STONECREST — Less than 15 minutes had elapsed into a presentation on the state’s new civil litigation laws before Telessa Ammons and her daughter walked out.
She was not buying the claims made about Gov. Brian Kemp’s No. 1 legislative priority: a bill that would limit the kinds of lawsuits people can bring and reduce the hefty verdicts. The salesperson, Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King, was facing a skeptical audience.
“I don’t think he was being truthful when he said they are looking out for the little people,” said Ammons, a Stonecrest resident. “This is not beneficial for the little people.”
One slide read, Senate Bill 68 “is a bill that protects businesses without taking away legal rights from those who are truly harmed.” Having experienced several car crashes herself, Ammons was dubious that the legislation “ensures fairness in the legal system,” as another bullet point read.
“Nobody is getting hurt to get a jackpot. Life is interrupted and people (need) money. They need to be paid well for their injuries, which may be with them for life,” she said.
Wednesday was the first stop on a statewide tour to inform Georgians about legislation passed during this year’s session, with a heavy focus on Kemp’s legal overhaul bill. The tour is sponsored by Greater Georgia, a conservative voter registration organization founded by former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler in 2021.
As candidates begin announcing their interest in higher office in preparation for the 2026 elections, Greater Georgia is trying to reach voters statewide to hear their areas of concern and bring them into the Republican fold. Last November, Loeffler, who is now leading the U.S. Small Business Administration, said her group was aiming to reach the same voters that have historically made the Democratic Party’s base: Black, Latino and young people.
King, the state’s top elected Latino official, has said he is interested in running for Senate, if Kemp decides not to be a candidate.
“Some people might be asking, ‘What is an organization like Greater Georgia doing in Stonecrest or deep-blue DeKalb?’” said Terry Fye, the director of outreach for Greater Georgia and a Stonecrest councilman.
“Places like southeast DeKalb have been … sometimes underinvested,” he said. Greater Georgia wants to make sure business owners, insurance brokers and “people with the most vested interests” hear about consequential legislation, he said.
But in front of a crowd of about 40, mostly Black residents in DeKalb County, Wednesday’s event showed the limits of their political message.
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Yashica Marshall, an attorney with the Georgia Department of Public Health, said the event was “a bit superficial.” Marshall considers herself a Republican, although she has previously run for office as a Democrat.
“How are public forums going to push insurance companies to charge rates that people can afford to pay?” she said.
Takosha Swan, a member of the state’s veteran service board, told the state insurance commissioner she wants insurance companies to be “held accountable” for rising premiums consumers pay. “I’ve never seen it addressed, ever,” she said.
King offered anyone who has challenges with the insurance system to contact his office for help.
“I do not work for insurance companies. I work for you,” he said.
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