On September 25, 1789, Congress adopted the first twelve amendments, called the Bill of Rights, to the United States Constitution. A little more than two years later, in 1791, enough states had ratified ten of the Amendments, with two not receiving sufficient support.
On September 25, 1864, Confederate President Jefferson Davis met with General John Bell Hood and visited troops at Palmetto, Georgia.
Ronald Reagan appointee Sandra Day O’Connor became the first female Justice of the United States on September 25, 1981. In an interview with Terry Gross, she recalled receiving the call from President Reagan:
“I was working in my office on the Arizona Court of Appeals,” she tells Fresh Air’s Terry Gross. “I was at the court in my chambers when the telephone rang. And it was the White House calling for me, and I was told that the president was waiting to speak to me. That was quite a shock, but I accepted the phone call, and it was President Reagan, and he said, ‘Sandra?’ ‘Yes, Mr. President?’ ‘Sandra, I’d like to announce your nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court tomorrow. Is that all right with you?’ Well, now, that’s kind of a shock, wouldn’t you say?”
The Princess Bride was released on September 25, 1987. Inconceivable!
On September 25, 2008, the last car came off the line at GM’s Doraville Plant.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Shockingly, campaign signs are disappearing in Americus, according to WALB.
Americus Chief of Police Mark Scott says that even though official criminal reports of stolen or damaged political signs have not been reported, residents are still voicing their concerns.
”We were contacted by a citizen who had third-party information that they had seen a vehicle pull over to the side of the road, jump out, take people’s political signs, throw them in the back of the truck, and leave. We don’t have a criminal report of that, but it was concerning enough that we wanted to go ahead and be proactive,” Scott stated.
“They could be charged with criminal trespassing if they go on someone’s private property. If they cause damage to something, that’s an excess of 500 dollars, that’s a felony, which could be criminal damage to property. All of those are jailable offenses and you could end up in jail,” Chief Scott stated.
Chief Scott encourages citizens to display signs to make sure they are on their property. If your signs are damaged or stolen always make a report to your local law enforcement agency.
File under Irony: The Georgia State Senate Natural Resources and the Environment: Disaster Mitigation and Resilience Subcommittee meeting planned for Moultrie today is canceled.
Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #09.24.24.01, declaring a state of emergency for Tropical Storm Helene, which is expected to become Hurricane Helene. From the Valdosta Daily Times:
Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in Georgia Tuesday with Tropical Storm Helene expected to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 hurricane Thursday night.
The fast-moving storm is expected to travel northeast into Georgia late Thursday or early Friday, producing damaging winds, four to eight inches of rain, and flooding across significant parts of the state.
Kemp’s executive order calls for deploying up to 500 Georgia National Guard troops to help with preparation, response, and recovery efforts.
Federal rules and regulations limiting operating hours for commercial truck drivers will be suspended to let an uninterrupted supply of goods and services be dispatched to areas in need of assistance.
The executive order also prohibits price gouging on any goods or services needed for preparation, response, and recovery operations, including gasoline and diesel fuel.
The emergency declaration will run through Wednesday, Oct. 2, unless Kemp renews it.
“Unfortunately, because this is a state-wide event, we fully anticipate that our resources are going to be scattered throughout the state,” Georgia Emergency Management Agency Director Chris Stallings said at a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
Based on current forecasts, Helene is expected to make landfall on Thursday evening in Florida, the executive order says.
Among the measures in the order, Kemp freed up 500 members of the Georgia National Guard, bans price gauging and orders “all resources of the State of Georgia be made available to assist in preparation, response, and recovery activities,“ the order says.
“In consultation with state emergency preparedness officials, I have determined that the following actions are necessary and appropriate to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of Georgia’s residents and visitors,” the executive order said.
“We encourage you to turn on weather alerts,” Stallings said. “I know we all like to turn off those alerts we hate to hear during the night. Well, unfortunately, a lot of this storm will impact Georgia in the middle of the night.”
