All eyes will be on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis today as she testifies before a special state Senate Committee. But we’ll also be interested in what’s happening on the other side of the table.

Of the seven state senators that will question Willis today, four of them are Republicans running for statewide office. Three of them are running for lieutenant governor: Greg Dolezal, Steve Gooch and Blake Tillery.

But the one to watch is the chair, state Sen. Bill Cowsert. The Athens Republican is facing state Sen. Brian Strickland in the Republican primary for attorney general. But since Strickland isn’t on the committee, Cowsert will have the spotlight to himself.

Senate Republicans have been trying for more than a year to get Willis to testify about her romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the attorney she hired to prosecute the election interference case against President Donald Trump. The relationship — and its exposure — led to Willis’ office being disqualified from the case and a judge dismissing the charges last month.

While Cowsert will be sure to make the most of his opportunity, he’ll also have to balance the interests of the other ambitious Republicans who will be competing for screen time. In some ways, it will offer a preview of the 2026 legislative session.

Willis isn’t likely to make it easy for him. Asked on Tuesday for a preview of her testimony today, she launched into what the AJC’s Shaddi Abusaid described as “a two minute tirade” against President Donald Trump.

“What I can tell you is if you were one of those children who wanted Christmas early: Christmas comes tomorrow,” she said.

Things to know

Credit: AJC file photo

Credit: AJC file photo

Good morning! We’re 26 days away from the start of Georgia’s legislative session. The primary for U.S. Senate, governor and other races is in 153 days.

Here are three other things to know for today:

Abortion law apology

Credit: Greg Bluestein/AJC

Credit: Greg Bluestein/AJC

The mother of Amber Nicole Thurman, a Georgia woman who died in 2022 from complications after an incomplete abortion, said Democrat Geoff Duncan gave her a “flamboyant apology” when they met shortly after he announced his campaign for governor.

Duncan is a former lieutenant governor who, as a Republican, backed a 2019 Georgia law that outlawed abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected — the law advocates blame for Thurman’s death.

“(He) talked about ‘if he only had known that this was going to be a mess, he would not have done it.’ Well, it’s too late. Because the mess cost me my daughter,” Shanette Williams said this week during a maternal health roundtable for Democrat Jason Esteves’ gubernatorial campaign. Williams endorsed Esteves earlier this year.

Duncan switched parties shortly before launching his campaign for governor. He has since said he "got it wrong" on the abortion law and has pledged to work to repeal it.

When asked about Williams’ recounting of their meeting, Duncan told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his heart goes out to Thurman’s family.

“I think that that is a genuine reaction to her situation,” Duncan said. “When she explained to me her story, there’s nothing but a genuine and sincere recognition of the pain that she’s feeling. And as a father, I can only imagine.”

Thurman died after delayed care due to confusion about the newly implemented restrictions two weeks after the law took effect. A state Maternal Mortality Review Committee said her death was “preventable.”

Park fees pushback

Credit: AJC file photo

Credit: AJC file photo

Georgia Democrats are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s plan to reshuffle which days national parks offer free admission next year.

The Trump administration recently announced a new schedule that drops Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from its fee-free lineup. Instead, visitors will be able to enter national parks for free on June 14, which is President Donald Trump’s birthday as well as Flag Day.

State lawmakers don’t control admission to federal parks. But state Rep. David Wilkerson, D-Powder Springs, is introducing legislation to make start parks in Georgia free on any federal holiday recognized by the state. That includes Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth.

Listen up

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast state Insurance Commissioner John King warns Republicans to sharpen their message ahead of the 2026 midterms. Then Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon assesses what went wrong for the party in recent elections.

You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia for free an Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.

MTG gets her vote

Credit: Anna Rose Layden/The New York Times

Credit: Anna Rose Layden/The New York Times

The House today will vote on U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bill to ban gender-affirming care for minors, part of a deal the Rome Republican made in exchange for her vote to pass the National Defense Authorization Act last week.

The Protect Children’s Innocence Act would make gender-affirming care for minors illegal, including puberty-blockers. Opponents say it would prevent families and doctors from meeting the needs of transgender children.

Greene opposed the NDAA because it would spend money to support Israel and Ukraine — money she thinks should be spent in the United States. But Republican leaders needed her vote to get the bill passed.

Republicans likely have the votes to pass Greene’s bill today, but it’s unlikely to clear the Senate because Democrats can use the filibuster to block it.

Not all Republicans are happy about today’s vote. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, used a four-letter word to describe the deal House Republican leadership made with Greene and said he was “sick of it.”

“Marjorie was given this vote this week to buy her vote on the National Defense Authorization Act,” Roy said Tuesday. “Everybody knows it. It happened right there on the floor of the House.”

Greene later accused Roy of introducing an amendment that would gut her bill.

Today in Washington

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Happenings:

Endorsement watch

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Turning Point Action, the political group founded by the late Charlie Kirk to engage young conservatives, is endorsing U.S. Rep. Mike Collins’ Senate campaign.

“Mike Collins has proven time and again that he’s a fighter for Georgia’s conservative values, and Turning Point Action is proud to stand with him,” the group said in a statement.

Turning Point Action is the political advocacy group of Turning Point USA, which has chapters at multiple Georgia colleges and universities. Collins is scheduled to speak during Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2025 conference that begins tomorrow.

“I am committed to ensuring Charlie Kirk’s legacy of religious freedom, free speech, and American greatness is continued in my campaign to defeat liberal Jon Ossoff in the U.S. Senate,” Collins said.

Getting it done

Credit: Screenshot

Credit: Screenshot

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff has passed four bills through the Senate this year — proof, he says, of his ability to work across the aisle to get things done in Washington ahead of his reelection campaign.

The most recent success was two bills passed by unanimous consent, including one extending the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board’s authority through 2031. The other bill is meant to compel the U.S. Department of Justice and the Health and Human Services Department to work together to prevent child trafficking.

Ossoff’s Republican opponents in the House are also highlighting their accomplishments in the same vein.

The House passed U.S. Rep. Mike Collins’ bill last week that changes permitting under the Clean Water Act. He also sponsored the Laken Riley Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law earlier this year.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island, has had one bill passed on the floor this year: legislation codifying a federal institute for telecommunications research.

This recap does not include instances where bills sponsored by these lawmakers were included as amendments to larger packages; all three have additional wins through this method.

Shoutout

Today’s birthday:

Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.

Before you go

Credit: AJC file photos

Credit: AJC file photos

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has endorsed Everton Blair in the Democratic primary for the Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, the seat currently held by veteran U.S. Rep. David Scott. Patrick was Blair’s professor while he was a student at Harvard University.

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.