Political Breakfast from WABE

Latest Episodes:

Gold Dome Scramble: Sine Die is next week, some bills are still on the table, others don’t have a clear path forward Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

March 29th marks the end of the 2023 Georgia legislative session which means lawmakers are almost out of time to get their bills passed. WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss what hasn’t made much progress, like medical marijuana, what has already passed and big issues that remain on the table, like sports betting and the 2024 budget. Then, Rahul and Sam talk with Maya Prabhu, AJC government reporter, about what she’s watching as Sine Die approaches.

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Donald Trump's lawyers are busy this week, Fulton DA Fani Willis calls Republicans' plans to reign-in "rogue prosecutors" racist Mar 21, 2023

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This week on Political Breakfast, host Lisa Rayam, Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson are all back for the first week of spring and the final days of the legislative session under the Gold Dome.

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump are pushing the Fulton County prosecutors' office to throw out the special grand jury report that looked into alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump’s lawyers also want Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis disqualified from pursuing charges.

Plus, Republicans came into this year's session with a handful of top priorities, including a plan to reign-in so-called "rogue prosecutors." Willis calls the sudden oversight push racist, as Georgians just elected more minority DAs to office in 2020 than ever before.

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Gold Dome Scramble: Sports betting is back on the table, plus an in-depth look at SB-140, which would most ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth Mar 18, 2023

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With fewer than two weeks left of the state legislative session, bills continue to make their way through the capitol. WABE politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas cover the return of sports betting, possible changes to the Hope scholarship and more. WABE digital editor Patrick Saunders joins Sam and Rahul to go in-depth on SB-140. If it becomes law, the bill would ban transgender youth from access to most gender-affirming care like surgery and hormone replacement therapy

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'Cop City' protester's autopsy released, Holding out for sports betting, Bills that survived crossover day Mar 15, 2023

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This week on Political Breakfast, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson discuss the latest news from an autopsy of the environmental activist killed while protesting Atlanta's public safety training facility. The family of Manuel Teran is now suing the city of Atlanta.

And with years of pent-up momentum, what happened to legalizing sports betting under the Gold Dome? In the end, the votes were just not there before crossover day.

Plus, we tackle other bills that have gained traction and survived the General Assembly's crossover deadline.

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Gold Dome Scramble: Which bills cleared the Crossover Day hurdle and which came up short Mar 10, 2023

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As the dust settles from Crossover Day, WABE politics reporter Sam Gringlas and Axios reporter Emma Hurt talk about the bills that passed and those that didn’t. Plus, WABE reporters Emily Wu Pearson and Chamain Cruz join for a discussion of the growing number of Asian American/Pacific Islander and Latino legislators under the Gold Dome.

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The bills that survived Crossover Day under Georgia's Gold Dome, ‘Cop City’ protesters charged with domestic terrorism Mar 08, 2023

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On this week's Political Breakfast, WABE’s Lisa Rayam along with the Atlanta Civic Circle’s Executive Director Saba Long and Gainesville's WDUN talk show host Martha Zoller hash out which bills still stand a chance at passing this legislative session under the Gold Dome.

Plus, the latest on the arrests from violent protests at the so-called Cop City site in South Dekalb County as dozens are charged with domestic terrorism.

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Gold Dome Scramble: With Crossover Day looming, lawmakers rush to pass legislation Mar 03, 2023

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From Buckhead Cityhood and gambling to how teachers can talk with students about gender and sexuality, lawmakers were busy this week looking ahead to Crossover Day on Monday. WABE politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas talk about which bills have come up short of the deadline and which still have a chance of becoming law. Plus, host of “Lawmakers” on Georgia Public Broadcasting, journalist Donna Lowry, discusses the session so far and what she’s watching for Crossover Day.

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Political Breakfast broadcasts live from the State Bar Headquarters in downtown Atlanta! Feb 24, 2023

Show notes

This week on Political Breakfast, host Lisa Rayam, Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson break down the latest political headlines in and out of the Gold Dome as well as take questions from the live audience.

The team tackles partisan backlash over the Fulton special grand jury foreperson, who recently went public about witness behavior behind closed doors.

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Gold Dome Scramble: Bills to regulate healthcare for transgender kids and define antiSemitism, plus the surge in investor-owned homes for rent Feb 24, 2023

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Lawmakers have introduced bills that would put restrictions on the kind of care transgender kids can receive. WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss those bills and an effort by the legislature to define antisemitism for use in the context of anti-discrimination and hate crime laws. Later, the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s government reporter, Brian Eason, joins Rahul and Sam to talk about the impact of single-family homes being purchased by investors and then put up for rent.

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Gold Dome Scramble: Live from Kennesaw State University Feb 17, 2023

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WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali take the show to Kennesaw State University to talk about the week in politics in front of a live audience. KSU professor Kerwin Swint provides a history on the changing political landscape of Georgia, plus state representative Rick Jasperse and state senator Sonya Halpern talk about their districts, being a legislator and some of the bills being considered this legislative session.

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