Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed appears blind to the ongoing and expanding federal probe into a city hall bribes-for-contracts scandal that has already led to two guilty pleas by contractors and the firing of his procurement boss. That’s why Atlanta City Council President (and mayoral candidate) Ceasar Mitchell is calling on Reed and Council colleagues to support a moratorium on approval of contracts that begin services in 2018 so that the next Council and mayor can get to review them. (Council member and mayoral candidate Mary Norwood endorses this approach, as does former Council member and mayoral hopeful Cathy Woolard.) Mitchell says the Reed administration is rushing to finish contracts that don’t expire or won’t be enacted until next year. For being cautious in the midst of a contracting scandal, and for calling on colleagues to join him, Mitchell’s political boat — for now — is RISING…
Georgia’s first female Senate Whip
As Democrats and Republicans swore in their leadership for the 2025-26 Biennium, one state senator made history. State Sen. Kim Jackson, D-Stone Mountain, was sworn in as the Senate Democratic Caucus Whip, making her the first female Whip in the history of the Georgia Senate. “This milestone is a testament to our progress as a legislative body, paving the way for many more women to step into leadership positions within the Senate,” said Jackson. RISING…
