On October 2, 1789, President George Washington signed a resolution transmitting the (then-twelve) amendments constituting the Bill of Rights to the states that had ratified the Constitution. Click here for the letter from Washington to Governor Charles Pinckney of South Caroling that accompanied the amendments.
Original Communist (O.C.) Karl Marx published Das Kapital on October 1, 1867.
On October 2, 1879, Wallace Stevens was born. Stevens would become a renowned poet and insurance industry lawyer. My favorite poem of his is “Connoisseur of Chaos.”
The pensive man . . . He sees the eagle float
For which the intricate Alps are a single nest.
Wyoming adopted the first state constitution to allow women to vote on September 30, 1889; voters in the state of Washington adopted the state constitution on October 1, 1889.
The first World Series of baseball opened on October 1, 1903.
On October 1, 1908, Ford introduced the Model T.
President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke at the White House on October 2, 1909.
President Woodrow Wilson spoke in favor of Women’s Suffrage in an address to Congress on September 30, 1918. The bill to pass the 19th Amendment would die in the Senate that year after passing the House.
Former President Jimmy Carter was born on October 1, 1924 at Wise Sanitarium in Plains, Georgia, the first American President to be born in a hospital.
On September 30, 1927, Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run of the season.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Warm Springs, Georgia for the 21st time beginning on October 1, 1931.
In a Special Election October 1, 1940, Florence Gibbs became the first woman elected to Congress from Georgia, completing her late husband’s term and serving through January 3, 1941, but not standing for a full term of her own.
Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong proclaimed the Communist People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949.
Thurgood Marshall was sworn-in as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court on October 2, 1967.
On September 30, 1976, Democrat Jimmy Carter led the Harris Poll for President over President Gerald Ford by a 50-41 margin. In November 1976, the popular vote tallied 50.08% for Carter to 48.01% for Ford, with an Independent taking nearly a point.
Betty Talmadge, then wife of Senator Herman Talmadge, hosted a fundraiser with Rosalynn Carter and Joan Mondale on October 2, 1976.
Ground was broken for The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta on October 2, 1984 and the Carter Center was dedicated on October 1, 1986.
Mikhail Gorbachev named himself Chairman of the USSR’s Supreme Soviet on October 1, 1988.
President George H.W. Bush condemned Iraq’s takeover of Kuwait in a speech to the United Nations on October 1, 1990.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
GOP Absentee ballot requests outnumbered requests by Democratic voters.
According to data released by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, 91,905 absentee ballots have been requested. Of those, 46,431, or more than 50%, of the requests come from people who voted in a Republican Primary (including Presidential Preference Primary, General Primary, or General Primary Runoff). Past Democratic Primary voters in the same period number 27,420.
Absentee ballot requests by race/ethnicity
White 68,413
Black 18,397
Hispanic 859
Asian 1,513
Other 317
Unknown 2,406
Several folks have asked me about issues in the 2017 Georgia General Assembly, so I’ll go ahead and speculate wildly. In no particular order:
Retroactive property tax refunds for disabled veterans whose disability finding was delayed by the VA.
Casino/parimutuel gambling
Medicaid Expansion
National Anthem
Religious Liberty
Medical Marijuana
Airbnb/Uber/Other disruptive technology
Moving nurses licensing out of the Secretary of State’s office
Make pimping a felony
Bathroom use by transgender people
Opioid abuse
Craft beer brewers and aficionados are determined to make direct beer sales to consumers a legislative issue next year.
Georgia’s beer wholesalers say they are likely to propose new changes to the state’s laws governing the sale of alcohol, but the growing craft brewery industry isn’t exactly holding its breath.
Martin Smith, a spokesman and lobbyist for the Georgia Beer Wholesalers Association, told a legislative panel Thursday that his organization is meeting regularly with the state’s craft brewers “to discuss changes to the current system.”
Nancy Palmer, the executive director of the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, said whether the wholesalers offer changes or don’t, her organization will push significant changes when lawmakers return for the next legislative session in January.
