GOP-backed bill would guarantee right for women to use any contraceptive

Six Republican women in the state House co-sponsored a one-page bill on Thursday with a simple premise: “Females have the right to the use of any means of contraception.”

The legislation comes after Justice Clarence Thomas issued a concurrent opinion in the 2022 case that overturned Roe v. Wade suggesting the court should reconsider previous opinions that formed the basis of that ruling. That includes the 1965 decision that recognized the right of married people to obtain contraceptives.

With just days until the end of the legislative session, the measure faces long odds to pass before the deadline. But it could be tacked on to another pending proposal that has already cleared one chamber.

It surfaced the same day the Senate passed a bill that codified the right to in vitro fertilization. The House approved a similar measure last month, and the final version could clear the Legislature later today. It also came a day after House Republicans held a hearing on a measure that would outlaw abortions in Georgia and give prosecutors authority to charge women who receive them with homicide.

Things to know

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

We’re a week away from Sine Die, the final day of the legislative session. Here are three things to know for today:

Budget watch

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

A surge of federal spending helped prop up most state budgets during the pandemic, including Georgia’s. But just as lockdowns and mask mandates have ended, so has that flow of cash.

Now, most states are deciding whether to replace that federal funding with their own tax dollars to keep those programs going. The state Senate’s version of Georgia’s roughly $38 billion operating budget — unveiled Thursday — mostly doesn’t do that.

“The sugar high is ending,” declared Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia.

The Trump administration accelerated that trend this week when it slashed nearly $12 billion COVID-19 related funds for state and local public health departments. That includes about $200 million in Georgia, according to state Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta.

Esteves, a potential Democratic candidate for governor in 2026, worried those cuts are just the beginning. He warned the Trump administration could end health insurance subsidies, which give more than 1.5 million people discounts on their monthly premiums.

“We cannot be silent on this. We also have to prepare for this disaster,” he said.

Georgia Republicans have been working to reassure citizens that Trump’s cuts won’t gut vital services, including health care. But in general, they’ve mostly supported Trump’s spending decisions.

“What we’ve also seen on a national level is an extreme desire by the federal government to get its fiscal house in order, a realignment of federal funds that’s much needed and I fully support,” Tillery said. “And it will impact us.”

Look who’s back

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Terry England — House Speaker Jon Burns’ chief of staff — returned to the Capitol on Thursday nearly two months after suffering a serious injury in a heavy machinery accident at his home in Barrow County.

An 18-year veteran of the House and former Appropriations Committee chair, England set a goal to return before the 40th and final day of this year’s legislative session. He made it back on day 36 to what he called an “overwhelming reception by everyone.”

“My voice is pretty much gone,” he said. “It’s the most I’ve talked in about six weeks.”

Thursday was just a visit for England, who is still recovering after spinal surgery. He said he’s “doing pretty well for a 58-year-old man that got dribbled up and down in the cab of a piece of heavy equipment.” He’s improving each day with the ability to use his hands and arms, adding he still has “a long way to go for a full recovery.”

“Great to be back and see so many faces of the people we know have been praying for us since the accident,” England texted us.

Chris Riley, former Gov. Nathan Deal’s chief of staff, has been filling in for England during his recovery.

Burns said it was an honor to welcome England back to the House and see what he called the “miraculous progress he is making in his recovery thanks to the incredible work of the Shepherd Center,” an Atlanta hospital that specializes in brain and spinal cord injuries.

“This House is a family,” Burns said. “The love and encouragement shown to our chief of staff on the floor was just a glimpse at how our members support each other during their greatest times of need.”

Not happening

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

State lawmakers usually give each other lots of space to pass resolutions congratulating people and institutions. But one Georgia Democrat is learning that latitude has limits.

State Rep. Teddy Reese, D-Columbus, filed a resolution to commend Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff for his “efficient, effective, unselfish, and dedicated public service.” Reese insists he had “no political motive behind it,” even though Ossoff is up for reelection next year in what will be one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.

