Ups, Downs and In-betweens
In Memoriam: Abit Massey, president emeritus of the Georgia Poultry Federation and an influential and widely respected lobbyist for the poultry industry, died in June at the age of 96.
Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement, “Abit Massey was a true force and a well-known personality throughout the entire state whose name is synonymous with Georgia’s thriving poultry industry.”
In a 2010 Georgia Trend story written by the late Tom Crawford, Massey recalled his early days as a lobbyist: “There were not nearly as many lobbyists around. … There were times when a [legislative] member would say, ‘Come on in and sit with me [on the House floor] for a few minutes.’ Life was simpler then.”
Massey also served as director of the Georgia Department of Commerce (now the Department of Economic Development) during the administration of the late Gov. Ernest Vandiver.
On to November: Brian Jack, who worked in the White House for former President Donald Trump and had the backing of his ex-boss, easily defeated former Georgia State Senate Majority Leader Mike Dugan in the Republican primary runoff for the state’s 3rd Congressional District. The seat is currently held by Republican Drew Ferguson, who is retiring. Jack will face Democrat Maura Keller, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and nuclear medicine specialist, in the November general election. The district is heavily conservative.
In the 2nd Congressional District, Republican A. Wayne Johnson, also a Trump Administration official in the U.S. Department of Education, soundly defeated Chuck Hand, who served 20 days in prison for his role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Johnson next faces veteran Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop, the dean of Georgia’s congressional delegation, who has served since 1993.
Willis Decision Coming: Three appeals court judges will determine whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is disqualified from the county’s election interference case against Trump. The three are Judges Todd Markle, Trenton Brown and Benjamin Land. Markle and Brown were appointed to the court by former Gov. Nathan Deal; Land was appointed by Kemp.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the interference case, had responded to a challenge by Trump’s defense team and ruled that Willis could remain on the case, provided special prosecutor Nathan Wade, with whom she had a relationship, resigned – which he did. The Trump team appealed. Opening arguments in the appeal hearing are expected in October.
Protecting IVF: A powerful Georgia Republican, House Speaker Jon Burns, has again signaled his support of legislation preserving access to in vitro fertilization in the wake of the Southern Baptist Convention’s vote to oppose IVF. He pledged to work toward such legislation in the 2025 General Assembly session.
Photo credit: Cindy Parks
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones had previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that IVF access “should be protected.” In June, a U.S. Senate measure ensuring such protection was blocked by Republicans.
Water Infrastructure Funding: Three Democratic Georgia lawmakers, U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff and 5th District U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, have joined together to secure funding and help from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address Atlanta’s aging water infrastructure following a series of catastrophic water main breaks that left thousands of homes and businesses without water.
In a letter to the Corps, they said, “We request that the Corps provide the necessary funding to help the City of Atlanta complete a comprehensive review of its drinking water infrastructure as a first step towards developing solutions to improve drinking water service and infrastructure reliability.”\
Democrats Divided? A review by an outside attorney, Cheryl Treadwall, hired by House Democrats to investigate sexual harassment allegations against Georgia House Minority Leader James Beverly concluded that such charges could not be substantiated. But news outlets have reported that some female House members found fault with the investigation and its conclusion. Rep. Ruwa Romman (D-Duluth) has called on Beverly to resign before his term ends. Beverly (D-Macon) is retiring from the General Assembly at the end of this year. He has called the harassment allegations “false and unwarranted.”
Photo credit: contributed
A DeKalb First: Former Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson will become DeKalb County’s first Black female CEO when she takes office in January. She defeated former Commissioner Larry Johnson in the Democratic primary runoff for the county’s top job and will succeed CEO Michael Thurmond, who is term limited. She has no Republican opposition in November.
