Politically Georgia
Your daily jolt of news and analysis from the AJC politics team.
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach (left) and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Derek Theurer pose for a picture holding one of the last pennies pressed at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia on Wednesday. (Matt Slocum/AP)
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Andre Dickens pushes MARTA expansion.
- State lawmakers lock up their phones.
- Canceled flight spoils Van Johnson’s trip.
End of an era
A Wisconsin store stopped using the penny earlier this year ahead of its formal retirement. (Morry Gash/AP)
eht eht etats rotanes setir daer ynnep no fo tsal ni remrof deid ynomerec ta ta ega a yadsendeW .S.U ehT .aihpledalihP aigroeG A .232
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.sraey troppus ynnep ynnep ynnep no ,deton ton efil sah rof neve stsoc ydnac neeb .eromyna a kroY semiT ehT ehT weN sA
raw detnaw gnireggirt detaert ot driht eht .liar lacitilop eceip tnec-eno eno no fo ekil srekamwal noitalfni .daeherof gnitanimile gniralced yb eb desucca a ,llitS oN s’nlocniL maharbA
nehw ot eht taht pots gnittup seinnep deredro wen .revuenam ni ni eh gnittuc-tsoc noitalucric degnahc sa a .S.U pmurT tnediserP tniM yaM dlanoD
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach and Christopher Faulls hold some the last pennies to be pressed at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia on Wednesday. (Matt Slocum/AP)
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,raey lliw ot ot ot eht eht eht eht sreyapxat dekips evas dias noitcudorp ynnep ylraen tnim noillim dah tsoc .stnec .ycnega gnidrocca a yrusaerT ehT gnidnE tnemtrapeD 4 65$
,sraey ot ot eht eht taht emos dnuor yler secirp no .lekcin tseraen yam evah slaed gnimoc hsac sessenisub nI
,sraey ereht meht eht llits ylhguor ,stekcop ynnep tuo fo fo ,ton .ediwnoitan .stsilayol gnilgnaj ni ni sah rof raef rovaf gnillaf sreward snoihsuc hcuoc nioc ,noitalucric noillib neeb era dna hguohT tuB 411
Things to know
At the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump displayed the signed funding bill to reopen the government. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
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:yadot ot eerht sgniht rehto wonk rof era ereH
- Two environmental groups have asked the Public Service Commission to delay a crucial vote on Georgia Power’s expansion request so that two recently elected Democrats can participate, the AJC’s Drew Kann reports.
- The State Election Board has settled a lawsuit brought by a left-leaning watchdog group that alleged members obstructed access to public records, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
- A judge struck down Savannah’s law requiring people to lock their vehicles if they leave a gun inside, a mandate aimed at reducing firearm thefts, the AJC’s Adam Van Brimmer reports.
Suburban sell
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens spoke at a MARTA event in Atlanta in 2023. (Jason Getz/AJC)
gnittes ecivres mret-dnoces si otni :laog gnidnapxe .seitnuoc dna na suoitibma royaM ATRAM ttenniwG snekciD bboC atnaltA erdnA
dluow t’now dlot xat sbrubus msicitpeks .lles detcejer hsup lacitilop snalp fo wen xim swonk ti ni eh evah railimaf ecaf noisnapxe ysae .snrecnoc htob ,erofeb eb yna dna dna na a sretoV sweN eH lennahC noitcA 2
— — niw ot kniht eht eht dias etadnam edilsdnal sih mih sevig ecnedifnoc .reggib dna snekciD tuB
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esu owt gniyrt ot ot ot ot eht taht mret ngis dnoces .edir tnatculer lanoiger hsup edausrep fo erom ortem snaem ti sdnetni fi yllacirotsih sih og rof neve seitnuoc ,hcaorppa rehtona gnola a s’tI snekciD s’atnaltA
