Democrat flips state House district; Biz owners face health insurance sticker shock

Summary

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Georgia Today Podcast Summary

Episode: Democrat flips state House district; Biz owners face health insurance sticker shock
Date: December 10, 2025
Host: Peter Biello, Georgia Public Broadcasting

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Episode Overview

This episode covers major news stories affecting Georgia, including:

• A Democrat flipping a Republican-held state House seat in a special election, shifting Georgia’s legislative dynamics
• Small business owners facing dramatic increases in health insurance premiums
• Updates on proposed rules for paper ballots, legislation on tech in schools, Georgia Power deals, life sciences development, and high school sports fallout

The program deepens its reporting with firsthand perspectives, policy context, and the real-life impact of Georgia’s changing laws and economics.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Georgia Power’s Agreement and Data Center Expansion

[00:34 – 01:36]

• Tentative Agreement: Georgia Power and the Georgia Public Service Commission staff have reached a deal to address rising power bills and support expanding data centers.
• Key Points:
  • Georgia Power seeks about 70% greater capacity, much of which would be carbon-emitting.
  • PSC staff fears a potential “data center bubble” could saddle households with unnecessary costs.
  • Agreement would redirect $500 million from data center revenue to guarantee at least $100/year savings on average household bills.
  • Georgia Power takes on increased financial risk through 2031.
  • Notable Quote [01:20]:
    “Power is assuming financial risk through 2031.” — Robert Cke, PSC Electric Unit Director
  • Final PSC vote scheduled for December 19th.

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2. Health Insurance “Sticker Shock” for Small Business Owners

[01:36 – 05:26]

• Rising Premiums: Small business owners face large health insurance premium increases for 2026 as federal subsidies are set to expire, with one couple seeing their monthly cost jump by 70%.
• Personal Stories:
  • Kendra Fuentes, owner of a fitness center in Sandy Springs, relies on Georgia Pathways “because the lower your income, the more your health insurance is going to be covered by federal subsidies.”
    • Sticks with the most basic plan:
      Quote [02:52]:
      “I'm just going to stay with the same plan that I have... but I'm always going to do the lowest plan because I don't ever—thank gosh—like, I'm pretty healthy. I don't have any prescriptions.”
  • Molly Dickinson & Damon Zgrignoli, self-employed consultants from Atlanta, describe the frustration of annual premium hikes:
    Quote [03:45]:
    “Honey, you’re not going to believe this. The cheapest plan I found was just south of $15,000 for the premium alone.”
    • They must now pay ~$1,200/month, up from $700, for two adults with no children and no prescriptions.
    • Dickinson voices wider economic concerns:
      Quote [04:02]:
      “The economy is becoming harder for all of us to work and to succeed within.”
  • Gina Palmer, hair salon owner, faces rising costs but resists passing them to clients.
    • To manage, she’s considering cutting non-essential expenses:
      Quote [05:02]:
      “Those are the first things that are going to go if it’s my healthcare.”
• Enrollment Deadline: December 15th for 2026 ACA coverage.

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3. Statehouse Special Election Upset

[05:26 – 06:06]

• Eric Gisler (Democrat) Flips District:
  • Wins Republican seat northeast of Atlanta (Athens area) after incumbent resignation.
  • Reduces Republican House majority to 99–81.
  • Follows a pattern of recent Democratic blowout victories—reflecting possible voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump.
  • Highlights competitive political climate in Georgia.
• Quote [05:27]:
  “Gisler’s win is part of a series of Democratic successes this year reflecting voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump.” — Peter Biello

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4. Election Board Rejects New Paper Ballot Rule

[06:06 – 06:40]

• Failed Rule Change: State election board declines to define when hand-marked paper ballots must be used instead of voting machines (vote failed 2–2).
  • Supporters’ Argument: Current machines violate the law by denying voters the chance to read their ballots and by limiting privacy.
  • Opponents’ Argument: Measure would overstep board authority and bypass laws mandating ballot-marking machines.
• Next Steps: The board plans to lobby lawmakers for legislative changes.

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5. Legislative Response to Tech and AI Impacts on Children

[06:40 – 07:32]

• Upcoming Bipartisan Legislation:
  • Proposed expansion of cell phone bans in schools to high schoolers.
  • Limits on use of AI in schools, and stronger privacy rules for AI chatbots.
  • Quote [07:06]:
    “To do nothing about that, to turn a blind eye to that is to be derelict in our duties.” — State Sen. Ed Setzler
  • Legislation to be introduced at the start of the next session.

