On January 28, 1733, Georgia’s first colonists celebrated a day of thanksgiving for their safe arrival in Savannah and Chief Tomochichi’s granting them permission to settle on the Yamacraw Bluff.
On January 27, 1785, a charter was approved by the Georgia legislature for the first publicly-supported state university in America.
On January 29, 1779, British forces captured Augusta, Georgia.
On January 29, 1892, the Coca Cola Company was incorporated in Georgia in Fulton County Superior Court.
On January 27, 1941, Delta Air Lines announced it would move its headquarters from Monroe, Louisiana to Atlanta, Georgia. It was an interesting case of public-money-fueled economic development.
In 1940, the city of Atlanta and Delta had signed an agreement whereby the city agreed to contribute $50,000 for construction of a new hanger and office building for Delta if it would move its headquarters to Atlanta. In turn, Delta agreed to pay the remaining construction costs and then assume a 20-year lease for the new facilities. On Jan. 16, 1941, Delta had secured a $500,000 loan from Atlanta’s Trust Company of Georgia, thus allowing it to make a public announcement of the move.
On January 28, 1943, Governor Ellis Arnall signed a joint resolution of the Georgia House and Senate amending the Georgia Constitution to make the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia a constitutional board and reduce the power of the Governor over the Regents.
The movement to a constitutional board came after the loss of accreditation of all Georgia state higher education institutions for white people. The previous Governor, Eugene Talmadge, had engineered the firing of UGA’s Dean of the College of Education; after the Board of Regents initially refused to fire the Dean, Talmadge dismissed three members, and replaced them with new appointees who voted for the firing. Talmadge lost the 1942 election to Arnall.
On January 29, 1955, Georgia Governor Marvin Griffin signed legislation granting the power to take land needed for the Stone Mountain Park through condemnation if negotiations to buy it fell through.
On January 27, 1965, the Shelby GT 350 was unveiled.
Otis Redding’s “Dock of the Bay” was released on January 27, 1965, seven weeks after his death.
On January 29, 1977, Congressman Andrew Young resigned his seat to accept the nomination by President Carter as United States Ambassador to the United Nations.
On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff as many Americans watched on live television. President Ronald Reagan addressed the loss of seven astronauts.
Reagan had originally been scheduled to give his State of the Union that evening, but cancelled the speech. His address on the Challenger disaster was written by Peggy Noonan. The speech written by Noonan and delivered by Reagan is ranked as one of the top ten political speeches of the 20th Century.
On January 29, 1998, a bomb exploded in a Birmingham, Alabama abortion clinic, killing a police officer. Eric Rudolph would later admit to setting that bomb, along with the Centennial Park bombing in 1996, and the bombing of a Sandy Springs abortion clinic and an Atlanta bar in 1997.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Governor Nathan Deal announced that FEMA will assist individuals in six counties hit by tornadoes.
Gov. Deal Nathan Deal today received notice from the White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that six counties impacted by the severe weather on January 21 and 22 have been approved for individual assistance. Deal has also requested individual assistance for the remaining 10 counties under the state of emergency.
The six counties include:
- Berrien
- Cook
- Crisp
- Dougherty
- Turner
- Wilcox
“I’m tremendously grateful for the immediate assistance and attention President Trump has given Georgia’s requests for federal aid, as well as his concern for our citizens,” said Deal.
“I’d also like to thank President Trump for sending the acting director of FEMA to view firsthand the horrific effects of this natural disaster. FEMA, along with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, is working to expedite financial assessments in the remaining counties impacted by the storms.”
“Following my conversations with President Trump and FEMA, I’m confident that public assistance for all 16 counties will be approved expeditiously. This approval is critical to the state as well as local communities.”
For more information on damage assessments, contact Catherine Howden at Catherine.howden@gema.ga.gov.
President Trump called Gov. Deal to tell him about the federal assistance.
“My team tells me we’ve approved your recommendation in record time,” Deal said Trump told him. The governor then urged him to quickly approve a second disaster request for the violent storms that struck over the weekend, killing at least 15 in Georgia.”
“He was very upbeat, very concerned about the loss of life. He did not know how large the number was – he thought it was eight, and I told him it was larger than that,” said Deal. “He expressed his condolences to the people here in Georgia and I am just very thankful.”
Speaking to reporters in Adel, Deal then drew a parallel with Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama.
“This is the second phone call I’ve received from the president of the United States regarding these tornadoes,” said Deal. “I can tell you, this is my seventh year as governor of this state. And we’ve had other tragedies in the past. This is the first time I’ve spoken with the president about these types of circumstances. I’m very pleased with his attention to these challenges.”
State Rep. Gerald Greene (R-Cuthbert) was shot in the leg yesterday and taken to the hospital.
State Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, was reportedly shot in the leg during a holdup Thursday at a Columbus convenience store as he was returning home from the state capital, according to sources who would only speak on condition of anonymity.