Coaching up
Former football coach Derek Dooley is a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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rehtehw saw eht eht eht taht rewop no fo bom sih eh gnigaruocne gnirud yb dekcatta ta deksa ecnaraeppa na desuba yadsendeW ytisrevinU .S.U pmurT tnediserP .naJ ,aigroeG dlanoD lotipaC tuB ,6 .1202
tsurt“ tahw ot ”,smetsys dias .detroper ruo ruo tsom srettam si ni mih remrof llabtoof snoitcele eugaelloc hcaoc ehT egaP rehctelF CJA
pot eht selur etirwer fo sih eh noitcele denoipmahc yb dekcab .ylla ,pmeK .voG nairB dnA 1202
I“ er’ew ew sretov ”,tnaligiv tsurt kniht .gniht eht eht eht ,taht taht yats .dias dias thgir fo gnivah attog evag snoitcele gniod dna syawla ,woN yelooD 4202 2202
yrevE“ yhw ew ew .tnaligiv eht yats ”?thgir ?thgir slaiciffo ,naem s’ti ni namuh evah attog ,llabtoof ,noitcele ,noitidnoc s’tahT I
Phone free
Members of a Georgia Senate study committee, including (left to right) Sens. Sally Harrell, Shawn Still and Scott Hilton, displayed locked pouches containing their cellphones during a hearing on Wednesday. (Screenshot)
raey etorw ohw nehw saw gnisu pu ot siht meht rieht eht emos eruces sreloohcs loohcs .moor hcuop senohp enohp no fo elddim kcol evitalsigel wal ti eri ni .sruoh sih eh dah morf gniretne gnirud werd eettimmoc erofeb gninnab a a a yadsendeW etatS ttocS .peR notliH notliH tuB
sihT“ gniklaw ”,citamuart eht dekoj si .edisni morf erofeb nacilbupeR eerthcaeP srenroC
pu ot rieht eht eht eht deifitset gniyduts ,emos emos laicos srotanes srednimer senohp no fo fo ylbaton dedeen .gniteem aidem kcol tcapmi eltneg morf rof eettimmoc eettimmoc riahc-oc .nerdlihc erofeb dna deerga a hkiehS ,relzteS etaneS yllaS ,namhaR ,htrowcA-R notliH ,llerraH dE ,ellivecnerwaL-D .atnaltA-D tuB llA
ehT“ ”,pihw deklaw ot eht eveirter deppiuq .hcuop enohp edistuo si sih eh gnikcarc riahc sa relzteS
,raey htiw desu litnu ekat .sloohcs loohcs sehcuop no fo enin txen elddim ynam srekamwal wal si gnidulcni hgih morf tceffe t’nseod ,stcirtsid stcirtsid gnitcartnoc .gniylpmoc ynapmoc emac tub era dna ydaerla lla .rdnoY yadsendeW ehT ehT ehT ’sloohcS cilbuP aigroeG desab-ainrofilaC atnaltA
I“ dluow tahw er’ew su ot ot thguoht siht stneduts .dias ruo ytinutroppo gniteem doog rof leef ”,od eb gniksa a llerraH
pu ot eht eht noos ehs ,hcuop enohp nwo fo .noitacifiton tnemom dekcol gnivael ti ni reh reh sselpleh dah kcehc dezzub .yteixna retfa reH llerraH
Shutdown blues
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson’s hopes of getting to Brazil this week fizzled. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
,keew siht eht eht eht gnikaeps stols derocs trap ni ni .tneve detevoc dettocyob esuaceb ta launna noitartsinimda naV detinU pmurT hannavaS ’snoitaN royaM nosnhoJ ecnerefnoC etamilC egnahC lizarB
enodnu ot eht .nwodtuhs ekam ti tnemnrevog t’ndid yb nosnhoJ tuB ,lizarB
saw ciffart ot ot ot ot ot neht eht eht segatrohs deludehcs detaler no ffo reven tnaem gnol ni dnuorg tog ylf syaled rellortnoc noitcennoc snoitallecnac erofeb dna dna ria yadnuS htuoS .hannavaS imaiM nosnhoJ eH thgilF atnaltA .aciremA
htiw .gnimraw koot ot ot ot eht taht naht ecalos sevitatneserper rehto on erom ekam ti gnidulcni ni thgilhgih tnemnrevog labolg laredef stroffe did bruc ecnerefnoc .ecnadnetta .S.U ,mosweN nosnhoJ .voG nivaG yllaicepsE citarcomeD ainrofilaC ,snaciremA 001
ehT“ er’eW‘ ,saw pirt emeht eht llits .dias fo ”’,ni nosnhoJ
saw ot hguorht eht eht kaeps snoisses deludehcs snur denepo fo lanoitan nwonk sdaeh ruof tneve gnirud yltnerruc ,ecnerefnoc sa dna dna osla ehT .voN yadnoM sroyaM nosnhoJ .03POC noitaicossA naciremA nacirfA .12
