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Handful of rural Georgia Republicans join with Dems to give full Medicaid expansion another go • Georgia Recorder

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georgiarecorder.com – Jill Nolin – 2025-01-29 02:00:00

Handful of rural Georgia Republicans join with Dems to give full Medicaid expansion another go

by Jill Nolin, Georgia Recorder
January 29, 2025

A handful of Senate Republicans from rural Georgia have signed onto a new bipartisan attempt to fully expand Medicaid through a conservative-friendly option that gained traction last year after a decade of firm GOP resistance.

Four state senators hailing from south Georgia lent their names to a new Senate bill filed Tuesday that would expand health care coverage through a program that uses federal funding to purchase private insurance for individuals on the marketplace instead of adding more people to the state-run Medicaid program.

The bill would create a program called PeachCare Plus that would expand income eligibility to those who would be covered by traditional expansion, and it would create an advisory commission that would help guide the development of the program.

“We believe that this bipartisan legislation can actually get passed,” Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones, an Augusta Democrat, said at a press conference Tuesday.

Sen. Sam Watson of Moultrie said Tuesday that he is “open to the debate,” and Sen. Russ Goodman of Cogdell made no promises that he would vote for the bill if it makes it to the Senate floor but said he wants to have an “an open and honest debate about it.”

Cordele Sen. Carden Summers, who supported a similar proposal last year, and Statesboro Sen. Billy Hickman also signed the bill.

Goodman said his son was electrocuted in their swimming pool several years ago when he was 11 after lightning struck the pump house and damaged safety features. He credits his local hospital, which is about 10 miles from his blueberry farm, for saving his son’s life.

He said hospitals back home have told him that expanding Medicaid would help them ease the burden of indigent care.

“I think the main thing is to have it be argued on the merits,” Goodman said. “Isn’t that kind of what we’re supposed to do up here?”

Like last year’s bill, this proposal is patterned after the Arkansas model that intrigued the state’s GOP leaders, like House Speaker Jon Burns. But those same leaders had appeared to publicly cool to the idea.

Speaking to reporters early this month, Burns pointed to two factors that are shaping his current outlook on the issue: the governor remains a “steadfast” supporter of Georgia Pathways and the change in administration on the federal level.

Georgia Pathways to Coverage was approved by the Trump administration and then challenged by the Biden administration over its work requirement. Gov. Brian Kemp announced this month that the state will apply to renew the program, which would otherwise expire this September.

“We’re focused on what’s politically possible,” Burns said early this month. “And what we want to do in the House is help as many Georgians as we can, and if that’s the Pathways program, we’re all in.”

The state submitted its application to keep Georgia Pathways going for another five years last week.

Kemp has proposed a few changes, including making parents with children younger than six exempt from the requirement that participants complete 80 hours of work, job training, community service or another qualifying activity.

Two hearings, on Jan. 31 and Feb. 10, have been set to gather public input on the proposal.

Natalie Crawford, the executive director of Georgia First and a former Republican commissioner in Habersham County, said the governor’s revised Pathways plan is an improvement but said it still forgoes billions of federal dollars and misses out on the economic perks of full expansion.

She also argued the plan still omits key groups of Georgians.

“We’ve got a qualifying activities exemption for caregivers of children six and under, but what about family caregivers for aging and ailing parents? I mean, we Republicans are the party of family values. That’s a pretty big miss,” Crawford said.

Democrats also argue Kemp’s program cannot be fixed and say it’s time for Georgia to join the other 41 states that have fully expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act signed by former President Barack Obama in 2010.

“One of the issues about the governor’s plan is you’re basically trying to create a job program and a health insurance program combined,” Jones said. “That’s really the key part about that plan that becomes difficult. It’s an administrative nightmare.”

As of early January, about 6,500 people were enrolled in the program – which is well short of the nearly 100,000 the state said could sign up and the 345,000 total people who were thought to be eligible.  

House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley, a Columbus Democrat, said Democrats have a “moral obligation” to continue to push the issue.  

“The greatest failure of Republican leadership is the lack of providing access to health care to Georgia citizens,” Hugley said.

