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Source: http://www.georgiademocrat.org/feed

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<title>Democratic Party of Georgia</title>
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<title>Georgia Democrats Respond to Gov. Kemp Announcing He Is “In the ‘No’ Camp” on Medicaid Expansion</title>
<link>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/georgia-democrats-respond-to-gov-kemp-announcing-he-is-in-the-no-camp-on-medicaid-expansion/</link>
<comments>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/georgia-democrats-respond-to-gov-kemp-announcing-he-is-in-the-no-camp-on-medicaid-expansion/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellie Schwartz]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2024 22:55:06 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.georgiademocrat.org/?p=19322</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Today, Georgia Democrats held a press conference responding to Governor Kemp’s recent comments that he is “in the no camp” on Medicaid expansion, now and in the future. Outside the shuttered AMC Wellstar hospital building in Atlanta – one of six hospitals that has closed on Governor Kemp’s watch – Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler […]
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/georgia-democrats-respond-to-gov-kemp-announcing-he-is-in-the-no-camp-on-medicaid-expansion/">Georgia Democrats Respond to Gov. Kemp Announcing He Is “In the ‘No’ Camp” on Medicaid Expansion</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
Today, Georgia Democrats held a press conference responding to Governor Kemp’s recent comments that he is “in the no camp” on Medicaid expansion, now and in the future. Outside the shuttered AMC Wellstar hospital building in Atlanta – one of six hospitals that has closed on Governor Kemp’s watch – Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler and Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Elena Parent outlined how Governor Kemp’s extreme position on Medicaid can only be explained by putting his personal political agenda ahead of the needs of the people he was elected to serve. They reiterated that expanding Medicaid has<a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/ajc-poll-most-georgians-oppose-school-vouchers-support-medicaid-expansion/P77KOVQNLJF7NN7SKHFFPGMU2M/"> broad popular support</a>, would<a href="https://coverga.org/about/about-medicaid-expansion/"> cover tens of thousands</a> more Georgians at lower taxpayer cost than Kemp’s<a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/health-news/georgias-medicaid-work-requirements-costs-millions-despite-low-enrollment/5BOJLD6GQFBIZJMPTD64FPYRMQ/"> failed “Pathways to Coverage”</a> program, and would help create<a href="https://gbpi.org/georgia-ready-close-coverage-gap/"> 56,000 jobs each year. </a>
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“While the governor claims to put Georgians first, all I’ve seen is Brian Kemp first,” said Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler. “The governor has slashed our state’s government funding and services so he can brag about his big surplus. He’s denied our people health insurance and economic growth – and bragged about it – because Brian Kemp doesn’t like that idea. He believes the legislature ‘crosses the line’ when it considers legislation that he doesn’t like. This state can’t afford to keep following the Brian Kemp First plan. We must put Georgians first and we need to do it immediately.”
“[Kemp] says that Georgia will not expand Medicaid on his watch – no matter what the people, the legislature, or our health care providers think. He’s a no now, he’s a no for the future. But last time I checked, Kemp was not elected king of Georgia. The public demand to expand Medicaid is increasing, and many of our Republican colleagues and both the House and the Senate are admitting the urgent need to get this done and they are getting on board,” said Senator Elena Parent, Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus. “The governor has a choice in 2025. He can join the reasonable minds on both sides of the aisle who are trying to do what’s best for Georgia, or he can cement his legacy as the lone force standing in the way.”
###
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/georgia-democrats-respond-to-gov-kemp-announcing-he-is-in-the-no-camp-on-medicaid-expansion/">Georgia Democrats Respond to Gov. Kemp Announcing He Is “In the ‘No’ Camp” on Medicaid Expansion</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></content:encoded>
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<item>
<title>DPG Statement on Signing of Senate Bill 362</title>
<link>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-statement-on-signing-of-senate-bill-362/</link>
<comments>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-statement-on-signing-of-senate-bill-362/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellie Schwartz]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 21:55:49 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.georgiademocrat.org/?p=19315</guid>
<description><![CDATA[On Monday, Governor Kemp signed SB 362 — a direct attack on workers, organized labor, and businesses. In a violation of the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, the bill disqualifies any business that voluntarily recognizes a labor union in their workplace from receiving state economic incentives. The new law is certain to spawn a lawsuit […]
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-statement-on-signing-of-senate-bill-362/">DPG Statement on Signing of Senate Bill 362</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
On Monday, <a href="https://capitol-beat.org/2024/04/critics-brand-newly-signed-bill-as-anti-union/">Governor Kemp signed SB 362</a> — a direct attack on workers, organized labor, and businesses. In a violation of the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, the bill disqualifies any business that voluntarily recognizes a labor union in their workplace from receiving state economic incentives. The new law is certain to spawn a lawsuit that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/unions-georgia-incentives-law-8593787f685f41141ec9d22ca36e2eeb">some speculate</a> “will cost Georgia taxpayers millions of dollars and the state will lose.”
