Bill aims to enforce laws on homelessness; Delta Air Lines birth; Wildfires continue

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast Summary

Date: April 28, 2026
Host: Peter Biello, Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB)
Episode Focus:

• New legislation on homelessness and its local impact
• Ongoing drought and wildfire response in Georgia
• Governor’s race debates
• Notable events: Delta Air Lines in-flight birth, early voting surge

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Episode Overview

This episode of Georgia Today delivers in-depth reporting on the state's ongoing drought and wildfire situation, a controversial bill pushing cities to enforce homelessness-related laws, updates on the Georgia governor’s race debates, and a remarkable in-flight birth on Delta Air Lines. The show interweaves on-the-ground reporting with expert and civic leader commentary, providing a snapshot of current affairs shaping Georgia.

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Key Segments and Discussion Points

1. Drought Conditions and Wildfire Response

Timestamps: 00:18–03:01

• Savannah River Water Management

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reducing water releases from Savannah River reservoirs due to drought.
  • Craig Clark (Savannah District Water Manager): Notes that reduced water means less electricity generated downstream, impacting power users and wildlife.

• Power Supply Adjustments

  • Houston Gaines: "We'll run the other projects a little bit heavier for cepa, the Southeastern Power Association. They will purchase power as well just to make up any kind of deficit, to make sure that there's no shortage of power demand at all." (01:13)

• Weather Update

  • Moderate showers are helping, but AccuWeather meteorologist Chad Merrill explains the region is still short 10–15 inches for drought recovery.
  • "There will be opportunities for rain during the first to the middle part of May. Usually with a storm track like this, there's opportunity for a couple of rounds of severe weather, but the rain will definitely be pretty beneficial when it comes." (01:38)

• Wildfire Containment

  • Fires in Clinch, Echols, and Brantley counties are partially contained, with firefighters making progress.

• Senator Warnock’s Visit

  • Sen. Raphael Warnock (02:41): "The folks on the ground are resilient but it doesn't make these kinds of tragedies any less devastating. ... It's important for us to show up with all of the resources available to the federal government at the state and local level to make sure that these people are made whole."
  • Urges Congress to pass funding for DHS and FEMA disaster response.

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2. Legislation on Homelessness: House Bill 295

Timestamps: 03:01–07:11

• Background and Frustrations

  • Increasing visibility of homelessness fuels public frustration.
  • In Macon, resident Andrew Eck monitors encampments and presses for city action: “There's 150,000 people in our community that are, you know, entitled to use this park. One individual can't hoard it, and so it's illegal. That's not what this was designed for." (04:20)

• Rising Homelessness Data

  • Macon saw a 33% increase in unhoused individuals since 2020, with more opting out of shelters.

• State Rep. Houston Gaines on HB 295

  • Designed to force local governments to enforce existing laws, HB 295 would let property owners sue for losses if cities fail to act.
  • Gaines: “What this bill does is it but holds local government's feet to the fire.” (05:33)
  • "Our goal here is not the refunds. Our goal here is just to get local governments to enforce the law out of fear of getting sued." (06:04)

• Local Government Response

  • Macon Bibb Mayor Lester Miller acknowledges liability: “You got this new House Bill 295. Very Serious Bill that is going to result in possibly million dollars worth of lawsuits to counties and cities.” (06:16)
  • Miller notes even successful defenses cost governments due to legal fees: “We're going to have to pay for the outside counsel that represents on these cases here.” (06:41)

• Immediate Effects

  • Macon code enforcement dismantles a riverside camp; another appears shortly after.
  • The segment illustrates ongoing community tensions and practical limitations of “camp clean-ups.”

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3. Rare Disease Clinical Trials Partnership

Timestamps: 07:11–08:08

• Access Challenges
  • Patients with rare diseases face barriers to trial participation and information.
  • Atlanta’s Rare Disease Research partners with Dutch company Mytomoros to connect physicians and patients.
  • Mar Soto Ruiz de la Torres (Mytomoros): “The role of MyTomorrows is to make sure that patients and physicians have reliable information. They understand what the potential options are and their implications.” (07:44)
  • Their digital platform assists physicians in checking patient eligibility for trials available in Georgia.

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4. Governor’s Race Debates and Early Voting Surge

Timestamps: 08:08–09:31

• Record Early Voting

  • 35,000+ ballots cast on day one—up 29% over 2022’s opening day.

• Debate Highlights

  • Both Republican and Democratic camps focus on affordability.
  • Kris Carr (Republican AG): “We've got to make sure we focus on jobs and safety. We've got to focus on affordability and housing.” (08:58)
  • Jason Estevez (Democrat): “Georgians see what's happening in Trump's economy. Billionaires and special interests are lining their pockets while you pay the bill.” (09:07)
  • Democrats express skepticism over ex-Lt. Gov. Jeff Duncan’s switch to their party.
  • GOP debate includes candidate sparring over campaign finances.