Both Democratic chamber leaders said they believed the governor could be convinced to change his mind. But Kemp, whose term ends next year, has repeatedly reiterated his staunch opposition to full Medicaid expansion, including as recently as this month

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Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John McCosh for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.

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Bond hearing for man accused of murdering pregnant ex | FOX 5 News

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www.youtube.com – FOX 5 Atlanta – 2025-04-03 18:11:58

SUMMARY: Jose Monroy, 20, appeared in Gwinnett County court for a bond hearing related to charges stemming from the murder of 16-year-old Mia Campos last July. Initially charged with false statements, the charges expanded to include felony murder, malice murder, and fetocide, as investigations revealed he was the father of Campos’s unborn child. Prosecutors oppose bond, citing Monroy as a flight risk, a danger to the community, and a potential witness intimidator. The case also includes allegations of child molestation and statutory rape. Monroy remains in jail following additional charges of sexual abuse. The hearing is ongoing.

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Jesus Monroy faces charges of malice murder and felony murder in the death of 16-year-old Mia Campos. On April 2, 2025, he had a bond hearing.

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Georgia, Tennessee moving diversity bills | Georgia

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-03 13:43:00

(The Center Square) – Georgia senators tacked a diversity, equity and inclusion bill into legislation initially addressing teacher leave while diversity bills are also moving through the Tennessee General Assembly.

In Georgia, the original version of House Bill 127 would have increased the number of sick leave days but didn’t make it to the Senate floor.

Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, said decisions on “admissions, employment, promotion, work assignments, resource allocation and other fundamental decisions in whole or in part” are based on “race, color, sex, ethnicity, national origin, gender ideology or sexual orientation,” in a late Thursday night Senate session.

The comments drew the ire of Sen. David Lucas, D-Macon, who Burns called a friend.

“I used to be your friend,” Lucas said before questioning Burns and going to the well to oppose the bill.

“I am appalled that you have the mitigated gall to bring such a thing into this body,” Lucas said. “You’re drinking Trump Kool-Aid.”

Senate Democrats introduced multiple amendments. Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes proposed the addition of a line that said, “Academic Freedom in the State of Georgia is under greater threat than ever. Please help.” The amendments were rejected and the bill passed 33-21.

It goes back to the House for reconsideration of its changes.

Tennessee Sen. Jack Johnson’s “Dismantle DEI Act” and “Dismantle DEI Departments Act” were given thumbs up by the Senate State and Local Government Committee and referred to the full Senate calendar.

Senate Bill 1083 prevents local governments and higher education institutions from making decisions based on diversity policies. State and local governments and higher education institutions would be prohibited from having diversity, equity and inclusion departments under Senate Bill 1084.

Sne. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, said the bills are “taking out things that prohibit people from discriminating against people.

“I think we are creating a mess that serves very little purpose,” Yarbro said during discussion of the bills on Thursday.

Johnson said the Lee administration did not bring the bills. He did reference President Donald Trump’s “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” executive order issued on Jan. 20 as a reason for the bill.

“Diversity is a wonderful thing but diversity for diversity’s sake alone and making diversity the No. 1 priority over merit and over running an effective and efficient state government, I think that is wrong,” Johnson said.

The House version of Johnson’s bills, sponsored by Rep. Aron Maberry, R-Clarksville, were deferred to the Wednesday meeting of the House State and Local Government Committee.

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Club Car Championship’s 156 player field set to tee it up in Savannah

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www.wsav.com – Genevieve Lund – 2025-04-03 07:03:00

SUMMARY: The Club Car Championship, Savannah’s only professional golf tournament, begins today at The Landings, featuring 156 emerging golfers from the Korn Ferry Tour. This is the eighth annual event, offering a chance to win a $1 million purse while supporting local charities through ticket sales. Highlights include military appreciation day, a Spin Doctors concert, and the Seersucker Blazer award. Tickets start at $10, with free admission for military and first responders. The tournament runs from April 3-6, showcasing top talent and providing networking opportunities for sponsors, making it a significant event for the community and golf fans alike.

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