“Our recommendation is you remain poised like we are and prepare now as we get ready to issue any orders and deploy resources when needed,” Stallings said.
Valdosta and Lowndes County are offering sandbags to protect homes and property from storm damage and flooding, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
Richmond Hill and Pooler are also offering sandbags, according to WTOC.
Storm shelters are opening in Valdosta. WALB has more information on storm preparation in Valdosta and Lowndes County.
Thomasville is preparing for expected flooding, according to WALB.
Thomas County offers sandbags to residents, according to WALB.
WALB looks at local storm prep across South Georgia.
The Brunswick News has a partial list of local closures due to the expected storm.
Savannah-Chatham County public schools remain open today but might be affected later in the week, according to the Savannah Morning News.
The notice stated that “if the storm continues on the projected path, there is a potential for severe weather in our community later this week.”
The district plans to provide an update by 2 p.m. on Wednesday if it determines changes to the operational schedule are required. The district said it is “poised for a shift to virtual learning if necessary.”
Brooks County Public Schools will release students early at 11:30 AM on Thursday, September 26, 2024, according to WALB.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety is working with local law enforcement, GEMA, the Georgia Department of Transportation and other agencies to coordinate monitoring roads for debris, flooding and other hazards.
“Currently, you’ll see troopers out engaged in clearing interstates and major roadways for abandoned vehicles to ensure those evacuating areas can do so safely,” Stallings said.
Tropical Storm Helene will be different than what the state experienced with the recent Hurricane Debby, Stallings said.
“Debby was a very slow heavy rain event,” he said. “This is going to be a fast-moving wind event with rain. And so we anticipate a very different response.”
“We’re looking at hurricane-force winds within a 50-mile radius of I-75 south of Macon,” he said. “And then tropical storm force winds, possibly, statewide.”
GEMA anticipates widespread power outages from down trees and power lines throughout the state. An estimated 4 to 8 inches of rainfall is expected statewide, Stallings said, with more rainfall possible in the North Georgia Mountains. This could lead to flash flooding, he said.
Tornadoes are anticipated in the eastern part of Georgia, he said, but they can occur anywhere that the storm passes. There’s not likely to be a storm surge, Stallings said, but flooding levels similar to Hurricane Irma in 2017 could occur.
“This is going to be a significant wind event,” Stallings said. “The wind field is expected to be quite large.”
Tropical Storm Helene’s wind field is forecasted to stretch over 300 miles wide, he said, with tropical storm-force winds extending to over 100 miles from the center of the track.
Former President Donald Trump campaigned in Savannah yesterday, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Former President Donald Trump declared he would usher in a “manufacturing renaissance” during remarks in Savannah Tuesday, touting plans for a 15% business tax rate for companies who make goods in the U.S.
Trump also pledged strong tariffs on companies that manufacture overseas and seek to import back to the U.S. Tuesday’s speech spanned about 85 minutes in Savannah’s Johnny Mercer Theatre, another sign of the region’s prominence in the 2024 presidential election with Georgia as a battleground state.
“Georgia and Savannah are going to be right in the middle of the action,” Trump said.
While Trump’s speech pushed for a reboot of American manufacturing, the Coastal Empire is already experiencing a manufacturing renaissance with Hyundai’s Bryan County Metaplant, which will strictly produce electric vehicles and hybrids. The plant is expected to bring around 8,000 jobs to the region and allied industries are projected to spur another 7,000-plus jobs in the tri-county area. Hyundai-produced cars will be eligible for partial tax credits from President Joe Biden’s Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
Trump said Tuesday he would end what he called the “EV mandate,” while saying there is a place for gas and electric-powered vehicles. Auto manufacturing played prominent in Trump’s speech, pledging the U.S. would “make autos at the biggest level” in history if he was reelected.
One policy idea proposed by Trump was appointing a manufacturing ambassador to recruit companies that make goods overseas to produce in the U.S.
