Vincent Van Gogh died of a gunshot wound on July 29, 1890 in Auvers-sur-Oise, France
President Franklin D. Roosevelt made his eighth visit to Warm Springs, Georgia on July 29, 1927.
Congress passed legislation establishing the National Aeronautic and Space Admininistration (NASA) on July 29, 1958.
The Doors’ “Light My Fire” became their first #1 hit on July 29, 1967.
Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer on July 29, 1981.
Carl Lewis won his fourth consecutive gold medal in the long jump at the Atlanta Olympics on July 29, 1996.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
The AJC Political Insider points to suggestions that a Texas Special Runoff Election demonstrating that Donald Trump is losing his grip on GOP Primary voters.
It’s a question that’s resurfaced after a string of Trump setbacks this week. Jack Ellzey, a Republican state lawmaker, stunned Trump-backed Republican candidate Susan Wright to win a U.S. House special election in Texas Tuesday. The race was to fill the seat of Wright’s late husband, U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, who died earlier this year of COVID-19.
But the GOP candidates running against Trump-favored candidates next year are placing a bet that his grip on the state party will wane by then. They point to Ellzey’s Texas victory as the latest example of the overblown influence of a Trump endorsement.
It’s no small question for Georgia Republicans, who continues to captivate the former president. He’s turned Gov. Brian Kemp into a favorite punching bag; denigrated state Sen. Butch Miller, a top GOP candidate for lieutenant governor; and endorsed U.S. Rep. Jody Hice’s bid to unseat Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
State Representative Jake Ellzey, who narrowly missed capturing the Republican nomination for the seat in 2018, defeated Susan Wright, whose husband, Ron Wright, died in February about two weeks after testing positive for the coronavirus. Mr. Ellzey obtained 53.3 percent of the vote and will join the second-largest congressional delegation — 23 Republicans and 13 Democrats — in the U.S. House behind California.
In May, both candidates had captured far below the 50 percent majority needed to avoid a runoff in a 23-way contest for the state’s Sixth Congressional District, which represents three counties just south of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan region.
In the end, the runoff election, which drew far fewer voters than the primary, was less about two ideologically similar candidates and more about how much sway former President Donald J. Trump would have in getting people to cast ballots for Ms. Wright, whom he endorsed before the primary.
In a duel of former Republican leaders, Rick Perry, the state’s former governor and a cabinet member of Mr. Trump’s administration, threw his weight behind Mr. Ellzey, who like Mr. Perry is a former military pilot. After the result of Tuesday’s election was clear, Gov. Greg Abbott praised Mr. Ellzey.
The contest between Ms. Wright and Mr. Ellzey, who overtook a Democratic candidate by 347 votes to secure a slot in the runoff, disappointed Democrats, who had hoped to tap a reservoir of shifting demographics and Hispanic and African American growth in a district where Mr. Trump won by only three percentage points in November.
So, the NYT got an important fact wrong: it was not a Primary Election, it was a Special Runoff Election, in which any registered voters were eligble.
Note also that Democratic candidates took 36% of votes cast in the earlier Special Election.
This district narrowly went for President Trump by 51-48 in November 2020.
I think a far more likely scenario than President Trump losing influence among Republicans is that Ellzey won by (a) outraising and outspending Ms. Wright; (b) had endorsements from Congressman Dan Crenshaw and former Governor Rick Perry that helped offset Trump’s endorsement of Wright; and (c) probably got more Democratic votes in the runoff, enough to constitute his margin of victory, precisely because he was not Trump-endorsed.
Governor Brian Kemp and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr issued statements on the federal government’s lawsuit over Georgia’s new voting laws.
“The Department of Justice attorneys would make great Hollywood screenplay writers,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Their ‘lawsuit’ is loaded with partisan talking points and outright falsehoods because it is political propaganda aimed at justifying their unconstitutional federal takeover of elections across the country. SB 202 provisions like requiring voter ID on absentee ballots, securing drop boxes around the clock, and expanding weekend voting opportunities are commonsense reforms that ensure Georgia elections are secure, accessible, and fair. Instead of weaponizing the Department of Justice against election integrity measures, this administration should focus on reigning in inflation, reducing violent crime, and securing our southern border.”
