Georgia Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey (right) has led the state’s COVID-19 response with Gov. Brian Kemp (left) since the pandemic’s outbreak in March 2020. (Photo by Beau Evans)
Georgia officials battling the COVID-19 pandemic are hoping for a shot in the arm to the state’s vaccine rollout when President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Wednesday.
COVID-19 vaccine shipments to Georgia are currently hovering around 80,000 per week, far short of the millions of doses needed for the state to achieve herd immunity, said Georgia Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey.
Toomey told state lawmakers at a budget hearing Tuesday the incoming Biden administration has made “a promise of additional vaccine” that could boost supplies, but those numbers will not be known until after Wednesday’s inauguration.
“We literally don’t know week-to-week what our allocation will be,” Toomey said. “There’s some disconnect between what we were told was coming and what actually is available.”
Biden has pledged to distribute 100 million vaccine doses by May. Health experts expect vaccines to be widely available to the public sometime over the summer. Georgia officials including Gov. Brian Kemp are aiming to vaccinate all nursing-home residents and staff by the end of this month.
Around 451,000 vaccines had been administered in Georgia to hospital workers, nursing home residents and staff and people ages 65 and older as of Monday morning, Toomey said. That marked less than half of doses local health providers and pharmacies had received so far from the federal government.
Toomey also noted just 30% of Georgia’s nursing home residents and staff have been vaccinated, leaving many thousands of the state’s most vulnerable people at risk of infection and death as the highly contagious virus continues spiking after winter holiday outbreaks.
Nearly 700,000 positive COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Georgia as of Sunday afternoon, with huge increases seen since November that culminated in a record-high 10,389 new cases reported on Jan. 8, according to state Department of Public Health data. The virus has killed more than 11,000 Georgians.
While state officials are now setting up mass vaccination sites and better systems for eligible Georgians to schedule appointments, Toomey said the only way to halt the virus’ spread will be for state to receive more vaccines.
“At the rate we’re going, it’s going to take many, many months,” Toomey said. “We really need to be able to do these big vaccination sites, and we hope that will happen soon with the availability of more vaccine.”
Toomey was the first agency head to kick off three days of General Assembly hearings aimed at finalizing the state’s budget through fiscal 2022, which starts July 1. Kemp’s budget proposals released last week avoid the deep spending cuts state agencies were forced to swallow last year amid the pandemic.
The state Department of Public Health has not asked state lawmakers to approve spending increases this year since the federal government pays for more than half of its roughly $690 million budget.
The agency has also been awarded more than $1 billion in COVID-19 relief as of mid-January to pay for testing and vaccines, though Toomey said the roughly $110 million in emergency aid meant specifically for vaccinating Georgians is not enough.
Toomey told lawmakers Tuesday the COVID-19 fight has taken a toll on her agency’s morale, particularly due to criticism public-health workers have faced on social media over the slow vaccine rollout and high infection rates.
“We so seldom get thanked for the work we’re doing 24-7,” Toomey said. “Money is important … but even more than money, a thank you for what they’ve been through.”
Georgia Senate members take the oath of office on the first day of the 2021 legislative session on Jan. 11, 2020. (Photo by Beau Evans)
ATLANTA – The battle for votes in Georgia is set to leap from the ballot box to the state Capitol as legislative Republicans look to clamp down on vote-by-mail rules Democrats have championed amid recent electoral wins.
Though no major election bills were introduced in the 2021 legislative session’s first week, state Republican leaders have placed Georgia voting laws in their crosshairs since the Nov. 3 presidential election, framing proposed changes as needed to boost election integrity following record-setting absentee voting.
Democratic state lawmakers are readying for a fight. Already, they have taken to podiums and press conferences at the Capitol to thrash proposed mail-in voting changes as modern-day voter suppression aimed at halting Democratic gains in recent election cycles.
In particular, Republicans in the Georgia Senate last month called for ending no-excuse absentee voting, which since 2005 has allowed registered Georgia voters to request and cast mail-in ballots for any reason and not just if they are out-of-state, elderly or disabled.
Some top Republican lawmakers and officials have been cold to that idea, preferring instead to focus on adding stricter voter identification requirements for casting absentee ballots than the signature-verification process that stirred controversy in the 2020 election cycle.
Legislation on mail-in voting may have to clear a new committee on election access and oversight being formed by Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, before passing the legislature. Ralston has said he wants bills to address “perceived problems” many Georgians had with the 2020 elections.
“Many Georgians are concerned about the integrity of our election system,” Ralston said. “Many of those concerns may or may not be well-founded, but there may be others that are.”