Trump also proposed tariffs as part of his plans for a “manufacturing renaissance,” pledging some tariffs would reach as high as 200%. The policy would bring back businesses to the U.S., although the nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit The Tax Federation says tariffs have historically raised prices and lowered employment.
“If you don’t make your product here, then you will pay a tariff, a very substantial tariff,” Trump said.
The former president did make one local pledge during his remarks: to again deepen the Savannah Harbor, something port officials are seeking to remain competitive in the global shipping landscape.
Wayne Noha, who is set to take the Chatham County Board of Commissioners’ District 1 seat, said the energy of the event was “overwhelming.” Noha was also invited to be one of about 50 people seated on platforms behind Trump’s podium and was able to shake Trump’s hand after the remarks.
“It was an experience of a lifetime,” Noha said.
Trump’s speech hit on other topics beyond manufacturing such as energy independence, immigration and the two assassination attempts against him. The event was kicked off by a slate of surrogates—Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Buddy Carter, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue among them.
The speakers all encouraged attendees to take to the polls in November and attacked Harris for the state of the economy. Jones, who was not charged as one of the fake electors in 2020, echoed the state’s prominent role in the race.
“The road to the White House runs through Georgia right now,” Jones said.
His running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, scheduled stops in Macon and Flowery Branch for Thursday. And Trump is expected to attend Saturday’s Alabama-Georgia football game in Tuscaloosa.
The Savannah Morning News also has a photo gallery from the event.
Though there was no on-stage reconciliation Tuesday — Kemp was in Pennsylvania stumping for U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick — Trump called the governor “fantastic” and thanked him for his “great support.”
The theme was welcome news for Republicans who have pleaded with his campaign to seize on economic issues that Georgia voters consistently rank as their top concern. Harris prepared to outline her own plan Tuesday to spur more domestic manufacturing with federal incentives.
“When we win, the president of the United States is going to say it’s because of Georgia he won the White House back,” Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said. “It’s because the people of Georgia came together and realized it’s what’s in the best interest of Georgians.”
Tuesday, Savannah’s Mayor Van Johnson in agreement, saying women in Georgia are at an even greater risk than most.
“We already have a Black maternal healthcare crisis here in Georgia, made worse by the Trump presidency,” said Mayor Van Johnson. “Our sisters across the nation have less rights and freedoms now than their mothers and grandmothers did thanks to Donald Trump.”
Meanwhile, republican leaders here in Georgia pushing back.
“The states are going to decide it and everybody says, ‘oh you did away with abortion,’ no, nothing could be further from the truth. What we did away with was the federal law and we put it where is should have been in the first place and that’s in the states. The states will decide that,” said Georgia Representative Buddy Carter.
Savannah’s Mayor Van Johnson said the former president’s claims that the economy is the worst it’s been and that inflation is the worst it’s ever been are untrue, as he says he’s seeing things locally get better.
“The city of Savannah is experiencing its best ever in its 291 year history. The Federal Reserve Bank, an independent nonpartisan entity, just cut interest rates far more than what was expected which is a sign that the economy is improving,” said Mayor Van Johnson.
“People are excited, they’re excited about getting back to where we were four years ago. I mean if you ask the question, are you better off than you were four years ago, the answers a resounding no you’re not. I mean, inflation is running rampant,” said Representative Buddy Carter. “Interest rates are higher. People can’t afford gas, they can’t afford groceries, they can’t afford a home. Credit cards are maxed out now, all of those thing. The economy’s in shambles.”
Associate Political Science professor at Georgia Southern University, Dr. Joshua Kennedy said that message could play well here among local undecided voters in the critical swing state.
“Fewer taxes are always going to be popular, but manufacturing, I think speaks to this particular area of the state,” said Kennedy. “Based on the polling data that I’m sure he’s seeing, that we’re seeing, that his campaign is doing internally, along with the fact that Vice President Harris got such a good reception, were probably major motivators in pushing him to come here.
