Atlanta, GA
Lt. governor candidates square off in Atlanta Press Club debate
Candidates for Lt. Governor debate Ga. heartbeat abortion legislation
We’re now three weeks away from election day and candidates for lieutenant governor squared off in a debate hosted by the Atlanta Press Membership.
ATLANTA – With simply three weeks to go till Election Day, the candidates vying to be Georgia’s subsequent lieutenant governor confronted off in a debate in Midtown Tuesday.
Democrat Charlie Bailey, Republican Burt Jones and Libertarian Ryan Graham shared the stage within the Atlanta Press Membership (APC) Loudermilk-Younger Debate Collection.
One of many prime points in the course of the occasion was the state’s “heartbeat” abortion ban, which went into impact this summer season after the Supreme Court docket overturned Roe v. Wade. The legislation prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is round six weeks of being pregnant.
“I consider that the six-week abortion ban that has been handed is an infringement on the ladies of Georgia and their proper to make their very own healthcare selections,” stated Bailey, who stated he would push to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade in Georgia legislation.
Graham, nonetheless, stated there shouldn’t be legal guidelines about abortion in any respect.
“I consider within the sovereignty of ladies over their very own our bodies and I do not assume that politicians ought to have management over their our bodies,” stated Graham.
He argued that elevated entry to contraception and improved contraception schooling would higher stop abortions than legal guidelines.
Through the APC major debate for lt. governor in Might, Jones stated he would ban abortion in Georgia utterly.
“I’ve all the time sided on the facet of life,” stated Jones.
He has since softened that place.
“In 2019, we handed a invoice that did have exemptions,” Jones stated Tuesday. “It was within the case of rape, within the case of incest and the well-being of a mom and so I supported that invoice then.”
Current polling exhibits Jones leads Bailey within the race with Graham in third place.
Charlie Bailey criticizes Burt Jones in debate for Lt. governor
In a debate hosted by the Atlanta Press Membership, democrat candidate Charlie Bailey ripped into Sen. Burt Jones throughout a portion the place candidates may pose questions to 1 one other.
The 2 front-runners traded pointed jabs in the course of the part of the talk the place they had been allowed to ask a query of one in every of their opponents.
Bailey questioned Jones about his resolution to affix 15 different “faux electors” on the state Capitol in Dec. 2020 to forged votes for then-President Donald Trump, even if Joe Biden had received the state’s electoral votes.
“My query to you is are you lastly able to take duty to your actions and apologize to the individuals of Georgia for these undemocratic actions?” Bailey requested.
“Properly, right here we’re once more, a unique race, however similar accusations,” stated Jones.
A panelist had requested Jones about the identical factor earlier within the debate.
“We had courtroom circumstances that had been occurring on the time and it was a procedural transfer that we knew wouldn’t transfer ahead if these courtroom circumstances didn’t transfer ahead,” Jones defined.
When it was his flip, Jones requested Bailey about his transient suspension from the Fulton County District Legal professional’s Workplace throughout his time there.
“You had been suspended with out pay again in 2017 for actions unbecoming of the workplace of D.A. Would you want to elucidate to the voters what that was, that was so unbecoming for the workplace of Fulton County D.A.?” Jones requested.
“I am happy with my time as a Senior Assistant District Legal professional in Fulton County,” Bailey answered. “I prosecuted a whole lot of circumstances together with circumstances the place people had been accused of crimes like homicide and violent kidnapping, home abuse. I am not going to be lectured by any individual that’s at present underneath FBI investigation as we communicate for a number of felonies.”
In his rebuttal, Jones accused Bailey of occurring a golf journey moderately than going after “hardened criminals.”
Chatting with the media after the talk, Bailey stated Jones was “confused.”
“I attempted that case,” stated Bailey. “It was a two co-defendant homicide case. I gave the closing argument and the jury convicted each these people.”