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6. Other Georgia News Briefs

Rowan Convergence Center

[07:32 – 07:57]

• Life sciences park in Gwinnett County is progressing, with the first building anticipated by 2027.

High School Football Incident

[07:57 – 08:37]

• Brunswick High coach resigns after a viral field brawl led to major suspensions, fines, and playoff ban; school appeals; coach had a notably strong record.

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Memorable Quotes

• On Business Healthcare Costs:
  “Those are the first things that are going to go if it’s my healthcare.”
  — Gina Palmer [05:02]

• On Political Change:
  “Gisler’s win is part of a series of Democratic successes this year reflecting voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump.”
  — Peter Biello [05:27]

• On Rising Small Business Burdens:
  “The economy is becoming harder for all of us to work and to succeed within.”
  — Molly Dickinson [04:02]

• On Legislative Responsibility Regarding Tech:
  “To do nothing about that, to turn a blind eye to that is to be derelict in our duties.”
  — State Sen. Ed Setzler [07:06]

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Key Timestamps

• 00:34: Georgia Power/PSC staff agreement
• 01:36: Small business health insurance cost stories
• 03:48: Stark premium increase for self-employed couple
• 05:26: Democrat Eric Gisler flips Republican House seat
• 06:06: State election board rejects paper ballot rule
• 06:40: Bipartisan tech/AI legislative announcements
• 07:32: Gwinnett County life sciences park progress
• 07:57: Brunswick High football brawl fallout

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Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, the Georgia State Election Board rejects proposed new rules for paper ballots. A Democrat flips a Republican state House district in Georgia and some small business owners face sticker shock on their health insurance plans. Honey, you're not going to believe this. The cheapest plan I found was just south of $15,000 for the premium alone. Today is Wednesday, December 10th. I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today.

Georgia Power and staff for the Georgia Public Service Commission have reached a tentative agreement aimed at quelling anxiety about rising power bills and paving the way for more big data centers in the state. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more Georgia Power.

[B]

Wants nearly 70% more ability to make electricity. Most of this would be carbon emitting, but PSC staff has said that if we're in a data center bubble, household customers could be left paying billions of dollars for unneeded power plants. The agreement between PSC staff and Georgia Power would give the utility what it wants in return for spending half a billion dollars in projected data center revenue to cut the average power bill by at least $100 a year. That cut would be guaranteed. More revenue would mean a bigger cut. PSC Electric unit director Robert Cke Georgia.

[C]

Power is assuming financial risk through 2031.

[A]

Providing a significant buffer for ratepayers.

[B]

The PSC will vote on Georgia power's request on 19 December. For GPB news, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.

[A]

A Democrat sponsored bill to extend expiring Affordable Care act tax credits is expected to fail in the U.S. senate this week. The partisan deadlock over health care comes as small business owners experience sticker shock over rising prices for coverage premiums. GPB's Orlando Montoya spoke with several Georgia entrepreneurs about their experiences with healthcare costs going into 2026.

[C]

At a fitness center in Sandy Springs north of Atlanta, about a half dozen people lift kettlebells and squat at a high energy morning training session. This was Kendra Fuentes dream to open a business that brings people together on a shared path to self improvement.

[D]

Everyone's at different points in their fitness journey, but here they're all in a room doing the same workout together. Cheering coaching.

[C]

She and her mother have run this ISI elite training location since 2024. Like many new business owners, she didn't pay herself during her venture's first year, so she qualified for federally subsidized coverage under Georgia Pathways. That's Georgia's Medicaid alternative for low income workers. She says while her business is growing, she still qualifies for Georgia Pathways. And generally, the lower your income, the more your health insurance is going to be covered by federal subsidies.

[D]

I'm just going to stay with the same plan that I have from the previous year, but I'm always going to do the lowest plan because I don't ever thank gosh, like I'm pretty healthy. I don't have any prescriptions.

[C]

The problems start when you earn a little bit more.

[D]

This is my office, also our guest room.

[C]

Molly Dickinson and her husband, Damon Zgrignoli of Atlanta, are a pair of self employed work at home consultants, she in brand strategy and he in health care leadership coaching. Despite Sgrignoli's proximity to the healthcare industry, he says he and Molly still were taken aback by the premium increases as they searched for 2026 coverage under Georgia Access, the state's year old alternative to the federal marketplace.

[A]

And I came back to the kitchen table here with Molly and said, honey, you're not going to believe this. The cheapest plan I found was just south of $15,000 for the premium alone.