“This is not a legitimate lawsuit from the Department of Justice, it’s a campaign flier,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “Biden’s Department of Justice is waging a shameless political attack on Georgia’s constitutional authority to regulate its elections. Georgia’s election system is equally accessible to all voters, and we will continue to vigorously defend the commonsense provisions of Georgia’s Election Integrity Act against these baseless, partisan attacks.”
The Republican Carr filed the motion to throw out the Northern District of Georgia case on Wednesday, saying that the federal prosecutors have not proven that the new provisions on absentee ballot drop boxes, voter ID, and others are unconstitutional. Carr’s brief says the federal complaint is “political posturing rather than a serious legal challenge.”
The primary basis of the federal prosecutors’ claim is that the intent behind the new rules, including fewer absentee drop boxes than were available in 2020 and a shortened timeline for requesting ballots, are discriminatory. Carr’s motion on Wednesday disputes that Senate Bill 202 violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits discrimination based on race, color or language.
“Even if intent had any relevance under Section 2, the complaint fails to allege facts showing discriminatory intent because it fails to allege an act or statement from any Georgia legislator suggesting such an attack behind SB 202,” Carr says in the filing.
Carr also says Georgia’s new rule that reduces the window for voters to cast out-of-precinct ballots is supported by the July 1 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that rejected a suit challenging Arizona’s similar policy.
Carr also argues that while the Justice Department is suing to invalidate Georgia’s new law, the Justice Department has been “noticeably silent” about similar election laws in Delaware, New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, and Wisconsin.
Republican state senators are seeking a performance review of the Fulton County elections office, according to the AJC.
A letter obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows two dozen state senators support a performance review of Fulton elections chief Richard Barron. The letter was written Tuesday, the very same day a front-page AJC story examined the prospect of a takeover of elections in Fulton, home to a tenth of all Georgians.
As written into Senate Bill 202, the State Election Board can replace a county’s election board following a performance review/audit/investigation. Then, a temporary superintendent would enjoy full managerial authority of how the county counts votes and staffs polling places.
A performance review begins upon request of at least two state representatives and two state senators from the county.
With more than enough senators, the letter addresses the representatives needed: “We have every reason to believe that the requisite number of Fulton’s House delegation will respond likewise, thereby triggering the performance review.”
Two representatives confirmed to the AJC on Wednesday that they would join the effort.
Fulton Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said a takeover is really a GOP attempt to wrest control of the U.S. Senate from Democrats and retain the governorship in 2022, with eyes toward 2024.
Governor Kemp said yesterday that Georgia will not impose mask mandates, according to Fox5Atlanta.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a series of tweets the state will not impose any lockdowns or mask mandates statewide. The tweets come a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its mask guidelines for fully vaccinated people in public and everyone in K-12 schools.
“Georgia will not lock down or impose statewide mask mandates,” Kemp wrote. “As the first state in the country to reopen over a year ago, we’ve proven that Georgians know how to come together and protect themselves and their loved ones.”
“The data is clear. Thanks to efforts initiated under the Trump Administration, we have a medical miracle in multiple vaccines that protect from the virus and save lives. Nearly all new COVID hospitalizations in Georgia are among the unvaccinated,” Kemp wrote.
“My family, myself, and other state leaders have all rolled up their sleeves and gotten their shot. I encourage all Georgians who have concerns or questions to talk to a medical provider and get vaccinated as quickly as possible,” Kemp continues.
“Georgians know the risks and they know these safe, effective vaccines are our greatest tool to defeat COVID-19,” Kemp concluded.
From the Savannah Morning News:
The governor added that the “biggest obstacle to getting more people vaccinated” came from “mixed messages” in Washington D.C. and “those with partisan agendas.”
That hasn’t stopped a growing number of local officials from taking their own steps to curb the spread of the disease. Late Wednesday, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms ordered that masks should be worn in all indoor public spaces, including private businesses.
According to CDC data, all but about a dozen of Georgia’s 159 counties meet the threshold for substantial or high community transmission. The only counties that don’t meet CDC’s threshold for recommended mask use are: Butts, Clay, Gilmer, Glascock, Jefferson, Lanier, Macon, Oglethorpe, Towns, Upson and Wilcox.
