GOP pushes to end state income tax; Emory cancer research; Fulton to repair County Jail

Summary

Georgia Today – August 19, 2025

Host: Peter Biello | GPB News

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Episode Overview

This episode covers significant developments in Georgia's political, medical, and civic landscapes. Highlights include GOP legislators pushing to eliminate the state income tax, Emory University’s new pediatric cancer research grant, a billion-dollar plan to revamp the troubled Fulton County Jail, new short-term rental ordinances in Atlanta, the impact of tariffs on small businesses, Home Depot’s response to rising tariffs, preservation of a historic cemetery, and the latest updates on the Atlanta Braves’ challenging season.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Republican Push to Eliminate Georgia’s State Income Tax

• [00:34] Georgia GOP lawmakers, led by Lt. Gov. Bert Jones, are exploring plans to remove the state's personal income tax.
• This move is spurred by competition with states like Florida and Tennessee, which already have no state income tax.
• Bert Jones: “If we want to continue to stay competitive here in the state of Georgia... we’ve got to be looking for ways to keep us competitive and make it where we have a competitive advantage over states that we are competing with.” [01:00]
• Political Context: Bert Jones is running for governor with Donald Trump’s endorsement.
• Opposition: Georgia Democrats argue the measure would favor the rich while shifting the tax burden to lower-income residents.

2. Emory University’s Pediatric Cancer Research Grant

• [01:43] Emory researchers received a grant from the Baldrick Foundation to study cancer cells in the blood of children with malignant brain tumors.
• Dr. Toby MacDonald: The team can now monitor the effectiveness of cancer treatments in real time via blood tests. [01:43]
• Dan Bringman: “This device can tell us very early on, within the first weeks of treatment, is this something that is effectively killing the tumor cells... or are the tumor cells resistant?” [02:01]
• Goal: Find cures for childhood brain tumors by understanding treatment effects at a cellular level.

3. Atlanta’s Ban on New Short-Term Rental Permits in Home Park

• [02:23] Atlanta City Council bans issuing new short-term rental (STR) permits in the Home Park neighborhood near Georgia Tech.
• Existing STR operators or permit holders are grandfathered in.
• Dan Bringman: “We need more residents to tend and care for home park daily not more STR properties used just a few days a week.” [02:50]
• The policy moves to the mayor’s desk for final approval.

4. Hurricane Erin Update

• [03:16] Hurricane Erin is projected to stay offshore, but the National Weather Service warns of dangerous rip currents and high surf affecting Georgia’s coastline.

5. Fulton County’s $1 Billion Jail Repair Plan

• [03:16] Fulton County officials unveiled a $1 billion plan for major repairs and expansion at the jail, including a new 3,000-bed facility for detainees with medical and mental health needs.
• Rob Pitt: “It also mitigates the financial impact on taxpayers compared to building a new jail, and it addresses many of the concerns about the jail.” [03:45, 00:24 (repeated quote)]
• The county is under a DOJ consent agreement after findings of violent, unsafe, and unsanitary jail conditions violating detainees’ constitutional rights.
• Funding will primarily use revenues from local tax allocation districts.
• County commissioners vote on the proposal tomorrow.

6. Small Businesses, Tariffs, and Political Attention

• [04:30] Senator Raphael Warnock visits Atlanta’s Chocolatl, the city’s only chocolate factory, to hear about challenges from tariffs on imported ingredients.
• Matt Wyant, Chocolatl Founder: “We have had to raise prices on our wholesale prices... and even that was hard to do because we don’t really even know what our cost of goods is going to be in six months.” [04:51]
• Imports face significant tariffs: 50% on sugar from Brazil, 10–18% on cacao beans depending on origin.

7. Home Depot Responds to Tariffs

• [05:19] Home Depot warns of modest price hikes in some categories due to rising tariffs, despite previously saying no increases were anticipated.
• Q2 earnings were up but still missed Wall Street expectations.
• Company officials acknowledge tariff rates are worse than expected in May.

8. Historic Cemetery Saved from Development

• [06:04] Commerce City Council votes unanimously to reject a business park plan that would have relocated nearly 200 graves from a historic, remote cemetery.
• Developer Rooker signals willingness to work with descendants for future access to the property.

