Last day of Georgia's legislative session; Tifton woman charged after miscarriage

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast Summary Release Date: April 3, 2025

Host: Sophie Gradas
Producer: Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) News Team

---

1. Conclusion of Georgia's Legislative Session

As Georgia's legislative session reaches its final day, lawmakers are racing against the clock to pass several pivotal bills. The session is set to end with the Latin term "sine die," meaning "without a day," marking the closure of debates and votes.

a. Senate Bill 185: Transgender Care in Prisons

One of the most contentious pieces of legislation is Senate Bill 185, which seeks to ban the use of state funds for gender-affirming care for incarcerated individuals.

• Protest and Walkout: House Democrats protested the bill by walking out of the chamber. Minority Leader Carolyn Hughley expressed her dismay, stating, “[05:29] Carolyn Hughley: Does a 19 week old fetus that cannot exist outside its mother's womb? Is that a dead human body? I think that's an open question. Open legal question.”

• Republican Opposition: Majority Leader Chuck F. Strachan condemned the protest, emphasizing the bill's intent, “[01:55] Chuck F. Strachan: Never participate in anything that even smells like hate.”

• Outcome: The bill passed decisively with a 100 to 2 vote, despite the majority of Democrats not being present during the vote.

b. House Bill 397: Election Reforms

House Bill 397 introduces significant changes to Georgia's electoral processes:

• Key Changes:

  • Removal from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), affecting voter roll maintenance.
  • Enhanced authority for the state Election Board to investigate voter challenges.
  • Restriction on absentee ballot drop-offs the weekend before elections.

• Support and Opposition:

  • Supporter: State Senator Max Burns highlighted, “[02:56] Gabrielle Herzig: This protects the integrity of our elections.”
  • Opponent: State Senator Nabila Islam Parks criticized the bill, asserting, “This isn't about security, it's about control.”

• Current Status: Passed in the Senate along party lines but awaits final approval from the House due to Senate amendments.

c. Senate Bill 244: Legal Costs for Defendants

Senate Bill 244 proposes that Fulton County taxpayers bear the legal expenses for defendants if their cases are dismissed due to prosecutor disqualification.

• Potential Impact on High-Profile Cases: Critics suggest it could target figures like President Donald Trump, should his charges be dismissed. State Representative Shea Roberts remarked, “[03:47] Tonya Mosley: It's about weaponizing this body to interfere.”

• Support Perspective: House Majority Leader Chuck F. Strachan defended the bill, “[03:53] Carolyn Hughley: It's about fundamental fairness for those who are in the justice system.”

• Next Steps: The bill requires final Senate approval before proceeding to Governor Brian Kemp's desk.

---

2. Tifton Woman Charged After Miscarriage

A controversial case has emerged involving a 24-year-old woman from Tifton who was arrested following a natural miscarriage.

• Incident Details: The woman was charged with abandonment of a dead body and concealing the death, after authorities found the fetus disposed of in a dumpster ([04:05] Sophie Gradas).

• Legal Implications: Criminal defense lawyer Amanda Clark Palmer noted the unprecedented nature of the charges, “prosecutors would be raising a novel argument,” due to Georgia's abortion laws granting personhood to unborn children.

• Current Status: The woman has been released on bond, and District Attorney Patrick Warren has yet to provide a comprehensive statement on the case.

• Legal Debate: Minority Leader Carolyn Hughley questioned the legal definition, “[05:29] Carolyn Hughley: Does a 19 week old fetus that cannot exist outside its mother's womb? Is that a dead human body? I think that's an open question.”

• Public Reaction: Reproductive justice groups argue that the arrest represents criminalization of pregnancy, potentially setting a dangerous precedent.

---

3. Tiger Woods’ April Fool’s Day Prank

In lighter news, golf icon Tiger Woods played a prank on his social media followers by announcing a miraculous recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon, claiming he would participate in the upcoming Masters tournament.

• Outcome: Six minutes after the announcement, Woods clarified it was an April Fool's joke, confirming he would not be competing at Augusta National.

