Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Georgia Democrats plan forums ahead of vote for next party chair.
- Lawmakers look to expand eligibility for college grants.
- Raphael Warnock will speak in Warm Springs on the anniversary of FDR’s death.
Tariff troubles
Credit: Richard Drew/AP
Credit: Richard Drew/AP
A new Morning Consult poll of Georgia voters offers a bleak view of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy — and a potential warning shot to Republicans embracing the strategy ahead of next year’s election.
The top line: more than two-thirds of Georgia voters believe tariffs will jack up prices on everyday items. A majority are already cutting back on spending, avoiding big purchases or stocking up before price hikes hit.
Just one-in-four voters say that tariffs should remain as a permanent part of the U.S. economy, including fewer than a third of Republicans. Nearly half say they’re more likely to vote for a member of Congress who opposes new tariffs, including a third of GOP voters.
Trump roiled global markets last week after he announced stiff tariffs on most imported goods. He backed off earlier this week, delaying the move by three months. But he kept the tariffs on China, which retaliated this morning by raising its own tariffs on American goods to 125%.
The poll was conducted March 22-27 and involved 502 registered Georgia voters. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Other takeaways:
- About 60% say policymakers should focus on tackling inflation rather than tariffs.
- Only 1 in 5 voters say they’re willing to accept higher prices for more than a year to see the potential effects of tariffs.
- 70% believe logistics hubs like Savannah will be hurt by a trade war.
- Georgians see some of the state’s most important industries as vulnerable: agriculture, trade, logistics and ports, and automotive manufacturing.
- Nearly half of Georgia voters expect American consumers to be hurt most by a potential trade war — and few believe foreign nations would bear the brunt.
Things to know
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Good morning! Gov. Brian Kemp has 33 days left to either sign or veto bills passed by the state Legislature this year. Here are three things to know for today:
- MARTA wants to build various rapid bus lines throughout the city in the coming years. But state lawmakers still have not passed a law allowing automated traffic cameras to help keep vehicles out of bus-only lanes, the AJC’s Sara Gregory reports.
- The Sandy Springs City Council passed an ordinance requiring anyone holding a sign or passing out leaflets to get permission from a person before approaching them within 8 feet, the AJC’s Reed Williams reports.
- U.S. immigration officials revoked the student visas of four people at Emory University, the AJC’s Jason Armesto reports. They’re some of the more than 640 students and recent graduates nationwide who have been impacted as of Thursday.
Succession road show
The race to replace U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams as chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia is on, with six candidates stepping forward in hopes of taking the reins of the party apparatus. Williams stepped down months after U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff made it known he no longer had confidence in her leadership ahead of his own reelection campaign in 2026.
The list of potential replacements so far includes Jamie Allen, two-time statewide office candidate Charlie Bailey, former Augusta mayor Hardie Davis, former Rome Commissioner Wendy Davis, state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes, and former Chatham County Commissioner Jay Jones.
Only Democratic committee members will cast a vote in the party election on May 3, but anyone can attend the four candidate forums planned around the state leading up to the pick. Interim chair Matthew Wilson will host the events in Albany on April 22, Cobb County on April 26, Toccoa on April 28, and Statesboro on May 1.
The winner will have to tackle multiple challenges right away. In addition to replenishing party coffers and rebuilding the once-dominant Democratic infrastructure, party activists are looking for a coherent message to reverse GOP gains in 2024. Expect some version of what we heard from Wilson this week. “Every Georgian sick and tired of being sick and tired will be working together to defeat Republicans in 2026,” he said.
Do the math
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Getting into college is hard enough. Finishing can be even more difficult, especially for people who don’t have a lot of money. That’s why state lawmakers in 2022 voted to give low-income students grants of up to $2,500 to help them make it to graduation day.
The program has worked great so far, except for one overlooked detail: many technical college students aren’t eligible. That’s because the program only applies to people who have completed 80% of their degree. For people in two-year programs, that means students wouldn’t be eligible until their final semester. By then, it would be too late.
“I stand here before you as embarrassed as anyone to say I don’t know why I didn’t notice that,” state Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, told lawmakers during a public hearing earlier this year.
Martin sponsored a bill to fix that. House Bill 38 would lower the threshold to 45% for people in two-year degree programs and 70% for people in four-year degree programs. It’s one of hundreds of bills lawmakers passed this year. Gov. Brian Kemp has until May 14 to decide whether to sign it into law or veto it.
The bill would also extend the program through 2029. If Kemp vetoes the bill, the program will end on June 30.