“Governor Kemp loves to complain about government picking winners and losers … except when he does it to attack Georgia workers and the unions that represent them,” said DPG spokesperson Dave Hoffman. “Governor Kemp should follow his own advice and ‘<a href="https://twitter.com/BrianKempGA/status/1780255204442509349">do his damn job</a>’ rather than continuing to sign bad laws that waste money and won’t help Georgians just to pay back his political donors.”
The state denying economic incentives could have major consequences to a company’s bottom line, particularly in a state as reliant on such incentives as Georgia. While companies can choose to forego state assistance and voluntarily allow workers to form a union, the potential funding loss can have an outsized impact on their decision-making process, discouraging planned investments and job creation. 
Monday’s bill signing marks the second shot Governor Kemp has taken at Georgia workers in as many weeks. Last week, Kemp signed onto a joint statement with five other Southern Republican governors that threatened job losses should employees at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, TN, vote to form a union. Workers seeking better workplace representation, increased negotiating power, and improved benefits won with 73% of the vote.
###
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-statement-on-signing-of-senate-bill-362/">DPG Statement on Signing of Senate Bill 362</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-statement-on-signing-of-senate-bill-362/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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<title>DPG Statement on Kemp’s Signing of Voucher Scam Bill</title>
<link>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-statement-on-kemps-signing-of-voucher-scam-bill/</link>
<comments>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-statement-on-kemps-signing-of-voucher-scam-bill/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellie Schwartz]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 20:24:25 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.georgiademocrat.org/?p=19313</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Today, in response to Governor Kemp signing S.B. 233, which siphons public dollars away from public schools in order to subsidize vouchers for unregulated private institutions, Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye, DPG Executive Director, released the following statement: “Kemp’s signature on Republicans’ voucher scheme – which defunds public schools to siphon taxpayer dollars to unaccountable private entities […]
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-statement-on-kemps-signing-of-voucher-scam-bill/">DPG Statement on Kemp’s Signing of Voucher Scam Bill</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
Today, in response to Governor Kemp signing S.B. 233, which siphons public dollars away from public schools in order to subsidize vouchers for unregulated private institutions, Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye, DPG Executive Director, released the following statement:
“Kemp’s signature on Republicans’ voucher scheme – which defunds public schools to siphon taxpayer dollars to unaccountable private entities – is a loss for Georgia students and a win for wealthy special interests. Public money should go to public schools, period.”
Quick Facts on Kemp & Republicans’ Voucher Scam
Voucher programs:
<ul>
<li>Are <a href="https://grandcanyoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/GCI_Policy_Private_School_Program_Costs_2018_Sept_5_2018.pdf">more expensive</a> than public education and have <a href="https://gbpi.org/school-vouchers-myth-vs-fact/#_edn5">NOT been shown</a> to improve educational outcomes;</li>
<li>Are <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/ajc-poll-most-georgians-oppose-school-vouchers-support-medicaid-expansion/P77KOVQNLJF7NN7SKHFFPGMU2M/">extremely unpopular</a> with Georgians (60% disapprove);</li>
<li>Subsidize private institutions that <a href="https://www.ncpecoalition.org/poor-quality">lack</a> proper oversight, regulation, or accountability;</li>
<li>Redirect money away from schools required to serve all students and siphons to institutions that <a href="https://nepc.colorado.edu/sites/default/files/publications/PB%20Mead-Eckes%20Privatization_4.pdf">may exclude students</a> they don’t want to serve;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.ncpecoalition.org/ruralvouchers">Fail rural students</a> who live in areas where there is no feasible private school option;</li>
<li>Publicly subsidize private education for students who were <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/vouchers-helping-families-already-in-private-school-early-data-show-47ced812">already going to attend </a>private school without vouchers.</li>