Georgia House Speaker David Ralston previewed his priorities for the 2021 legislative session at the State Capitol on Jan. 7, 2021. (Photo by Beau Evans)
Nixing no-excuse absentee
The pivot to election-law changes in the state legislature comes after Georgia voters cast record-setting numbers of absentee ballots in the 2020 primary, general and runoff elections, spurred by fears over voting in person during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mail-in votes topped one million in all three election rounds, far exceeding past Georgia election cycles. The huge vote-by-mail turnout helped Democrats win the presidential contest in Georgia and flip both of the state’s U.S. Senate seats for the first time in decades.
That outcome drew an intense backlash from the losing candidate, President Donald Trump, who insisted Georgia’s election system was “rigged” by fraud even as the state’s Republican elections chief and federal courts rejected his claims.
The outcry from Trump supporters was enough for Republican state lawmakers to hold four hearings on election fraud claims, each concluding that changes should be in order for how Georgians can vote by mail in future elections.
“There’s a lot of trust issues and confidence issues we have to try to restore around the state,” said Georgia Senate Majority Whip Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega. “I do not want to suppress the vote. … But we want to make sure every legal vote is counted.”
Gooch and other members of the Senate Republican Caucus have pledged to shrink who can request an absentee ballot, effectively overturning the state’s no-excuse absentee voting law that Republicans sponsored in 2005 under then-Gov. Sonny Perdue.
That proposal has backing from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican who faced attacks from Trump and his allies for not reversing the state’s election results. He has said the flood of absentee ballots put too much pressure on local election officials as they raced to count votes under the heat of national scrutiny following the Nov. 3 election.
“Until COVID-19, absentee ballot voters were mostly those who needed to cast absentee ballots,” Raffensperger said. “For the sake of our resource-stretched and overwhelmed elections officials, we need to reform our absentee ballot system.”
But putting the squeeze on mail-in voting could face hurdles even within Republican ranks after Ralston recently said he won’t back the change unless “a real strong case” can convince him otherwise. Instead, he called for absentee voting to have the same “level of security” as in-person voting.
Gov. Brian Kemp (right) joined Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (center) and Georgia House Speaker David Ralston (left) to condemn riots by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Photo by Beau Evans)
Voter ID on the table
Ralston’s comments on security point to changes Republican lawmakers are pushing that would tighten voter ID rules for mail-in voting, such as requiring Georgians to provide copies of their driver’s license or other identification cards to receive an absentee ballot.
Currently, registered Georgia voters need only provide their signature on an application form to request an absentee ballot. Signatures on that request form as well as on the envelope in which voters mail their ballots are matched with other signatures in voters’ registration files before those ballots are accepted.
Unlike for absentee ballots, Republican leaders have highlighted how Georgia voters must show their driver’s license or other identification when voting in person – though a driver’s license, Social Security number or other identifying documents are already needed to register to vote in Georgia.
Raffensperger has called for lawmakers to pass legislation requiring ID card copies or numbers for Georgians to request absentee ballots, similar to how his office’s newly created online application portal now requires a driver’s license or state-issued ID number for voters to receive a mail-in ballot.
Gov. Brian Kemp has also backed the extra ID requirement for absentee voting, marking his strongest stance on election-law changes so far. The governor has avoided discussing no-excuse absentee voting and left out election issues entirely from his annual State of the State speech on Jan. 14.
“Voters casting their ballots in person must show photo ID and we should consider applying that same standard to mail-in balloting,” Kemp said shortly after certifying the Nov. 3 election results.
State Senate leaders have also signaled they may bring legislation to outlaw mail-in drop boxes that were widely used in the 2020 elections, as well as measures to boost access for poll watchers in ballot-counting areas and require more routine audits of absentee ballots.
Ralston had yet to appoint members of the election-focused committee as of Friday.
State Sen. Elena Parent (at podium) joined Georgia Democratic leaders in opposing moves to limit absentee voting at the State Capitol on Jan. 14, 2021. (Photo by Beau Evans)
Democrats muster opposition
As state Republican leaders work out what election bills to introduce, Democratic lawmakers have signaled they plan to loudly oppose all but the most minor changes to voting rules in Georgia – though they face long odds of blocking any legislation that majority Republicans are determined to pass.
Democrats condemned the recent Republican-led hearings on election fraud claims, labeling them a smokescreen to pass voter ID changes that could make it tougher for poorer Georgians to cast absentee ballots and curb the large 2020 vote-by-mail numbers that benefitted Democrats.
Limiting absentee voting would be out of step with what most Georgians want, several Democratic leaders argued this week as the session kicked off. House Minority Leader James Beverly, D-Macon, said he is open to tweaking some election rules but will “vigorously fight” proposals for major changes.
“Let’s deal with the facts [and] not the fraud issue,” Beverly said. “Let’s maybe tweak a couple rules, but we shouldn’t be spending that much time on that issue when you’ve got people really suffering right now.”