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5. Delta Air Lines In-Flight Birth Event

Timestamp: 09:31–10:00

• A passenger delivered a healthy baby on a flight from Atlanta to Portland with help from two paramedics and other travelers. The mother and child are reported healthy after receiving care post-landing.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Drought Relief:

  • “Even that won’t be enough to put a major dent in [the drought] deficit of between 10 to 15 inches of rainfall needed in one month for drought recovery.” — Peter Biello (02:14)

• On Legislative Pressure for Homelessness:

  • “Our goal here is just to get local governments to enforce the law out of fear of getting sued.” — Houston Gaines (06:04)

• On Community Impact:

  • “There's 150,000 people in our community that are, you know, entitled to use this park. One individual can't hoard it, and so it's illegal. That's not what this was designed for.” — Andrew Eck (04:20)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Drought & Wildfires: 00:18–03:01
• Homelessness Law & Macon Response: 03:01–07:11
• Rare Disease Clinical Trials: 07:11–08:08
• Governor’s Debate & Early Voting: 08:08–09:31
• In-Flight Birth: 09:31–10:00

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Tone & Style

The reporting maintains a factual, urgent tone, capturing the gravity of ongoing crises (drought, wildfires, housing insecurity), tempered by the everyday resilience of Georgians and the tenacity of public officials. Brief human-interest stories (like the Delta birth) offer contrast and relief.

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Conclusion

This episode provides critical updates on Georgia’s environmental challenges, policy battles over homelessness, civic engagement ahead of the gubernatorial elections, and awe-inspiring moments highlighting community and survival. It’s a concise yet comprehensive snapshot of the issues and stories animating Georgia right now.

Transcript

[Grant Blankenship]

GPB belongs to Georgia and you are the center of everything we do. Become a GPB sustainer today or increase your monthly gift to fortify our work enriching Georgians of all ages. Visit gpb.org to donate today and thanks.

[Peter Biello]

Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom on today's episode. Rain helps fight the wildfires, but the drought persists. The state pressures cities to enforce their laws on homelessness and candidates for Georgia governor debate ahead of next month's primary. Georgians see what's happening in Trump's economy. Billionaires and special interests are lining their pockets while you pay the bill. Today is Tuesday, April 28th. I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today. The U.S. army Corps of Engineers is reducing water releases from its reservoirs on the Savannah river because of the region's ongoing drought. Water levels at Clarks Hill lake are about 7ft below full summer Pool agency Savannah District water manager Craig Clark says less water through the dams means less electricity being generated.

[Houston Gaines]

We'll run the other projects a little bit heavier for cepa, the Southeastern Power Association. They will purchase power as well just to make up any kind of deficit, to make sure that there's no shortage of power demand at all.

[Peter Biello]

The move also affects downstream river users and wildlife. We are getting some drought relief today with Moderate showers and AccuWeather meteorologist Chad Merrill says a low pressure trough will force storm systems further south over the

[Chad Merrill]

next few weeks, and it's also going to force the storm track a little bit farther south, so there will be opportunities for rain during the first to the middle part of May. Usually with a storm track like this, there's opportunity for a couple of rounds of severe weather, but the rain will definitely be pretty beneficial when it comes. It does appear that the storm track is pretty fast, so the rain will come in and then it will exit. But at least there's going to be multiple periods of rain during the first to middle part of May.

[Peter Biello]

But he says even that won't be enough to put a major dent in a deficit of between 10 to 15 inches of rainfall needed in one month for drought recovery. The rain is helping in South Georgia, where firefighters continue to make progress in two large wildfires. The Georgia Forestry Commission said today the blaze in Clinch and echols counties was 23% contained and the one in Brantley county is about a third contained. Georgia US Senator Rafael Warnock visited Brantley county yesterday and spoke with reporters afterward.

[Rafael Warnock]

The folks on the ground are resilient but it doesn't make these kinds of tragedies any less devastating. And so it's important for us to show up with all of the resources available to the federal government at the state and local level to make sure that these people are made whole.

[Peter Biello]

He urged Congress to pass stalled legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which includes disaster response in the Federal Emergency Management Agency. You might have a sense that there are more unhoused people in your community lately. That feeling, whether supported by facts or not, is what inspired state lawmakers this year to pass a bill aimed at pushing cities to enforce laws already on the books related to homelessness. GPB's Grant Blankenship takes a look at the early effects of the legislation.

[Grant Blankenship]

In Macon, Andrew Eck is fed up,

[Houston Gaines]

as the laws are right now. This is not right.

[Grant Blankenship]

Eck renovates old houses and builds furniture from salvaged wood for a living. But most days, he also drives his golf cart to Macon's riverwalk, called the Okmulgee Heritage Trail, to see how many people are still living here.

[Houston Gaines]

So, like, okay, right here, if you walk in there, he's got BB guns and seven bikes.

[Grant Blankenship]

This camp, at the end of a little single track through a stand of bamboo, is mostly hidden from the river trail, just one of the spots x been repeatedly checking. And up until this point, he's been pretty frustrated with the city's response to this campground and others like it. He wants the county to clean them out.

[Houston Gaines]

There's 150,000 people in our community that are, you know, entitled to use this park. One individual can't hoard it, and so it's illegal. That's not what this was designed for.