</ul>
###
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-statement-on-kemps-signing-of-voucher-scam-bill/">DPG Statement on Kemp’s Signing of Voucher Scam Bill</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
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<title>Attorney General Chris Carr Admits He Only Does His Job for Personal Political Gain</title>
<link>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/attorney-general-chris-carr-admits-he-only-does-his-job-for-personal-political-gain/</link>
<comments>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/attorney-general-chris-carr-admits-he-only-does-his-job-for-personal-political-gain/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alex Yerkey]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 18:21:15 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.georgiademocrat.org/?p=19304</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Tuesday, Governor Brian Kemp sternly implored Republicans to “do their damn job” in a tweet referencing U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s semi-annual quest to oust the Speaker of the House. It’s clear Governor Kemp’s advice was not intended for Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, who last Friday announced his office is refusing to investigate any […]
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/attorney-general-chris-carr-admits-he-only-does-his-job-for-personal-political-gain/">Attorney General Chris Carr Admits He Only Does His Job for Personal Political Gain</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
Tuesday, Governor Brian Kemp sternly implored Republicans to “<a href="https://twitter.com/BrianKempGA/status/1780255204442509349">do their damn job</a>” in a tweet referencing U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s semi-annual quest to <a href="https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1780980330393952577/photo/1">oust the Speaker of the House</a>. It’s clear Governor Kemp’s advice was not intended for Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, who last Friday announced his office is <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/georgia-attorney-general-wont-probe-1-billion-election-year-contract-skirted-state-law/85-c1fbc19a-8a17-40c1-be69-191a344eb9de">refusing to investigate any wrongdoing</a> with Kemp’s haphazard $1.1 billion cash card scheme abruptly executed weeks before his 2022 re-election.
In a media appearance on Tuesday, Carr detailed his <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-attorney-general-chris-carr-didnt-pursue-2020-election-case/J3QP45EYQND5VNRGP6F66FFHME/">refusal to prosecute Donald Trump’s election interference</a> in 2020 before eagerly revealing that he <a href="https://www.ajc.com/education/georgia-attorney-general-defends-lawsuit-against-biden-student-loan-plan/HHVZMW4WTBHTRECVZYLIB76LJI/">joined a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s</a> executive order to cancel student debt for <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/12/president-joe-biden-announces-7-4-billion-in-student-debt-cancellation-for-277000-more-americans-pursuing-every-path-available-to-cancel-student-debt/">30 million Americans</a>. To review:
<ul>
<li>Investigating the governor’s office for illegally rushing approval of a $1.1 billion program to win an election? Not Georgia Attorney General Carr’s job. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Prosecuting Donald Trump’s very illegal effort to “find 11,780 votes” and flip the outcome of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election? Not Georgia Attorney General Carr’s job. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Making life harder for 30 million Americans and <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Georgia-4.12.pdf">over 120,000 Georgians</a> struggling to pay their student loans — and holding back Georgia’s economy for his personal political gain? According to Georgia Attorney General Carr, that’s very much his job.</li>
</ul>
Georgia Senator Elena Parent and Senator Nan Orrock took notice of Carr’s politically-motivated approach to his job duties, and issued the following statement:
An attorney general, elected to enforce our laws, should never abandon their duties for their own personal political gain. Georgians need to know if Governor Kemp broke the law to use $1.1 billion taxpayer dollars as an illegal in-kind contribution to his campaign a month before Election Day, which warrants further investigation. Georgians also need to know why that assistance program was handled so poorly and if that reason was the administration’s rush to implement it before the election.