Georgia’s seven-day rolling average of probable and confirmed coronavirus cases is at its highest point since March 5 and more than eight times higher than it was before the July 4th holiday, according to state data. Meanwhile, the pace of vaccinations has slowed, hovering at 40% fully vaccinated statewide.
However, Kemp’s stance matters little to some school districts. Additional districts continued to announce Wednesday that they will require students and employees to wear masks, with the share of Georgia public school students covered by mask mandates now above 30%, according to Associated Press calculations.
The number of hospitalized patients also continued to spike. The number of confirmed COVID-19 patients statewide rose to to 1,674 on Wednesday from 1,501 on Tuesday. More than 10% of all patients now hospitalized in Georgia for any reason have COVID-19.
Rural hospital regions around Waycross and Dublin have seen more than twentyfold increases in the number of COVID-19 patients since July 5.
At least 15 school districts statewide have announced new mask mandates or reaffirmed existing ones. Camden County announced Monday it would require face coverings for all students, teachers and staff when school opens Monday. Gwinnett, the state’s largest district, announced its policy change Tuesday. The 30,000-student Muscogee County district becoming the latest to do so on Wednesday.
Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson said he is unlikely to reinstate a mask mandate, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Henderson previously said a mask mandate could return to the city if the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations rose above 65 and the two-week case rate approached 200 cases per 100,000 people.
But when contacted by the Ledger-Enquirer Wednesday, Henderson said the availability of the COVID vaccine raises his threshold for reinstating a mask mandate.
“It’s kind of hard to give you a fair metric,” Henderson told the Ledger-Enquirer. “This is such a fluid situation, just like it was last year and it’s even more so this year.”
“Listen, we know it’s a personal choice and respect that,” Henderson said. “But I would respectfully ask all those individuals to check with your doctor. If there’s a medical reason they can’t take it, just wear a mask and be very conscious of how close you are to other people.”
“We still have in government buildings, a requirement to wear masks,” Henderson said. “And that’s out of respect for our employees and to try to keep people safe who are here because they have to be here — like jury duty or to redo a car tag.”
“If you’re concerned, check with credible sources,” Henderson said. “I would urge (residents) to not believe everything on social media because there’s some pretty interesting stuff out there that doesn’t really parallel the reports that we get from more of the scientific locations.”
Chatahoochee County Schools announced they will require mask use in all facilities, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
The United States House of Representatives has returned to requiring masks, according to CNN via the Gwinnett Daily Post.
House lawmakers and their staff will be required to wear face coverings while in the House chamber, except when members are being recognized and speaking on the floor.
Lawmakers will not be allowed to enter the House chamber without a mask and those who fail to wear a mask in the House chamber will be subject to fines.
Face coverings are also required for meetings in an “enclosed” House “controlled space.”
The masks rules in the House — and across the country — have become a political flashpoint and already the House’s top Republican, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, pushed back on Tuesday’s directive, in a sign of potential further clashes.
When asked Wednesday about McCarthy’s criticism of the reinstatement of the mask mandate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “He’s such a moron.”
Georgia Senate President Pro Tem Butch Miller (R-Gainesville) campaigned for Lieutenant Governor in Columbus, according to WTVM.
Georgia State Senator Butch Miller is hoping to become the state’s next lieutenant governor. Current Lieutenant Governor and fellow Republican Geoff Duncan announced earlier this year he will not be running in 2022. Miller’s campaign reports he raised more than $2 million in the first five weeks of his campaign.
“We have built a great success story in Georgia on conservative principles, conservative values, and conservative legislation and we will continue that. We are the number one place to do business. We’re the number one place to raise a family and Georgia is on the right track and let’s keep it on that track,” Sen. Butch Miller proclaimed.
Senator Miller says it’s important to start making visits across the state early on because they will lose about four months of campaigning during the redistricting process and when the senate is in session from January through March.
Georgia state legislators held a redistricting committee meeting in Columbus, according to WTVM.
Columbus residents had the chance to have their voices heard about Georgia’s redistricting process during a joint town hall meeting with state leaders Wednesday evening. The drawing of electoral lines happens once every 10 years following the U.S. Census.
Georgia’s General Assembly held one of 11 joint reapportionment and redistricting hearings in at the Cunningham Center Wednesday evening.
“I would like to see all of Muscogee County in one congressional district,” Columbus-Muscogee County Republican Chair Alton Russell said.