At a news conference Jan. 14, Democratic leaders from both chambers said they plan to file bills to expand access to mail-in voting rather than limiting it as well as allow Georgians to register to vote on Election Day instead of a deadline set weeks before.
“We know our policies are the ones preferred by a majority of Georgians,” said state Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta. “As Democrats, we are not afraid to be held accountable by the people we represent.”
Georgia public schools are set to receive about $1.7 billion in federal COVID-19 aid as part of a second round of relief spending Congress passed last month.
The new funding follows about $457 million Georgia K-12 schools were allocated last year in the initial wave of COVID-19 federal relief through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Local districts will receive relief funding based on what proportion of low-income students attend their schools, ranging from more than $139 million for DeKalb County schools to nearly $367,000 for Glascock County schools.
The state Board of Education approved distributing the COVID-19 aid at a meeting Thursday morning, shortly before Gov. Brian Kemp outlined his latest budget priorities for the General Assembly in the 2021 legislative session.
Kemp has called for restoring school budgets in the remainder of the current school year after districts had to cut $950 million due to economic pains from the COVID-19 pandemic, adding back $647 million this school year and $573 million next school year to fully fund enrollment growth and help prop up schools where enrollment dropped.
In his annual “State of the State” speech on Thursday, Kemp announced the state will give teachers and other school employees a one-time $1,000 pay supplement as they continue struggling with impacts from the virus.
“In a year when other states may face no other option but to slash education dollars, furlough teachers and cut back on essential student programs, Georgia is restoring funding to schools, backing our teachers and launching new initiatives to keep kids enrolled,” Kemp said.
Public schools in Georgia will not be required to share federal funds with private schools in the new relief package like they did in the initial CARES aid after a federal judge halted that distribution plan over the summer.
State School Superintendent Richard Woods said his office will look at whether those funding allocations could be changed to reflect school population sizes instead of just low-income student percentages after some board members voiced concerns about fair distribution.
Woods added “a good portion” of the new COVID-funding would go toward helping restore budget cuts made last year.
Many local schools are still grappling with how to hold classes amid the pandemic. Several districts are remaining online-only for students, including the large DeKalb County School District. Other districts have instituted limits on classes sizes or allowed students to opt in for in-person classes.
The state received more than $80 million in federal aid last summer to bolster internet connections for virtual learning, mental health services, support for independent colleges, online classes for technical colleges, a construction-training program and funds for early child-care assistance.
Gov. Brian Kemp (right) joined Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (center) and Georgia House Speaker David Ralston (left) to condemn riots by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Photo by Beau Evans)
Rural broadband, pandemic recovery and election battles to come in Georgia’s legislative session highlighted the annual “Eggs and Issues” program held Wednesday by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and Georgia House Speaker David Ralston each promised to focus on boosting broadband internet access in rural parts of the state and shoring up Georgia’s economy amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Democratic legislative leaders pledged to fight likely upcoming moves by Republicans to change Georgia’s election laws governing voter ID requirements and mail-in voting qualifications.
The chamber’s traditional breakfast gala was virtual-only this year instead of the usual in-person gathering at the Georgia World Congress Center, marking the rising role of online communications as state lawmakers look to bolster tele-health options and virtual studies for schools.
“As 2020 fades in the rearview mirror, I believe we have the opportunity and the responsibility to make strategic decisions now that will positively impact our state for generations to come,” Kemp said.
The governor’s remarks came before he unveils his budget priorities on Thursday as Georgia businesses and state tax revenues continue rebounding from the pandemic. On top of avoiding budget cuts, Kemp said he plans to push “substantial investments” for rural broadband in his budget proposal.
Internet expansion and technology improvements are also on the agenda for Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who presides over the Georgia Senate. He pressed the need for building out tele-health platforms and shoring up Georgia’s freight and logistics industries, which have been hit hard by the pandemic.
“We want to continue to gain the momentum that we’ve gained in the last two sessions,” Duncan said.
Look for important annual tweaks to the current fiscal year budget to come early in the session in case the General Assembly has to suspend proceedings like it did last year due to the pandemic, said House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge.
A handful of state lawmakers including Georgia Senate Majority Leader Mike Dugan, R-Carrollton, have already tested positive for COVID-19 just three days into the session, creating uncertainty over how the next roughly two months will go as the legislature tackles hundreds of bills.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen on the pandemic,” Ralston said. “We need to get an amended budget out there fairly soon at least to keep the state open through the end of June.”
The speaker also signaled he does not expect the session will tamper with Georgia’s lucrative film tax credit program, which some lawmakers have called for shrinking to help boost state coffers. Also unlikely this session are any major bills on health care and health insurance in Georgia, Ralston said.
“I’m not sure that during the middle of a pandemic is the best time to undertake substantial changes,” Ralston said.