###
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/attorney-general-chris-carr-admits-he-only-does-his-job-for-personal-political-gain/">Attorney General Chris Carr Admits He Only Does His Job for Personal Political Gain</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
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<title>Kemp Joins Southern Republican Governors to Interfere in Protected Workplace Election</title>
<link>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/kemp-joins-southern-republican-governors-to-interfere-in-protected-workplace-election/</link>
<comments>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/kemp-joins-southern-republican-governors-to-interfere-in-protected-workplace-election/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alex Yerkey]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:59:49 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.georgiademocrat.org/?p=19306</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As SB 362 — an anti-worker bill Governor Brian Kemp boasted about and endorsed in a January speech to the Chamber of Commerce — awaits his signature, this week Kemp made his hostility towards working people clear. Kemp, joined by five other Republican governors, attempted to sway a federally-protected workplace election in an “unprecedented and […]
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/kemp-joins-southern-republican-governors-to-interfere-in-protected-workplace-election/">Kemp Joins Southern Republican Governors to Interfere in Protected Workplace Election</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
As <a href="https://apnews.com/article/unions-georgia-incentives-law-8593787f685f41141ec9d22ca36e2eeb">SB 362</a> — an anti-worker bill Governor Brian Kemp boasted about and endorsed in a January speech to the Chamber of Commerce — awaits his signature, this week Kemp made his hostility towards working people clear. Kemp, joined by five other Republican governors, attempted to sway a <a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/your-rights/employer-union-rights-and-obligations">federally-protected workplace election </a>in an “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/04/16/republican-governors-uaw/">unprecedented and shocking</a>” way, warning workers as they were set to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5qPy_zgaE_/">cast ballots</a> on whether to join United Auto Workers (UAW) that doing so would put “jobs in jeopardy.”
“Governor Kemp, already poised to break federal labor laws once he signs SB 362, was at it again this week when he threatened the jobs of workers exercising their federally-protected right to vote for better workplace representation, increased negotiating power, and improved benefits,” said DPG Communications Director Dave Hoffman. “It’s bad enough that the person elected to enforce our laws admits he will only do so for his own personal political gain; when one considers that Georgia taxpayers pay the legal costs of the Attorney General’s office defending Kemp’s illegal actions in federal court, it’s much worse.”
Last November, following “hot labor summer,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/20/uaw-contract-ford-general-motors-stellantis/">UAW members ratified new contracts</a> with the “Big Three” automakers that included 25% raises over 4.5 years. According to the UAW, had the profit-sharing formula used at Ford been negotiated on behalf of the VW employees voting this week, some of whom live across the border in Georgia, “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5y9VoogbZ0/">each VW worker would have received a 2023 [profit-sharing] check of $23,000</a>.”
<a href="https://www.american.edu/sis/faculty/ssilvia.cfm">Stephen Silvia</a>, an American University political science professor whose research focuses on labor employment relations, believes the joint statement “implies that the governors fear that the UAW will prevail in the upcoming union recognition election and that UAW success could upend their economic models built on relatively low pay and minimal worker voice.”
In Georgia, SB 362 is a direct attack on workers, businesses, and labor unions that will disqualify any business voluntarily recognizing a labor union in their workplace from receiving state economic incentives – a violation of federal labor law that puts Georgia taxpayers on the hook to pay all the legal fees the state will spend defending their overreach in court. 
###
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/kemp-joins-southern-republican-governors-to-interfere-in-protected-workplace-election/">Kemp Joins Southern Republican Governors to Interfere in Protected Workplace Election</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
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<title>State Leaders Slam Attorney General Chris Carr for Refusing to Investigate Kemp Administration’s Billion-Dollar Scandal</title>
<link>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/state-leaders-slam-attorney-general-chris-carr-for-refusing-to-investigate-kemp-administrations-billion-dollar-scandal/</link>
<comments>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/state-leaders-slam-attorney-general-chris-carr-for-refusing-to-investigate-kemp-administrations-billion-dollar-scandal/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alex Yerkey]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2024 20:37:06 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.georgiademocrat.org/?p=19301</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Today, state leaders are slamming Attorney General Chris Carr for refusing to investigate Governor Brian Kemp’s administration after an audit revealed his administration “sidestepped the law” when it rushed to approve a billion-dollar contract to distribute cash assistance cards to 3 million Georgians right before the 2022 election.  In a press call last Thursday, state […]
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/state-leaders-slam-attorney-general-chris-carr-for-refusing-to-investigate-kemp-administrations-billion-dollar-scandal/">State Leaders Slam Attorney General Chris Carr for Refusing to Investigate Kemp Administration’s Billion-Dollar Scandal</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
Today, state leaders are slamming Attorney General Chris Carr for refusing to investigate Governor Brian Kemp’s administration after an audit revealed his administration “sidestepped the law” when it rushed to approve a billion-dollar contract to distribute cash assistance cards to 3 million Georgians right before the 2022 election. 
In a press call last Thursday, state Democratic leaders called for an investigation into <a href="https://www.audits.ga.gov/ReportSearch/download/30758">reports</a> that Brian Kemp’s Administration “sidestepped the law” when it rushed to approve a billion-dollar contract to distribute cash assistance cards to 3 million low-income Georgians before the 2022 election. 