Some Democrats protested outside the venue, according to WSAV.
Nearby, dozens of Harris-Walz supporters gathered, organized by the Young Democrats of Chatham County.
From the AJC Political Insider:
Former President Donald Trump packed the 2,500 seat Johnny Mercer Theatre in Savannah on Tuesday, and venue officials estimated another 3,000 to 4,000 people stood outside. That’s close to the estimated 6,200 people who attended Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally in Savannah earlier this month, per an analysis from The New York Times.
Macon bakery owner Tommy Sadler will speak at the JD Vance event in Macon, according to 13WMAZ.
“A text came through and it was a guy from the Trump campaign and I was like, ‘This must be a scam,’” Sadler says. “I got another text from the chairman of the county GOP he said they’re gonna be calling me to speak.”
He says when they asked him to speak at JD Vance’s Macon rally, Sadler says he was shocked and honored. They could have picked any business owner, and he didn’t know why he was chosen.
Sadler says he plans to talk about how small business owners are struggling.
He says he will talk about “the struggles that we face, trying to make it on a day to day.”
He says pay is higher, taxes are higher and prices on goods are higher.
“We need help,” Sadler said. “We need help drastically. It’s a war out here – it’s a battle to come in and open these doors every day and be profitable.”
Sadler says he hopes he can be the voice of the people.
“I hope I represent most small business as well because we’re all in it together regardless of what party you represent,” Sadler said. “And you know this right now, everybody’s hurt. I talk to business owners every day, especially restaurant owners, and we’re all just struggling.”
The Columbia County Republican Party hosted a candidate meet-and-greet, according to WRDW.
The Georgia State Election Board ordered investigations into eight county election offices, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Athens Banner Herald.
The five-member board voted 3-0 Monday to direct Mike Coan, the board’s executive director, to look into how challenges are being handled in Athens-Clarke, Bibb, Chatham, Cobb, DeKalb, Forsyth, Fulton and Gwinnett counties and report back to the board at its next meeting Oct. 8.
The board’s three Republican members approved the investigation after DeKalb County Republican Chair Marci McCarthy said 5,215 voters are on the rolls in her county who are not eligible to vote. She said the vast majority of those voters, 4,861, have not had any contact with local election officials for more than a decade, while the rest either are registered at non-residential addresses or have moved to a different jurisdiction and voted there.
“When ineligible voters remain on the voter rolls, it increases the likelihood of those persons voting in our county, which dilutes the legitimate votes of our citizens,” McCarthy said. “We have some of the dirtiest voter rolls in the state, in the country.”
The General Assembly’s Republican majorities passed election reform legislation this year making it easier to file mass voter challenges. Senate Bill 189 established the standard for challenging a voter’s registration “probable cause.”
Two years ago, Republican activists filed thousands of voter challenges in Democratic-leaning counties only to see local election boards dismiss the vast majority as baseless.
While Republicans argued that making it easier to file challenges would clean up the voter rolls by removing ineligible voters, Democrats maintained Republicans would use the legislation to get rid of eligible voters in Democratic counties.
On Monday, the board’s lone Democrat, Sara Tindall Ghazal, said Republicans who believe Democratic counties are blocking efforts to clean their voter rolls should take their case to court. In fact, DeKalb Republicans have filed a lawsuit to force the county’s election board to enforce the voter eligibility requirements.
“That is the proper venue,” Ghazal said.
Republican board member Janice Johnston, who made the motion to launch an investigation, said some counties are guilty of “blanket refusals” to accept voter challenges.
“This is an opportunity to put the counties on notice that we are aware of what is happening,” added GOP board member Janelle King, who joined Johnston in voting to authorize the investigation.
Bibb County Republican Party Chairman David Sumrall is leading the efforts in Bibb County to challenge the current status of voter rolls that he says contain hundreds of “ineligible” voters.
