During the first waves of the coronavirus pandemic, just about every time Gov. Brian Kemp held a press conference to talk about the outbreak, he seemed to be joined by a familiar face: Dr. Kathleen Toomey.
As head of the state Department of Public Health, Toomey brought her scientific knowhow and long history of fighting scourges to Kemp’s administration, and she conferred her public blessing on many of his more contentious decisions.
But amid the resurgence of the virus, Toomey has taken a far less visible approach. No longer does she routinely stand by Kemp at his pandemic-related events or load her schedule with public appearances.
Officials insist there was no falling out between Toomey and the governor. And her office provided a list of about 10 recent appearances dating back to March.
But her aides acknowledge she’s taking more of a behind-the-scenes role amid her other duties: Analyzing the latest Covid-19 data, reviewing the state’s testing capabilities and managing an influx of federal funding.
Her spokeswoman, Nancy Nydam, said Toomey is also engaged in events that fly under the radar, including calls with local leaders, hospital executives and others.
State Rep. Rebecca Mitchell, a Democratic epidemiologist, is among those who have noted Toomey’s absence from the spotlight. But she sees it as a symptom of a broader vacuum of leadership from the Kemp administration.
“It’s not Dr. Toomey’s face that I think you’re seeing people ask for when we ask where she is,” said Mitchell. “We are instead asking for the administration to show us that they are recognizing that the epidemic has changed.”
The governor has said he’s not yet planning on aggressive new initiatives to try to combat the increase in cases, though he continues to urge Georgians to get vaccinated. We might soon hear Toomey more loudly amplify his pleas.
Shortly after we reached out to her office about her quieter approach, we caught wind of a range of interviews she scheduled for later today with Atlanta television networks.
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As public health officials struggle to find ways to get people vaccinated against COVID-19, the City of Augusta may pay people $100 each to get their shots.
The plan has been approved by a city committee and now goes to the full commission. The Augusta Chronicle has more:
“We’re in this pandemic and you’ve got so many people dying and so many people walking around who haven’t been vaccinated,” Mayor Pro Tem Bobby Williams said.
Mayor Hardie Davis mentioned the city’s loss of Utilities Director Tom Wiedmeier, who he considered a friend, to COVID-19 and family members of friends who had died or were gravely ill.
The goal is to vaccinate 9,000 to 10,000 residents this year with the American Rescue Plan covering the cost, city Administrator Odie Donald II said.
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It’s Census Day, and a lot is riding on the numbers that are scheduled to be released this afternoon.
Today’s data dump is just the first wave with more to come, but it will include the numbers that state legislators have been waiting on to move forward with redistricting. They will use it to draw new congressional, state Senate and state House maps for the next decade.
We will be paying close attention to the changes in Georgia’s racial makeup in addition to overall population figures and whether the percentage of state residents who reside in metro Atlanta has shifted.
The AJC will have reports later today, so stay tuned. The press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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POSTED: As expected, former Atlanta-based U.S. Attorney Byung “B.Jay” Pak spoke with Senate Judiciary Committee members and staff Wednesday. He confirmed such with the AJC but had no further comment about what he said in the closed-door meeting.
The New York Times got an insider to leak nuggets, however, and Pak reportedly said that he resigned abruptly in January after learning that then-President Donald Trump wanted to fire him because he refused to support accusations that Georgia’s general election results were fraudulent.
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In the past week, Senate candidate Gary Black has turned up the heat on his potential rival Herschel Walker. Black has mocked the football icon’s Texas residency and questioned his connection with voters as he mulls joining the race.
And in the wake of an AJC report that revealed Walker’s wife might have cast an illegal ballot, Black said he’s worried that her questionable vote undercuts GOP efforts to impose tougher voter restrictions.
“I’d say the lights are shining bright on the political playing field now,” he said of Walker at a campaign event on Wednesday. “It makes it very difficult to talk about voter fraud after that. I’m concerned about that.”