[Grant Blankenship]

In Macon, Bibb county code camps like this one are illegal, but they could also be growing. Has a doctor ever diagnosed you with a mental health disorder, a substance use disorder, or chronic medical condition? A private contractor called Root analytics conducted Macon's piece of the national point in time count in January that 2026 data from the annual homeless census isn't available yet.

[Peter Biello]

Are you a veteran?

[Grant Blankenship]

But data through last year suggests a 33% increase in the number of unhoused people here since 2020. And that same data suggests more unhoused people are staying away from homeless shelters. Republican State representative Houston Gaines says he's seen something similar in his district in the city of Athens.

[Houston Gaines]

I hear from people whose families, you know, they don't feel comfortable going to eat downtown because every time they go somewhere, they're being harassed by panhandlers. And so those are the kind of issues that we're trying to address and try to make sure we're cleaning up.

[Grant Blankenship]

His tool for that is the bill he sponsored called House Bill 295.

[Houston Gaines]

What this bill does is it but holds local government's feet to the fire.

[Grant Blankenship]

HB 295 now awaits Governor Kemp's signature. It would work like this if your community has not been enforcing laws around homelessness and if you own real property like a home or a business and if the value of your property falls, you could sue the local government for the property value you lost. But Houston Gaines says this is not really the point of HB295.

[Houston Gaines]

Our goal here is not the refunds. Our goal here is just to get local governments to enforce the law out

[Grant Blankenship]

of fear of getting sued. Macon Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller has heard the message.

[Houston Gaines]

You got this new House Bill 295, Very Serious Bill that is going to result in possibly million dollars worth of lawsuits to counties and cities.

[Grant Blankenship]

That's Miller. In a recent meeting of the Macon Bibb County Commission, the Code Enforcement Department Andrew Eck wants to see it work on the Macon Riverwalk. It reports to Miller, who told the commission that even if the county wins lawsuits brought by property owners, guess what?

[Houston Gaines]

We're going to have to pay for the outside counsel that represents on these cases here. So those are some of the things.

[Grant Blankenship]

The day before the mayor's warning, Code enforcement dismantled one of the camps by the river that worried Andrew Eck. A few days later, a new camp sprang up on the river trail just a little downstream. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.

[Peter Biello]

A partnership between an Atlanta company that connects doctors and patients with rare diseases to clinical trials could improve how patients are identified and referred. GPB's Ellen Eldredge has more Patients living

[Ellen Eldredge]

with rare diseases often face obstacles, including eligibility and limited access to studies and trials that make it difficult for both clinicians and families. Atlanta based Rare Disease Research is working with biotech company Mytomoros, based in the Netherlands. Mar Soto Ruiz de la Torres with Mytomoros says patients living with rare diseases often don't know what options are available or where to start looking.

[Chase McGee]

So the role of MyTomorrows is to make sure that patients and physicians have reliable information. They understand what the potential options are and their implications, she says.

[Ellen Eldredge]

They have an online platform that helps physicians check the eligibility of their patients specifically for trials available in Georgia. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge.

[Peter Biello]

A record breaking number of voters cast ballots on the first day of early voting for the midterm primary election. The Georgia secretary of state's office says a little more than 35,000 Georgians went to the polls yesterday. That is a 29% increase over the first day of early voting in the 2022 primary. Two of the most closely watched races this year are the Democratic and Republican campaigns for governor, and yesterday was likely the only time all the major candidates would appear in one place. And that was at GPB for the Atlanta Press Club debates. GPB's Chase McGee reports on a bruising hour on the Republican side and Democratic doubts about one of their candidates.

[Chase McGee]

Eight Republicans and seven Democrats took the stage in two separate debates. All are vying to be their party's nominee for the gubernatorial election this fall. A majority of the 15 candidates messaged on affordability. Here's Attorney General and Republican Kris Carr.

[Peter Biello]

We've got to make sure we focus on jobs and safety. We've got to focus on affordability and housing.

[Chase McGee]

And former state senator and Democrat Jason Estevez.

[Peter Biello]

Georgians see what's happening in Trump's economy. Billionaires and special interests are lining their pockets while you pay the bill.

[Chase McGee]

Some Democrats seemed largely skeptical of Jeff Duncan, a former lieutenant governor and Republican under Brian Kemp, who announced he changed parties last August. And on the Republican stage, Rick Jackson and Bert Jones sparred over the finances behind their campaigns. For GPB news, I'm Chase McGee.

[Peter Biello]

The Atlanta Press Club debates continue today. You can find all 18 [e-mail] Debates. A passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta gave birth to a healthy five and a half pound baby girl. Just before the flight landed at Portland International Airport in Oregon on Friday night, two paramedics who happened to be on the flight assisted borrowing blankets from other passengers and using a shoelace to tie off the umbilical cord. Just before the flight landed, a responding crew from Portland Airport Fire and Rescue found the mother and baby healthy and the new family was transported to a local hospital for observation. And that is it for this edition of GEORGIA today. Thanks so much for tuning in. Hope you'll come back tomorrow. Make sure you subscribe to the this podcast and in the meantime, check gpb.org news for updates and all the latest headlines. And let us know what you think of this podcast or send story ideas our way. Our email address is Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thank you again for listening. We will see you tomorrow.

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