Georgia State Representative Buzz Brockway was our guest

On the March 3rd episode of The Kudzu Vine, hosts Tim Shiflett and Catherine Smith open the show without co-host David McLaughlin, who is out with the flu. After brief weather banter, they turn to Georgia’s biggest news story: the crisis within the DeKalb County School Board. The State Board of Education has recommended that Governor Nathan Deal suspend six of nine board members for governance failures, a move the suspended members are now challenging in court as unconstitutional. Catherine stresses the tension between preserving elected representation and ensuring students’ needs come first. Both hosts worry about leaving three inexperienced board members and newly appointed interim superintendent Mike Thurman to manage a deeply troubled system with uncertain continuity. They also touch on the political implications: although most DeKalb board members are Democrats removed by a Republican governor, Democratic leaders such as David Holcomb have publicly expressed frustration with the board’s dysfunction. The hosts expect ongoing legal battles and continued statewide attention. Their guest, State Representative Buzz Brockway, joins to discuss legislative developments. He explains his support for a resolution urging repeal of the 17th Amendment, arguing it would restore a healthier balance of power between states and Washington—though he acknowledges repeal is politically impossible. Catherine challenges the logic and raises concerns about disenfranchisement. Brockway then reviews bipartisan efforts on human trafficking legislation (HB 141 and HB 219), progress on juvenile justice reforms, labor-related bills ahead of crossover day, and Georgia’s long-running border and water dispute with Tennessee.