Who gets heard at the Georgia Capitol, and what does it take to turn representation into real influence? Rep. Dr. Michelle Au reunites with her former Senate suitemate, Sen. Nikki Merritt, chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, for a candid conversation about Georgia’s changing communities and the work of making their voices count under the Gold Dome.

Their conversation touches on the fight over redistricting, partnerships across Black, Asian American and Latino communities, and an internship program helping prepare Georgia’s next generation of leaders. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how communities organize, advocate and turn a shared voice into action.

Notes: Learn about State Senator Nikki Merritt below:

Senator Nikki Merritt represents Georgia’s 9th Senate District in Gwinnett County and serves as chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. First elected in 2020 after flipping a Republican-held seat, she brings a background in telecommunications, labor advocacy and community service to the legislature. During her 23-year telecommunications career, her involvement with the Communications Workers of America helped shape her advocacy for working families. Raised in Austell, Merritt is a Georgia State University graduate and lives in Grayson with her family.

Learn more at https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/bios/merritt-nikki-4978.pdf

In Episode 2 of The Georgia Diagnosis, Rep. Dr. Michelle Au sits down with Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey to talk about what it takes to build a political party beyond a single election. Bailey discusses running for office in Georgia, strengthening the party’s statewide infrastructure, and supporting candidates up and down the ballot. Drawing on his experience as both a statewide candidate and party chair, he looks at the work underway for 2026 and how it lays the groundwork for 2028 and beyond.

Notes: Learn more about Charlie Bailey below:

Charlie Bailey - Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia

Charlie Bailey is Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, a position he has held since May 2025. A Harris County native and attorney, Bailey earned undergraduate degrees in political science and religion and his law degree from the University of Georgia. He began his political career working on Georgia campaigns before practicing law and later serving as a Senior Assistant District Attorney in Fulton County. Bailey was the Democratic nominee for Georgia Attorney General in 2018 and Lieutenant Governor in 2022 before moving into state party leadership.

Learn more about Charlie Bailey at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Bailey_(politician)

Episode description: Rep. Dr. Michelle Au sits down with WABE political reporter Rahul Bali to explore how Georgia politics gets told in sound. Drawing on a career that has taken him from student radio and local newsrooms to CNN, GPB, WTOP and WABE, Rahul discusses why local journalism matters, how reporters build the institutional knowledge needed to cover the Gold Dome, and what changes when audiences can actually hear politicians in their own voices.

It’s a behind-the-mic look at who tells Georgia’s political story, how those stories take shape, and why the medium can matter as much as the message.

Notes: Learn more about Rahul Bali below:

• Rahul Bali – Politics reporter, WABE

Bio: https://www.wabe.org/people/rahul-bali/

Rahul Bali is a politics reporter at WABE, Atlanta’s leading public radio station and NPR affiliate. He covers state politics, including the Georgia General Assembly, the governor and other state leaders and offices. Rahul has over 28 years of experience in radio and television in Huntsville, Alabama, Augusta, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

Episode description: In this field episode, Michelle takes viewers inside the Georgia State Capitol for a press conference marking the one-year commemoration of the Apalachee school shooting. Filmed on the Capitol steps, the episode captures the press conference, behind-the-scenes preparation, and conversations with students and families directly impacted by the tragedy. Through these voices, the episode centers the human cost of gun violence and the urgent need for prevention-focused policy. The day concludes with a media interview addressing school safety, gun-violence prevention, and the legislative path forward in Georgia.

Notes:

• Coverage of the Apalachee school shooting:
  • Everytown: What to Know About The Mass Shooting At Apalachee High School in Winder, GA
  • CNN: ‘Hard lockdown’: A timeline of the Apalachee High School shooting
  • Fox 5: One year since Apalachee High School shooting
• Gun safety prevention advocacy:
  • HB 1 Advocacy Toolkit
  • Georgia Majority for Gun Safety
  • Solutions | Everytown
  • Resources | Moms Demand Action
• Team Au’s gun safety legislative slate:
  • HB 1: Pediatric Health Safe Storage Act
  • HB 2: Safe Storage Tax Credit Act
  • HB 3: Brady Law Regulations; require universal background checks in all manner of firearm transfers
  • HB 4: Brady Law Regulations; three-day waiting period for purchase or transfer of certain firearms

Episode Description: Georgia’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities are growing — and so is their political influence. Michelle speaks with AAPI advocates, elected officials, and journalists about representation, civic engagement, and the power of storytelling in shaping Georgia’s political landscape.

Notes: Learn more about the advocates, officials, and journalists interviewed below:

Segment 1: Activism Old and New

• Lani Wong – Chair & Founding Member, National Association of Chinese Americans

Bio: https://www.naca-atlanta.org/team/lani-wong/

Lani Wong has been a tireless advocate for Georgia’s growing AAPI community for well over 40 years. She is regarded around the US as one of the foremost AAPI advocates in the entire country. Her work has been an integral part of the AAPI community’s increased political participation in Georgia that we see today. Lani was appointed to the Asian-American Commission for a New Georgia and the Georgia Human Relations Commission by Governor Roy Barnes, was made chair of the first Georgia Commission on Asian-American Affairs by Governor Sunny Purdue, and served under Atlanta Mayors Kasim Reed and Shirley Franklin.