These resolutions are routinely reserved for high school state champions and civic institutions across the state. But when they dip into politics, it’s majority rules.

For example, the state Senate passed resolutions commending President Donald Trump and two of his Georgia cabinet members, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler.

But the Ossoff resolution has been assigned to committee and, so far, has not been called for a hearing. Reese said he doesn’t expect it to pass.

“I wanted to say ‘thank you,’ and I felt like I should be able to do that,” Reese said. “The Senate certainly can commend their leaders, but we can’t commend ours.”

A spokesperson for House Speaker Jon Burns pointed to House Rule 54.3 that says “the presiding officer shall determine whether a resolution is privileged and shall determine whether it is to be referred to a committee.

”It’s not the first this has happened. In 2009, House Republicans defeated a resolution commending Barack Obama for being elected president.

Trash talk?

Credit: Mike Stewart/AP

Credit: Mike Stewart/AP

Gov. Brian Kemp this week made a point to compare the economic job growth in Georgia and the Southeast with America’s bluer Northeast states.

The second-term governor noted two-thirds of job growth between 2020 and 2023 happened in the South — where most states are led by Republicans. The region also experienced a higher percentage of GDP growth than the Northeast in 2023.

“We don’t push agendas or pick winners or losers. We listen to our citizens, take action and make sure they have the tools they need to find success in communities that are safe,” Kemp said during his speech at the Hyundai electric vehicle factory's ceremonial opening near Savannah.

What went unacknowledged was the success Kemp referenced happened mostly while a Democrat, President Joe Biden, was in the White House. Another curious omission: Kemp did not mention President Donald Trump during his remarks, unlike most of the other speakers, who lavished praise on the Republican president. A Kemp aide said the omission was not intentional, and in a Thursday social media post about the event, Kemp credited Trump for his “commitment to fostering a friendly environment for American companies and workers.”

Trump, a Republican who took office in January, has a complicated history with the governor.

Under the Gold Dome

Credit: Adam Beam/AJC

Credit: Adam Beam/AJC

It’s the 37th day of the legislative session. Some of today’s happenings:

Listen up

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Social Security

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

Democrats have been sounding the alarm about possible cuts to Social Security, pointing to words and deeds coming from President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress.

U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee, has said repeatedly that changes have to be made to keep the program solvent long term. One way to do that, he said, is to raise to retirement age for workers who are decades away from retiring.

The Social Security Administration says it will reduce its workforce by the thousands, and it recently announced a plan to slash phone-based access to customer service. Those changes were walked back after an outcry from customers and reports of long wait times at offices, overwhelmed phone systems and website crashes.

“The outrage is across the political spectrum, Democrats and Republicans,” U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said during a virtual news conference Thursday to highlight threats to Social Security.

Voters are giving Republicans an earful, and it caused one Georgia lawmaker to push back against some of Democrats’ criticism.

U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens, this week accused Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of misleading Georgians about the possibility that five Social Security offices in Georgia could be shuttered.

The Department of Government Efficiency initiative had posted on its website that the five offices would be closed as part of a wider plan to reduce the number of federal facilities nationwide. But that language was later taken down after criticism.

Warnock, along with Ossoff, has continued to criticize the initial proposal as a warning sign of what could come. Clyde’s office said the facilities are still open and serving customers. He accused Warnock of being alarmist to rile up voters.

“The Left’s obsession with vilifying President Trump, Elon Musk, and DOGE is out of control. Scaring Americans — in this case, seniors — to distort the Administration’s work to expose and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse is irresponsible and reeks of desperation,” Clyde wrote in a news release.

Today in Washington

Shoutouts

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Belated birthday:

Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that! Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.

Before you go

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Moments after the state Senate voted to more than double his salary, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — a likely candidate for governor in 2026 — was quick to say he wouldn’t keep it.

“I will be donating mine back to the general fund,” he said.

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.

Editor’s note: This story was updated with new information from a Gov. Brian Kemp aide regarding the governor’s remarks at the Hyundai Metaplant ceremonial grand opening.