“We’re coming forward with aggressive, but reasonable, legislation,” she said. “We’ll be going after it as hard as we can.”
Fulton County elected officials are “educating” voters about the need to pass another T-SPLOST to levy a 1-cent sales tax for transportation.
With just more than a month to go until the Nov. 8 election, Eaves said a push with radio ads, yard signs and direct mail will educate residents about the transportation special purpose local option sales tax, known as TSPLOST. In Fulton County outside the city of Atlanta, residents will vote on whether to raise sales taxes by three-quarters of a penny for five years to fund road, bridge and other fixes. It is the first time Fulton County has proposed such a tax.
Some confusion may come from the fact that in Atlanta, residents are voting on two similar measures. They will decide whether they want to add a 0.4-cent tax for five years for transportation improvements, as well as a 40-year 0.5-cent tax to fund an expansion of MARTA.
Eaves and representatives of the county’s 14 cities said they hadn’t heard any organized opposition to the tax measures. People recognize “there is a challenge in terms of congestion” that a tax increase could help solve, Eaves said.
Knowledge on the county’s south side is greater than in the north, he said. In East Point and Fairburn, city representatives said they were winning over residents by going to homeowners’ association meetings and other small-scale events and highlighting specific projects that would be relevant in their areas.
Eaves’ main concern, he said, is that residents who encounter an unfamiliar measure on the ballot will simply vote against it.
United States Senator David Perdue (R-GA) has a plan for new Senate rules that would force the body to address the national debt.
“I believe if you get this then you have the opportunity to debate taxes, spending cuts, military spending, domestic programs and mandatory spending,” Perdue told reporters Thursday.
The former Fortune 500 CEO spent months surveying his Senate colleagues for ideas about how Congress could, for the first time in roughly two decades, pass its 12 annual spending bills on time. He also studied examples from foreign governments and the corporate world.
The result is a sweeping proposal that would fundamentally change the nation’s budget laws for the first time in more than 40 years.
It would first force Congress to pass a budget blueprint (it’s currently optional and functions more as the majority’s policy wish-list). It would create a new committee that would act as a nerve center of spending and policy decisions and require lawmakers to take into account the costs of entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, among other changes. Most importantly, it would include a mechanism to force lawmakers to do their work — potentially cutting their pay or that of their aides.
“There is no alternative but to change this process,” Perdue said. “This can’t continue. It’s totally embarrassing as a federal government of the largest enterprise in the history of the world that out of 12 appropriations bills it takes to fund this government that we’ve averaged 2.6 (annually) in the last 42 years.”
The State Charter School Commission approved five new charter schools.
The commission on Wednesday gave charters to Genesis Academy in Atlanta which will have separate K-10 facilities for boys and girls and offer an extended day, week and year program aimed at preparing kids for college. Resurgence Hall in Fulton County will serve K-8 students with an emphasis on computer science and 200 minutes a day of literacy instruction and also offer an extended day and year.
The other schools are DREAM Academy, serving K-10 students in Macon-Bibb County, and SAIL: School for Arts-Infused Learning, in Columbia or Richmond County.
All except Resurgence Hall will have a statewide attendance zone, according to the commission, which was established in 2013 by a constitutional amendment in 2012.
The Georgia School Boards Association Board of Directors voted to oppose the Opportunity School District Amendment #1.
The organization on Thursday announced a vote Friday by its board of directors to formally oppose Amendment 1 on the Nov. 8 ballot because it undermines “the constitutional authority vesting exclusive control over public schools to local boards of education as the level of government closest and most responsive to the taxpayers and parents of the children being educated,” their statement says.
Loganville City Council Member Rey Martinez made the case for Hispanic voters to choose Trump for President.
“Donald Trump is reaching out to the Hispanic community and Hillary Clinton hasn’t done that yet,” Martinez said. “She thinks that she’s got our votes. She’s taking our votes for granted and she’s making a big mistake by doing that.”
