The new lines for Georgia’s congressional districts are expected today.
But any Democrat looking for more favorable territory doesn’t need to bother with U.S. Rep. David Scott’s 13th district.
That’s the message from his office, which put out the word Tuesday that the 9-term incumbent is planning to run for reelection in 2022.
Scott, 76, currently serves as chairman of the powerful House Agriculture Committee and has held his seat in Congress for 18 years.
“From climate change and crippling student debt, to skyrocketing prescription costs and an economy struggling to build back from COVID-19, Congressman Scott looks forward to continuing his work in the People’s House to lead on solutions to the unprecedented challenges our communities face,” his spokesman Ralph Jones said.
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A healthcare honor going to Senate GOP leader Butch Miller this weekend is giving some cardiologists heartache.
The Georgia chapter of the American College of Cardiology is set to award Miller, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, its “legislator of the year” award for his work on healthcare measures in the statehouse.
But dozens of physicians have signed a letter urging the group to rescind the award, in part because of Miller’s support for an election rewrite that imposes new restrictions on voting. In particular, it cites the lawmaker’s comments that newcomers should “assimilate into our values and into our culture.”
“Especially in the context of an unprecedentedly divisive and bitter political climate, we believe it is essential that politics not be injected into this meeting,” read the letter.
Miller, the son of a rural physician, said he was being threatened with a sort of “cancel culture that seeks to destroy anyone who doesn’t bend to liberal orthodoxy.” And he compared the criticism with Major League Baseball’s decision to yank the All-Star game over the voting rewrite.
“Major League Baseball took a similar approach and learned the hard way that the woke mob is a loud but small minority,” said Miller. “Others should learn from the example.”
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UNDER THE GOLD DOME, Wednesday, Nov. 17**:
- 8:00 a.m.: Committee meetings begin;
- 10:00 a.m.: The House convenes;
- 10:00 a.m.: The Senate gavels in;
- 10:30 a.m.: Senate Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee meets;
- 3:00 p.m.: House Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Committee meets.
*** Times subject to change.
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The Republican-led proposal to overhaul the Gwinnett County Commission and Board of Education is on hold for now.
The AJC’s Tyler Wilkins reports that Republican state Sen. Clint Dixon will wait until the regular session begins in January to pursue his plan. And he may amend it to make all school boards statewide nonpartisan, not just Gwinnett’s.
Dixon’s surprise legislation last week caused an uproar among Democrats and Gwinnett locals , since it came after Democrats won control of both boards. It also raised concerns among fellow Republicans the measure was not ready for prime time.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and the House to get both of these bills on the governor’s desk in the first part of next year,” Dixon said.
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If you missed Tuesday night’s debate between Atlanta mayoral candidates Andre Dickens and Felicia Moore, you can watch the replay on the Atlanta Press Club’s Facebook page.
The AJC’s Wilborn Nobles has a recap of the pair’s first televised debate, which included some seriously sharp exchanges like this one:
Dickens, a city councilman, went on the offensive against council president Moore by bringing up her past votes against the Beltline, police body cameras, and seven police budgets. He also said she failed to release her taxes, had support from a “racist individual," and said her “secret super PAC" darkened his skin in an attack ad.
“You constantly voted no against so many countless things. How can the citizens of Atlanta trust that you'll be an effective leader to move the city forward when you constantly don't find a way to say yes but you always say no?" Dickens asked his opponent.
Moore responded by saying she has denounced her association with the man who made racist remarks on social media and she denied any association to what Dickens described as “divisive antics" to damage his candidacy.
She said she released her taxes to the public and she added she only votes no on the council “when it's the right thing to do." She called the body cameras package “the most shady deal" that's ever occurred in City Hall during her time as an elected official.
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Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black offered the latest reminder Wednesday that he’s still a formidable contender in the race for U.S. Senate.
Black announced the endorsements of 101 local elected officials, including Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis, Hall County Commissioner Kathy Cooper and Rabun County Commission chairman Greg James.
He’s continued to quietly amass local support in his bid to force frontrunner Herschel Walker into a 2022 runoff for the GOP nomination.
And he’s taken the most aggressive stance of any of the three top rivals to Walker, saying the football star’s past violence against women should disqualify him from seeking office.
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Speaking of the U.S. Senate race, former state Rep. Josh Clark announced he will throw his hat in the ring for the GOP primary. The Hall County Republican shared the news with WDUN’s Martha Zoller.
And set an alarm for 9:05 this morning, when Zoller will have former U.S. Sen. David Perdue as a guest. The topics include China and any other news of the day…
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It could be a mixed day for U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux.
The Republican-drawn congressional map is likely to make her Gwinnett-based district safer for Democratic reelection. But it could also pave the way for a primary challenge from U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath or an activist from the progressive left.
Meanwhile, the Heritage Action group announced a $270,000 cable and digital ad buy slamming Bourdeaux over a push to allow homeowners to deduct more of their state and local property taxes from their federal tax bill.
“The rich get tax breaks on their Hamptons beach houses and Malibu mansions,” says the narrator in the Heritage spot. “And you pay the bill.”
But Democrats argue the so-called SALT cap increase will put more money back in homeowners’ pockets.
Those taxes had been fully deductible until 2017, when they were capped by the Trump tax cut bill. The cap was criticized at the time for hurting voters in areas with high property taxes or rapidly escalating real estate prices.
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The House could vote by the end of the week on the $1.9 trillion social spending and climate change bill. No Republican members are expected to support the Build Back Better Act.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has reportedly told members they won’t be dismissed for their Thanksgiving break until that vote is done. That could happen as early as Friday when the Congressional Budget Office releases its cost estimate for the legislation.
Meanwhile, the Senate is planning to tackle the annual defense spending bill, the National Defense Authorization Act. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will fold in language from the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, a bill that was supported heavily by Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
Look for heated debate to be over language in the bill, already approved by the House, to require women to register for the military draft. Although there has not been a draft since 1975, all women 18-25 would be required to sign up to be selected for military service under extraordinary circumstances, as men already do.
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POSTED: Tia’s latest story details the many, many fines racked up by U.S. Reps Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde for refusing to follow the mask mandate on the floor of the U.S. House, which has since been relaxed.
Both explain their reasoning, but there’s no word on whether they’re planning to pay the fines.
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The Veterans Affairs clinic in Columbus will be named after Col. Robert “Bob” S. Poydasheff, a former mayor who died last year and was known for championing the area’s military ties.
That legislation authorizing the naming of the building had the support of every member of Georgia’s congressional delegation, who either served as sponsors or cosponsors of the bill in each chamber. U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, a Democrat, and Republican Drew Ferguson took the lead.
“This is a well-deserved homage to Col. Poydasheff, who will forever be remembered as a hometown hero and a strong advocate for veterans,” Ferguson wrote on Twitter.
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State Rep. Darlene Taylor has been named Woman of the Year by the Thomasville-Thompson Chamber of Commerce.
If Taylor’s name is new to Atlantans, it won’t be for long. Taylor chairs the House committee that will hear the Buckhead Cityhood bills next year.
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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has named Georgia’s U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams as the group’s Chairwoman of Voter Protection.
A press release describes Williams’ role as leading House Democrats’ effort to ensure all voters have access to the ballot heading into the midterm elections.
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And finally, if you’re looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for that relative who can’t get enough war stories about the Trump years, former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins’ new book, “The Clock and the Calendar, A Front-Row Look at Democrats’ Obsession with Donald Trump,” went on sale Tuesday.
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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.
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