Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for September 20, 2021

On September 20, 1863, the Confederate Army of the Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg repelled Union forces under General William Rosencrans at the Battle of Chickamauga. After Gettysburg, Chickamauga is generally considered the second-bloodiest battle of the Civil War, with 18,500 Confederate casualties and 16,100 Union dead.

Chester A. Arthur was sworn in as President of the United States on September 20, 1881.

The year 1881 began with Republican Rutherford B. Hayes in office. Hayes served out his first and only term and officially turned over the reins of government to James A. Garfield, who happened to be a close friend of his, in March 1881.

Just four months into his term, on July 2, Garfield was shot by an assassin named Charles Guiteau. Guiteau claimed to have killed Garfield because he refused to grant Guiteau a political appointment. Garfield sustained wounds to his back and abdomen and struggled to recover throughout the summer. Though it appeared he would pull through in early September, the autopsy report revealed that the internal bullet wound contributed to an aneurism that ultimately killed Garfield on September 19.

The first classes at Oglethorpe University under it’s current non-denominational charter were held on September 20, 1916. Happy 101st Anniversary to the Stormy Petrels. The university was originally affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and located in Midway, Georgia. In 1870, after a period of closure during the Civil War they relocated to the Atlanta area.

On September 20, 1976, Playboy magazine released an interview with Jimmy Carter, then a candidate for President.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams kicks off a tour of states she does not govern in Texas, according to the AJC.

In a few months, Stacey Abrams could be in the thick of the race for Georgia governor. But on Monday, she’ll take the stage before a packed crowd in downtown San Antonio to talk politics with left-leaning Texans.

It’s part of a nationwide tour that takes Abrams to about a dozen stops over the next two months, from the outskirts of the Alamo to the Research Triangle, in what organizers are billing as “exciting conversations on politics, leadership and social justice.”

Aside from promoting the collection of books she’s authored, the tour offers Abrams another chance to sharpen her national profile and amass new potential donors. In the meantime, her GOP critics eagerly pointed out none of the stops are scheduled in Georgia.

She’s also certain to talk of her future political goals. Asked by a KSAT reporter ahead of her visit if she aimed to be the first Black woman president, Abrams didn’t mince words.

“I don’t think that that’s the question,” Abrams responded. “For me, the issue is, ‘Do I want to run for president one day?’ And my answer is, unequivocally, yes.”

An appeal in the lawsuit over Georgia’s abortion law will be heard in the United States Court of Appeals on Friday, according to the AJC.

The Georgia Attorney General’s office appealed last summer’s ruling that stopped the enactment of a law that would have banned most abortions once a doctor could detect fetal cardiac activity — usually around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant.

“Our lawyers are preparing for the hearing and we feel really good about it,” said Staci Fox, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast Advocates. “This is settled law. This Georgia law is unconstitutional and that’s why we got a temporary restraining order and we’re fighting for a permanent injunction, which (there is) no doubt the state would appeal.”

The goal of the measure’s supporters has always been to appeal the law to the U.S. Supreme Court where they say it will challenge Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that established a constitutional, nationwide right to abortion.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jane Barwick ruled against the Georgia State Ethics Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission as it sought campaign bank account records, according to the AJC.

A Fulton County judge ruled against the state ethics commission in its bid to get records from Democrat Stacey Abrams’ 2018 gubernatorial campaign and groups it says may have illegally coordinated with the candidate’s bid for office.

The judge found the commission’s subpoenas overly broad. Lawyers for the campaign and the groups said they’d already provided thousands of documents to the commission and that the panel — which enforces state campaign finance laws — was seeking records that either didn’t exist or should have no bearing on its case.

“This was always a political fishing expedition,” said Lauren Groh-Wargo, a top Abrams aide and her 2018 campaign manager.

“We’re considering a number of appellate options right now,” said David Emadi, the ethics commission’s executive secretary. “We don’t agree with the ruling.”

The commission is looking into whether Abrams’ [2018] campaign illegally coordinated its efforts with nonprofits supporting her bid for governor. Georgia law prohibits independent groups from coordinating with candidates.

Governor Brian Kemp appointed Judge Amanda Heath to a vacancy on the Superior Court for the Augusta Judicial Circuit, which serves Burke and Richmond Counties.

Heath will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of The Honorable Carl C. Brown, Jr. as Superior Court Judge of the Augusta Judicial Circuit. The Augusta Judicial Circuit is comprised of Burke and Richmond Counties.