[C]

That's about $1,200 a month, up from about $700 a month they're paying now before deductibles and without kids. Dickinson sees skyrocketing health insurance premiums as part of a larger problem, which is.

[A]

That the economy is becoming harder for.

[D]

All of us to work and to succeed within okay, Ms. Sheila harbor cutting.

[C]

At a hair salon in Atlanta called She Salon, just south of downtown, women wait for shampoos, trims, color and styling on a bright and busy weekday. Business owner Gina Palmer has been cutting hair for 30 years.

[D]

If I cut it dry, then I'm going to mess up the waves up front.

[C]

She seems to know her clients like old friends, and she says she doesn't want to pass along her higher costs to them. She knows her coverage under Georgia Access will cost more next year. She's trying to figure out exactly how much more. So how will she budget for that?

[D]

I'm not trying to work more, but I have to do what I have to do. So that looks like working more. That may look like cutting my marketing budget.

[C]

She says she might consider scaling back on a weekly cleaning service, a social marketing guru or a business coach.

[D]

Those are the first things that are going to go if it's my health care.

[C]

So if she doesn't cut, she'll have to cut the deadline to apply for 2026 ACA coverage beginning on January 1st is December 15th. For GPB news, I'm Orlando Montoya.

[A]

Democrat Eric Gisler is claiming victory in a Republican statehouse district. Gisler narrowly led Republican Matt Guest in unofficial returns from a special election after voting ended Tuesday. Who Republicans still control the Georgia House, but their majority falls to 99 81. Gistler's win is part of a series of Democratic successes this year reflecting voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump. Democrats romped to two blowout victories in statewide special elections for the Georgia Public Service Commission in November. Gistler won a district in the Athens area northeast of Atlanta. The seat became open after the Republican incumbent resigned to focus on his business interests.

Georgia's state election board has rejected a new rule defining when hand marked paper ballots should be used instead of touchscreen voting machines. The effort failed on a 22 vote today. Proponents argue the current machines violate the law by not allowing voters to read their ballots and denying voters privacy. Opponents say the rule would have overstepped the board's authority and usurped the role of lawmakers. Critics also say it could have bypassed state law requiring ballot marking devices and led to widespread use of paper ballots. The board plans to lobby lawmakers to address concerns.

State senators looking into the impacts of social media and artificial intelligence on children say they'll file bipartisan legislation to regulate tech use in schools, GPB's Sarah Kalis reports.

[E]

Senators on the committee say they will recommend extending the state's cell phone ban to high school students, limiting the use of AI in schools it extending PRIV laws surrounding AI chatbots. State Senator Ed Setzler says the regulations.

[A]

Would help parents the best we have among us feel powerless in the face of the conditions that exist today in our culture. To do nothing about that, to turn a blind eye to that is to be derelict in our duties.

[E]

Senators can introduce legislation in January at the start of the legislative session. For GPB news, I'm Sarah Kalis at the state Capitol.

[A]

A planned life sciences research park is moving forward in metro Atlanta's Gwinnett County. The Rowan Convergence center is expected to unite innovators in a range of fields, spurring jobs and scientific discovery. Yesterday, the Rowan foundation announced a construction partner for its first building, expected to be complete by 2027.

A Georgia high school football coach is stepping down in the wake of an on field brawl that led to penalties against his team. The Glynn county school system announced the resignation of Brunswick High School head coach Garrett Grady yesterday. School officials and Grady did not mention the November 21st incident in their statements, although they apologized for it in prior statements. The wild viral fight led to suspensions for dozens of players, as well as a fine and a playoff ban against Brunswick sanctions. The school has appealed. Grady led Brunswick to three regional championships and four consecutive state playoff berths in four seasons with an overall 3610 record at the helm.

That's a wrap on Georgia Today. Thank you so much for listening, and thanks for supporting gpb, especially during this season of giving. If you'd like to make a contribution, you can do [e-mail] that's also where you should check out the Latest news stories gpb.org news. You'll also find updates to any of the stories you heard on the podcast today. And don't forget to subscribe to this podcast because we will be back in your podcast feed tomorrow afternoon with all the latest news from Georgia. Your feedback is welcome by email. The address is Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We will see you tomorrow.

[E]

How does AI even work? Where does creativity come from? What's the secret to living longer? TED Radio Hour explores the biggest questions with some of the world's greatest thinkers. They will surprise, challenge and even change you. Listen to NPR's TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts.