How Georgia Democrats are finding ways to fight Donald Trump’s policies

Today’s newsletter highlights:

• A Republican state senator backs off support for Medicaid expansion.
• School safety package includes an app to report threats anonymously.
• Former Georgia U.S. Rep. Doug Collins’ confirmation vote is today.

Three weeks into President Donald Trump’s return to power, Georgia Democrats are still experimenting with how to fight his agenda.

Look at what’s happening in the Georgia Senate, where state Sen. Josh McLaurin is turning some of his floor speeches into a running gag. Dubbed “Trump Morning News,” the Sandy Springs Democrat adopts the persona of a newscaster ticking through Trump-tinged topics.

Near the end, McLaurin the newscaster invites McLaurin the senator to comment. That’s when he steps into his real voice to deliver his outrage.

“Are you guys watching this?” an incredulous McLaurin said Monday after summarizing what he said was a “private takeover of the federal government” at the hands of Elon Musk.

Much of it is “had to be there” comedy, but it has so far amused his Republican colleagues more than angered them. That might be the point.

“If you just go up to the well and you scold everybody … people get tired of that very quickly,” he said. “The wrapper for this daily speech, or near daily speech, is just a little bit of flavor — almost like a sugar pill around medicine — so that it can go down a little easier.”

The bit is more than just comic relief. It’s also his take on how Democrats should change their messaging following their defeats in the November general election.

State Sen. Nikki Merritt, a Democrat from Grayson, is chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.

His colleague, Democratic state Sen. Nikki Merritt of Grayson, has a more straightforward approach. As chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, she warns of the fallout from Trump policies, from tariffs to transgender rights.

She also cautions that Georgia Republicans should “walk carefully” if they attempt to mirror Trump’s efforts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at the state level.

“We’re not splintered or demoralized at all,” she said of the party’s plight. “We’re regrouping.”

Senior Republicans, meanwhile, continue embracing more MAGA-aligned policies. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has  echoed Trump’s national agenda by proposing a review of state agencies, similar to what Musk is doing with the advisory group dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency. And Jones wants to crack down on fentanyl-related crimes with his own effort to toughen penalties tied to the drug in Georgia.

“Georgia will continue to fight back,” said Jones, who is expected to run for governor. “With the support of President Trump and the new administration working tirelessly to secure the border, this is a fight we can and must win.”

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Lawmakers plan to honor Georgia firefighters at the Capitol in Atlanta today.

GOOD MORNING! It’s Firefighter Recognition Day at the Georgia Capitol. Firefighters from across the state will gather under the Gold Dome to talk to lawmakers and participate in a 2:30 p.m. ceremony in the South Wing of the Capitol. But the real fun is tonight, when the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department’s award-winning barbecue team cooks dinner for everyone at the Georgia Freight Depot.

Here are four things to know for today:

• The first bill to pass either chamber of the Georgia General Assembly this year is in response to the owner of a bail bond company getting disqualified from public office because of an obscure law.
• The U.S. Department of Education dismissed 11 federal complaints about book bans, including a case originating in Georgia, the AJC’s Cassidy Alexander reports.
• Gov. Brian Kemp wants $175 million to cover liability insurance claims against the state. The biggest offender? The Department of Corrections, which cost the state $24 million, the AJC’s David Wickert reports.
• A U.S. Capitol Police recruit died in a traffic accident near St. Simons Island over the weekend, the AJC’s Tia Mitchell and Rosana Hughes report.

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State Sen. Billy Hickman, a Republican from Statesboro, is no longer listed as one of the sponsors for a bill about Medicaid in Georgia.

SECOND THOUGHTS. State Sen. Billy Hickman was one of four Republicans to co-sponsor a Democrat-backed bill that would expand eligibility for Georgia’s Medicaid program.

But the Statesboro Republican removed his name from Senate Bill 50 recently. When asked why, Hickman told the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman, “I’m not going to answer that question, but I’ll talk about anything else.”

While 40 other states have expanded Medicaid, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has steadfastly opposed it. Instead, he’s created the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program that offers Medicaid to people who meet certain requirements, including going to school, volunteering or working.

Kemp’s office said they did not pressure lawmakers to shun the Medicaid measure, which state Sen. Russ Goodman confirmed. The Cogdell Republican is still a co-sponsor of the legislation.

But in remarks on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, made clear that the Republican caucus is standing behind Kemp and his Pathways program.

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House Speaker Jon Burns announces school safety legislation at the Capitol in Atlanta on Monday.

