David Wickert
@david-wickert.bsky.social
State government and politics reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The commission now appears poised to rule next month that the Georgia Republican Assembly and its affiliated political action committee failed to property disclose more than $187,000 in spending to support numerous candidates in recent years. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Ethics commission overrules judge, setting up possible fine for GOP groups
State officials have accused the Georgia Republican Assembly and its political action committee of violating state campaign finance laws.
ajc.com
Once a sleepy administrative body, Georgia's State Election Board has become a partisan battleground jockeying for control over how elections are run. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Georgia State Election Board tests limits ahead of midterms
Once a sleepy administrative body, Georgia's State Election Board has become a partisan battleground jockeying for control over how elections are run.
ajc.com
The Georgia Republican Assembly and its PAC face tens of thousands of dollars in potential fines. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Ethics commission overrules judge, setting up possible fine for GOP groups
State officials have accused the Georgia Republican Assembly and its political action committee of violating state campaign finance laws.
ajc.com
Gov. Brian Kemp ordered agencies to freeze spending as the state’s reserves shrink after income tax cuts and federal spending pressure. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Brian Kemp warns of possible spending cuts as he prepares to leave office
The governor directed state agencies to freeze spending and prepare for potential cuts as the state's reserves continue to shrink.
ajc.com
Georgia's governor ordered agencies to freeze spending as the state’s reserves shrink after income tax cuts and federal spending pressure. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Brian Kemp warns of possible spending cuts as he prepares to leave office
The governor directed state agencies to freeze spending and prepare for potential cuts as the state's reserves continue to shrink.
ajc.com
Gov. Brian Kemp’s administration has directed state agencies to freeze spending next year and prepare for possible budget cuts as the state faces new headwinds after years of post-pandemic surpluses. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Brian Kemp warns of possible spending cuts as he prepares to leave office
The governor directed state agencies to freeze spending and prepare for potential cuts as the state's reserves continue to shrink.
ajc.com
The judge’s ruling is a victory for the Georgia Republican Assembly, which has come under scrutiny since the collapse of First Liberty last year. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Judge rules for GOP groups in case tied to First Liberty
The State Ethics Commission could still reject the ruling and seek sanctions against the Georgia Republican Assembly and its political action committee.
ajc.com
Judge rules for GOP groups in case tied to First Liberty. The state ethics commission could still reject the ruling and seek sanctions against the Georgia Republican Assembly and its political action committee. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Judge rules for GOP groups in case tied to First Liberty
The State Ethics Commission could still reject the ruling and seek sanctions against the Georgia Republican Assembly and its political action committee.
ajc.com
Emadi made a splash by ramping up an investigation of groups linked to Democrat Stacey Abrams. A voting rights group Abrams founded ultimately paid the largest fine ever assessed in Georgia for campaign violations. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Georgia’s campaign finance watchdog is stepping down
Georgia ethics chief who won record-setting fine against group founded by Democrat Stacey Abrams is stepping down.
ajc.com
Georgia’s campaign finance watchdog is stepping down Emadi oversaw high-profile cases, including an investigation of groups linked to Stacey Abrams. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Georgia’s campaign finance watchdog is stepping down
Georgia ethics chief who won record-setting fine against group founded by Democrat Stacey Abrams is stepping down.
ajc.com
A look at the Georgia laws that take effect this month. A law restricting cell phone use in schools is among the more than 350 bills that passed in this year’s legislative session that will impact Georgians. www.ajc.com/education/20...
Here are the new Georgia laws set to take effect July 1
New Georgia laws taking effect July 1 will impact cellphones in schools, medical cannabis rules, paid maternal leave and more.
ajc.com
A law restricting cell phone use in schools is among the more than 350 bills that passed in this year’s legislative session that will impact Georgians. www.ajc.com/education/20...
Here are the new Georgia laws set to take effect July 1
New Georgia laws taking effect July 1 will impact cellphones in schools, medical cannabis rules, paid maternal leave and more.
ajc.com
Georgia-based immigrant advocacy groups and their allies sighed in relief after the Supreme Court rejected Trump's birthright citizenship order. Analysts said it could have upended the state's economy. Proponents say they'll go to Congress www.ajc.com/news/2026/06...