The source told The Herald that Greene was mugged at the store before his assailant shot him. The wound was not considered to be life-threatening, and Greene was hospitalized at Midtown Medical Center for the injury, the source said.
State Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, told the AJC that Greene was at the Midtown medical facility.
Cook Medical Center, which treated some of the South Georgia tornado victims, is slated to close its Emergency Room at the end of February.
Terry England, the powerful chairman of Georgia’s House Appropriations Committee, was sitting in his church Sunday morning when he started getting the texts. Tornadoes had just ripped through South Georgia. And victims were headed to an emergency room — one whose closure was announced that same week.
Then relief: A document flashed in England’s memory saying the ER still had 37 days before shutting down.
“Thankfully,” England thought. “Because they’re about to get real busy.”
The Cook County tornado killed seven in one trailer park. Fifteen of the tornado’s other victims went to the Cook Medical Center.
That emergency room in the small country town of Adel is just the latest victim to be claimed by Georgia’s rural hospital crisis. England has been deep in the fray, heading a task force aimed at stabilizing the hospitals. Cook Medical Center underscores his dilemma: Statewide, there is a clash between what communities need and what hospital systems can afford.
A profusion of uninsured or underinsured patients, poverty, and sluggish (even declining) population growth have hit rural hospitals particularly hard. That’s in an era when the cost of delivering care is steadily increasing.
The AJC story on Cook Medical Center does a great job of explaining the financial pressures under which many Georgia hospitals are operating. It’s worth reading in its entirety.
The AJC’s Greg Bluestein also has a piece on Stefan Passantino, the Atlanta attorney who will be joining the Office of White House Counsel in the Trump Administration.
Passantino is a well-known ethics expert who heads the political law division for the mega-firm Dentons. He’s run countless seminars explaining campaign contribution rules and disclosure guidelines. And he was counsel to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich during his 2012 presidential run, as well as the chief lawyer for U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Roy Blunt of Missouri.
In a statement, Gingrich said Passantino will “stand firm for an administration that is above reproach.” And Howard Dean, the former Democratic presidential candidate who also worked at Dentons with Passantino, praised the decision.
“I have a lot of confidence that he will be clear about what the ethical and legal boundaries are in his advice to the White House,” said Dean, a former Vermont governor, “and I appreciate his willingness to serve the country.”
Senator Johnny Isakson (R) also congratulated Passantino on his appointment.
“The incoming president has made a very wise choice in his decision to appoint Stefan Passantino, a great Georgian who over the course of two decades has earned a reputation for excellence in advising corporations, elected officials and political organizations on ethics and compliance issues,” said Isakson, who is one of Passantino’s clients and who serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics.
“This is a win for our country and a win for Georgia. From his work as special assistant to the Georgia attorney general to his legal advice to the state Republican party and to my own campaigns for U.S. Senate, Stefan brings a depth of knowledge and dedication to service that few could match.”
Passantino has served as Isakson’s campaign counsel for more than 10 years as well as counsel to the Georgia Republican Party. Passantino is leaving his role as a member of Dentons’ public policy and regulation practice and head of the firm’s political law practice.
He is an expert in state and federal election law, political contributions, pay-to-play, state and federal lobbying laws and ethics issues. He has been recognized by Washingtonian Magazine as one of the “Best Legal Minds in Washington” in the field of campaign and election law every year since 2011.
Roll Call writes that Bruce LeVell might run for Congress in the Sixth District seat currently held by Rep. Tom Price.
In Georgia, Trump surrogate Bruce LeVell is heading toward a run for Georgia’s 6th District, assuming GOP Rep. Tom Price is eventually confirmed as secretary of Health and Human Services.
Unlike Cobb’s situation, there would be a primary, albeit one with candidates from all parties running together and the top two finishers moving to a runoff if no one receives more than 50 percent.
But similar to Cobb, LeVell would likely start the race as an underdog against former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel. LeVell was the leader of Trump’s National Diversity Coalition. You can read more about the race in the Dec. 20 issue of the Report.
Neither seat is at immediate risk of a Democratic takeover, but Republican incumbents (particularly those who opposed Trump) across the country should be watching to see how involved Trump gets and how much traction anti-establishment candidates have by attaching themselves to the president. Just days before the inauguration, Trump was on the phone with members of the Ohio state central committee trying to influence the race for Republican party chairman.
House Bill 61, by State Rep. Jay Powell (R-Camilla) tightens sales tax collection for goods and service purchased over the internet and delivered in Georgia. From the AJC:
Top lawmakers are making another run at forcing online retailers to begin collecting taxes on what they sell in what they say is a bid to level the economic playing field with Georgia stores.
House Ways and Means Chairman Jay Powell, R-Camilla, filed House Bill 61, which would force online retailers with at least $250,000 or 200 sales a year in Georgia to either collect and remit to the state sales taxes on purchases or send “tax due” notices each year to customers. Copies of the notices would go to the state Department of Revenue so it would know who owes the money.
