Political Breakfast With Denis Ohayer

On the final day of this year’s legislative session in Georgia, major companies like Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola, and others blasted the state’s new voting law, after it had already been passed and signed. Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson join WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer to sift through the debris of “Sine Die” —with some help from WABE political reporter Emma Hurt. They also got into the Governor’s decision to lift most of the state’s Coronavirus restrictions, and the State of the City address by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The 2021 General Assembly finished, but not before passing a controversial voting law, a state budget and a lot of other bills. In this virtual live event Host Lisa Rayam is joined by politics reporters Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt as well as education reporter Martha Dalton, environment reporter Molly Samuel and health reporter Sam Whitehead. They also take audience questions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A controversial voting bill sparks at least one lawsuit in the final days of the 2021 Georgia legislative session. Host Lisa Rayam talks with WABE politics reporters Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt about the fallout and about other bills that are still awaiting action this week including the state budget and police funding. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It was the announcement many Georgians had been anticipating for months: every adult in the state can now get a COVID-19 vaccine. Now, if only Georgia can do as well as other states in getting the available shots into people’s arms. Meanwhile, the pre-adjournment frenzy is on under the Gold Dome as lawmakers battle over several key issues—including sports betting, citizens’ arrest, and a response to the recent mass killing in Atlanta. Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson get into it all with WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Georgia Lawmakers will consider yet another voting bill this week and as the legislative session winds down a lucrative federal Medicaid expansion proposal is too large to ignore. Host Lisa Rayam talks with WABE politics reporter Emil Moffatt and politics editor Susanna Capelouto about these proposals and other important bills still in play in the 2021 session.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Georgia political leaders, already engaged in fights with each other over voting—and sometimes together against a deadly virus—are confronted with another foe that has often gone unseen: the rise in harassment and violence against Asian-Americans, here in Georgia and around the nation. While investigators work to determine the individual motive that drove a man who killed eight people, the wider problem remains. Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson are back with WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As controversial voting bills await more action in the legislature, Georgia's business community is expressing concern. Host Lisa Rayam talks with WABE politics reporter Emma Hurt and education reporter Martha Dalton. They're also discussing the fate of controversial school voucher proposals that would use state funds to help pay tuition at private schools. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A year after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a pandemic, Georgia is finally seeing signs of spring in more ways than one. The pool of Georgians eligible for a coronavirus vaccine is expanding, case numbers are dropping and so are the numbers of deaths. But the all-out war at the State Capitol over voting bills is only intensifying. And the voice of the man who pushed those efforts—former president Donald Trump—has returned, in yet another recording of him applying pressure to state officials after the November election. WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer sorts through it all with Republican strategist Brian Robinson and former Atlanta City Council President Cathy Woolard, filling in for Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson on this edition.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Crossover Day in the Georgia legislature is when bills must pass in either the House or the Senate to stay alive. Several controversial voting bills "crossed over". Host Lisa Rayam talks with WABE politics reporters Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt about which bills survived and which got cut.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

While Governor Kemp highlights the opening of new mass COVID-19 vaccination centers and his plans to expand vaccine eligibility, some data analyses put the state at or near the bottom for distributing the vaccines it has on hand. In the legislature, the voting overhaul fight has only gotten more intense, as the state mourns the loss of a native son who became a civil rights giant. And Atlanta’s spike in violent crime gets an unexpected moment of national attention. Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson get into it all with WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Georgia Democrats have very little power to stop Republican voting bills in the legislature, but they're leveraging their recent statewide success to try to limit efforts to restrict ballot box access. Host Lisa Rayam talks with WABE politics reporters Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt about the voting bill fight as well as efforts to legalize sports betting in Georgia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

While the state scrambles to address weather-related supply problems with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the pool of people eligible to receive shots is set to expand. Meanwhile, the field of possible Republican Senate candidates for next year is likely to expand a lot after one very significant withdrawal. And, how much will your voting options change? Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson break it down with WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More voting bills are popping up and Governor Brian Kemp tries to get more teachers with incentives. Host Lisa Rayam talks with WABE reporters Martha Dalton, Christopher Alston and Emil Moffatt about these and other bills before the state legislature, including sports betting and allowing home school students to join public school sports teams.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

And you thought the 2020 election battles were brutal. So far, months before the next elections, the 2021 fights are just as ugly—and even more confusing. From Fulton County, to the State Capitol, to inside the state Republican party, the long knives are out. This at a time when the state and the nation struggle to put together a unified battle plan against the COVID-19 pandemic. Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson are back with WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Changes to Georgia's citizen's arrest law are underway nearly a year after the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick. WABE Senior Editor Susanna Capelouto is guest hosting and talks with politics reporters Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt. They also tackle voting and street racing bills.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Georgia’s tenure at the center of the political universe continues, with part of the impeachment case focused on the state, and a criminal investigation into former president Donald Trump now underway. Also continuing is the debate over how and when to safely open schools in the pandemic. And what could be an extended fight for the future of the state Republican party is just starting. Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson get into all these issues and more with WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Republicans have introduced a wide variety of election bills ranging from extra ID's for absentee voting to restricting drop boxes saying it's all meant to make voting more secure. Democrats say Republicans want to restrict voting access. Host Lisa Rayam talks with WABE reporters Emma Hurt, Emil Moffatt and Christopher Alston about which proposals may actually pass Georgia's Republican controlled legislature. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the fight against the deadly coronavirus, Georgia has now given out more than a million vaccines—but there still aren’t enough to go around, and there are questions about whether the state could have done better with the supply it does have. Meanwhile, questions about what to do with a single new member of Congress continue to divide Georgia Republicans. And two of Atlanta’s most controversial policing cases from last year have taken new turns in the new year. Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson join WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A mid-year budget and a voter ID bill move forward in the 2021 legislative session that's beset by Covid-19 worries. Host Lisa Rayam talks with WABE politics reporters Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt about the latest efforts to pass legislation and a state budget during a pandemic. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic shows its first signs of levelling off in Georgia, a new and more contagious strain appears, further intensifying the race to vaccinate, along with the debate over whether the state can do more for its public health department. Meanwhile, a brand-new Georgia congresswoman is under increasing scrutiny. We’ll navigate all this and more in this edition of the Political Breakfast. Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson join WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.