Georgia stakeholders cheer Supreme Court upholding birthright citizenship
Analysts say a Supreme Court decision in favor of the Trump administration's order ending birthright citizenship could have upended Georgia’s economy.
ajc.com
Georgia’s tax debate: Raise sales taxes to lower property taxes? Property tax bills are up 20% or more in 117 of Georgia’s 159 counties in recent years. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Georgia’s tax debate: Raise sales taxes to lower property taxes?
ajc.com
Republicans say homeowners desperately need relief from rising taxes, and they see raising sales taxes as a sensible way to pay for it. Democrats say the Republican plan would hurt low- and middle-income Georgians, who would end up paying more in taxes. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Debate over property taxes could define Georgia’s legislative elections
ajc.com
Work vans ‘are the target’: How police traffic stops can funnel drivers to ICE ‘If you get a wild hair and want to snatch up some folks just let me know,’ one officer messaged a colleague on the day he teamed up with federal immigration agents. www.ajc.com/news/2026/06...
Work vans ‘are the target’: How police traffic stops can funnel drivers to ICE
“If you get a wild hair and want to snatch up some folks just let me know,” one officer messaged a colleague on the day he partnered with federal immigration agents.
ajc.com
The debate over property taxes could define Georgia’s legislative elections. Republicans say homeowners need relief. Democrats say raising sales taxes is not the answer. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Debate over property taxes could define Georgia’s legislative elections
ajc.com
Georgia’s Future, the nonprofit associated with House Speaker Jon Burns, launched a digital ad framing the fight as Democrats voting to keep property tax bills high. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Republican ad tries to blame Democrats for killing property tax relief
A Republican ad blames Democrats for voting to keep Georgia property taxes high. Democrats say their votes kept sales taxes low.
ajc.com
Georgia’s special legislative session cost taxpayers more than $300,000, money that paid for the state’s part-time lawmakers to return to Atlanta amid bustling World Cup matches to prevent a crisis that threatened to upend the midterm elections. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
The Georgia Legislature’s special session tally: 5 days, $300,000
Georgia's special legislative session cost taxpayers nearly $65,000 per day. Here's what they paid for.
ajc.com
Georgia’s special legislative session ends with no redistricting. State lawmakers agreed to delay on a deadline that threatened to upend how Georgia counts votes for the midterms. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Georgia’s special legislative session ends with no redistricting
Georgia Legislature approves fix to looming elections mess on Tuesday.
ajc.com
Georgia’s special legislative session ends with no redistricting. State lawmakers agreed to delay on a deadline that threatened to upend how Georgia counts votes for the midterms. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Georgia’s special legislative session ends with no redistricting
Georgia Legislature approves fix to looming elections mess on Tuesday.
ajc.com
Republican Greg Dolezal and Democrat Josh McLaurin are running to be Georgia's lieutenant governor in the Nov. 3 general election.
2 state senators battle for Georgia lieutenant governor
ajc.com
The House will take this up again today: Georgia Democrats block sales-for-property tax swap. #gapol Dozens of bills would have let voters raise sales taxes to lower homeowners’ property taxes. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Georgia Democrats block sales-for-property tax swap
Property tax bills were defeated in the Georgia General Assembly.
ajc.com
Georgia Democrats block sales-for-property tax swap. Dozens of bills would have let voters raise sales taxes to lower homeowners’ property taxes. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Georgia Democrats block sales-for-property tax swap
Property tax bills were defeated in the Georgia General Assembly.
ajc.com
Georgia Democrats block sales-for-property tax swap. Dozens of bills would have let voters raise sales taxes to lower homeowners’ property taxes. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Georgia Democrats block sales-for-property tax swap
Property tax bills were defeated in the Georgia General Assembly.
ajc.com
Georgia GOP wants to lower property taxes. They need help from Democrats. Bills in a special legislative session would allow voters in communities across the state to consider raising sales taxes to lower property taxes. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Georgia GOP wants to lower property taxes. They need help from Democrats.
Republicans want to put more than a hundred tax-cutting referendums on the ballot this fall. But they'll need some Democrats to vote with them to make it happen.
ajc.com
Georgia GOP lawmakers want to lower property taxes. They need help from Democrats. Bills in a special legislative session would allow voters in communities across the state to consider raising sales taxes to lower property taxes. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
Georgia GOP wants to lower property taxes. They need help from Democrats.
Republicans want to put more than a hundred tax-cutting referendums on the ballot this fall. But they'll need some Democrats to vote with them to make it happen.
ajc.com
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones chats with Sen. Josh McLaurin, the Democratic nominee to be the next LG, as the Georgia Senate prepares to gavel in. #gapol