Now, <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/georgia-attorney-general-wont-probe-1-billion-election-year-contract-skirted-state-law/85-c1fbc19a-8a17-40c1-be69-191a344eb9de">11 Alive</a> is reporting that Attorney General Chris Carr is refusing to launch an investigation after reports of this potentially illegal activity. 
State leaders are pushing back saying that it is Carr’s sworn responsibility to uphold the laws in the state of Georgia.
“An attorney general, elected to enforce our laws, should never abandon their duties for their own personal political gain,” said Senator Elena Parent and Senator Nan Orrock in a joint statement. “Georgians need to know if Governor Kemp broke the law to use $1.1 billion taxpayer dollars as an illegal in-kind contribution to his campaign a month before Election Day, which warrants further investigation. Georgians also need to know why that assistance program was handled so poorly and if that reason was the administration’s rush to implement it before the election.”
###
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/state-leaders-slam-attorney-general-chris-carr-for-refusing-to-investigate-kemp-administrations-billion-dollar-scandal/">State Leaders Slam Attorney General Chris Carr for Refusing to Investigate Kemp Administration’s Billion-Dollar Scandal</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
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<title>NEW AJC Reporting on Ongoing Scandal After Governor Kemp’s Administration “Sidestepped the Law” with Cash Card Debacle</title>
<link>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/new-ajc-reporting-on-ongoing-scandal-after-governor-kemps-administration-sidestepped-the-law-with-cash-card-debacle/</link>
<comments>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/new-ajc-reporting-on-ongoing-scandal-after-governor-kemps-administration-sidestepped-the-law-with-cash-card-debacle/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alex Yerkey]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2024 20:32:16 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.georgiademocrat.org/?p=19295</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A recent audit revealed that Brian Kemp’s administration “sidestepped the law” when it rushed to approve a billion-dollar contract to distribute cash assistance cards to 3 million low-income Georgians before the 2022 election.  Attention to the scandal has continued to increase since the news broke. The story dominated evening and morning newscasts starting Thursday and […]
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/new-ajc-reporting-on-ongoing-scandal-after-governor-kemps-administration-sidestepped-the-law-with-cash-card-debacle/">NEW AJC Reporting on Ongoing Scandal After Governor Kemp’s Administration “Sidestepped the Law” with Cash Card Debacle</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
A <a href="https://www.audits.ga.gov/ReportSearch/download/30758">recent audit</a> revealed that Brian Kemp’s administration “sidestepped the law” when it rushed to approve a billion-dollar contract to distribute cash assistance cards to 3 million low-income Georgians before the 2022 election. 
Attention to the scandal has continued to increase since the news broke. The story dominated evening and morning newscasts starting Thursday and over the weekend. Various print outlets have also run the story in that time — including the <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-democrats-seek-probe-into-preelection-cash-cards-for-needy/QR65MJGRYJCBLCASB5QJXJFOV4/">Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s reporting</a>, which is excerpted below.
“This scandal isn’t going away,” said DPG spokesperson Alex Yerkey. “It looks like the state broke the law and it’s just as clear that the proper remedy is for the Attorney General to open an investigation. The only real question for the Kemp administration is whether they want to assist the investigation or continue to be part of the cover-up.”      
