PG A.M.: Georgia Democrats playing hardball to get Medicaid expansion

Sensing an opening to revive debate over expanding Medicaid, Georgia Democrats are threatening to vote en masse against the prized health care priority of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones if it doesn’t include a pathway to getting more people coverage.

Senate Republicans already have the votes to overhaul the state’s hospital regulations without any Democratic support. But Jones is eager to show his plan to roll back the certificate of need rules has bipartisan backing.

It’s unclear whether Jones and other GOP Senate leaders will make any concessions, but several Democrats said they have met with the lieutenant governor and his aides to discuss options.

Publicly, Senate Democrats have said they’ll only vote for the certificate of need overhaul if it’s packaged with Medicaid expansion. Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler of Stone Mountain said the two “must be done together.”

“If we choose another path or continue pursuing this certificate of need reform, I will not support these efforts. We must pass both — period,” she said. “That’s our offer.”

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Butler was among the 12 Senate Democrats who backed the bill last week when it passed by a 43-11 margin. But she and her Democratic allies could soon get another crack at the proposal if the House passes a rival version.

Jones was noncommittal.

“Burt Jones and the Republican Caucus are focused on getting CON [certificate of need] reform done,” said his spokeswoman, Ines Owens. “The LG has had conversations with people across the political spectrum about getting real reform done this session.”

Democrats privately acknowledge their crusade won’t lead to a full-scale expansion of Medicaid this year. House Speaker Jon Burns, a key GOP proponent of a “private option” plan, has effectively tabled the discussion until next year. And Gov. Brian Kemp made clear he’d rather pursue his more limited expansion.

But Democrats hope they can at least pave the way toward a broader discussion in 2025, when the race for the White House is over — and a gubernatorial contest that could feature Jones is just beginning.

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Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

WILLIS WATCH. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones suggested that a special Senate committee empowered to investigate Fulton County’s election-interference trial could soon call District Attorney Fani Willis to testify and even subpoena her text messages with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

He told NewsMax on Monday that the committee, which heard hours of testimony this month from defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant, has a “great blueprint to call people forward that have been a part of that whole charade.”

“That Senate committee is moving forward because we are looking at how tax dollars were potentially misappropriated,” Jones said, adding that the committee is likely to make recommendations to Attorney General Chris Carr and a new oversight commission that can sanction or remove prosecutors.

Jones has put his stamp of approval on the committee and a range of other efforts to reprimand Willis. A key Donald Trump ally, Jones could yet face charges for his own conduct following the 2020 election.

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FILM FALLOUT. More than 500 members of the Georgia film and TV industry gathered last night for the first Georgia Film Day in four years under something of a cloud.

The event at Atlanta City Hall came as state lawmakers are debating a Republican-backed bill that would rein in the lucrative tax credit that helped juice the industry.

The pending legislation would create more hurdles to qualify for the top 30% credit. It could also cap how many credits companies could transfer among themselves any given fiscal year.

Our AJC colleague Rodney Ho reports the celebration this year was put on by a nonprofit called the Georgia Production Partnership instead of the state-run Georgia Film Office.

Among the organizers was state Rep. Long Tran, a Dunwoody Democrat and part-time actor, who said 11 other Democratic lawmakers attended the event but that he was unable to convince any Republicans to stop by.

Each of the speakers, including Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and film producer Dallas Austin, raved about how the generous 2008 tax credit has helped generate thousands of jobs. None addressed the legislation.

Long, who opposes the version of the tax credit bill that passed the House, said he is bracing for a Senate version this week. He hopes it doesn’t make the incentive structure even less palatable for smaller filmmakers.

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Credit: Bob Andres/AJC

NOT VOUCHING. Former state Rep. Brooks Coleman got word that his name was invoked by supporters of a school voucher measure. And the former House Education Committee chair didn’t like it.

“I’m still against the school voucher bill,” said Coleman, a Gwinnett County Republican who retired in 2018 after 13 terms in office. “I was able to defeat it five times when I was down there. We need more money in public education, not less.”

With one vote to spare, House Republicans adopted a measure last week that would give families $6,500 a year to subsidize the cost of private schooling. A similar measure failed last year amid a revolt of 16 GOP lawmakers. Among the lawmakers speaking out in favor of the bill were Coleman’s fellow Gwinnett Republicans.

Even in retirement, Coleman’s stance on education policy is so respected by his colleagues that some have used his name to win over skeptical lawmakers.

Coleman said he’s received calls from old colleagues asking if he backed the measure, which supporters say would help kids escape “failing” schools. As he has for years, Coleman warned even a low-dollar voucher would inevitably grow to threaten the public education system.

“Once the camel gets its nose under that tent,” he said, “it’s too late.”