Amanda Heath holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Hampton University and a law degree from Mercer University. Since 2016, Heath has served as a Juvenile Court Judge for the Augusta Judicial Circuit and was notably the first African American female to serve in this role. As Juvenile Court Judge, she secured a $100,000 grant to be an implementation site to develop an evidence-based pilot program to serve the unique needs of sex trafficked youth through the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

Prior to serving the juvenile court, she opened up her own law firm and served as the solo practitioner between June 2016 through September 2016. Heath also served as an associate for the Law Offices of Tanya D. Jeffords, P.C. from 2015 to 2016. From 2011 to 2015, she served as Assistant District Attorney and Trial Team Leader for the District Attorney’s Office for the Augusta Judicial Circuit.

Governor Kemp also appointed Samuel D. Rocco IV as Solicitor General for the State Court of Jenkins County. (Executive Order 09.16.21.01)

Over the weekend the internet exploded after Governor Kemp misspoke and referred to the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as a vaccine for HIV/AIDS.

Here’s 11Alive:

In a podcast episode of the Erick Erickson Show uploaded this week, Gov. Brian Kemp stated his belief that people need to be educated on the COVID-19 vaccine instead of being mandated or bullied into taking it.

“That is basically how the AIDS vaccine worked. People wouldn’t take it early on because it was mandated, they started educating people and now it is doing a lot of good out there,” Kemp told Erickson. “Same scenario, different year that we are dealing with right now.”

On the basic matter of there being an AIDS vaccine, which the governor has referenced at least two other times publicly, Kemp’s statements are false.

However, there is additional context.

The governor’s office said he meant to reference the HPV vaccine, which protects against human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted infection which can cause cervical cancer .

In a small number of states, it is mandated for public school attendance.

I am certain that this was a simple slip of the tongue. This media brouhaha is a result of two things. First, the drive among liberal elites to boost Stacey Abrams and bring down Brian Kemp. Second, Facebook creates a powerful economic incentive to create clickbait headlines.

Troup County Commissioners approved the purchase of a mobile morgue unit, according to WTVM.

County officials say they will be purchasing a 10′ x 10′ walk-in cooler using CARES Act funds to store up to 15 bodies. The permanent morgue will be installed at the Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center in LaGrange.

The Troup County Coroner’s Office has been using borrowed morgue space from privately-owned morgue facilities.

Some elected officials joined a protest over COVID policies at the GSU Armstrong Campus, according to WTOC.

“We’re not asking for mandatory vaccines for every student or every professor, we’re not asking for mandatory testing. We’re just asking that the system as a whole to enforce a mandatory mask policy, right?” said Rep. Derek Mallow, Dist. 163.

Chatham County Commissioner Aaron Whitely added, “Our students, our leaders, our children are not political pawns.”

And Savannah City Council Alderwoman Linda Wilder-Bryan said, “They should be supporting these young people who they say are the future…”

“All week long it has been primarily been faculty out here on the lawn protesting. But today, we are really feeling the support from the community and the fact that our community leaders have come out here to support us has been great,” said protest organizer Ned Rinalducci.

Glynn County public schools will relax COVID countermeasures as transmisison hits lower levels, according to The Brunswick News.

Glynn County Schools will be in the “green” level of operations Monday, which means some COVID-19 protocols will be relaxed, including the enforcement of masks.

Bibb County public schools reopen for in-person learning today after two weeks of remote learning, according to 13WMAZ.

Superintendent Curtis Jones says the districts COVID-19 numbers have gone down, but this doesn’t mean that they’re taking it easy.

“We will still monitor what’s happening with COVID. We want to make sure we can tell if the spreading is inside of classrooms, grade cohort or schools.” Jones said.

Superintendent Curtis Jones says safety of the students and staff remains their top mission.

“We’re still monitoring for temperatures, looking at students visually to see if they’re displaying symptoms, and we are going to ask questions. We’re going to sponsor some vaccination events, as well at our middle schools and high schools. So, anyone that wants to get a vaccine can do so,” Jones said.

Columbus City Council approved a plan to spend $40 million dollars in COVID relief funds, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

Nearly $40 million will be used for small business grants, automating trash collection, premium pay for essential employees and more after Columbus Council unanimously approved the city’s American Rescue Plan priorities Tuesday.

This money represents half of the $78.4 million the consolidated government was allocated. Muscogee County received $39.2 million on June 14, and Columbus received $20.2 million on June 7. The funds must be distributed within 12 months, and are intended to be used in response to the economic impact of COVID-19, like workers performing essential work, revenue replacement for the government and investments in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure..

The vote comes after public meetings were held to gather community feedback on the recommended priorities that were compiled by city staff.

Macon will crack down on illegal dumping of used tires, according to 13WMAZ.

Monday, the county is holding a public education session explaining the new ordinance the mayor signed into law in June.

[Mayor Lester] Miller says after this session, code enforcement will be checking with businesses regularly to see how many tires they take in and how the tires are disposed of.

