Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has given state Sen. Shawn Still some breathing room in the election interference case against him. He is among the co-defendants in the prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Still faces a sweeping round of charges for his role as an “alternate” elector for Trump in Georgia. Still stands accused of racketeering, impersonating a public officer, two counts of first degree forgery, criminal attempt to commit filing false documents and two counts of false statements and writings.
Credit: AJC file photos
Credit: AJC file photos
On Thursday McAfee issued a stay “on all aspects of the case,” ruling that Still is automatically entitled to a continuance as a sitting member of the General Assembly. The right to a delay in legal proceedings for members of the Legislature is in the Georgia code and has been the subject of controversy in the past, although it has likely never been used in a case as high-profile as the one against Still.
The first-term Gwinnett County Republican is among the 14 remaining co-defendants of the former president in the Fulton County case.
Still has said he did nothing wrong and a three-person panel, made up of Republicans, ruled in September that he could continue to serve in the Senate while the case works its way through the courts.
Still has been at the Capitol this week and is voting. McAfee’s ruling means he won’t have to deal with the criminal case against him until after the session adjourns.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
STATE OF THE DEMOCRATS. Gov. Brian Kemp delivered his annual State of the State address to the House and Senate Thursday, laying out his plans for the year ahead.
The top order of business, he said, was using a portion of the state’s massive $16 billion surplus to boost his priorities for tax cuts, infrastructure, teacher pay raises, and the construction of a new medical school at the University of Georgia and a dental school at Georgia Southern University.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
But Democrats held a Capitol news conference moments after Kemp spoke to say the state doesn’t have a surplus as much as it has years of underinvestment in health care, public schools, and basic services for Georgians.
“What we have isn’t really a surplus, it’s a disinvestment,” said Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler of Stone Mountain.
State Rep. Sam Park, D-Lawrenceville, explained what Democrats would do with the surplus instead.
“Medicaid expansion would be our number one priority,” he said, adding that education, housing, and universal pre-K would also go at the top of the list.
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FUTURE PLANNING? A small but notable item of business has not been taken care of yet at the General Assembly — passing a calendar for the days ahead.
Unlike last session, when both the House and Senate quickly inked a 40-day calendar with Fridays off for travel, backroom wrangling between the House and Senate has kept this year’s calendar incomplete.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
The House has at least provided a template: On Thursday, representatives took up and passed a schedule that places Crossover Day on Feb. 29 and the last day of the session — Sine Die — on Thursday, March 28. As to the question everyone wants answered: Fridays are off on some weeks, but in session others. The House schedule also designates next week for budget review and discussions, meaning the House and Senate will not meet.
Look for the state Senate to take up the calendar next.
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Credit: Casey Sykes
Credit: Casey Sykes
UNDER THE GOLD DOME:
- 9 a.m.: The House gavels in.
- 9 a.m.: The Senate convenes.
- The General Assembly will be out of session Monday for the Martin Luther King. Jr. holiday.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
LISTEN UP. House Speaker Jon Burns joined the “Politically Georgia” radio show and podcast Thursday for an in-depth look at his agenda this session, his political outlook for 2024, and a rapid-fire round of questions, including his guest list at his ultimate dinner party.
Catch up on that episode at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. And listen to Wednesday’s show live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 FM, at AJC.com and at WABE.org.
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Credit: Tyson A. Horne/AJC
Credit: Tyson A. Horne/AJC
WILLIS SPEAKS. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is scheduled Sunday to make her first public remarks since the explosive allegations that she has had an improper relationship with the special prosecutor she hired for the case against former President Donald Trump and his allies.
Willis is the featured speaker at Big Bethel A.M.E. Church during the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. services. The historic church is located in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood near King’s childhood home and Ebenezer Baptist Church, the congregation started by King’s father.
