Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Good Morning! Your Soundings editor is taking a break today, but we’ve still got a few quick items to pass along. Come along for the news and see what’s happening as the midterm races heat up.
NEWS: COURTS
Abortion murder charge questions
On Monday, Alexia Moore was arraigned in Woodbine on murder charges for an alleged illegal abortion. The district attorney and judge both expressed doubt that there was enough evidence for the charge and set bail for it at $1. The move comes as Moore’s lawyer argued that the state’s restrictive abortion law wasn’t appropriate since earlier state case law protects a woman who may end a pregnancy and the newer law criminalizes medical staff. The Current’s Jabari Gibbs attended the hearing which answered myriad questions about the case and explained some legal issues involved. Read his story here.
NEWS: GOVERNING
Chatham Democrats say farewell
Edna Jackson (D-152) and Carl Gilliard (D-182), two Savannah-area members of the Georgia House of Representatives, have given their farewell speeches to the chamber. Neither will seek a new term.
Jackson, former Savannah mayor and representative of District 182, reminded the chamber on Thursday of her work to bring equality to all through the Civil Rights-era and framed her work today as a continuation of that. Jackson warned against the bitter divides she sees, asking for positive work for the state and kindness in working. “We are the voices of the people,” she said.
Gilliard, on Monday, cited his work to repeal the state’s citizen’s arrest law and promised to continue his work to build the Gullah Geechee corridor. He thanked House leadership for answering the call, and says he’s been called to return to Savannah, singing his way out.
• Jackson’s speech, begins at the 44 minute mark.
• Gilliard’s speech begins at the 1 hour, 19 minute mark.
NEWS: POLITICS
Congressional candidates take the stump
Eight Coastal Georgia candidates to succeed U.S. Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter gathered at a Savannah church Sunday evening to discuss the most urgent issues facing voters in Georgia’s First Congressional District. The NAACP of Chatham County invited both Democratic and Republican candidates, but only the Democratic hopefuls showed up to speak in front of the approximately 150 people at the Pentecostal Miracle of Deliverance Center. The Current‘s Margaret Coker was there and has a quick report of the candidates’ stated priorities.
NEWS: POLITICS
Candidates, gatherings, news
Want to hear more? Turn out for some of the other political candidate meetings scheduled this week.
- Tuesday at 6 p.m.: Savannah Indivisible — the local chapter of the progressive political organization — is hosting the Democratic candidates at Savannah’s Otis S. Johnson Cultural Arts Center.
- Thursday at 6 p.m.: The Long County Chamber of Commerce to host a forum for Republican 1st Congressional District candidates Patrick Farrell, Brian Montgomery, Krista Penn, Kandiss Taylor, and Eugene Yu, as well as Democratic candidates Joyce Griggs, Amanda Hollowell, Michael McCord, Joey Palimeno, and Randy Zurcher at the Long County Primary School cafeteria, 520 S. McDonald St. in Ludowici.
- No Kings rallies are scheduled across Georgia and the nation this Saturday, March 28. In Coastal Georgia at least three such rallies are planned in Rincon, St. Simons and Savannah.
In other political news:
- State Rep. Steven Sainz (R-St. Marys) endorses Rick Jackson for governor, saying Jackson “has the insight that comes from knowing poverty and abandonment, and the foresight that comes from building a multibillion-dollar Georgia business.” Sainz won re-election after a tough primary in 2024 when the Republican statehouse establishment rallied around him, but is turning his back on Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, the leader of the state senate.
- State Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) spotlights tax-cutting measures by House Republicans during the current session of state legislature, including a one-time tax rebate and property- and income-tax reduction.
- State Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah), writing in his weekly legislative update, highlights GOP tax-cutting and the statewide problem of school absenteeism, noting that a legislative study committee found that more than one in five students had missed more than 15 days of school in 2024, nearly double the rate in 2019. He doesn’t say what measures lawmakers have taken to address the problem.
We want to meet your friends! If you like this newsletter be sure to share it.
Judge, expressing doubt on abortion murder charge, grants bond to Georgia mother
A Coastal Georgia district attorney and Superior Court judge expressed doubts about the evidence for a malice murder charge against a 31-year-old Camden County mother accused of an illegal abortion.
Georgia’s 1st District Democratic candidates unite on health care policies
Democratic candidates for Georgia’s First Congressional District discuss urgent issues facing voters including healthcare, housing, and President Trump’s war on Iran.
Are Georgia and other states becoming uninsurable? We have the latest data
Home insurance rates in the US have been rising rapidly due to the increasing damage caused by extreme weather, and are expected to continue to rise in the future as climate change continues to cause more disasters.
Georgia’s budget includes funds for drone-assisted feral hog hunting
Georgia lawmakers have passed a budget and bill to use drones to hunt down feral hogs, which have been causing millions of dollars of damage to farmers’ fields, and to allow people to catch hogs without a hunting or trapping license provided they are killed upon capture.
Kemp signs 60-day suspension of state gas tax as pump prices surge
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a bill on Friday that suspends the state’s gas tax for 60 days, providing relief to Georgians at the pump.
Georgia bill may let pharmacists dispense ivermectin without prescription
A Georgia House committee amended a bill to allow pharmacists to distribute ivermectin over the counter to Georgians 18 and older, despite warnings from medical experts that it could endanger Georgians’ health.
State election board pushes for swift switch to hand-marked paper ballots
The Georgia State Election Board has unanimously passed a resolution urging state lawmakers to switch to hand-marked paper ballots as soon as possible, while a proposal has been introduced to delay the overhaul of Georgia’s election system until after the 2026 midterms.
Support independent, solutions-based investigative journalism without bias, fear or favor on issues affecting Savannah and Coastal Georgia.
You must be logged in to post a comment.