“There’s just too many scrap tires. People are just dumping them randomly everywhere. So, the only way we’re going to regulate it is if we regulate not only the dealers, but also the people hauling the tires. Anybody who has anything to do with used tires needs to be accountable for what they’re doing,” District 7 Commissioner Bill Howell said.

The Bibb County Board of Elections is considering suppressing votes moving a polling location, according to 13WMAZ.

The Albany Herald profiles State Senator Tyler Harper (R-Ocilla), who is running for Commissioner of Agriculture.

Indeed, the Ocilla native, a seventh-generation farmer, has worked on — and continues to run — his family’s farm on land that the Harpers have owned for more than a century. He serves on the state Senate’s Natural Resources, Public Safety, and Agriculture committees. He also is the Agriculture & Rural Development vice chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference and previously served as president of the Georgia Young Farmers Association.

“I’m proud of my record in the Senate,” Harper said. “My record shows that, during my time in the Legislature, I have worked tirelessly to push issues that impact the 7th District, issues that affect rural Georgia. But I also have championed statewide issues that I thought were important to all Georgians. Among those are agriculture, natural resources and public safety issues.

“When Gary (Black) announced that he was going to run for the U.S. Senate, and thus vacate the Ag Commissioner’s office in 2022, I started thinking about having a bigger voice in the state, having a bigger impact. That’s one of the reasons I decided to run. I have the passion for the ag industry, I know it inside and out from my work in the industry, and I know what it takes to fight for Georgia farmers so that their work remains the No. 1 industry in the state. I don’t know who might ultimately decide to run for the office, but I do know my background compares most favorably to anyone who might decide to run.”

Harper said his primary concern as Agriculture Commissioner would be to make sure that the state’s “food chain” is delivered “safe and protected.”

“Our nation’s food supply chain is certainly a national security issue,” he said. “I believe recent events have shown that we have to put renewed focus on that issue. America feeds its people and much of the world, and we have to continue to make sure we shine a light on that fact. We must invest in the technology and the human capital it takes to keep Georgia growers and producers competitive in the worldwide markets.”

“We also need to keep expanding ag education on down to the elementary level — K-12 — so that the next generation can know that there are a lot of opportunities in the ag industry beyond production. And we want to make sure new and beginning farmers have access to ag capital so that they can become a part of the process.”

Former Georgia Republican Party Chair John Padgett is suing the state party asking for reimbursement for his attorney’s fees related to a previous lawsuit against the GAGOP. From the AJC:

John Padgett wants the state party to pay him more than $230,000 for legal costs he said he incurred related to the lawsuit filed by Qiana Keith, a former Georgia GOP staffer who claimed her co-workers had referred to her with a racial slur and humiliated her.

The state party paid more than $500,000 in 2017 to settle the lawsuit and racked up more than $1 million overall in legal costs.

Padgett, who led the party from 2013-2017, said in the complaint that he should be repaid the legal fees he tallied because he was named as an individual defendant in Keith’s lawsuit. A judge later dismissed the complaints against Padgett, letting stand the broader lawsuit against the party.

The lawsuit added that Padgett could have repaid himself while he led the party but decided to reserve the funds “for political activities during that presidential election year (2016).”

The Georgia GOP said Padgett’s complaint is frivolous.

“The Georgia Republican Party has gone to great lengths to prevent the problems the party experienced when Padgett was the chairman,” said Brandon Moye, the state GOP’s executive director. “If this lawsuit is pursued, we believe it will become clear that Padgett’s recollection of these long-past events is wholly erroneous.”

The Rome/Floyd County NAACP and League of Women Voters will each host candidate forums, according to the Rome News Tribune.

The Rome/Floyd County NAACP is kicking off the candidate forums Tuesday night with a virtual face-to-face.

Rome City Commission challengers Victor Hixon, LuGina Brown, Tyrone Holland and Elaina Beeman, along with incumbents Randy Quick and Jamie Doss, will be speaking via Zoom. Voters pick their top three.

The forum starts at 6 p.m. To watch live, go online to Zoom.us and click “Join a meeting” in the upper right side of the page. Enter the meeting ID 856 8680 0542, then the passcode 829315.

The candidates also are scheduled for a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters Rome-Floyd County on Sept. 30 from 6-7:30 p.m.

The LWV forums also will be virtual. Zoom information will be available closer to the dates, but they also will be broadcast live on Facebook at LWVRomeFloydCo.

The group also has forums scheduled with candidates for the Rome City Board of Education on Sept. 29 and Cave Spring City Council on Oct. 5. Both are from 6-7:30 p.m.

Tybee Island held a Town Hall meeting to discuss the Short Term Vacation Rental ordinance, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The latest move, an ordinance establishing a fee structure based on occupancy, passed the six-member council Sept. 9 by a unanimous vote, with member Jay Burke recusing.