Martinez argued that U.S. Census Bureau data shows that at a time when the Latino community is quickly growing, more Hispanic residents are living in poverty while home ownership and salary averages decreased.
“My message to Hispanics is ‘What do you have to lose?’ Martinez said. “‘You’ve seen what the Democrats, what the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton, have done for the last eight years. You’ve seen what they’ve done. Are you willing to do it again for another four years? Why don’t you give Donald Trump a try?’
“That’s my message and it is resonating around Georgia,” Martinez said. “There are a lot of Hispanics out there that are coming on board and they’re listening to the message and they’re saying, ‘Hey, you know what? We’ve seen what’s been happening the last eight years and we’re going to give Donald Trump a shot.’”
“What Donald Trump is talking about, basically, is keeping us safe,” Martinez said. “Hispanics should be cheering for this. He wants to keep the Hispanic community, the Muslim community, the Asian community, the African-American community safe.
“He wants to (ban) illegal drugs from coming from south of the border. He also wants to keep illegal criminals that are here illegally away from this country.”
State Senator Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) passed legislation that helped schools across the state to stock EpiPens in case of emergency needs.
Georgia’s Emergency Epinephrine Act was introduced by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, backed by Harris’ advocacy group, and signed into law by Gov. Nathan Deal in 2013.
Although the Georgia law does not require that schools stock EpiPens for emergency use, it encourages this and authorizes a physician, advanced practice nurse or physician assistant to write a prescription in the name of a public or private school. Some states mandate that schools carry EpiPens.
The idea is that a trained employee can administer emergency treatment if a student appears to be having a life-threatening allergic reaction. The law also has a good Samaritan provision, protecting anyone who uses the medication in good faith.
“We want people to not have any fear of using this drug in a life-or-death situation,” said Hufstetler, a trained anesthetist, who added he is confident that epinephrine is a safe, easily administered drug.
Georgia farmers suffering losses from the drought may be eligible for federal assistance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday that nine of state’s counties were designated as primary natural disaster area due to losses caused by extreme drought conditions earlier this month. Those counties include Baldwin, Houston, Taliaferro, Bibb, Jones, Twiggs, Hancock, Peach and Wilkinson.
Farmers in 17 Georgia counties are also allowed to apply for loans because they are contiguous with the declared disaster area. Those counties include Bleckley, Jasper, Monroe, Taylor, Crawford, Johnson, Oglethorpe, Warren, Dooly, Laurens, Pulaski, Washington, Glascock, Macon, Putnam, Wilkes and Greene.
Savannah City Council is considering a building moratorium for the historic district.
Savannah Alderman Van Johnson suggested that moratorium may need to be placed on future hotel development.
“All growth is not good growth and at some point we get to the point where Savannah is not unique anymore,” Johnson said. “We have to protect what drew people to Savannah in the first place.”
The idea was further supported by Alderman Tony Thomas, who called for a motion for such a moratorium to provide time to assess and discuss future development downtown. That motion that was seconded by Alderwoman Estella Shabazz.
“You don’t want to be anti-business, you don’t want to be anti-tourist, but we continue to have these same fights,” Thomas said.
The Port of Savannah set new records for most truck moves through the gates on three different days this month.
During the first two full weeks of September, the Port of Savannah posted three all-time record days for truck gate moves, with nearly 11,000 trucks coming in and going out of the terminal each day.
“The Port of Savannah handled this volume without congestion, thanks in part to our new Gate 8, which is handling approximately 15 percent of gate volumes,” he said. “We anticipate even greater reliance on Gate 8 after the Georgia Department of Transportation completes improvements to Grange Road between the gate and Jimmy DeLoach Parkway.”
“No other single terminal in the country has the capacity to move the container volumes that cross our docks at Garden City Terminal,” Lynch said. “With 1,200 acres and 48 truck lanes, the Port of Savannah is uniquely suited to handle the large cargo exchanges delivered by the bigger Neopanamax ships we’re now seeing.”