---

4. The Masters Tournament Preview

The podcast delves into the upcoming Masters Tournament, highlighting key players, potential impacts from LIV Golf's emergence, and other intriguing factors.

a. Top Contenders Without Tiger Woods

With Tiger Woods opting out, other players are in the spotlight:

• Scottie Scheffler: As the world number one and defending champion, Scheffler is favored to secure his third Masters title in four years. Despite a recent hand injury from a Christmas mishap, he has shown impressive form, “[07:01] Chuck F. Strachan: Scottie is by far the favorite because he plays this golf course so well.”

• Rory McIlroy: Ranked number two globally, McIlroy enters the Masters in exceptional form. However, his historical struggles at Augusta linger, as he remembers leading in 2011 but faltering in the final round, “[07:08] Chuck F. Strachan: Rory has some painful past history at Augusta.”

b. Impact of LIV Golf

The rise of LIV Golf introduces new dynamics:

• LIV Players: Notable names like Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cam Smith are joining the tournament, bringing fresh competition but uncertain performance metrics from the PGA Tour, “[08:34] Gabrielle Herzig: How has the emergence of the PGA rival LIV golf impacted the Masters tournament this year?”

c. Environmental and Logistical Factors

• Weather Concerns: Swirling winds and their unpredictability at Augusta could significantly influence play strategies, “[09:40] Chuck F. Strachan: The biggest one for Augusta is really the weather.”

• Hurricane Helene’s Aftermath: Augusta National has committed $5 million to aid recovery from Hurricane Helene, ensuring the pristine condition of the tournament grounds, “[10:25] Chuck F. Strachan: The Club has pledged $5 million to the surrounding area.”

d. Innovations and Tradition at Augusta

• Course Enhancements: Updates include renovated greens and a new complex for players’ families with an underground parking structure.

• Data Integration: For the first time, comprehensive data on players' range sessions will be available, potentially benefiting betting platforms, “[11:23] Chuck F. Strachan: They will be releasing data on every player's range session… which will be scrutinized by betting websites.”

e. Experiencing the Masters

Guest Chuck F. Strachan shares his firsthand experience, emphasizing the unique, almost nostalgic atmosphere devoid of cell phones, fostering personal interactions among attendees, “[12:39] Chuck F. Strachan: It's just like it really does feel like its own little world out there.”

---

Conclusion

This episode of Georgia Today offers a comprehensive overview of the concluding legislative session in Georgia, highlighting significant bills and their potential impacts. Additionally, it addresses a high-profile legal case involving a miscarriage, providing insights into the evolving legal landscape around reproductive rights. The discussion pivots to the world of golf, offering an in-depth preview of the Masters Tournament, enriched by expert commentary on player performances, the influence of LIV Golf, and the enduring traditions that make Augusta National a revered venue.

For more detailed reports and updates, listeners are encouraged to visit gpb.org/news and subscribe to the Georgia Today podcast for daily insights and comprehensive coverage.

---

Notable Quotes:

• “[01:55] Chuck F. Strachan: Never participate in anything that even smells like hate.”
• “[02:56] Gabrielle Herzig: This protects the integrity of our elections.”
• “[05:29] Carolyn Hughley: Does a 19 week old fetus that cannot exist outside its mother's womb? Is that a dead human body? I think that's an open question. Open legal question.”
• “[12:39] Chuck F. Strachan: It's so cool… it really can still feel like its own little world out there.”

Transcript

[Sarah Kalis]

DBHDD is reminding people that the Good Samaritan law can save lives during alcohol and drug overdoses. People are urged to call 911 and stay until help arrives. More [e-mail].

[Sophie Gradas]

Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. This podcast features the latest reports from the GPB news team on today's episode. There's one day left in this year's legislative session and Georgia lawmakers are working to advance a number of new bills before it's too late. And the case of a South Georgia woman arrested following a natural miscarriage remains in limbo.

[Carolyn Hughley]

Does a 19 week old fetus that cannot exist outside its mother's womb, is that a dead human body? I think that's an open legal question.