“They remain on the voter roll because the voter rolls are so dirty with people that have moved away, people that have died, duplicate registrations, bad addresses, things that are just not being cleaned up,” Sumrall said.
These are just a few of the reasons why Sumrall has made two attempts to challenge the Bibb board of elections this year. He also questioned the voters’ residency, arguing it was illegal for them to vote under their listed addresses.
In April, Sumrall submitted 3 voter challenges to the board. They were denied since they were submitted within a 90-day window of a federal election. After the May primary, Sumrall submitted them again, and they were heard on July 1.
Sumrall challenged three sets of voters, including 159 people who listed their address as Mercer University’s student center. That’s where mail goes for students and some staff.
He also challenged more than 40 voters whose addresses were registered at P.O. boxes. The board accepted that challenge, and issued notices for those voters to update their residence.
The board rejected Sumrall’s other 2 challenges that involved voters who lived out of state.
“We’re kind of at a stalemate,” Sumrall said. “It does mean [it is] no use to go and do more voter challenges at the Bibb County Board of elections if it’s gonna lose by a 3 to 2 vote.”
“We need the state board of elections to give guidance to our counties,” Sumrall said. “It could come from the secretary of state’s office, it could come from a judge telling our counties what they need to do.”
Civil rights groups filed a lawsuit challenging Georgia law that allows voter eligibility challenges, according to the AJC.
Under a law that took effect July 1, voter challenges must be upheld if a Georgia voter registers in another state, claims a homestead exemption in a different jurisdiction or registers at a nonresidential address. Another provision, which takes effect Jan. 1, requires people who are “homeless and without a permanent address” to use the county registrar’s office as their mailing address.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, says federal and state laws do not require people to have a “residential” address to be eligible to vote. It says the new law could expose college students living in dormitories, seniors in nursing homes and others living in locations deemed “nonresidential” under local zoning laws to meritless voter challenges.
The lawsuit also says the law creates unnecessary barriers to thousands of homeless people who are eligible to vote — forcing them to travel to a county office instead of receiving election mail at their preferred address.
The lawsuit was filed by the Georgia Conference of the NAACP and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, with assistance from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. It seeks to prevent Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger from enforcing the challenged provisions.
The Georgia Supreme Court heard arguments on whether two third-party presidential candidates should be on the ballot, according to the AJC.
The Georgia Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday about whether Claudia De la Cruz and Cornel West are qualified to be on the Nov. 5 presidential ballot.
But whatever the justices decide, it’s too late to strike their names. Instead, Georgia’s highest court will determine whether a vote for either candidate will count.
Overseas and military ballots, printed before two Fulton County Superior Court judges disqualified the far-left candidates in separate rulings earlier this month, were mailed out last week listing West and De la Cruz alongside four other presidential candidates, including Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.
A central question the court will answer is whether signatures on petitions submitted by the West and De la Cruz campaigns must be filed by the candidates or by one of the 16 potential electors representing them.
Attorney Bryan Tyson, representing West, said the petitions were properly done. “Georgia law requires nominating petitions to be submitted by independent candidates for president,” he said.
The Fulton rulings overturned a decision by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who had approved West and De la Cruz to be on the ballot over the objections of state Democrats who fear the candidates could siphon away votes from Harris. Raffensperger’s decision overturned the recommendation of an administrative law judge who initially ruled the candidates were not properly qualified.
Georgia’s congressional delegation is ramping up the pressure on the Postmaster General over delivery issues, according to the AJC.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff last week introduced legislation to change how the postmaster general is hired by requiring Senate confirmation for the appointee and implementing term limits. Meanwhile, Georgia’s nine House Republicans sent yet another letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. This time, they asked him for assurances that absentee ballots won’t get lost in transit ahead of the November election.
“Our constituents and all residents of Georgia — most of whom have always viewed the USPS as reliable — depend on the delivery of mail to pay their bills, receive their paychecks, file their taxes and send their ballots,” the lawmakers wrote. “However, over the past year, many of our constituents have lost faith in mail delivery by the USPS in Georgia due to delays caused by the implementation of the United States Postal Service Delivering for America Plan.”
