ICYMI: In AJC Interview, Keisha Lance Bottoms Calls Out Slick Rick Jackson for Hiding from Debates

ATLANTA — In an interview on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms called out Rick Jackson for hiding from her challenge to six debates across the state. Earlier this week, Keisha announced that she has accepted six debates in Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah. Jackson has only accepted one.

Keisha also highlighted her plan to pause new construction on data centers to prevent rising utility bills for Georgians. She also discussed her focus on increasing access to affordable care through Medicaid expansion, and detailed how her “Local Grocery and Family Essentials Tax Relief” plan would give much needed relief to cost burdened Georgia families affected by rising prices on groceries and household essentials.  

Read more from Keisha’s interview below:

“He wants to limit the amount of time that people have to hear from him. Georgians deserve the opportunity to know who he is in an unscripted environment and hear from him directly on what his policy positions are. He’s said publicly, and ran commercials, saying he didn't disagree with a single Trump policy. Well, let's talk about his policies and see if he disagrees with cuts to public education, the Veterans Administration, to small businesses, and to affordable housing. Let's talk about these policies and the impact on the state of Georgia. And people deserve to hear from him directly,” said Keisha.

“I believe we should pause on data centers. As I'm moving around the state, especially in some of our smaller counties, local leaders are concerned about the economic impact of taking away some of these data centers, but when you come face to face with your community, they share very different concerns because they don't even know that these data centers are coming up in their backyards. The environmental impact, the cost on utilities impacts us all, and people deserve to have information so we can make a decision on how to move forward,” Keisha continued.

“We're reaching out to all Georgians, period. So when I'm talking about the lack of access to health care statewide and the need to expand Medicaid, which my opponent does not support, that transcends party lines,” said Keisha during the interview. “God willing, when I am elected, I will begin to prepare our state agencies for Medicaid expansion. The budget begins in the governor's office — show me your budget, and I'll show you your priorities. At the end of the day, it's about making lives better in this state.”

“So everywhere we have been in the state, this cost of living issue has come up, and people have asked,‘What will you do when you are elected governor?’ So we are rolling out a local grocery and family essentials tax relief plan that will give local governments the opportunity to suspend the sales tax on groceries. They can do tax holidays or eliminate it permanently, and that will directly impact grocery costs. Everybody eats and shops, which can make a significant difference,” said Keisha.

Watch the full interview here.