[Sophie Gradas]

Today is Thursday, April 3rd. I'm Sophie Gradas and this is Georgia Today. State lawmakers have just one more day to go in this year's legislative session. That's tomorrow Friday, with a slew of bills moving toward final passage as the clock ticks down to sine di. That's the Latin term for without a day and the last words shouted as the session wraps up. GPB's Capital team has been under the Gold Dome following all of the debates and votes. We'll start with those getting the most attention. A bill affecting transgender people in Georgia's prisons is headed to the governor's desk, but not before a protest by some members of The State House GPB's Sarah Kalis reports.

[Sarah Kalis]

House Democrats walked out of the chamber after speaking on the floor against Senate Bill 185. The bill bans the use of state funds to pay for gender affirming care for people in Georgia's prisons. Minority Leader Carolyn Hughley said, I will.

[Chuck F. Strachan]

Never participate in anything that even smells like hate.

[Sarah Kalis]

Republicans like Majority Leader Chuck F. Strachan were quick to criticize the protest.

[Carolyn Hughley]

Probably the most disheartening moment I've ever had in my service here as a member of the House.

[Sarah Kalis]

The bill passed 100 to 2 with most Democrats outside of the chamber. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis at the State Capitol.

[Sophie Gradas]

And the state Senate has approved a bill that could create sweeping elections changes. House Bill 397 removes Georgia from the Electronic Registration Information center, or ERIC. ERIC helps states maintain voter rolls by providing data on people who have moved, died or not registered. The new law also gives more power to the state Election board to investigate voter challenges and no longer allows absentee ballots to be delivered to dropboxes the weekend before elections. The bill's support included Sylvania Republican State Senator Max Burns.

[Gabrielle Herzig]

This protects the integrity of our elections.

[Sophie Gradas]

But Democrats, including Duluth State Senator Nabila Islam Parks, say it erodes voting rights. This isn't about security, it's about control. The bill passed along a party line vote, but it needs final approval from the House if it's going to head to the governor's desk because of changes made by the Senate. And over at the state House, lawmakers passed a bill yesterday that could force Fulton county taxpayers to foot the bill for President Donald Trump's legal case in Georgia. Senate Bill 244 would allow defendants to collect money, including attorneys fees, if the prosecutor in their criminal case is disqualified and the case is dismissed. Critics of the bill, including Democratic State Representative Shea Roberts, said it could apply to Trump if his charges eventually are dismissed.

[Tonya Mosley]

It's about weaponizing this body to interfere.

[Chuck F. Strachan]

In an ongoing case.

[Sophie Gradas]

The bill's supporters included House Majority Leader Mulberry State Representative Chuck Fstration.

[Carolyn Hughley]

It's about fundamental fairness for those who are in the justice system.

[Sophie Gradas]

SB244 also creates a framework for judges to award compensation for Georgians who are wrongfully convicted. A bipartisan, multi year effort. The bill passed but still needs final approval from the state Senate before moving to governor Brian Kemp. Desk GPB covers the Georgia Capitol like no other news team. You can find our latest legislative [e-mail] news and get a daily roundup of capital development and in depth interviews on GPB TV's Lawmakers, airing every night at 7 when the general assembly is in session. The case of a South Georgia woman arrested after experiencing a natural miscarriage remains in limbo. The arrest came after Tift county authorities confirmed the 24 year old had disposed of the fetus in a dumpster outside her home. She was later released on bond. The woman faces charges for the abandonment of a dead body and concealing the death of another, according to records from her arrest on March 20. So far, the circuit's District Attorney, Patrick Warren, hasn't weighed in on the full case. Atlanta based criminal defense lawyer Amanda Clark Palmer says if charges do go through, prosecutors would be raising a novel argument. That's because Georgia's abortion law, which gives an unborn child so called personhood, has not been tested against the state code in this way.

[Carolyn Hughley]

Does a 19 week old fetus that cannot exist outside its mother's womb? Is that a dead human body? I think that's an open question. Open legal question.