The members’ letter mentions that most of the complaints center on problems at the facility in Palmetto, a south metro town located on the border of Fulton and Coweta counties.
Over the past several months, every member of Georgia’s congressional delegation has expressed frustration about postal delays and urged DeJoy to act. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called on him to resign amid ongoing customer complaints. Ossoff’s bill envisions new oversight for the next postmaster general.
Under Ossoff’s proposal, the president would appoint a postmaster general and the Senate would confirm that person. After an initial five-year term, the Senate would have to sign off on a second term.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it will provide relief for Bryan County residents affected by Tropical Storm Debby, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Residents in Bryan County can breathe a sigh of relief as Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday it will provide federal funding for individuals affected by Tropical Storm Debby. President Joe Biden approved the master disaster declaration for other area counties to include Bulloch, Chatham and Effingham.
Richmond Hill was hammered by days of rain from Tropical Storm Debby that caused floodwaters to damage more than 200 homes.
According to a press release issued by FEMA, the assistance can be utilized in a variety of ways, to include home repairs, temporary housing and more. Federal funding is also available for counties who suffered damage to facilities.
“Federal funding is also available to state, eligible local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities,” in numerous counties, including Bryan, the release reads.
The Individual Assistance Target counties include Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Long and Screven.
The Public Assistance Designated counties are Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Effingham, Evans, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Lanier, Long, Lowndes, McIntosh, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Ware and Wayne counties.
All areas in the State of Georgia are eligible for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
Individuals in Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Long and Screven counties can apply with FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
Long County Middle School is under higher security after threats were made, according to WTOC.
This comes after the school was made aware of a potential threat circulating on social media.
Both the Long County School System and the Long County Sheriff’s Office say they are taking the threat seriously and have launched an investigation.
The school says they will employ additional deputies at the school on Wednesday to ensure student safety.
The Columbus Police Department responded to threats at a school, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
CPD spokeswoman Brittany Santiago told the Ledger-Enquirer that officers responded to the school along with Muscogee County School District police. The call came in at 3:14 p.m., she said.
CPD responded after receiving 911 calls stemming from posts circulating on social media showing a firearm with the words, “Oh nun waiting” and a building in the background with part of a sign visible which reads, “G.W. Carver High Sc.”
A statement from Muscogee County School District communications director Kimberly Wright said school district officials, “were made aware of a social media post circulating that depicted a weapon on the campus of Carver High School.”
The news release stated MCSD police identified the individual involved.
“The person responsible will face charges of Possession of a Weapon on School Grounds and Terroristic Threats and will be prosecuted to full extent of the law,” the release says.
All students and staff at Carver High School are safe and the situation was “quickly brought under control,” according to the release.
The Georgia Senate Rules Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeowners Associations met yesterday, according to 11Alive.
These associations go by many names but are most referred to as an HOA. Regardless of the name, they are essentially non-profit boards that function as a mini-government with a lot of power to control what happens in that community.
Some homeowners said that unchecked power has led to mysterious fines, liens that allow them to foreclose on their home, and discrimination.
“These are gaping loop holes in the laws that have remained unclosed and we have what I consider to be industry and lobbyists that have grown around those loopholes and want to keep them open,” said David Bozone who fought to remove the board members in his Coweta County neighborhood.
Bozone and his wife Jessica Navas reached out to State Sen. Matt Brass when they felt the board in Belmont Park wasn’t operating properly. They tried to follow the covenant rules to replace the board with new members, leading to a power struggle that involved attorneys.
It also led to Brass requesting the bipartisan study committee to look at HOA leadership. While the September meeting was focused on frustrated homeowners, the next meeting, Oct. 22, will give lawmakers a chance to hear from the property management companies that work with HOAs to collect dues and maintain communities.
