Politically Georgia

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz is in the middle of a storm of controversy. Some Athens residents blame him for lax enforcement of immigration laws in the community after a man authorities say illegally entered the country in 2022, Jose Ibarra, was charged in the death of nursing student Laken Riley. Girtz joins the podcast to...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" the panel reacts to breaking news. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously against the state of Colorado, which had removed Donald Trump from its ballot, calling him an insurrectionist. Georgia State University law professor Anthony Michael Kreis takes a first look at how SCOTUS made the decision. Former Lt. Gov. Geoff...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, the hosts discuss the top issues that passed out of the Georgia House and Senate on Crossover Day, which ended at midnight last night.   Crossover Day hits and misses.  Then: Greg, Patricia, and Executive Producer Shane Backler take listeners inside the halls and chambers of the state Capitol for a firsthand lo...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, state Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch talks about key measures on how cities enforce immigration law, the rights of parents to determine the books their children have access to in schools, his support for a GOP-sponsored religious rights bill and more.  Then: Democratic state Sen. Jason Esteves offers his pa...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, the panel looks at the anger, fear and political dynamics that have been sparked by the killing of Laken Riley and charges of murder in the case against a man who authorities say entered the country illegally.  Then, the panel looks at the results of the presidential primaries in Michigan. Does the large number...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Patricia Murphy and Bill Nigut the podcast welcome state Rep Michelle Au to discuss the bills that she’s watching closely as Crossover Day approaches on Thursday.  Au believes there’s a slim hope a full expansion of Medicaid might still be in the works. And the hosts ask Au, an anesthesiologist, for her v...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Bill Nigut, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell talk to their colleague Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Shannon McCaffery and Nikki Haley surrogate Eric Tanenblatt.   First up, McCaffrey joins the podcast to discuss a new motion from Donald Trump alleging that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Na...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein, and Bill Nigut  talk to their boss, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Editor-in-Chief Leroy Chapman, and U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C.    First up, Congressman Clyburn discusses the presidential race in his home state on the eve of the GOP primary.  Then, the host...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell and Bill Nigut talk to Rep. Sanford Bishop and candidate Marcus Flowers.  First up, the podcast starts with Patricia Murphy’s exclusive interview with Nikki Haley, who tells Patricia she hopes to stay in the race through the March 12 Georgia primary.  Then, th...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell talk to The Associated Press’ Meg Kinnard, Georgia Equality’s Jeff Graham and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution colleague Maya Prabhu.    Kinnard joins from South Carolina where she is covering the run-up to that state's Republican presidential primary on Saturday.    Then, the...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein and Bill Nigut talk to Insurance Commissioner John King and attorney Charlie Bailey.  King is a native of Mexico with a background in the military and law enforcement, and so he has a unique perspective on the border security debate that has become a top issue in the 2024 election.  Then, t...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell talk to Georgia African Methodist Episcopal Bishop Reginald Jackson. Bishop Jackson talks about the coalition of churches that is coming together to encourage Black voters to reengage in politics in this election year.    Then, Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Nedra Rhone...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Bill Nigut, Patricia Murphy, and Tia Mitchell talk to Norm Eisen, who served as ethics czar in the Obama administration. Eisen discusses the implications of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ explosive testimony pushing back on defense lawyers who want her severed from the election conspiracy ca...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein and Bill Nigut talk to former State Sen. Jen Jordan and colleague Mark Niesse. Jordan discusses the hearing that could determine whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade should be disqualified from the election conspiracy case a...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell welcome the dynamic duo of Brian Robinson and Tharon Johnson.   First up, Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene pushed for months to have U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas impeached. Now, she’s succeeded with her goal. Georgia’s delegation was split along p...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Bill Nigut welcome Republican state Sen. Jason Anavitarte. Anavitarte is the sponsor of a bill the Senate has already passed to create a tax holiday for the purchase of guns and gun safety devices.     He also said he approves of Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to send more Ge...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, the AJC's Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell talk with state rep. Mary Margaret Oliver about her opposition to a bill broadening crimes requiring cash bail. They also discuss her take on school vouchers, her concerns about the state Senate investigation of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and more.     Then,...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, the AJC's Tia Mitchell, Bill Nigut, Greg Bluestein and Patricia murphy discuss reaction from Georgia Democrats to special counsel Robert Hur’s characterization of President Joe Biden as having “diminished faculties in advancing age.” Although Hur said Biden wouldn’t face charges for holding on to classified docum...

The U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on former President Donald Trump’s ballot case.   On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether former President Donald Trump should be kicked off the 2024 ballot. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled to remove Trump from that state’s ballot. The argument was based on the in...

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell welcome DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and Georgia State University professor Anthony Michael Kreis to the show.   First up, the hosts go over the failed effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. There were four Republican “no” votes on impeachment, bu...

Vice President Kamala Harris vists Savannah today as part of her multi-stop "Reproductive Freedoms" tour. On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Bill Nigut welcome state Sen. Derek Mallow to talk about Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Savannah. The hosts ask Mallow how Chatham County voters will respond...

A bipartisan group of Senate negotiators has reached a hard-fought agreement on border security measures. Today on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Politically Georgia” podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell introduce Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie and immigration attorney Charles Kuck to dig deeper into what’s in the border security measure and discuss the fac...

Today on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Politically Georgia,"  the podcast welcomes state Rep. Esther Panitch. She was a co-sponsor of the measure that created a legal definition for antisemitism, which would enshrine it as part of the state’s hate crimes law. After Pantich worked two years on the bill, it passed and was signed into law this week by Gov. Brian Kemp.     Then, a conversation w...

New allegations against District Attorney Fani Willis energize critics of Fulton County's election-interference case against former President Donald Trump. On this encore episode of the AJC's Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell talk with professors Anthony Michael Kreis and Fred Smith about the latest legal headlines.   First up, no evidence has yet emerged supporting a...

Today on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Politically Georgia,"  the hosts talk about President Joe Biden’s emotional phone conversation - reported exclusively by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution – with the parents of Kennedy Sanders, one of the three Georgia Army reservists killed in a drone attack in Jordan. The president tells Shawn and Oneida Oliver-Sanders that he is bestowing on their dau...