Abortion rights activist Hadley Duvall played a pivotal role in Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s 2023 reelection bid. She also taped an ad for President Joe Biden. And on Sunday, she trekked to Atlanta to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Duvall emerged as a national voice on abortion a day after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade when she publicly discussed online her history of being raped by her stepfather.
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
After a joint appearance on Sunday in Forsyth County with Beshear, Duvall told us she hears from “so many older women who are saying, ‘I’ve been in your shoes and I don’t want my granddaughters to be in our shoes.’”
Duvall is credited with helping Beshear win a second term by appearing in an ad that targeted his Republican opponent’s anti-abortion stances.
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Beshear is now a potential vice presidential running mate for Harris. And Duvall said Beshear could help attract the middle-of-the-road voters who both Harris and former President Donald Trump are struggling to hold.
“He brings an energy. He can talk to the people. He is an amazing person to get people to center,” Duvall said.
Credit: AJC file photo
Credit: AJC file photo
Trump’s campaign held its own Sunday event at an office in Dunwoody, where more than 200 took Republicans part in a volunteer “day of training” that was helmed by Georgia GOP chair Josh McKoon.
***
SCOTUS OVERHAUL. During remarks today in Austin, Texas, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, President Joe Biden will unveil his proposal for reforming the United States Supreme Court.
Biden outlined his plan in a commentary published Monday in The Washington Post.
He also supports a constitutional amendment that will clarify that presidents can be prosecuted for crimes committed while in office, a response to a recent Supreme Court ruling that jeopardizes prosecutions of former President Donald Trump.
Polling shows that approval of the high court has suffered as justices have been accused of conflicts of interest and other ethics lapses, coupled with controversial opinions like the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times
Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times
Biden will advocate for term limits for Supreme Court justices and an appointment cycle that would have the sitting U.S. president replacing one of the justices every two years. If implemented, no justice would serve more than 18 years on the bench instead of the current lifetime appointment.
The president is also calling on Congress to create a code of conduct for justices that requires them to disclose gifts they receive and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have a financial interest or other conflicts of interest.
Justice Clarence Thomas, a Georgia native, has been accused of accepting luxury trips and other favors from a Republican mega-donor who has had business before the court. His wife was also active in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election results that preceded the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol.
While Biden’s proposals may prove to be popular given the current criticism of the Supreme Court, they are unlikely to lead to any real changes in the short term because Republicans hold a slim majority in the House. And a constitutional amendment is a nearly impossible task given that it requires two-thirds support in both chambers of Congress then ratification in three-fourths of the 50 states.
***
Credit: John Amis for the AJC
Credit: John Amis for the AJC
NRA IN DISARRAY. In a New York Times piece on the ongoing struggles at the National Rifle Association, former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr plays a central role.
Barr, the NRA’s board president, is apparently not getting along with new chief executive Doug Hamlin. Both took on their roles in May.
The New York Times said the rift became apparent at a trial in New York this month as the group resisted efforts to have an outsider appointed to monitor its finances. Barr, who has served on the NRA board for years, represents a faction loyal to former CEO Wayne LaPierre while Hamlin is in the camp of reformers.
The story reported that Hamlin said he ran for his post because he had lost faith in leaders like LaPierre and Barr.
“My frustration was due to a lot of various factors that had been building over many years,” he said.
Their disagreements range from litigation strategy to whether NRA headquarters should be relocated from New York to Texas. Barr and his allies apparently have a search committee actively on the lookout for a Hamlin replacement.
***
Credit: Tami Chappell for the AJC
Credit: Tami Chappell for the AJC
LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” former Gov. Roy Barnes talks about the Democratic Party’s reset with Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive nominee. Democratic strategist Rick Dent and Emory University Professor Andra Gillespie also weigh in.
Rebecca Grapevine, a political reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper, shares insight into Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. He campaigned for Harris in Georgia over the weekend and is among those being vetted as a vice presidential running mate.
Listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 or follow “Politically Georgia” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Friday was a special mailbag episode featuring readers’ calls regarding President Joe Biden’s decision to abandon his reelection bid and Vice President Kamala Harris’ newly launched presidential campaign.
***
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
REHAB CRISIS. The AJC’s Katherine Landergan dug deep into the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency and found that it failed to help disabled people find work.
Among the findings: fewer and fewer people who sought the agency’s help found jobs, and those who did were often funneled into jobs as fast-food workers, janitors, stockers or cashiers.
In fact, federal officials found that the agency did not “prioritize the employment rate” among its participants, nor did the agency do much to encourage people to get vocational or occupational training or go to college, federal monitors concluded in a report issued in March.
On the key measure of employment, Georgia is among the worst performing states in the nation in recent years. The agency has also been forced to send back tens of millions of federal dollars that could have helped people who suffer from vision loss, are hearing impaired or have other physical, mental or emotional impairments.
***
TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act during a visit to the Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. He then travels to Houston to pay respects to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. The Texas Democrat died of pancreatic cancer on July 19.
- The Senate is working through nominations.
- The House is in recess until Sept. 9.
***
Credit: Adrianne Murchison/AJC
Credit: Adrianne Murchison/AJC
DRAMA IN COLLEGE PARK. An effort is underway in College Park to recall one of its city councilmembers while two others are being targeted by opponents who plan to unseat them in the next election.
The AJC’s Adrianne Murchison writes that the political action committee United College Park is seeking to recall Councilwoman Jamelle McKenzie, citing numerous alleged actions they say violate the oath of office.
A recall application filed by a resident says the councilwoman has helped create a toxic work environment at City Hall that has led to the resignation or firing of 17 employees and contractors. United College Park is working to get 900 signatures within 30 days to recall McKenzie and prompt a special election to replace her.
In addition, the group also wants to oust Councilmembers Joe Carn and Roderick Gay when they run for reelection next year.
College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom is among the residents who have filed at least 20 complaints about the city council with the Georgia Attorney General’s Office.
***
AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