Powell’s measure is the latest shot fired in a years-long battle to get online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases. The owners of retail stores — who have a lot of political clout at the Capitol — have long said they are handicapped by the fact that they have to charge state and local sales taxes on what their customers buy, while many online customers don’t. That means products can cost less when bought online.
The Georgia Retail Association, which represents stores, has also long supported e-tax legislation.
“This would help create a neutral playing field among all retailers, and create fair competition, which ultimately, is what each business owner wants,” said James Miller of the association.
The Georgia Craft Brewers Guild says they have found common ground with beer wholesalers over the issue of direct sales to consumers.
Senator Rick Jeffares (R – McDonough), chairman of the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee, introduced Senate Bill 85, which will allow breweries to sell up to 3,000 barrels of the beer they manufacture to consumers visiting the brewery. If passed, consumers will be able to enjoy fresh beer by the glass, take up to one case to go, and purchase food without the tour package that is currently required. Furthermore, the bill slightly modifies the brewpub license to reinforce local control on issues of to-go sales from brewpubs.
Throughout the summer and fall of 2016 business leaders from craft breweries and their wholesale partners met to discuss common sense updates to benefit the beer industry in Georgia.
“With suggestions championed by both brewers and wholesalers, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), House Regulated Industries Committee Chairman Howard Maxwell (R- Dallas), and Senator Jeffares have provided guidance to create this legislation. Their commitment to supporting the small businesses of Georgia shines through in SB 85,” said Nancy Palmer, Executive Director of the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild. According to Palmer the Georgia Beer Wholesalers Association is also due credit, “The business leaders of the GBWA have been crucial in this process.”
“I applaud the industries for coming together and agreeing to an innovative solution,” commented Lt. Governor Cagle. “The shared interest of supporting our emerging small business and creating more opportunities for Georgians is clearly reflected in this legislation.”
State Rep. Terry England (R-Auburn) wrote on Facebook about the Supplemental Budget.
This morning we passed House Bill 43, the supplemental appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2017 and directed $5 million to the Governor’s Emergency Fund to help our neighbors.
House Bill 43 also includes almost $1 million to fund the Governor’s recommended 57 percent increase in the per-diem rate for foster care parents — plus another $1 per day that we in the House added. These rates go into effect April 1.
Midway through the fiscal year, we have $606.2 million more revenue than originally was projected. That brings the full budget for FY2017 to $24.3 billion.
We based our spending decisions on three principles: first, be fiscally conservative; second, fund our obligations and critical needs; and third, invest in our State.
I’m pleased that my colleagues stood by those principles and passed the bill by a vote of 173-1.
Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle (R) unveiled legislation to help expand access to mental health services.
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, along with the Senate Majority Caucus and Health and Human Services Chairwoman Renee Unterman, announced today their support for the “Enhancing Mental Health Treatment in Georgia Act,” which would create the Georgia Mental Health Treatment Task Force.
“I think it’s safe to say that mental illness or substance abuse has affected every family in Georgia in some form or fashion,” said Cagle. “While these illnesses are no different from any other kind of health crisis, there is still so much shame and embarrassment surrounding these treatable conditions. We are working together to remove this stigma and get Georgians the help they need to lead full, healthy lives.”
The task force, the fourth of the Senate Majority Caucus’ six legislative priorities, would examine the impact of untreated mental health and substance abuse disorders while looking at ways to increase access to treatment and preventative care.
“This task force recognizes that both care and intervention are vitally important to Georgia residents’ overall health,” said Sen. Unterman. “While 92,000 Georgians with mental health or addiction issues currently receive state assistance, approximately 306,000 citizens remain untreated. That discrepancy creates a huge strain on law enforcement and medical service personnel, and we want to ensure we help as many patients in need as we can.”
If SB 4 is signed into law, Cagle and Speaker David Ralston would each appoint three members from their respective bodies to the task force. Gov. Nathan Deal would appoint nine members from various state agencies and organizations. The Georgia Mental Health Care Taskforce has been charged with the following objectives:
- Examine the current mental health landscape
- Assess whether current the Medicaid program provides effective care for the portion of Georgia’s population suffering from mental illness/substance abuse
- Assess how non-Medicaid programs work to provide effective health care for the portion of Georgia’s population suffering from mental illness/substance abuse
- Determine the impact of lack of treatment of mental illness on Georgia’s hospitals, emergency rooms, law enforcement, prisons and jails
- Understand the link between substance abuse disorders and serious mental illness to provide comprehensive and effective treatment
- Determine what changes could be made to Georgia’s Medicaid program to increase access to care for those suffering from mental illness/substance abuse
Develop complete application for Medicaid block grant funding for mental health services and substance abuse prevention and treatment
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