Study season
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Now that state lawmakers are finished making laws, it will soon be time for them to hit the books.
The Georgia Legislature approved 31 study committees to meet later this year, prompting state Sen. Matt Brass to quip: “There is nothing we will not study this off season.”
It sure seems that way. But in the Senate, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has the final say on which committees get appointed. Look for that decision around late May or early June.
Here’s a look at some proposed committees that caught our eye:
- 911 funding. Of the 240 million calls to 911 in the United States each year, about 85% of them come from mobile phones. Yet Georgia’s 911 system hasn’t been changed much since it started in 1968. This House committee would review how the state funds 911 services and look for ways to pay for upgrades.
- Dealer tags. The Georgia Department of Revenue says lots of people are illegally buying and selling temporary operating permits to skirt taxes on luxury vehicles or avoid responsibility for tickets and unpaid tolls. This House committee would look at tightening oversight of this process.
- Abandoned children. This committee would look at the challenges facing abandoned children once they are discharged from psychiatric hospitals.
- Franchise fees. Power companies pay big bucks to city governments for the right to transmit electricity. But county governments are often left out. With power-hungry data centers becoming more common, this Senate committee would ponder a reassessment of how these fees are distributed.
- Building heights. Did you know Georgia doesn’t regulate the height of buildings near airports? Seems like something the state would consider given its home to the world’s busiest airport. This Senate study committee could take a look at it.
Warm Springs visit
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
It was 80 years ago tomorrow that President Franklin D. Roosevelt died while visiting his private retreat in Warm Springs.
In the years since, the tiny West Georgia city has become intertwined with the late president’s legacy. Former President Joe Biden invoked FDR’s name when visiting Warm Springs shortly before the 2020 election, where his narrow victory in Georgia helped defeat President Donald Trump’s first reelection bid.
Now, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., plans to speak in Warm Springs on Saturday as part of a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of FDR’s death.
Roosevelt first came to Warm Springs in 1924 as part of his treatment for a bout with polio. FDR would return often to Warm Springs as president, setting up what became known as the “Little White House.”
His death shocked the world, as it came when the U.S. was still fighting in World War II. The war would end a few months later.
Listen up
The “Politically Georgia” podcast is off today. We’ll be back on Monday with a look at how President Donald Trump’s ongoing tariffs are challenging Georgia businesses.
Have a question or comment for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.
You can listen and subscribe to the show for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Budget bill passes
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
House Republicans passed a budget resolution on Thursday after a number of Republican holdouts reversed course to vote for it, including Georgia U.S. Reps Andrew Clyde and Rich McCormick.
The resolution unlocks the next step in the budget process as Republicans hope to deliver major components of President Donald Trump’s agenda. Next up: crafting a bill that cuts taxes, raises the debt limit, boosts spending on defense and border security while also cutting $1.5 trillion in government spending without touching anyone’s current Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security benefits.
Clyde, R-Athens, and several other Freedom Caucus members initially opposed the legislation because the Senate bill required only $4 billion in spending cuts instead of the House version that mandated $1.5 trillion. Clyde said he decided to support the bill following “intense negotiations” and only after assurances from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune that the final package would meet their goals of reducing overall federal spending.
“As a fiscal hawk, I will hold both my House and Senate colleagues accountable in delivering on this promise,” Clyde wrote in a post on X. “After all, we can — and must — achieve President Trump’s America First agenda in a fiscally responsible manner.”
In the end, all but two Republicans supported the measure with evert Democrat opposed.
Call me
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
In-person town hall meetings have been drawing huge crowds lately. But U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath pulled in an eye-popping number of callers for her recent telephone town hall. More than 14,000 people called in to listen and ask questions of McBath and her guest, former Office of Personnel Management Director Rob Shriver.
The call focused on the embattled federal workforce during the second Trump administration, including the 2,400 layoffs planned for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
“Thank you to all who tuned in to stay informed on what we can do together in this challenging period for countless families,” McBath said.
Today in Washington
- President Donald Trump will undergo his annual physical before heading to Florida for the weekend.
- The House is in recess until April 28.
- The Senate could vote on more Trump nominees today.
- U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia, will meet with local wine importers in his district to talk about the impact of Trump’s tariffs.
Shoutouts
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Before you go
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Vidalia onions became Georgia’s official state vegetable 35 years ago today. Born out of the Great Depression, the vegetable now makes up about 40% of the nation’s sweet onion crop. A state law in 1986 trademarked the name “Vidalia onions,” limiting that label to the crop grown in South Georgia.
That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
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