Transparency is a common theme voters brought up Wednesday. Several voters say they’d like to see more meetings like this one offered at different times and on Saturdays. They also say they’d like these meetings to continue throughout the redistricting process once the 2020 Census data is released.
Governor Brian Kemp announced $2 million in funding from the Governor’s Emergency Fund for crime-fighting, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.
“In April of this year, I asked Colonel Chris Wright and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to develop and execute a plan to tackle crime and reckless street racing across the metro-Atlanta region,” Kemp said.
“Colonel Wright made a request of additional funds – up to $2 million – for the department to bring additional personnel onto the Crime Suppression Unit in order to strengthen their ongoing efforts. I have agreed to Colonel Wright’s request.”
In May, the governor committed $5 million from the emergency fund to fighting crime.
The $2 million he’s freeing up now is not part of that $5 million package, which was allocated for the fiscal year that ended June 30, Kemp spokesman Cody Hall said. However, not all of the earlier money had been spent when fiscal 2021 ended, Hall said.
“This additional funding is necessary to keep the streets of Atlanta safe and protect residents and visitors alike,” [Georgia State House Speaker David Ralston] said. “Our state law enforcement personnel are working around the clock to bring criminals to justice, and I greatly appreciate their work on behalf of all Georgians.”
The Georgia Department of Education has created a new office for rural education, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.
The Office of Rural Education and Innovation will be headed by Bronwyn Ragan-Martin, a veteran education leader who served most recently as superintendent of the Early County School System and president of the Georgia School Superintendents Association.
“It is a top priority of my administration to strengthen and bring greater opportunities and economic prosperity to rural Georgia,” Gov. Brian Kemp said Wednesday.
“The Georgia Department of Education’s new Office of Rural Education and Innovation will support those efforts to renew and revitalize rural Georgia and ensure our state remains the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
“Our rural schools and districts face unique challenges and resource gaps – and many of those challenges have only intensified due to the pandemic,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods added.
The new office will be supported with federal coronavirus relief funds and work to address educational needs in rural Georgia including connectivity, teacher retention and recruitment, resources and funding, and educator development.
Savannah-Chatham County Public School System has changed the schedule for some schools, citing a shortage of bus drivers, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Grantville City Council approved the purchase of solar power for municipal needs, according to the Newnan Times Herald.
“The Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia has entered into a power purchase contract to receive 80 megawatts of solar power,” said City Manager Al Grieshaber. “They have asked members of MEAG, of which we are one, whether or not we have interest in adding solar power, a carbon neutral emission, to our energy source. We requested 750 kilowatts of solar power.”
The power purchase contract is a 20-year agreement, Grieshaber said, with the price fixed at $25.91 per megawatt.
Albany City Commission rejected a proposed moratorium on new alcohol licenses, according to the Albany Herald.
Snellville retains the same property tax millage rate as the six previous years, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, the city did see new tax revenue growth of $31.29 million over last year, city officials said. Just four years ago, new growth was on $8.6 million.
Because the proposed levy is slightly higher than the Rollback Millage Rate, the city had to hold three public hearings. Citizens did not speak at any hearing.
Dalton City Council member Gary Crews announced he will run for reelection, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.
Jalen Johnson announced he will run for Albany Commission District 2, currently held by Matt Fuller, who has not announced whether he will seek reelection, according to the Albany Herald.
Coastal Senior Living of St. Marys, the only Medicaid-accepting senior home in Camden County announced it will close, according to The Brunswick News.
The eviction letter, sent July 26 to residents at Coastal Senior Living of St. Marys, blamed “ongoing staffing and operational problems” for the decision to close the facility.
“Please know this decision was not made lightly and is disheartening to our entire team. Staffing shortages and operational challenges have been a global crisis this past year and Coastal Senior Living has done everything to prevent this from happening. Our team will assist in your relocation,” according to the letter sent to residents earlier this week.The eviction letter, sent July 26 to residents at Coastal Senior Living of St. Marys, blamed “ongoing staffing and operational problems” for the decision to close the facility.
“Please know this decision was not made lightly and is disheartening to our entire team. Staffing shortages and operational challenges have been a global crisis this past year and Coastal Senior Living has done everything to prevent this from happening. Our team will assist in your relocation,” according to the letter sent to residents earlier this week.
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