Willis has not yet addressed the allegations publicly, saying she will do so in court filings. But we’ll be tuned in to the livestream to see if she alludes to them in her speech.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
STATE ELECTION BOARD. Former state Sen. Rick Jeffares, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2018, has been nominated to fill the final open seat on Georgia’s Election Board.
The AJC’s Mark Niesse reports Jeffares was nominated to replace Matt Mashburn as the Republican-controlled state Senate’s representative on the five-member board. The full Senate must vote to confirm Jeffares to the panel, which handles election complaints.
Jeffares would join Waffle House executive John Fervier, whom Gov. Brian Kemp appointed last week to serve as its chairman, as the two newest members of the State Election Board. The board will have four Republicans and one Democrat.
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COUNTDOWN TO SHUTDOWN. That’s right, we are restarting the clock counting down the days to a partial federal government shutdown. Congress has until Jan. 19 — next Friday — to either pass funding bills for several agencies or approve stopgap spending legislation to keep those entities operating.
Funding runs out next week for agencies covered by four appropriations bills: Agriculture-Food and Drug Administration, Energy & Water, Military Construction/Veterans Affairs, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development. The remaining agencies are funded through Feb. 2.
The prospects for progress were looking up earlier this week, when House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced an agreement on topline federal spending that, in theory, should have allowed work to commence on the 12 individual funding bills. But conservatives in the House balked and are pressuring Johnson to abandon that deal.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens, and fellow members of the House Freedom Caucus have been the most critical. The northwest Georgia lawmaker delivered a speech on the House floor Thursday decrying the Johnson-Schumer agreement as evidence of a “fiscal calamity.”
“Despite all the warning signs, it’s business as usual here in Washington, as evidenced by the recently announced agreement on the overall price tag for fiscal year 2024 appropriations,” he said. “Make no mistake, the bipartisan spending deal is a total sham. No amount of smoke and mirrors can hide the swamp’s irresponsible, wasteful and reckless spending agenda.”
With a thin two-vote majority these days, it will be hard for Johnson to pass anything, even temporary funding to keep the government open beyond the deadlines.
Yet Schumer is moving forward with a backup plan, scheduling procedural votes next week for legislation that could become a “continuing resolution” to extend current funding levels for a few weeks or even months. But for legislation to move quickly in that chamber, every senator will need to get on board.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden visits small businesses in and around Allentown, Pennsylvania, to highlight his economic agenda.
- The House has votes scheduled on labor relations and policy toward China.
- The Senate is done for the week.
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MORE MCBATH ENDORSEMENTS. Thursday brought two more big endorsement announcements for U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath’s campaign for Georgia’s newly drawn 6th Congressional District seat.
She now has the backing of End Citizens United/Let America Vote, a well-financed grassroots organization that works to elect Democrats and is also dedicated to campaign finance reform.
The Congressional Black Caucus PAC also endorsed McBath, D-Marietta. That isn’t much of a surprise since the organization generally backs incumbent CBC members and McBath is active with the caucus, currently serving as its secretary.
McBath received an endorsement earlier this week from Emily’s List, a political organization that works to get more women elected who support access to abortion.
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Credit: Greg Bluestein/AJC
Credit: Greg Bluestein/AJC
SEPARATED AT BIRTH? If you confused state Sen. Blake Tillery for Republican aide Jantz Womack at the Capitol, you’re not the only one.
It seems Womack, a newly hired red-headed spokesman for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, is routinely mistaken for the powerful GOP state senator. You can see why.
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Credit: AJC file photo
Credit: AJC file photo
PROGRAMMING NOTE. There will be no Politically Georgia morning report on Monday due to the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday. We’ll be back in your email inbox early Tuesday morning.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. What is black, white, and red all over? No, not the AJC. The answer is Eddie Hicks, red-collared, black-and-white rat terrier mix who calls Reggie and Anita Hicks his people.
Although Eddie was adopted in Alabama, a reliable source tells us he is now “Bulldog through and through.”
Send us your dogs of any political persuasion and location, and cats on a cat-by-cat basis, 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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