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Credit: AJC

LET US KNOW. If you are one of the many people who complains you’ve never been contacted by a pollster, now is your chance to change that.

The AJC, Atlanta Civic Circle and partner newsrooms are producing a voter guide and other coverage for the 2024 election. But we need your help.

Do you plan to vote? What are your top local issues? What should national candidates focus on?

Your answers to this brief voter survey will shape candidate questionnaires, political coverage, and more in 2024.

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Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC

UNDER THE GOLD DOME:

The House and Senate are out of session for a committee workday. Floor sessions resume Wednesday.

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

FINAL SPRINT. With just four working days left in the 2023-2024 legislative session, lawmakers are racing to get their prized packages negotiated and approved.

Among the bills on the move are:

House Bill 977 and House Bill 1207, which both passed the Senate Ethics Committee on Monday. Mark Niesse reports the GOP elections bills would reduce the number of voting machines on election day, require more election audits, post pictures of ballots online, make voter intimidation a felony, and make other changes.
Senate Bill 480, which passed the House on Monday, would help mental health care workers pay off students loans if they’re working in high-need areas. It’s one of several parts of the larger mental health package that the state Senate failed to pass last year.

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

NO-TUS. Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan won’t be a third-party candidate for president after all.

Duncan told the AJC on Monday he’d been approached by the Washington-based No Labels group to join a “unity ticket” to go up against President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in November. But Duncan said he’d rather work toward “healing and improving the Republican Party with a GOP 2.0 so we can elect more commonsense conservative candidates in the future.”

He’s not the first person to take a pass on the No Labels bid. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin have also both declined the chance to challenge the two major party nominees in the general election.

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Credit: AJC file photo

LISTEN UP. Today on the “Politically Georgia” radio show, Rep. Tim Fleming, R-Covington, will give his take on Rivian’s decision to stop construction on a planned $5 billion manufacturing plant in his district.

Then state Sen. Derek Mallow, D-Savannah, will discuss priorities for Democrats as the legislative session draws to a close.

Listen live at 10 a.m. on 90.1 FM, at AJC.com and at WABE.org.

On Monday, the AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu and James Salzer outlined some of the major bills that are still being debated as the legislative session winds down to a finish.

Emory University law professor Fred Smith discussed what is likely to happen next in the Fulton County election interference case now that Judge Scott McAfee has ruled District Attorney Fani Willis can remain on the case.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Credit: TNS

COUNTDOWN TO SHUTDOWN. There has been no visible movement toward finalizing an agreement to fund the government agencies whose funding runs out at the end of the day Friday.

Without a stopgap measure or agreement on the remaining six appropriations bills by Friday, the unfunded agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Education, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and Treasury, will stop all but essential operations.

A dispute over border security funding within the Department of Homeland Security is the main sticking point. Even if an agreement is reached today it will take time to finalize bill language and give members of the House time to review it before a vote is scheduled.

Then it would move over to the Senate where it takes unanimous agreement for legislation to be fast-tracked. Lawmakers, especially in the Senate, are already preparing to have to work through the weekend.

But that would only happen if there were a glimmer of light that a deal can be reached. Reports surfaced late Monday that a tentative deal has been negotiated to essentially keep Homeland Security funded at current levels through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. But details are still being ironed out.

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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:

President Joe Biden is in Nevada where he will campaign in Reno this morning before traveling to Las Vegas to deliver a speech on his economic agenda.
The U.S. House returns for evening votes.
The Senate has confirmation votes lined up.
Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley and former U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

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Credit: Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC

CRISIS IN HAITI. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock said he is “deeply concerned” about the growing crisis in Haiti and is looking to see where Congress can help.

“We have an obligation to make sure that the folks who are in Haiti have the support of the United States of America,” Warnock said on MSNBC’s Politics Nation Sunday. “I think it is in our vested interest. I’m concerned about the gangs, the anarchy that’s happening right now at our doorsteps.”

Haiti has been spiraling into chaos since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021. The vacuum left by his death was filled by violent armed gangs, and the country as of late has been near collapse.

Last week, Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced he would resign once the country could negotiate a transitional government with the help of other nations, including the U.S. But that only angered some Haitians who argued that outsiders shouldn’t dictate the Caribbean nation’s future.

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Credit: Courtesy photo

DOG OF THE DAY. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about the last days of the legislative session, it’s that you’ve got to keep your eyes peeled.

So let’s meet Willie, BD, and Bermi Cody, three formerly feral cats here to show us how it’s done. These wide-eyed guys now call AJC subscriber Mildred Cody their person. Along with keeping an eye on things, a reliable source reports the curious cats also spend their time seeking sunspots and cat treats.

Send us your pets of any political persuasion to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us at @MurphyAJC.

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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.

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