Segment 2: AAPI Voices Under the Gold Dome

• Rep. Sam Park – Representative, Georgia State House of Representatives, HD 107

Bio: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/bios/park-sam-4901.pdf

Representative Sam Park has served in the Georgia State Legislature since 2017. He currently serves as the House of Representatives Minority Whip. In his time under the Gold Dome, Whip Park has introduced comprehensive civil rights legislation, co-sponsored legislation to expand Medicaid in Georgia and defeated discriminatory legislation targeted at minority communities. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Judicial, Ethics, Higher Education, Industry and Labor, Intragovernmental Coordination and Technology & Infrastructure Innovation committees, as well as an Ex-Officio member of the Rules Committee.

• Rep. Long Tran – Representative, Georgia State House of Representatives, HD 80

Bio: Representative Long Tran has served in the Georgia State Legislature since 2023. Long is the son of Vietnamese refugees and is a small business owner of the beloved Peachy Corners Cafe. He is one of the most outspoken voices at the Capitol for the AAPI community against discriminatory legislation, and a champion for small businesses. He serves on the Creative Arts & Entertainment Natural Resources & Environment Technology and Infrastructure Innovation.

Segment 3 - Representation Through Reporting

• Li Wong – Founder, CEO & Publisher, Georgia Asian Times

Bio: Li Wong is the founder of Georgia Asian Times and a pioneer of Georgia’s AAPI Community. Georgia Asian Times is the largest digital news media outlet that covers Georgia’s diverse AAPI community. Beyond their extensive coverage of the AAPI community, Georgia Asian Times covers finance, health, lifestyles, food, arts, entertainment, and events. In addition, they consistently host enlightening conversations with local and state officials, electeds, and community leaders to provide Georgians with more insight into the goings-on of their state.

This field episode gives a behind-the-scenes look at how Michelle creates space for constituents to share concerns and priorities. Filmed on location at one of Johns Creek’s favorite local restaurants, Arepita Cafe, this field episode highlights how listening to community voices directly shapes policy decisions at the Georgia State Capitol.

Notes:

This town hall episode was originally recorded on October 28th, 2025. At the time, the US federal government was in the midst of its longest shutdown in history. Much of the discussion on the day surrounded the fallout from the government shutdown including the cutting of SNAP benefits and other crucial services that hurt hundreds of thousands of Georgians. Then, we discussed state level policy related to smoking and vaping, specifically the prevalence in schools. This episode was filmed just a week before municipal elections, so we also discussed local elections and ballot referendums including a vote on a performing arts center in the district.

The lever arm of public health is prevention, and in this episode, Michelle explores why preventive care needs to be more of a legislative priority in Georgia. Joined by physicians and public-health experts, the conversation examines how prevention — from tobacco cessation to chronic disease management — improves health outcomes while reducing long-term costs to Medicaid and the workforce. This episode breaks down why investing in prevention is both smart health policy and sound fiscal policy.

Notes: The bulk of this episode was originally recorded on August 16th, 2025, eight days after a gunman opened fire at on the campus of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, killing Dekalb County Police Officer David Rose. It features the following distinguished physician-advocates:

Segment 1: Health Policy in Practice

Dr. Harry Heiman: Director of the DrPH Program at the Georgia State School of Public Health

Bio: https://publichealth.gsu.edu/profile/harry-heiman/

Dr. Heiman is Clinical Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences at the School of Public Health at Georgia State University. Prior to joining Georgia State, he served as Director of the Division of Health Policy at the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine, where he was also Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, with more than 20 years of clinical practice experience. Leveraging his experience as a primary care physician and expertise and experience in health policy, Dr. Heiman’s work focuses at the intersection of health policy and health equity.

Dr. Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber – Professor of Medical Education in Internal Medicine at the Augusta University / University of Georgia Medical Partnership

Bio: https://medicalpartnership.usg.edu/team_member/theresa-rohr-kirchgraber-md/

Dr. Rohr-Kirchgraber is a professor of medicine and clinician educator who joined the faculty of AU/UGA Medical Partnership in March 2021. Her leadership positions have included 1st Hispanic president of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), Vice-Chair of the American Medical Association (AMA) Women’s Physician Section, AMA Minority Affairs Governing Council and the Dissemination and Implementation Steering Committee for the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative with the American College of OBGYN. Dr. Rohr-Kirchgraber is passionate about the need for increased diversity in healthcare. Her clinical expertise is in primary care for adults and adolescents, especially those with chronic conditions.

Segment 2: Prevention Under Pressure – CDC Insider Perspective

Dr. Barbara Marston: Former Deputy Director for Science and Program, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, CDC

Bio: Dr. Marston retired from CDC as the Deputy Director for Science and Program in the Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Dr. Marston has worked on CDC's Ebola response, the Division of Global Health Protection's Health Recovery Branch, and CDC's response efforts in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. Dr. Marston received the Global AIDS Program Humanitarian Award and the Center for Global Health Director's Medal of Excellence in Global Health for her contributions to public health in Haiti.