SORTING THROUGH THREATS. House Speaker Jon Burns’ school safety package, unveiled on Monday, aims to make it easier for students to anonymously report threats while also warning them not to spread unfounded rumors.

As recent history suggests, sometimes students have difficulty distinguishing between the two.

Burns’ proposal includes an anonymous way for students to report concerns about their peers or other potential threats. He described it as an app offering students a “safe, confidential method” to report tips to law enforcement.

Meanwhile, Burns also said the bill would create a “mandatory penalty for students who make terroristic threats, which will include immediate suspension.”

Last year, the AJC’s Cassidy Alexander wrote about a Cobb County public school student expelled for texting his friends and warning them not to go to school because there might be a shooting. He had seen a video online of someone else threatening to shoot up several Cobb County schools. This was just a few days after an actual school shooting in Georgia left four people dead.

The message caused a lockdown at the school and spread fear throughout the campus, prompting parents to pick up their kids early.

Any system that includes reports from children will undoubtedly require some nuance. Burns seemed confident his proposal would do that.

“This approach balances the immediate need to secure the safety and security of other students with the need to provide discretion to law enforcement and the school system,” he said.

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GBI Director Chris Hosey said that threats against public officials are on the rise.

THREAT LEVEL. Georgia’s top law enforcement agency is getting so many threats — to public officials and others — that it wants to expand its counterterrorism unit.

The Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center, also known as GISAC, collects counterterrorism and criminal intelligence information throughout the state.

Last year, the center tracked 447 “threats to life,” GBI Director Chris Hosey said. These included threats to schools, public officials, state facilities and potential acts of self-harm.

“I give GISAC a pretty tall order of work to do,” Hosey said. “I call them my crystal ball. I ask them to go out and find the threat before it gets to our front door.”

Hosey said threats against public officials are on the rise — a fact he probably didn’t have to tell public officials. At least four state senators and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, were the victims of “swatting” calls in 2023. Greene was targeted again in December with a hoax bomb threat that police say came from Russia.

Hosey’s proposal would add two sworn officers to GISAC to handle increased threats not just to elected officials, but also schools, elections, special events and Georgia’s ports.

It would cost a little over $510,000, which includes salaries and “startup costs.”

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The Georgia Capitol in Atlanta.

UNDER THE GOLD DOME. It’s the 11th day of the legislative session. Some happenings:

• 8 a.m.: House Motor Vehicles Committee will consider House Bill 77, which would expand the rules about when drivers must yield for a funeral procession.
• 10 a.m.: House and Senate convene.
• 1 p.m.: House Judiciary Committee will discuss House Bill 199, which would let judges redact some personal information from publicly available records, including property and tax documents.
• 1 p.m.: House Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on State and Local Government will consider House Bill 113, which is aimed at stopping government agencies from purchasing products from countries such as China, Iran and Russia.
• 2 p.m: Senate Retirement Committee will discuss Senate Bill 23, which would let the Employees Retirement System of Georgia invest more money in alternative investments.

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State Sen. Kim Jackson, a Democrat from Stone Mountain, is a guest on the "Politically Georgia" podcast today.

LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” Democratic state Sen. Kim Jackson joins the show to talk about her new bill to mandate equal treatment for boys and girls sports in Georgia schools. And Caylee Noggle, the CEO of the Georgia Hospital Association, discusses proposals to expand health care this session.

Be sure to download the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Have a question for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us. You can also listen live at 10 a.m. EDT on 90.1 FM WABE.

On Monday’s show, Cody Hall, political adviser to Gov. Brian Kemp, talked about the governor’s legislative priorities and political future. Then, state Sen. Nikki Merritt, D-Grayson, discussed Senate Bill 1, which would ban transgender athletes from competing against women in high school and collegiate sports.

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COLLINS’ DAY. Around lunchtime, former Georgia U.S. Rep. Doug Collins is likely to become the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Senate has scheduled Collins’ confirmation vote for 12:15 p.m. It could take up to an hour for everything to finish.

Collins is expected to be confirmed with bipartisan support. Twenty-nine Democrats and two Independents joined Republicans in a procedural vote Thursday night to advance his nomination to a final vote.

Both of Georgia’s Democratic senators voted to advance Collins’ nomination, including Sen. Raphael Warnock, who defeated Collins in a special election in 2020.

Warnock’s counterpart, Sen. Jon Ossoff, missed votes last week because of an illness. But he is back this week and is expected to be present for the Collins vote today.