice chairwoman.
Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, will serve as the group’s chief whip.
There are 94 Democratic women in the U.S. House this session of Congress, including 16 who were newly elected in November. There are 44 female Republicans in the House, a jump from 38 the previous session.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. With Sine Die racing at us, the lobbying at the Capitol has become fast and fur-ious — and we’re not just talking about legislation.
Indeed, state House and Senate members launched a campaign Thursday to name Bader, this adorable American Staffordshire terrier, as Dog of the Day, and we are ready to cast our votes in favor of this pup.
Bader is of course short for Ruth Bader Ginsberg Holland, the First Dog of House District 54. Bader has been calling state Rep. Betsy Holland, D-Atlanta, her person since the Hollands adopted her from a local animal rescue in 2020.
A reliable source reports that Bader, like the rest of us, is focused making it to the tail end of the legislative session. In the meantime, congratulations Bader!
Send us your pups of any political persuasion — and cats, on a cat-by-cat basis — to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us on Twitter @MurphyAJC.
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AS ALWAYS, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