[Sophie Gradas]

Some reproductive justice groups say the woman's arrest counts as pregnancy criminalization and sets a dangerous standard.

[Tonya Mosley]

This is Tonya Moseley, co host of Fresh air. You'll see your favorite actors, directors and comedians on late night TV shows or YouTube, but what you get with Fresh Air is a deep dive. Spend some quality time with people like Billie Eilish, Questlove, Ariana Grande, Stephen Colbert, and so many more. We ask questions you won't hear asked anywhere else. Listen to the Fresh Air podcast from NPR and whyy.

[Sophie Gradas]

Golf legend Tiger woods played an April Fool's Day joke on his social media for fans on Tuesday, saying that he had miraculously healed from a ruptured Achilles tendon and would be playing at the Masters next week. Six minutes later, he said it was just a joke. He won't be playing at Augusta National. So as golf fans gear up for the traditions and spectacle of the biggest tourism event of the year in Augusta, we turn our attention to other players and Gabrielle Herzig. She covers golf for the Athletic and joined host Orlando Montoya for a conversation.

[Gabrielle Herzig]

Welcome to gpb.

[Chuck F. Strachan]

Thank you so much, Orlando. I'm happy to be with you guys and excited to talk a little golf today.

[Gabrielle Herzig]

So with Tiger woods not playing, who are the top players to watch this year and how have they been playing lately?

[Chuck F. Strachan]

Yeah, so first name that comes to mind is world number one, Scottie Scheffler, defending champion. If he wins this year, he'll become the first golfer to ever win three of the last four Masters. So he also won in 2022. Scottie is he is by far the favorite because he plays this golf course so well. His game fits so perfectly to the shapes of the fairways. He's coming off of a little bit of a injury from earlier this season over Christmas. He cut his hand when he was making Christmas dinner and had to undergo a hand surgery. But he's been finding form at exactly the right time. He finished solo second at last week's PGA Tour event and shot 64 on the final day. So I don't think it would surprise anyone to see him slipping on that green jacket again. The next name I would definitely mention is Rory McIlroy. He's currently ranked number two in the world and he's coming into next week's Masters as probably in some of the best form of his career that he's ever come into the Masters with. And he just feels like a really complete player right now. The one thing for Rory is he has some painful past history at Augusta. In 2011, he was leading the tournament by four strokes. It was basically his to win as a 21 year old, and he ended up shooting 80 in the final round. And kind of ever since then, it's. It's been a hurdle for him to jump over at the Masters.

[Gabrielle Herzig]

How has the emergence of the PGA rival LIV golf impacted the Masters tournament this year? Specific players?

[Chuck F. Strachan]

Yeah, there are a few big names that will be coming over from Liv, obviously, that you got. Bryson DeChambeau, USO Open champion last year, John Rahm, who's won the Masters, Cam Smith, an incredible Australian player. These are all names that play on LIV now. And as you know, PGA Tour fans, it's not quite as clear how they're playing leading up into the Masters. So it's. It's kind of creates this dynamic of, you know, the LIV golfers come to Augusta and you're just trying to figure out what kind of form they're in. You obviously see their results from the first four events of the season, but it's kind of the first time that you're seeing them compared to the PGA Tour talent since the last major championship that includes the LIV and PGA Tour players, which would be the Open Championship, which happens in July.

[Gabrielle Herzig]

What are some other unknown factors that could change the state of play over the next week before we get to the Masters?

[Chuck F. Strachan]

Yeah, I think the biggest one for Augusta is really the weather. Last year, we saw some swirling winds take over early in the week and make scoring conditions really difficult for those guys out there. You know, when. When the wind is blowing at Augusta, it's especially difficult because there are a lot of pockets, and really, those tall, towering Georgia pines make it really difficult to actually judge the wind from the ground. So what you'll see is a lot of caddies looking up into the air and trying to see how the trees are swaying. Even so, it really changes the weather, changes the way that these guys can approach from a strategy perspective, and I would say that's the biggest unknown right now.