Read the story from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution below:
AJC: <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-democrats-seek-probe-into-preelection-cash-cards-for-needy/QR65MJGRYJCBLCASB5QJXJFOV4/">Georgia Democrats seek probe into preelection cash cards for needy</a> Maya T. Prabhu and Katherine Landergan; 4/15/2024
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.audits.ga.gov/ReportSearch/download/30758">Auditors</a> said the Department of Human Services may have flouted a state law when it rushed to launch a federally funded cash assistance program for low-income Georgians shortly before Gov. Brian Kemp’s reelection in 2022. </li>
<li>According to a report from the Department of Audits and Accounts, the Kemp administration did not comply with state-approved process for soliciting bids for a $1.1 billion contract to distribute debit cards to Georgians who receive food stamps, Medicaid or welfare. Kemp used federal COVID-19 money to provide the cash assistance. </li>
<li>Georgia Democrats, citing the report, called for the state to launch an investigation. Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Elena Parent of Atlanta said the optics make it look like Kemp was using the cards, which included his name, to give himself an edge as he was making his case for reelection that November. </li>
<li>“We need to determine whether state law regarding procurement was used here for Gov. Kemp’s personal political gain,” Parent said. </li>
<li>The Department of Administrative Services requires that agencies get its approval for large purchases and put the call for proposals on the Georgia Procurement Registry. Instead, the DHS and the governor’s Office of Planning and Budget directly solicited proposals from four companies and selected one within a week. </li>
<li>The audit notes that solicitation for the contract opened on Aug. 25, 2022, and the supplier was selected on Sept. 1, 2022. Election Day was Nov. 2, 2022. </li>
<li>In responding to state auditors, the DHS said: “The agency agreed with the finding.” </li>
<li>Early last year, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the state attorney general, and the DHS said they were investigating alleged fraud tied to the cards. A GBI spokeswoman said the investigation is ongoing. </li>
<li>“This administration chose expediency over ethics, chose corruption over competence and chose patronage over people,” [State Senator Nan] Orrock said. “It’s too steep a price to pay in order to get Brian Kemp reelected.” </li>
<li>Kemp <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/kemp-allocates-nearly-all-of-48-billion-in-fed-covid-19-funds-ahead-of-election/POCNYAC5UVGYHKBP4IIXPZ5WFI/">went on a binge of spending federal COVID relief money in 2022</a> while he was running for reelection. By the time of the election he’d announced commitments for most of the $4.8 billion allocated to the state for everything from water and sewer and rural broadband projects to Grady Memorial Hospital funding and the debit cards. </li>
</ul>
</div></div>
###
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/new-ajc-reporting-on-ongoing-scandal-after-governor-kemps-administration-sidestepped-the-law-with-cash-card-debacle/">NEW AJC Reporting on Ongoing Scandal After Governor Kemp’s Administration “Sidestepped the Law” with Cash Card Debacle</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
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<title>Georgia Democrats Highlight Stakes for Black Maternal Health Care in 2024</title>
<link>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/georgia-democrats-highlight-stakes-for-black-maternal-health-care-in-2024/</link>
<comments>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/georgia-democrats-highlight-stakes-for-black-maternal-health-care-in-2024/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellie Schwartz]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2024 19:23:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.georgiademocrat.org/?p=19290</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Rep. Lydia Glaize: “Through this election for our next president, this will be a primary issue for women: our reproductive health is not up for grabs.” Today, on the final day of Black Maternal Health Week, Georgia Democrats held a press call outlining what’s at stake for Black maternal health care in the 2024 election. […]
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/georgia-democrats-highlight-stakes-for-black-maternal-health-care-in-2024/">Georgia Democrats Highlight Stakes for Black Maternal Health Care in 2024</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
Rep. Lydia Glaize: “Through this election for our next president, this will be a primary issue for women: our reproductive health is not up for grabs.”
Today, on the final day of Black Maternal Health Week, Georgia Democrats held a press call outlining what’s at stake for Black maternal health care in the 2024 election.
Georgia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, with Black women being three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Speakers discussed how Republicans have exacerbated Georgia’s maternal mortality crisis by restricting reproductive care and refusing to expand Medicaid. Speakers also contrasted Republicans’ attacks on maternal health care with President Biden and Democrats’ work to tackle the Black maternal health crisis by protecting reproductive freedom and expanding access to health care.
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/lH52ah0qpy1vGU7s7E92h6VhQ4hO5PX_ZgTqLKBQKsttRkshd43k-29phJCHa9ed2LA6mAVezj38JST0sJWpaHZ5WrhXeRQm7TqL8TU53LEEYYei_N987r_stmVPH55y-vrI_aElW66X2vG3e3bxMv0" alt=""/></figure>
“[Georgia has] one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, and black Georgians [are] three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications. There are policies that could help that don’t get passed; that don’t get hearings. And so let’s just be clear: Georgia’s worsening maternal mortality crisis is a policy choice, and it’s one that the GOP continues to make. Our state’s extreme abortion ban forces providers to actually wait until patients are experiencing life-threatening medical concerns to provide care,” said State Rep. Park Cannon, a certified doula. “While these GOP members are making the maternal mortality crisis worse, I have been glad to serve under the Biden-Harris administration, because they’ve paid attention and they actually support it with a blueprint – ways to address the maternal health crisis. They’ve been fighting for access to contraception, medication abortion, emergency medical care, things that invest in hiring, and deploying a more diverse maternal health workforce.”