Asked about his new get-tough stance on Walker, the three-term agriculture commissioner was blunt.
“If he wants to move back, great,” he said. “He really needs to come register to vote, he can participate in our system some, it would be good to see what you actually believe. We’re going to be an idea-driven campaign. Come share in that process. But the first thing you’ve got to do is move here.”
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State Sen. Chuck Hufstetler is an iconoclast in the Georgia Senate: He’s one of the few elected Republicans who has been supportive of a Medicaid expansion, a measure most of his party opposes as too costly in the long run.
Now he faces a primary challenge. Luke Martin, a U.S. Army Reserve officer, recently resigned his post as a senior prosecutor in Floyd County to mount a campaign for the Senate seat.
This Republican touts his ties to former President Donald Trump and controversial U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. His platform reads like a list of the latest GOP bugaboos: He opposes vaccine passports, critical race theory and “the Atlanta crime spree.”
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POSTED: We’ve been watching U.S. Rep Buddy Carter wait on the sidelines for Herschel Walker to make a decision about running for U.S. Senate — and we’re not the only ones.
The Democratic Party of Georgia has also been keeping their eye on Carter and this week filed a federal complaint against the congressman for spending statewide advertising funds without being a declared statewide candidate.
The Savannah Morning News reports the FEC stipulates that candidates have to declare for federal office after they’ve reached a $5,000 threshold testing the waters. Carter spent $75,000 on his recent Major League Baseball-themed ad, which ran in the Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah media markets.
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A Jolt reader flags another Biden nomination with Georgia ties. Damian Williams was nominated this week to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Along with degrees from Harvard University, Cambridge University and Yale Law School, Williams is a member of Woodward Academy’s Class of 1998.
If he’s confirmed by the Senate, Williams is poised to be the first Black prosecutor to lead the famous office, which takes on some of the most complex terrorism, public corruption, and securities fraud cases in the country.
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A sign of an economic rebound? Gov. Brian Kemp announced that firms taking advantage of state and local economic development incentives shelled out nearly $11 billion during fiscal year 2021 in economic development initiatives, creating more than 33,000 jobs through 379 projects.
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The August congressional recess means House and Senate members will be back in their districts for the next couple of weeks.
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, who holds a swing seat Republicans hope to flip, will host a job fair for constituents this Friday at the Gas South Convention Center in Duluth.
The event Friday will include local employers looking for new recruits for service, manufacturing, education and local government jobs. Job seekers should wear business casual attire and bring resumes.
On Monday, U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson will host a “coffee with your Congressman” event at a location you may want to go to for the name alone — Redneck Gourmet in Newman.
Keep an eye out for other events through your representatives’ offices or social media posts.
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Family members of late Congressman John Lewis said they are picking up where he left off and becoming more visible on the topic of voting rights.
Two of the civil rights leader’s brothers and a niece spoke at a Wednesday news conference alongside other activists, including a Texas Democrat who fled the state to rob Republicans of the quorum they need to enact a new restrictive voting law.
Samuel Lewis said his older brother laid a path for others to follow.
“I can’t walk in John’s boots, but I’ll tell you what I’m going to do: I’m going to put mine on and start walking,” he said.
Another brother, Henry Grant Lewis, said family members stand ready to go wherever they are called.
“Our dream is to keep his dream — his legacy — moving forward,” he said. “And that means getting up in the morning, putting on our boots and catching a plane to Washington, driving a car to Atlanta, speaking in Troy, Ala., if necessary. Whatever the case may be.”
The family said it is keeping tabs on the advancement of federal voting legislation. The House later this month could take a vote on a new draft of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would reinstate federal review of changes to election laws in certain states or jurisdictions.
Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said his chamber will make another attempt to pass voting legislation when members return in September. However, election-related measures are likely to be blocked by Senate Republicans unless Democrats change filibuster rules.
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As always, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
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