The occupancy fee comes in the wake of council instituting a 90-day moratorium on short-term vacation rental permits at the Aug. 26 meeting.

Residents and owners in the past have pointed to a Georgia code that prevents Tybee’s code enforcement team, which typically handles residents’ complaints, from entering a residential property to check on the number of occupants without probable cause.

“It won’t be real-time enforcement,” said [City Manager Shawn] Gillen, “The computer system will monitor what the advertised occupancy rate is, versus what they put on their application. If those are different than we’ll be sending them a letter saying they’ll be getting a citation plus, they’ll have to pay the difference.”

Angst over STVRs is driven in part by concerns over the economic value of the rentals as well as their impact on the island’s resources, such as water and sewer services. The permit moratorium was put in place to allow for studies and data analysis in these areas. The City of Tybee held the first of a series of town halls on STVRs on Sept. 15.

From WTOC:

So far, the city has held two town hall meetings. One was in-person and one virtual. Tybee Mayor Shirley Sessions says these have been extremely helpful and they’ve been able to gather a lot of recommendations from the community.

Mayor Sessions says a lot of residents and folks in the STVR industry have participated in the meetings. The city is hearing many of the same issues they’ve heard in the past, like the noise, trash and infrastructure issues often associated with the number of STVRs on the island. But finding common ground is a challenge.

Sessions says some residents say they want to see things like occupancy restrictions and a cap on neighborhood rentals while those in the industry say “no” to these suggestions.

Coastal Georgia state legislators don’t favor wind farms on the Georgia coast, according to The Brunswick News.

There is that possibility, however, following recent actions by the Natural Resources Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. In a vote split along party lines, Democrats supported incentives favorable to the establishment of wind farms off the coasts of Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas as part of the proposed $3.5 trillion spending bill.

Committee Democrats added wind farms to the bill in response to President Joe Biden’s call for clean, carbon-free energy.

Among other things, the bill would direct the U.S. Department of Interior to hold lease sales for offshore windmills.

“I am opposed to having windmills that would be visible to our coastal residents and our tourists,” [State Senator Sheila] McNeill said. “I am not against windmills in general, but our coast is not the place for them.”

“Not only do we worry about the optics, but we also have to worry about our bird population,” McNeill said. “There are over 280 species that spend winters on Little St. Simons alone.”

“Over one million birds are killed by wind turbines every year,” McNeill said.

Others share her sentiments, including state Rep. Buddy DeLoach, R-Townsend.

“I am opposed to these structures,” he said when asked. “We will be looking at what the states can do to protect our coast.”

“The General Assembly has previously expressed reservations with offshore energy exploration,” [U.S. Rep. Buddy] Carter said. “While I recognize the need for and value American-made energy, I will not support development off Georgia’s coast until those concerns have been resolved.”

Whitfield County Commissioners are expected to vote today to hire Robert Sivick as County Administrator, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

“I’ve worked in local government management in three states — in Nebraska, Oregon and, most recently, in Wisconsin — and what impressed me about Whitfield County was the makeup of the Board of Commissioners,” he said. “They are people who are engaged. They are exhibiting leadership. They have a sense of direction.”

The commissioners named Sivick the sole finalist for county administrator on Sept. 6. They are scheduled to vote to confirm him Monday at noon in the large conference room on the fifth floor of the Wells Fargo building at 201 S. Hamilton St.

Forsyth County launced a mobile app for residents, according to AccessWDUN.

“We wanted to provide an easy to access mobile app that allows residents, and business, an integrated one-stop-shop for all things Forsyth County government,” said County Manager Kevin Tanner. “It also allows an easier way to submit an issue rather than searching for the right department phone number and making a call.”

Through Connect2Forsyth, mobile users can report an issue such as animal welfare, code compliance complaint, road debris and more; view and pay water bills and property taxes; obtain or renew a passport, water service, building permits, auto registration and more; call the County administration phone line; read the latest County news posts; view a calendar of events/meetings; and contact District Commissioners.

Connect2Forsyth is available for free download through the Apple App Store on IOS devices and the Google Play Store on Android devices.

Athens-Clarke County District 1 Commissioner Patrick Davenport was arrested and charged with DUI, according to the Athens Banner Herald.

Police officers received a call about a drunk driver just after midnight on Saturday, according to Athens-Clarke County police spokesperson Lt. Shaun Barnett.

The caller reported that a black GMC SUV had two flat tires and appeared to have an intoxicated driver in the 900 block of College Station Road, according to Barnett.

When officers arrived, they performed a field sobriety test and Davenport was then arrested for the DUI, according to Barnett.

The charge is a misdemeanor, which is typical of DUI charges in the state of Georgia.

Sumter County District 5 Commissioner William Reid died in a car accident, according to WTVM.