Don Cole on the Constitutional Amendments
My friend, Don Cole, has written his recommendations on the four Constitutional Amendments on the ballot next month. I don’t necessarily agree with all his recommendations, but his reasoning is sound and his perspective valuable. I recommend checking his website for the full text, and if you enjoy his writing, subscribe to his email newsletter.
I will probably write about my own decisions on the Amendments at a later date.
Amendment #1 – Opportunity School District
Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance?
( ) Yes
(X ) NoAny conservative who believes in smaller government should give pause before voting “Yes.” This amendment creates yet more layers of bureaucracy and government growth beginning with the Opportunity School District (OSD).
Another bureaucracy to intervene in chronically failing schools will not improve student performance. Instead it will add more administrators, burn up more tax dollars, and frustrate local communities. It will also place yet heavier burdens on one group that can improve student performance – the classroom teacher.
Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow additional penalties for criminal cases in which a person is adjudged guilty of keeping a place of prostitution, pimping, pandering, pandering by compulsion, solicitation of sodomy, masturbation for hire, trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, or sexual exploitation of children and to allow assessments on adult entertainment establishments to fund the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Fund to pay for care and rehabilitative and social services for individuals in this state who have been or may be sexually exploited?
(x) Yes
( ) No[Don Cole’s] Vote – Yes (With Some Reservation)
A yes vote authorizes the legislature to direct fines levied against crimes related to human trafficking to a trust fund. It also provides for taxes on adult entertainment establishments to help offset the cost of social services for victims of human trafficking. My vote is yes.
It is completely appropriate that persons convicted of crimes relating to human trafficking and sexual exploitation be forced to help pay the costs to society resulting from their behavior. It is also appropriate to assess taxes and fees on establishments that directly and indirectly create an environment that lends itself to encouraging human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
I am voting yes. I do have reservations about long-term implications. The first reservation is that the fines and taxes directed to the trust fund will likely fall short of the needs that exist. These are victims of crimes and we must not turn our backs on them. My reservation is that the legislature may point to the trust fund and proclaim that the problem is resolved.
Amendment #3 – Judicial Qualifications Commission
Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to abolish the existing Judicial Qualifications Commission; require the General Assembly to create and provide by general law for the composition, manner of appointment, and governance of a new Judicial Qualifications Commission, with such commission having the power to discipline, remove, and cause involuntary retirement of judges; require the Judicial Qualifications Commission to have procedures that provide for due process of law and review by the Supreme Court of its advisory opinions; and allow the Judicial Qualifications Commission to be open to the public in some manner?
( x) YES
( ) NOWhat concerns me most about the current status is the power vested in the State Bar, a private organization, to exercise powers with no accountability to the people through the elected members of the General Assembly. The Amendment abolishes the current Judicial Qualifications and returns the rightful authority to the General Assembly to “create the Judicial Qualifications Commission and establish the composition, manner of appointment, and governance.”
The arguments against this amendment are mostly based on the charges of legislative cronyism. I do not think that the State Bar of Georgia is necessarily as pure as new fallen snow. Cronyism will exist in any organization (especially an organization composed of lawyers.) The General Assembly may be filled with a bunch of old cronies, but at least they are my cronies.
Amendment #4 – Dedicating existing tax revenue
Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the proceeds of excise taxes on the sale of fireworks or consumer fireworks be dedicated to the funding of trauma care, firefighter equipping and training, and local public safety purposes?
( x) YES
( ) NOThis amendment is not about legalizing fireworks or increasing taxes. The General Assembly has already done that and they did not need an amendment to do so.
This amendment designates the revenues from the excise tax for certain purposes and allows the designated funds to carry forward any balances from year to year. The funds may only be used for the purposes established in the funds. Senate Bill 350 allocates tax revenue to (1) Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission; (2) Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council…. to fund a grant program for improving the equipment and training of Georgia firefighters; and (3) local governments, to be used specifically for public safety purposes
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