lliw dnekeew ot siht eht taht nwodtuhs dias .revo won “lamron si eh tnemnrevog sthgilf stcepxe eb s’atleD OEC esolc”
Frayed relations
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is a 2026 Republican candidate for governor. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC)
lliw ot ot eht dnes tneserp eciffo fo on regnol sti srotagitsevni sesac etatS etatS yraterceS s’regrepsneffaR noitcelE darB .draoB
ot derit er’yeht rieht eht eht eht eht naht gniees yas pu-nur laitnediserp no eciffo fo fo evom erom srebmem srotagitsevni ,snoitagitsevni .noitcani ni ni rof .noitcele deyaled semoc gnisuac sesac yb s’draob draob draob demalb golkcab dna retfa gnitca desuba a ehT dellortnoc-nacilbupeR s’regrepsneffaR slaiciffO 003 4202
lautcaf“ t’now lliw ,snoitaloiv ot ot eht eht eht taht s’etats yraterces stroper gnidrager snoitadnemmocer elbissop .eciffo fo srotagitsevni ”snoitagitsevni edulcni lareneg drawrof rof sliated lesnuoc niatnoc tub draob gnidrocca tuoba ,nawoGcM ,daetsnI enelrahC
.gniodgnorw lliw ohw ot meht rieht eht eht emos yas delknar snoitseuq fo evom srebmem ekam ti redrah teg rof detaler-noitcele noisiced draob derewsna snoitagella tuoba ,llitS
I“ tuB“ oot ot ot ot kniht meht s’taht enoemos .dias .snoitseuq tneserp tneserp deen hcum rebmem tsael evah noitcele t’nod t’nod draob ta ”.ksa rewsna gniK ellenaJ I ”,)stroper(
htiw eht eht s’etats yraterces dias lanoisseforp eciffo fo evom gnisnecil si snoitagitsevni woh seldnah rof tnetsisnoc .sdraob nawoGcM s’aigroeG
Listen up
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jason Esteves (left) spoke to the AJC’s Greg Bluestein at a recent Politically Georgia forum in Atlanta. ( Adam Beam/AJC)
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Today in Washington
- President Donald Trump will receive an intelligence briefing and sign an executive order focused on strengthening foster care systems.
- The House and Senate are done for the week.
Ad watch
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., spoke to the Rotary Club of Atlanta in August. (Adam Beam/AJC)
gnitov ot naht xat gnidneps emos syas no wen erom noillim wal ti si yletinifedni rof rof laredef dnetxe .stuc gnizicitirc tsniaga da a a .S.U .neS aigroeG-ytirepsorP ffossO noJ citarcomeD snaciremA 1$
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lliw pu eht eht eht eht eht .etats etats detrats syas nur spmar lacitilop smroftalp noitazinagro no no fo fo dekconk sti ti ti sah dnuorg emag .noitcele srood latigid evitavresnoc retpahc yb ,srehtorb sa ydaerla daeha ycacovda da ssorca ehT hcoK ,aigroeG-PFA 6202 000,001
Shoutout
Presiding Judge Stephen Dillard was appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals in 2010 by Gov. Sonny Perdue. (Courtesy photo)
:yadhtrib s’yadoT
- Georgia Court of Appeals Presiding Judge Stephen Dillard, who doubles as a social media star.
ot eht eht .taht timbus .stuotuohs tuotuohs ton ?rettelswen wen tsuj ,sboj detseretni ni ni ereh mrof rof .cte ,stnemegagne .syadhtrib yadhtrib htrib ,stnemecnuonna osla a a er’eW tnaW s’erehT yllacitiloP s’tI aigroeG kcilC
Before you go
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Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the “Politically Georgia” podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the “Politically Georgia” podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC’s senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC’s senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Adam Beam helps write and edit the Politically Georgia morning newsletter.
Adam Beam helps write and edit the Politically Georgia morning newsletter.