Looming over Wednesday’s program were the likely political brawls ahead on efforts to change Georgia’s election laws after President-elect Joe Biden became the first Democrat to carry Georgia since 1992 and Democrats flipped both U.S. Senate seats.
Many Republican lawmakers have also targeted mail-in voting after huge numbers of absentee ballots were cast in the June 9 primaries, Nov. 3 general election and Jan. 5 runoffs.
While the state’s top Republicans largely skipped discussing election issues Wednesday, Democratic leaders in both legislative chambers said they’re gearing up for a fight to oppose any moves that could reduce ballot access in future elections.
State Sen. Tonya Anderson, D-Lithonia, who chairs the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, said opposing crackdowns on mail-in voting “will definitely be a priority.” House Minority Leader James Beverly, D-Macon, called fraud and election issues a distraction from legislative efforts to help Georgians push through the pandemic.
“We’ll be ready for the fight,” Beverly said. “But it’s not something that we should be spending time on.”
Kemp is set to deliver the annual “State of the State” speech on Thursday outlining his budget and legislative priorities for the session, followed by a rebuttal from Democratic leaders.
Georgia Senate Majority Leader Mike Dugan (R-Carrollton) speaks from the Senate floor on Jan. 11, 2021, one day before announcing he tested positive for COVID-19. (Photo by Beau Evans)
ATLANTA – Local providers are struggling to administer COVID-19 vaccines in Georgia as health clinics have been swamped with requests for doses since Gov. Brian Kemp expanded eligibility to those 65-years and older.
The deluge of vaccine seekers came as the General Assembly grappled with the highly infectious virus on Tuesday. A top lawmaker in the Georgia Senate announced he tested positive just two days into the 2021 legislative session in Atlanta.
Georgia is currently being shipped around 120,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines each week, with roughly one-third of that allotment being administered to nursing home residents and staff through a federal distribution program with CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.
That leaves state officials with around 80,000 doses weekly to divvy up, an amount far fewer than the 1.3 million people 65 and older and the state’s roughly 536,000 health-care workers who are first in line to receive the vaccine, Kemp said at a news conference Tuesday.
“There are simply more Georgians that want the vaccine than can get it today,” Kemp said.
Less than one-third of the nearly 700,000 vaccine doses shipped to Georgia as of late Monday have been administered, according to state Department of Public Health data. Kemp said he aims to have all nursing home staff and residents vaccinated by the end of the month.
Providers began vaccinating Georgians ages 65 and older on Tuesday, unleashing a wave of requests from vaccine hopefuls that flooded local health departments with tens of thousands of calls for appointments. Kemp stressed vaccines are only available to older Georgians where supplies are sufficient.
“Please know that we are working tirelessly to get our limited supply of vaccines to those who need it and who it would do the most good,” Kemp said.
As Kemp dug into the vaccine rollout, lawmakers at the Georgia Capitol were jolted on Tuesday after state Senate Majority Leader Mike Dugan, R-Carrollton, tested positive for COVID-19. Dugan spoke several times from the Senate floor and mingled with other lawmakers while masked on Monday, the first day of the legislative session.
State lawmakers are required to be tested twice per week during the session, though early signs point to gaps in the rules. Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, scolded House lawmakers on Tuesday after 74 of the chamber’s 180 members skirted mandatory testing the day before.
“If you don’t want to keep yourself safe, I’d like you to keep your neighbor safe and me safe and those around you safe,” Ralston said.
Georgia has logged more than 6,000 new positive COVID-19 cases daily over the past few days, continuing a spike in transmissions this winter that saw the state record more than 10,000 new cases in a single day last week, by far the largest amount since the pandemic took root last March.
Along with tight vaccine supplies and high transmission rates, state officials are also dealing with some local providers who have started stockpiling vaccines for their patients in anticipation future shipments may not be enough to cover the two doses needed for full vaccination.
Kemp and Georgia Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey said state officials will start intervening to re-distribute vaccines from providers that are stockpiling them.
“If it takes me firing up my pickup truck and doing it myself, so be it,” Kemp said.
Toomey added officials are looking to overhaul how eligible Georgians schedule vaccine appointments as some counties have seen website glitches in recent days. Providers have also been lax in reporting vaccine data, complicating efforts to secure more shipments with the federal government poised to start shipping vaccines to states based on how quickly they’re being administered.
Toomey also said officials are pushing to open large-scale regional vaccination sites to both boost the speed of dose administration and prepare for giving vaccines to far more people once the general public becomes eligible in the coming months.
“The good news is that there’s a tremendous demand for the vaccine,” said Toomey, noting many health-care workers in rural parts of Georgia have declined to receive the vaccine. “We have a lot of providers but just not sufficient vaccine to give them at this time.”
About 773,000 people in Georgia had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday afternoon, according to state data. The virus had killed 10,444 Georgians.
