Political Breakfast from WABE

This week on Political Breakfast, a group of Democratic lawmakers including Georgia Congresswoman Nikema Williams are pushing a joint resolution to negate a clause in the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution -- that permits the use of slavery and involuntary servitude as a punishment for a crime. Currently the 13th Amendment says, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishme...

In a marathon City Council meeting with hundreds of people speaking in opposition, members eventually approved the city giving millions to build the Atlanta Public Safety Training Facility in South Dekalb County. Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson join host Lisa Rayam to reflect on the process, reactions from public officials and concerns follow...

On this week's edition of Political Breakfast, former President Donald Trump is set to give the keynote address at Georgia's GOP convention in June. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger say they will not attend the convention, as they urge the party to move on from the 2020 widespread election fraud rhetoric. Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Stra...

Florida is Georgia's neighbor, but according to the NAACP, the Sunshine State may not open the front door for everyone. The civil rights organization issued a formal travel advisory calling the state "openly hostile” to minorities and LGBTQ+ individuals. Plus, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms are both on a list of Americans...

Governor Brian Kemp's re-election campaign manager is taking over a new GOP super PAC, "Committed to America." That's in support of former Vice President Mike Pence's possible bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Atlanta Civic Circle Director Saba Long, who is in for Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, weigh in. Plus, drama over...

On this week's live edition of Political Breakfast, will gun control legislation be picked up by GOP state legislators in the aftermath of another mass shooting in Atlanta?  Republican Strategist Brian Robinson rehashes the issue with podcast veteran Atlanta Civic Circle director Saba Long, filling-in for Tharon Johnson. Plus, the far-right Georgia Republican Assembly is looking to block cand...

On this week's edition of Political Breakfast, Host Lisa Rayam, Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson sort through a new poll conducted by a GOP firm that has Florida Governor Ron DeSantis leading President Joe Biden in Georgia if the presidential race took place today. Live on Morning Edition, Brian and Tharon zero in on what this means for Republ...

On this week's edition of Political Breakfast, news broke that Gov. Brian Kemp is skipping this summer's state Republican convention. Host Lisa Rayam, Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson hash out what Kemp turning down the invitation means for the party.  Plus, President Joe Biden is officially seeking a second term in the 2024 ele...

On this week's edition of Political Breakfast, Republican Strategist Brian Robinson and Atlanta Civic Circle Executive Director Saba Long join Lisa Rayam to weigh-in on Governor Brian Kemp's latest interview with CNN.  Kemp recently made comments during a private Republican National Committee donor retreat in Nashville -- that his fellow Republicans need to leave any...

On this week's live edition of Political Breakfast, Atlanta has lost its bid to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Chicago beat out finalists Atlanta and New York City.    Host Lisa Rayam asks Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson for their thoughts on why Atlanta missed out.    The Democratic National Committee tweeted that th...

With former President Donald Trump pleading "not guilty" to 34 criminal charges in New York, WABE politics reporter Sam Gringlas catches up with Lawfare's Anna Bower, who has been reporting on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis's case involving the former president. They talk about impacts the case in New York may have on Fulton County, where Willis's investigation stands now and next ste...

This week on Political Breakfast, it's a historic day as host Lisa Rayam, Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson follow Donald Trump surrendering to criminal charges in New York City.  The former president is pleading not guilty in a Manhattan courthouse to charges related to alleged 2016 hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. T...

With a wave of last-minute maneuvers and negotiations Sine Die came to a close at the capitol, ending the 2023 state legislative session. WABE politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas discuss some of bills headed to the governor’s desk and those headed back to the drawing board See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's live edition of Political Breakfast, Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson join host Lisa Rayam in a Sine Die roundup.   Scores of anticipated bills that our WABE reporters were following under the Gold Dome did not make it to the floor for a final vote before the General Assembly adjourned on Sine Die.  See omnystudio.com/...

March 29th marks the end of the 2023 Georgia legislative session which means lawmakers are almost out of time to get their bills passed. WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss what hasn’t made much progress, like medical marijuana, what has already passed and big issues that remain on the table, like sports betting and the 2024 budget. Then, Rahul and Sam talk with Maya Prabhu...

This week on Political Breakfast, host Lisa Rayam, Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson are all back for the first week of spring and the final days of the legislative session under the Gold Dome.  Lawyers for former President Donald Trump are pushing the Fulton County prosecutors' office to throw out the special grand jury report that looked into...

With fewer than two weeks left of the state legislative session, bills continue to make their way through the capitol. WABE politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas cover the return of sports betting, possible changes to the Hope scholarship and more. WABE digital editor Patrick Saunders joins Sam and Rahul to go in-depth on SB-140. If it becomes law, the bill would ban transgender youth fro...

This week on Political Breakfast, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson discuss the latest news from an autopsy of the environmental activist killed while protesting Atlanta's public safety training facility. The family of Manuel Teran is now suing the city of Atlanta.  And with years of pent-up momentum, what happened to legalizing sports betting...

As the dust settles from Crossover Day, WABE politics reporter Sam Gringlas and Axios reporter Emma Hurt talk about the bills that passed and those that didn’t. Plus, WABE reporters Emily Wu Pearson and Chamain Cruz join for a discussion of the growing number of Asian American/Pacific Islander and Latino legislators under the Gold Dome. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's Political Breakfast, WABE’s Lisa Rayam along with the Atlanta Civic Circle’s Executive Director Saba Long and Gainesville's WDUN talk show host Martha Zoller hash out which bills still stand a chance at passing this legislative session under the Gold Dome.  Plus, the latest on the arrests from violent protests at the so-called C...

From Buckhead Cityhood and gambling to how teachers can talk with students about gender and sexuality, lawmakers were busy this week looking ahead to Crossover Day on Monday. WABE politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas talk about which bills have come up short of the deadline and which still have a chance of becoming law. Plus, host of “Lawmakers” on Georgia Public Broadcasting, journalist...

This week on Political Breakfast, host Lisa Rayam, Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson break down the latest political headlines in and out of the Gold Dome as well as take questions from the live audience.    The team tackles partisan backlash over the Fulton special grand jury foreperson, who recently went public a...

Lawmakers have introduced bills that would put restrictions on the kind of care transgender kids can receive. WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss those bills and an effort by the legislature to define antisemitism for use in the context of anti-discrimination and hate crime laws. Later, the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s government reporter, Brian Eason, joins Rahul and Sam...

WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali take the show to Kennesaw State University to talk about the week in politics in front of a live audience. KSU professor Kerwin Swint provides a history on the changing political landscape of Georgia, plus state representative Rick Jasperse and state senator Sonya Halpern talk about their districts, being a legislator and some of the bills being...

State legislators are working on a measure to legalize sports betting -- including horse racing. With bipartisan support in the Georgia House and Senate, it might not be much of a gamble.  On this week's Political Breakfast, host Lisa Rayam, Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson weigh into conflict over a proposed gun safety bill in wake of yet another...