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/QnQXf8ORQUui3WZs0ahd80pe9vDa66LRAIiAZ86zKdfqikhv3bSsdFdmJ1QGK2RlFxjr4nuMmoFEXDT3ttmNb0uTHcQ97njr8-aX-7Tw8kOwThKtaeG55EX52iPu-nQPA657D9u2TMw9UDdxR0zRoeY" alt=""/></figure>
“Black women in particular, I would like to speak for because I’ve had four pregnancies. Two of them were critical. But I’m living in a different time where women’s reproductive rights have actually been decimated – where Medicaid expansion continues to be not on the table for Republicans in Georgia… We can no longer sit at tables where Medicaid expansion for Georgia is not on the table, because we know the very lives of women who are birthing their children, and after birthing their child, are at stake,” said State Rep. Lydia Glaize. “What do we need to do in Georgia? We must expand Medicaid.”
“In this election for the next President of the United States of America, We’ve got to choose the Biden and Harris administration because of their responsiveness to health care throughout America,” continued Rep. Glaize. “And through this election for our next president, this will be a primary issue for women: that our reproductive health is not up for grabs.”
###
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/georgia-democrats-highlight-stakes-for-black-maternal-health-care-in-2024/">Georgia Democrats Highlight Stakes for Black Maternal Health Care in 2024</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
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<title>Governor Brian Kemp Called “Loser of the Week” on Fox 5’s Georgia Gang for Administration’s Billion-Dollar Law-Breaking </title>
<link>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/governor-brian-kemp-called-loser-of-the-week-on-fox-5s-georgia-gang-for-administrations-billion-dollar-law-breaking/</link>
<comments>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/governor-brian-kemp-called-loser-of-the-week-on-fox-5s-georgia-gang-for-administrations-billion-dollar-law-breaking/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alex Yerkey]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2024 22:48:37 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.georgiademocrat.org/?p=19286</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Watch the video HERE Last Friday, on Fox 5’s Georgia Gang, Governor Brian Kemp was dubbed “Loser of the Week” after a state audit found his administration “sidestepped the law” in rushing to approve a billion-dollar contract to distribute cash assistance cards to 3 million Georgians before the 2022 election. While state law requires that […]
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/governor-brian-kemp-called-loser-of-the-week-on-fox-5s-georgia-gang-for-administrations-billion-dollar-law-breaking/">Governor Brian Kemp Called “Loser of the Week” on Fox 5’s Georgia Gang for Administration’s Billion-Dollar Law-Breaking </a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FxzQSiJbm8yxVydLsdSDU_zDEI-6bEZG/view?usp=sharing"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcCOPNsfbkbyFvvQfK-PBT2t59170LoBLQVDFEzlmFVdofgDY9Igt5MGXVKZLmGNdlyGtNCWXctaf1omxF27JnGRbkDVi9ZcwC6APGegdeHUytsDNOQXtj9zWamp2fCrcqo-CMeSmy5wrBawcnhlVbqsOY?key=NrwHH8fX8y8vQnXHV28_aA" alt=""/></a></figure></div>
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FxzQSiJbm8yxVydLsdSDU_zDEI-6bEZG/view?usp=sharing"></a>
Watch the video <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FxzQSiJbm8yxVydLsdSDU_zDEI-6bEZG/view?usp=sharing">HERE</a>
Last Friday, on Fox 5’s Georgia Gang, Governor Brian Kemp was dubbed “<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FxzQSiJbm8yxVydLsdSDU_zDEI-6bEZG/view?usp=sharing">Loser of the Week</a>” after a state audit <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/brian-kemp-administration-sidestepped-law-pandemic-handouts-state-audit/85-b69c24a4-0587-4c60-8432-36542ff42e31">found his administration “sidestepped the law”</a> in rushing to approve a billion-dollar contract to distribute cash assistance cards to 3 million Georgians before the 2022 election.
While state law requires that all contracts over $100,000 be publicly posted on the Georgia Procurement Registry for any vendor to bid, this $1.1 billion proposal was not. The audit found that the Georgia Department of Human Services and Governor Kemp’s Office of Planning and Budget solicited proposals from four hand-picked vendors and received bids from three of the four.
Within a week, the contract was awarded to gift card company Rellevate. Less than three weeks later, the first cash assistance cards were sent to Georgians — on the exact same day that the first round of absentee ballots were sent out in the 2022 general election. 
