WABE’s Week In Review: Atlanta gets a new mayor and state lawmakers prepare for 2022 session
Mayor-elect Andre Dickens of Atlanta speaks with reporters after attending meetings at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Andre Dickens was sworn in as Atlanta’s 61st mayor on Monday and outlined his crime fighting strategy during his inaugural address at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium, which includes hiring 250 new police officers this year, more streetlights, cameras and police training.
He also called for unity among Atlanta citizens as some in the Buckhead neighborhood are trying to break away from the city, with the support of some Republican state lawmakers.
“We don’t need separate cities. I said we don’t need separate cities. We must be one city with one bright future,” Dickens said.
The Buckhead secession bill will come up in the next legislative session, which starts Monday and this week the powerful House Speaker David Ralston met with reporters to outline his priorities. He said he’ll focus on the state budget and improving mental health, but won’t consider any new abortion bills until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the issue later this year.
But the speaker would consider loosening gun laws in Georgia and allowing for what is known as “constitutional carry”.
Kemp Says He Will Get “Constitutional Carry Across The Finish Line”
Governor Brian Kemp says he will push legislative efforts this year to allow gun owners to carry their weapons publicly without a permit. #gapol pic.twitter.com/CF8occPdki
— Rahul Bali (@rahulbali) January 5, 2022
Gov. Brian Kemp, who finds himself in a tough Republican primary against Trump-backed candidate David Perdue, held a campaign event at a gun store this week assuring his conservative party base that he’ll support the carrying of concealed weapons in Georgia without a gun permit.
WABE’s Lisa Hagen talked with “All Things Considered” host Jim Burress this week about the background of the term “constitutional carry” and how it’s being pushed by militia groups across the country.
Also in this episode.
- The three men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced in a Brunswick court.
- Rahul Bali attended the funeral of U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, which brought bi-partisan tributes from politicians, friends and family.
- Martha Dalton reports on a letter signed by hundreds of university staff to the Georgia Board of Regents begging for stricter COVID-19 health protocols like mandatory masks and vaccinations as Omicron cases skyrocket in Georgia.
- Emil Moffatt found out that the South still leads in the number of people quitting jobs in 2021.
- Sam Gringlas looks back at the politics that shaped 2021 in Georgia and how they’re setting up the battles of 2022.
For a deeper exploration of Ahmaud Arbery’s story, listen to WABE’s podcast, “Buried Truths.” Hosted by journalist, professor, and Pulitzer-prize-winning author Hank Klibanoff, season three of “Buried Truths” explores the Arbery murder and its direct ties to racially motivated murders of the past in Georgia.
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