By Jill Nolin | Editor
It’s Saturday. We made it. Here’s a look back at what turned out to be a newsy week.
The big story: Last week, we told you about the state’s attempt to squeeze more funding out of the federal government for its partial Medicaid expansion program, which state health officials say will grow by about 100,000 people and swell the state budget because of new federal rules. This week, freelance healthcare reporter Ariel Hart has a story about what this all means in the big picture for a program that is the signature healthcare policy for outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp.
Pridemore will leave early: Public Service Commissioner Tricia Pridemore will leave her seat earlier than expected, with her resignation taking effect Sept. 4. Kemp appointed former PSC commissioner Stan Wise to finish her term.
Jackson’s state contracts: GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson says he will cancel a state contract he just had extended if he wins. The contract would last six months into the next governor’s term in office. He said he’s not assuming he will win and pledged this: “Here’s what I can tell you. On Dec. 31, we will not have a contract if I’m the governor-elect at that point in time.” (Hat tip to 11Alive for breaking the story about the contract extension.)
DNC snub: The Democratic National Committee narrowed its list of potential host cities for the 2028 convention — and Atlanta didn't make the cut. Mayor Andre Dickens didn’t hold back his frustration, releasing a blistering letter.
ICE detention concerns: Congressional Democrats called for the closure of a large ICE facility in southwest Georgia after doing an on-site inspection this week.
Gov. Brian Kemp, who is serving his last year in office, speaks at 2026 Eggs and Issues. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
HEALTH
By Ariel Hart
Patient advocates reacted with alarm this week at the suggestion by the administration of Gov. Brian Kemp that it could end Georgia Pathways to Coverage, his signature Medicaid program that gives health coverage to about 18,500 poor Georgians.
Precious Andrews, an advocate who works for mothers’ and children’s health, said she was in shock when she saw the news.
“I was like, this is totally insane,” she said in an interview with the Georgia Recorder.
Tricia Pridemore is resigning from the Public Service Commission ahead of November's election. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
2026 ELECTION
By Ross Williams
Republican Public Service Commissioner Tricia Pridemore is stepping down early next month, 60 days before the election to replace her.
In an Aug. 18 email to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, Pridemore announced her plan to leave the body that regulates Georgia’s utility companies and helps set energy prices for Georgia Power customers. Her resignation was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Pridemore provided a copy of her resignation letter to the Recorder but declined to comment further. Her resignation takes effect Sept. 4.
Democratic members of Congress, including Rep. Nikema Williams of Georgia, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia and Rep. Deborah Ross of North Carolina, speak with reporters outside Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder
IMMIGRATION
By Maya Homan
Democratic members of Congress are calling for an immigration detention center in southwest Georgia to be shut down after conducting an oversight visit this week, describing conditions that included overcrowded cells and lack of adequate medical care.
Stewart Detention Center, a facility run by the private prison company CoreCivic, is one of the largest detention centers in the country.
Georgia Reps. Hank Johnson and Nikema Williams toured the facility for roughly four hours Tuesday alongside Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington and North Carolina Reps. Valerie Foushee and Deborah Ross, and spoke with three people detained in the center. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock also toured the facility Tuesday in a separate visit.
Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson speaks at an Atlanta barbershop. Jackson reiterated his pledge to terminate his companies' contracts with the state if elected, but would not rule out extending contracts into his potential term and then pulling out if he wins. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
2026 ELECTION
By Ross Williams
Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson says he will terminate his companies’ contracts with the state if he is elected in November, but he did not rule out extending contracts before the election and then pulling out if he wins.
Jackson is set to face Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, in less than three months.
In Georgia, vaccine rates for diseases like diphtheria, measles and polio sit around 89% for kindergarteners entering the 2025-2026 school year. Photo by Scott Housley/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
PUBLIC HEALTH
By Maya Homan
Kindergarten immunization rates are falling and vaccine exemptions are on the rise, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this week.
In a press release, the CDC said the data shows vaccine rates remain high and encourages parents to talk to their doctors about vaccine options.
Nationally, vaccine rates for diseases like diphtheria, measles and polio hover around 92% for kindergarteners entering the 2025-2026 school year. In Georgia, that number sits around 89%, slightly up from last year’s 87% vaccination rate.
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ICYMI FROM THE RECORDER
OTHER GEORGIA NEWS
The CDC has zombie programs. Congress funds them, but few people are left to do the work | The Associated Press
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