the panel
Maya T. Prabhu, @MayaTPrabhu, government reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Stephen Fowler, @stphnfwlr, political reporter, Georgia Public Broadcasting
Margaret Coker, @mideastmargaret, managing editor, The Current
Chuck Williams, @chuckwilliams, reporter, WRBL-TV, Columbus
the breakdown
1. Georgia’s recent abortion legislation granted personhood to embryos and fetuses. State institutions are trying to catch up with the new law.
The state recently allowed fetuses to be claimed on tax forms. Maya Prabhu points out that no one knows what the financial impact will be on the state.
Maya T. Prabhu says Georgia’s new abortion legislation does not have a tax stamp, which laws affecting tax legislation must have.
In Texas, a pregnant woman received a ticket for driving in the HOV lane. She argues that her unborn baby counted as a second person after Roe. Georgians also question what other questions the fetal person will raise, such as citizenship. After Kansas voted overwhelmingly to protect abortion access, some expect abortion to become a single-issue voter turnout.
Chuck Williams says Kansans’ defense of abortion law in a deep red state shows single-issue voters across the country could turn out.
2. Travis and Gregory McMichael seek leniency in federal hate crime case.
The McMichaels, who murdered Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020, are serving life sentences in state prison. They requested to be transferred to a federal prison, citing safety and health concerns.
Margaret Coker describes the McMichaels’ request to be committed to a federal prison.
3. Herschel Walker has agreed to debate Senator Raphael Warnock, but did not accept one of the dates Warnock chose.
Walker announced that he had chosen a debate in Savannah, where Warnock had already announced that he would attend a different debate. It is not yet clear whether the candidates will meet for a debate.
Margaret Coker explains the media organizations behind the debates that Warnock and Walker have accepted.
4. A federal judge found that Georgia’s state voting method for Public Service Commissioners violates the Voting Rights Act.
In his opinionTrump-appointed U.S. District Court Judge Steven D. Grimberg says a statewide election of local commissioners “unlawfully dilutes the votes of black citizens.”
Stephen Fowler breaks down the federal ruling on Georgia’s election process for public service commissioners.
5. The Tennessee and Arizona primaries produced victories for Trump-backed Republicans.
Stephen Fowler says that while far-right candidates have won in comfortably red states, Georgia is no longer comfortably red.
Monday in political rewind: GPB’s Stephen Fowler joins the panel.
