Georgia Politics, Campaigns & Elections for April 26, 2013

Governor Deal signs Juvenile Justice Reform

“HB 349 is another step in the right direction in making Georgia smarter on crime,” said Deal. “Public safety will be improved by giving prosecutors leverage in certain cases and by ensuring that our prison resources are reserved for the ‘kingpins’ while the ‘mules’ are given a chance at reform.”

Additional Bills Signed by Gov. Deal

Deal also signed Senate Bill 160 without a press conference and release. From the Associated Press via Augusta Chronicle:

Georgia’s governor has signed a bill that aims to fix some unintended consequences of the state’s 2011 crackdown on illegal immigration.

The legislation signed by Gov. Nathan Deal on Wednes­day also expands certain parts of that law, including those having to do with secure forms of identification and public benefits. Critics have said the law could keep people in the country illegally from accessing certain government services or buildings that require an ID.

Under the 2011 law, the state attorney general’s office was charged with creating a list of “secure and verifiable” documents that government agencies could accept if they require identification for an official purpose. The bill signed Wednesday removes foreign passports from the list unless they are accompanied by federal documents proving legal residence. It adds U.S. birth certificates and certification of birth abroad issued by the U.S. State Department to the list.

The bill adds grants, public and assisted housing, retirement benefits and state driver’s licenses to a list of public benefits for which people living in the country illegally are not eligible.

Cobb School Board Rejects Common Core

The Marietta Daily Journal writes that a majority of the Cobb County Board of Education voted against the $7.5 million purchase of textbooks tied to the controversial Common Core national standards.

Board members who voted against buying the materials were Kathleen Angelucci, Tim Stultz, Randy Scamihorn and Brad Wheeler.

Angelucci questioned the purchases because of their association with Common Core Standards, a curriculum that has been adopted by 45 states nationally.

She argued that many states are looking at getting rid of these standards for a number of reasons, and Georgia legislators were looking at doing the same with the introduction of House Bill 167, which was withdrawn this past session.

“I have on good authority that it will be introduced,” she told her colleagues.

Asked about the Common Core standards, Gov. Deal told the MDJ, “I think the misconception is that this was federally imposed on the state of Georgia and on the other states, and I think all but maybe one or two actually have subscribed to the Common Core.”

Yet More Campaign Email

Former Congressman Ron Paul has endorsed Paul Broun for United States Senate, signing a fundraising email.

Thankfully, there are a few strong defenders of the Constitution who stand firm against out-of-control spending and overreach by politicians in both political parties…

…Dr. Paul Broun of Georgia’s 10th District is one of those principled Constitutional conservatives in Congress.

If we’re going to restore our Constitution and put our nation back on the path to prosperity, we must elect principled conservatives who will fight in Washington.

Paul Broun will continue fighting, and that’s why I endorsed his candidacy for U.S. Senate in Georgia.

If you look at the entire email, this is classical direct-mail style fundraising. It explicitly asks for a donation no fewer than eight times, each time suggesting amounts that start with the legal maximum and go down to a small dollar figure.

It includes two separate postscripts to drive home the urgency of the request, and direct mail fundraising specialists know that often the PS is among the most-read parts of any letter.

Liberal use of underlining and bold-face to enhance skimmability? Check.

If you long for the good old days when you came home to a mailbox full of thick fundraising pleas from right-wing organizations and politicians who trade mailing lists like Milhouse traded pogs, happy days are here again.

Of course, Ron Paul also endorsed disgraced former Governor Mark Sanford for Congress in SC-1, so we’ll see what his endorsement is worth in the South Carolina Special Election.

Weekend Events

April 27, 2013 8:30 Fulton GOP – BuckSprings Breakfast: Private Tour of Anne Frank Exhibit – at the Anne Frank In The World Exhibit, 5920 Roswell Road Suite 209, Sandy Springs, GA, 30328. This special event will be hosted in the Exhibit itself which is located in the same shopping center but across the parking lot from our FultonGOP headquarters.

Please register for the breakfast and tour online so they’ll know how much food to order.

As usual, the Fulton GOP will have a full catered breakfast by The Flying Biscuit. Breakfast  at 8:30am, followed by a short video presentation, “The Short Life of Anne Frank.” Then we will make our way through the collection of 600 photographs & over 8,000 words.

Visit their website for more information: annefrankexhibitsandysprings.org

April 27, 2013 at 9 AM — Bartow GOP April Forum – at Bartow GOP HQ, 162 West Main Street, Cartersville, GA, 30120.

April 27, 2013 at 10 AM — DeKalb GOP Forum for Candidate for GAGOP Chairman – at Wright’s Gourmet, 5482 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd,Dunwoody, GA, 30338.

April 27, 2013 at 6 PM Georgia Republican Assembly Debate for Candidates for Georgia Republican Party Chairman – Shorty Howell Park Community Center, 2750 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth, GA,30096