[Gabrielle Herzig]

Speaking of weather, how did Hurricane Helene impact Augusta National Golf Club, and how did the club recover?

[Chuck F. Strachan]

Yeah, it was a huge factor. Hurricane Helene was devastating for the surrounding area and the club. I believe the Club has pledged $5 million to the surrounding area to help it recover from the storm. And I know that, you know, Augusta is the kind of place where if a tree falls down, it will be back up the next day, if not the same day. They just have all the resources in the world to make that place pristine, as always. But I think that in addition to repairing their own grounds, they're really committed to helping the surrounding community Recover because it is such a huge part of the tournament is Augusta as a whole.

[Gabrielle Herzig]

We always talk about how Augusta has these traditions and it doesn't change very much, but every year there are little subtle changes on the course and off the course, whether it's from the menu to a particular tree. What are some of those changes that fans or players might notice this year?

[Chuck F. Strachan]

Yeah, I believe there are a few greens that they've redone. There are also some changes to the Masters and the tournament as a whole and just the resources that they have. I know they're working on building a massive complex for player families with a parking structure that goes underground. They announced this year that as part of the tournament coverage, they will be releasing data on every player's range session. So not only can you track each player's shot on every hole of the tournament, you can also see every single ball and stat that goes along along with those balls that they hit on the driving range during practice.

[Gabrielle Herzig]

That just sounds like something that's tailor made for those betting websites.

[Chuck F. Strachan]

Yes, I would, I would 100% agree with that. And betting has become a huge part of the landscape now, especially in golf. You know, the Masters now has a built in part of their website where you can create a fantasy team of five golfers. And I think you're exactly right. That tool will be used by the people who track those players and how they're hitting the ball. And if there's a tendency to miss in a certain direction, it will be scrutinized. So I'm curious to see how that affects the betting world for sure.

[Gabrielle Herzig]

And finally, for those of us who will probably never get to experience the Masters in our lives, what's that experience like?

[Chuck F. Strachan]

Yeah, it's so cool. I actually covered the tournament for the first time last year, and I guess the way I would describe it is it's just like it really does feel like its own little world out there. The coolest part to me is that there are no cell phones allowed on the property. And the rule is completely enforced and respected by everyone there. You know, you walk around and suddenly you feel like every. You're making eye contact with so many people because no one's looking down at their phone. You strike up conversations with strangers. You know, the only way you can track what's happening in the tournament is the manual leaderboards that they have volunteers that replace the numbers by hand to track who's leading the tournament. So you can look up and suddenly see, you know, a six replaced with a seven to denote that the leader has made another birdie and even that gesture will provoke a roar from the crowd. So it's a really unique environment. Just how old timey it feels. It really like it does withstand the test of time in a beautiful way. And I think that's why it's on so many people's bucket list, because there really isn't anywhere else like it.

[Gabrielle Herzig]

Well, the caddies in White, the Champions dinner, the pimento cheese sandwiches, and the flowers in bloom. Tournament goers are in for it all next week. And thank you for joining me to talk about the Masters. Gabby Herzig of the Athletic thank you so much, Orlando.

[Chuck F. Strachan]

I appreciate it.

[Sophie Gradas]

That's it for today's edition of GEORGIA today. Thank you so much for listening. If you would like to learn more about these stories that we mentioned, visit gpb.org news and if you haven't yet subscribed to this podcast, take a moment right now and keep us current in your podcast feed. And if you have feedback, we would love to hear it. Please email us at GEORGIA Today PB I'm Sophie Gradas. We'll see you tomorrow.

[Tonya Mosley]

This is Tonya Mosley, co host of Fresh air. You'll see your favorite actors, directors and comedians on late night TV shows or YouTube. But what you get with FRESH AIR is a deep dive. Spend some quality time with people like Billie Eilish Questlove, Ariana Grande, Stephen Colbert, and so many more. We ask questions you won't hear asked anywhere else. Listen to the FRESH AIR podcast from NPR and whyyy.