State contracts of this size and complexity go through a four- to six-month vendor selection process, with some contracts taking up to a year to approve. Had DHS and the governor’s office followed that timeline in this case, the cash cards would have gone out in early 2023 at the earliest, well after the election was over. 
In naming Governor Brian Kemp the “<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FxzQSiJbm8yxVydLsdSDU_zDEI-6bEZG/view?usp=sharing">Loser of the Week</a>” for rushing a state contract to win an election, one Georgia Gang guest expressed the hope that “there’ll be a lot more looking into that.” We can only hope.       
###
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/governor-brian-kemp-called-loser-of-the-week-on-fox-5s-georgia-gang-for-administrations-billion-dollar-law-breaking/">Governor Brian Kemp Called “Loser of the Week” on Fox 5’s Georgia Gang for Administration’s Billion-Dollar Law-Breaking </a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
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<title>DPG 2024 GOP Legislative Session Report Card: Culture Wars</title>
<link>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-2024-gop-legislative-session-report-card-culture-wars/</link>
<comments>https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-2024-gop-legislative-session-report-card-culture-wars/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellie Schwartz]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2024 20:23:10 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.georgiademocrat.org/?p=19293</guid>
<description><![CDATA[While Georgia Republicans have earned failing marks on health care, jobs, education and elections during the 2024 Legislative Session, they have earned an A+ for far exceeding expectations as outstanding culture warriors.  This session, instead of tackling the issues that matter to Georgians, Republicans pushed culture war issues like banning the American Library Association from […]
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-2024-gop-legislative-session-report-card-culture-wars/">DPG 2024 GOP Legislative Session Report Card: Culture Wars</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
While Georgia Republicans have earned failing marks on health care, jobs, education and elections during the 2024 Legislative Session, they have earned an A+ for far exceeding expectations as outstanding culture warriors. 
This session, instead of tackling the issues that matter to Georgians, Republicans pushed culture war issues like <a href="https://www.ajc.com/education/georgia-gop-senators-target-american-library-association-with-new-bill/QNJGABPZC5AOVNEAJKCVOJUW5Q/">banning the American Library Association</a> from Georgia and <a href="https://www.wabe.org/georgia-senate-passes-religious-liberty-bill-despite-lgbtq-discrimination-concerns/">rolling back protections</a> for LGBTQ Georgians under the guise of ‘religious freedom’.
While Democrats stood up for Georgians and blocked many of these measures, Senate Republicans successfully <a href="https://www.wabe.org/georgia-senate-passes-transgender-bathroom-bill-ban-on-trans-athletes/">hijacked a bill</a> intended to protect the mental health of student athletes and converted it into a culture war Frankenbill. The new bill bans trans students from school sports teams; asks school libraries to report to parents any books their students check out; and restricts sex education – an attack on education, libraries, and LGBTQ youth designed to pander to Republicans’ far-right base.
Republicans also reminded Georgians where their priorities lie by passing legislation providing a tax giveaway on <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/opinion-tax-cuts-for-guns-ammo-oh-deer-its-true/QZT7UIT5EVHVLNFLJ3HU3TOW2Q/">guns and ammo</a>, though they haven’t found the time to renew the <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/opinion-tax-cuts-for-guns-ammo-oh-deer-its-true/QZT7UIT5EVHVLNFLJ3HU3TOW2Q/">2017 tax holiday on school supplies</a>.
The time and taxpayer dollars that Georgia Republicans wasted fighting politically-motivated culture wars could have been used to fully expand Medicaid and provide health coverage to more than 400,000 people.
For putting partisan political attacks ahead of the needs of the people they’re elected to serve, Gov. Brian Kemp and his legislative enablers earned an A+ on culture wars. 
<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/Lrg9rANICLMCkVx1ZX-1yCVZG-VZD2xEnV4zXGspIKSQJwih8qfdUM9UXxoIpTGFAvCAbvUy2_11O74TQludv7XMtkSI9a39yfqA7UvlrQmLcvidkIS9eqHe6OJFyT01FJJhJhfa4XJKjBMbOVDQZh8" width="553" height="983">
The post <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org/dpg-2024-gop-legislative-session-report-card-culture-wars/">DPG 2024 GOP Legislative Session Report Card: Culture Wars</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.georgiademocrat.org">Democratic Party of Georgia</a>.
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