9. Atlanta Braves Recap

• [06:38] The Braves’ difficult season continues:
  • Lost 13–9 to the White Sox (American League’s worst team).
  • Pitcher Spencer Strider gave up seven earned runs in three innings.
  • Michael Harris II extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
  • The team faces the White Sox again tonight with Bryce Elder on the mound.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bert Jones, on Georgia’s tax competitiveness:
  “If we want to continue to stay competitive here in the state of Georgia and continue to be the number one state to do business, we’ve got to be looking for ways to keep us competitive and make it where we have a competitive advantage over states that we are competing with.” [01:00]

• Rob Pitt, on the jail repair plan:
  “It also mitigates the financial impact on taxpayers compared to building a new jail, and it addresses many of the concerns about the jail.” [00:24, 03:45]

• Dan Bringman, Home Park Resident, on neighborhood community:
  “We need more residents to tend and care for home park daily not more STR properties used just a few days a week.” [02:50]

• Matt Wyant, Chocolatl:
  “We don’t really even know what our cost of goods is going to be in six months. So to try to set a price for somebody is pretty hard.” [04:51]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction and Episode Headlines: [00:05]
• State Income Tax Proposal: [00:34–01:17]
• Emory Cancer Research Grant: [01:43–02:14]
• Atlanta STR Ban: [02:23–03:05]
• Weather Update (Hurricane Erin): [03:16]
• Fulton County Jail Plan: [03:16–03:54]
• Small Business & Tariffs (Chocolatl): [04:30–05:05]
• Home Depot & Tariffs: [05:19–06:04]
• Historic Cemetery Saved: [06:04–06:38]
• Braves Recap: [06:38–End]

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Summary Flow

The episode delivers a brisk yet comprehensive roundup of crucial Georgia stories—from high-level policy debates (tax reform) to human-centered concerns (cancer research and jail conditions), neighborhood policies, and economic developments. The reporting style maintains a factual, current, and community-oriented tone, enriched by direct voices from policymakers, business owners, and local residents.

Listeners walk away with a clear picture of the challenges and debates shaping Georgia, hearing not only what is happening but also how it affects the people who live and work there.

Transcript

[Unknown]

Foreign.

[Peter Biello]

Welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, GOP lawmakers explore options for eliminating the state income tax. Emory University is awarded a new grant for cancer research. And Fulton county plans to spend a billion dollars to repair the deadly Fulton county jail.

[Rob Pitt]

It also mitigates the financial impact on taxpayers compared to building a new jail, and it addresses many of the concerns about the jail.

[Peter Biello]

Today is Tuesday, August 19th. I'm Peter Biello and this is GEORGIA Today. Georgia Republicans seeking higher office met today to begin exploring plans for Georgia to eliminate the state's personal income tax. The GOP contenders for lieutenant governor sat on the committee spearheaded by Republican Bert Jones, the current lieutenant governor governor who is running for governor with President Donald Trump's endorsement.

[Bert Jones]

If we want to continue to stay competitive here in the state of Georgia and continue to be the number one state to do business, we've got to be looking for ways to keep us competitive and make it where we have a competitive advantage over states that we are competing with.

[Peter Biello]

Eight states, including neighboring Florida and Tennessee, do not have individual income taxes. Georgia Democrats oppose the idea, saying it would benefit the wealthy and hurt low income people who would face other taxes. Researchers with Emory University have been awarded a grant to continue studying cancer cells in the blood of pediatric cancer patients with malignant brain tumors. GPB's Ellen Eldredge has more.

[Ellen Eldredge]

Now that they have a way to find cancer cells in the blood, scientists are hoping to learn how tumors grow and more details about how cancer treatments affect them. Dr. Toby MacDonald is with Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute. A grant from the Baldrick foundation will allow his team to monitor treatment in real time through blood testing.

[Dan Bringman]

So this device can tell us very early on, within the first weeks of treatment, is this something that is effectively killing the tumor cells that are left behind or are the tumor cells resistant?

[Ellen Eldredge]

They hope ultimately to find treatments to cure childhood brain tumors. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge.

[Peter Biello]

Atlanta will no longer issue new short term rental permits to homeowners in a neighborhood near Georgia Tech. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports. Atlanta City Council members passed the hotly debated ban last night.

[Amanda Andrews]

The resolution from Atlanta City Council bans short term rentals in the home park neighborhood. Owners who already operate the rentals or have permits will be allowed to continue. Dan Bringman is a home park resident. He says between students and Airbnb's, the neighborhood lacks permanent residents.