“HOA… is a tool, but like all tools, they can be used for good or bad. In some cases they’re being used for bad and that’s the type of stuff we’ve got to put a stop too,” Brass said after the first day of the hearing.
More than a dozen people spoke at the hearing, many of them recounting expensive court battles to save their property or prove their innocence. Others told lawmakers they simple didn’t have the funds to fight.
State Sen. Donzella James has tried before to create an office in Georgia to educate homeowners, guide boards, and resolve disputes outside of court. Her bills have never made it out of committee.
Florida caps fines on violations. And 11Alive Investigates has found five states that don’t allow HOAs to use fines, attorney fees, or community violations to foreclose on a house.
Brass said he’s not yet ready to talk about solutions, he believes the next legislative session will be different.
“I think there’s more people listening now. More of us, more legislators are listening. We’re now hearing it from all over the state,” Brass said.
The members of the Senate Subcommittee are: Chair, Matt Brass (R-Newnan), Vice Chair Donzella James (D–Atlanta), Majority Leader Steve Gooch (R–Dahlonega), Minority Leader Gloria Butler (D–Stone Mountain) and Senators Brandon Beach (R–Alpharetta), Clint Dixon (R–Gwinnett) and Michael “Doc” Rhett (D–Marietta).
Plains will celebrate former President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday, according to WTVM.
Former President Jimmy Carter will celebrate his 100th birthday on Oct. 1.
As the 39th president battles cancer and remains in hospice care, residents in Plains want to make this a very special birthday celebration.
The people of Plains, Georgia have lined up a full day of events. There will be a military flyover, where 100 people will be given Plains citizenship and it will all wrap up with a band next Tuesday night.
“President Carter will be 100 years old October 1st and we have a lot planned,” said Jill Stuckey, Superintendent at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Park.
Augusta Commissioners forced out several high-level municipal employees, according to WJBF.
Takiyah Douse started this day as Interim City Administrator, and ended it no longer working for the city as commissioners accepted her forced resignation.
Commissioners naming current IT Director Tameka Allen the new City Administrator effective immediately.
After naming Allen, commissioners went into legal session for three hours.
Calling in long time Finance Director Donna Williams, and Procurement Director Geri Sams. Commissioners later accepting the two department directors resignations.
“I really think it’s a bad deal. The mayor has effectively destabilized the entire government of Augusta, Georgia,” said Commissioner Bobby Williams.
“All of these ladies have served this city well in the capacity that they served in where we go from here I couldn’t tell you,” said Commissioner Tony Lewis.
Commissioners say asking the three to step down shows they are serious about making changes to city government.
“At some point there has to be a change. If you’re going to change the culture, the direction of any organization…the commission took action today to help start that process of changing the culture,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Brandon Garrett.
Few residents attended a Glynn County Town Hall meeting on the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), according to The Brunswick News.
The handful of county residents who attended the meeting had an opportunity to ask questions directly to county officials responsible for ensuring those projects funded by a 1% tax are completed in a timely manner.
Lawrenceville City Council will consider issuing bonds to finance a hotel in downtown, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
The City Council is expected to vote on the financing plan, which involves using $38 million in revenue bonds that would be repaid with revenues from the hotel, in November.
“We’re fully confident that our downtown needs a hotel, and this is going to be the missing piece in our downtown to continue the success that we’ve been seeing in the downtown,” City Manager Chuck Warbington said. “We feel confident that doing this model of funding, where the revenue from the hotel pays for the bonds is a good way to move forward.”
By taking on the construction aspect itself and issuing revenue bonds to pay for it, city leaders hope to get the long stalled downtown project off the ground.
Warbington said the developer had trouble selling financial institutions on downtown Lawrenceville, which currently has no hotels.
“One issue he had was the downtown market not being a proven market for a hotel, so there’s no (competition), which I would think is a positive thing, but since there’s not another hotel there people are afraid to invest in a new hotel,” Warbington said.
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