[Dan Bringman]

So we need more residents to tend and care for home park daily not more STR properties used just a few days a week. So I ask that Atlanta City Council pass laws and promote policies to increase owner occupancies.

[Amanda Andrews]

The resolution now heads to the mayor's desk for approval and once signed, will take effect. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

[Peter Biello]

Hurricane Erin is expected to stay well off Georgia's coast as it moves north in the Atlantic Ocean this week, but the National Weather Service is warning about dangerous rip currents and high surf. The agency is urging people to stay out of the ocean. Officials in Fulton county have laid out a $1 billion plan to repair the county's troubled jail, county Chairman Rob Pitt said yesterday. The plan includes major repairs and a new 3,000 bed facility for detainees with medical and mental health needs.

[Rob Pitt]

It also mitigates the financial impact on taxpayers compared to building a new jail, and it addresses many of the concerns about the jail.

[Peter Biello]

The county is under a consent agreement with the U.S. department of justice to improve the aging detention center. A DOJ investigation found detainees living in violent and unsanitary conditions that amounted to violations of their constitutional rights. Pitts said the county will pay for most of the work with revenues from tax allocation districts. Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the plan tomorrow. Georgia Small businesses are feeling the impacts of tariffs on products they need to import today. Senator Raphael Warnock visited a chocolate factory in Atlanta to learn how they're coping. GPB's Sarah Kalis reports.

[Sarah Kalis]

Chocolatl is Atlanta's only chocolate factory. The company imports cacao beans from Central America and Africa since it is difficult to grow in the US and import sugar from Brazil. Chocolatl founder Matt Wyant says increasing costs on raw materials and uncertain uncertainty around tariffs are presenting a unique financial challenge.

[Matt Wyant]

We have had to raise prices on our wholesale prices. We did that over the summer and even that was hard to do because we don't really even know what our cost of goods is going to be in six months. So to try to set a price for somebody is pretty hard.

[Sarah Kalis]

Wyant says imports from Brazil are facing a 50% tariff, while cacao beans come with a 10 to 18% tariff, depending on where they are grown. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis in Atlanta.

[Peter Biello]

Home Depot says shoppers should expect modest price increases in some categories as a result of rising tariffs, though they will not be broad based. The Atlanta based home retail giant released its second quarter earnings today, showing improved sales but still missing Wall street expectations. Home Depot said in May it did not expect to raise prices because of tariffs, but a company official told analysts today that tariff rates are significantly higher than they were when the company released earnings in May. A remote cemetery in northeast Georgia is safe from development after plans for a business park were rejected. City Council members in Commerce last night unanimously voted down a proposal that would have moved nearly 200 bodies. GPB's Chase McGee has more.

[Chase McGee]

Real estate development firm Rooker initially asked the City Council approve a plan to relocate around 200 bodies in their effort to develop nearly 600 acres into a business park. Descendants of the deceased asked the developer to leave the cemetery alone. A representative for Rooker has signaled their willingness to work with the descendants of the deceased to allow visitation on their private property. For GPB News, I'm Chase McGee.

[Peter Biello]

In sports, the Braves are having a bad season. That is not news. The news is perhaps that just when you think things can't get worse, they do. The Braves lost last night 139 to the Chicago White Sox, the worst team in the American League and the second worst team in all of baseball right now, just ahead of the Colorado Rockies. And worse than that, Spencer Strider, the Braves right handed pitcher on whom many hopes were pinned once he returned from a long stint on the injured list, was the losing pitcher giving up seven earned runs over three innings, including two home runs. Michael Harris II went 4 for 4 with a two run homer for Atlanta, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. And Jurickson Profar hit his eighth and ninth homers. But Braves fans might not find much comfort in those stats. The Braves and White Sox face off again tonight at Truest park with Bryce Elder on the mound for Atlanta. And that is a wrap on Georgia Today. Thanks for choosing Georgia Today as your source of news. For the latest updates on any of these stories and for the latest headlines, check out gpb.org news Our reporters are constantly posting new stories there and remember to subscribe to this podcast. We're in your podcast feed every weekday afternoon with all the latest and you won't want to miss a minute. If you've got feedback, we would love to hear from you. Send us an email. The address is Georgia todaypb.org that's also a great place to drop your news tips. Again, Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening and we'll see you tomorrow.