Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for February 5, 2025

John and Charles Wesley arrived at Tybee Roads, at the mouth of the Savannah River on February 5, 1736, along with James Oglethorpe and 254 other colonists.

On February 5, 1777, Georgia’s first Constitution was adopted in Savannah, creating the first eight counties. Happy birthday to Wilkes, Richmond, Burke, Effingham, Chatham, Liberty, Glynn, and Camden counties.

The 1777 Constitution was progressive for the time, outlawing primogeniture and entail, English common law doctrines that controlled inheritance of land.

Primogeniture ensured that the eldest son in a family inherited the largest portion of his father’s property upon the father’s death. The practice of entail, guaranteeing that a landed estate remain in the hands of only one male heir, was frequently practiced in conjunction with primogeniture. (Virginia abolished entail in 1776, but permitted primogeniture to persist until 1785.)

Georgians restructured inheritance laws in Article LI of the state’s constitution by abolishing entail in all forms and proclaiming that any person who died without a will would have his or her estate divided equally among their children; the widow shall have a child’s share, or her dower at her option.

The Southern Pacific Railroad completed its “Sunset Route” from New Orleans to California on February 5, 1883, giving the SP a dominant position in transcontinental railroading.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced his “court packing” plan on February 5, 1937. After the United States Supreme Court found some of his “New Deal” legislation unconstitutional, Roosevelt’s proposal would have encouraged the retirement of justices older than 70 and for those who did not retire, appoint an assistant Justice with full voting rights on decisions by the Court.

On February 5, 1945, Governor Ellis Arnall signed legislation abolishing the poll tax, making Georgia the first Southern state to do so.

Georgia’s 1877 constitution authorized the tax, which limited voter participation among both poor blacks and whites. But most whites got around the provision through exemptions for those whose ancestors fought in the Civil War or who could vote before the war.

In 1937, the U.S. Supreme court upheld Georgia’s poll tax as constitutional. But in 1942, Georgia voters chose Ellis Arnall for governor and the progressive Arnall ushered in a wave of reforms, including abolishing Georgia’s poll tax.

Nigel Tufnel, of the band Spinal Tap, was born on February 5, 1948.

On February 5, 1974, “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe,” by Barry White reached #1 on the charts.

Def Leppard’s “Pyromania” began a 92-week run on the best-seller charts on February 5, 1983. Rock on.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Don’t count your eggs before they’re paid for: Egg prices have risen dramatically, according to WJBF.

Gabby Grigg is a supervisor at Good Earth Produce and Garden Center.

“The farmers are having a hard time keeping up with the demand for the eggs, so they’re basically having to work harder and raise those prices to meet the demand and supply. And that affects our prices here because we have to pay that extra price too,” said Grigg.

The nationwide shortage is due to HPAI, or the Bird Flu.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently reported the virus has infected 60 people so far, with one case turning deadly.

At Good Earth Produce and Garden Center in Augusta, their eggs come from local farmers in the area.

But since farmers are adjusting their prices, eggs at Good Earth are now $10 per dozen.

“Every week we get a shipment of the eggs, and because he had to raise his prices we had to go up another three dollars,” Grigg said.

Marketing Manager Jacob Kirby at Lanier’s Fresh Meat Market says they are also seeing the impacts.

“Our eggs went from $2.99 to $5.99 per dozen. We still have the lowest prices in town, but they have gone up significantly—and we do not like raising our prices,” said Kirby.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is monitoring animal infections, with the CDC keeping an eye on human infections.

Wednesday – February 5, 2025

TBD Senate Rules : Upon Adjournment 450 CAP
7:30 AM HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS 341 CAP
8:00 AM HOUSE SMALL BUS DEV 506 CLOB
8:00 AM HOUSE Hong Sub Judy Non-Civil 132 CAP
8:00 AM HOUSE WAYS & MEANS  406 CLOB
8:00 AM Senate Econ Dev & Tourism 450 CAP
9:30 AM HOUSE RULES 341 CAP
10:00 AM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD12) House Chamber
10:00 AM Senate Floor Session (LD 12) Senate Chamber
1:00 PM HOUSE BANKS & BANKING 406 CLOB
1:00 PM HOUSE HIGHER ED 606 CLOB
1:00 PM HOUSE JUDICIARY JUVENILE 403 CAP
1:00 PM HOUSE SPECIAL RULES 415 CLOB
1:00 PM HOUSE PUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND 506 CLOB
1:00 PM Senate Public Safety 450 CAP
1:00 PM Cancelled – Senate Transportation  MEZZ 1
2:00 PM HOUSE HUMAN RELATIONS & AGING 415 CLOB
2:00 PM HOUSE TECH & INFRA INNOV 406 CLOB
2:00 PM Cancelled – Senate Ag & Cons Aff  307 CLOB
2:30 PM HOUSE Reg Ind Sub Occup/Prof Licensing 515 CLOB
3:00 PM HOUSE INDUSTRY & LABOR 506 CLOB
3:00 PM HOUSE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 606 CLOB
3:00 PM HOUSE STATE PLANNING & COMM AFF 415 CLOB
3:00 PM Senate Finance  MEZZ 1
4:00 PM Senate Health & Human Svcs  450 CAP

Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon wants to limit who can vote in partisan primary elections, according to the AJC.

The idea to end Georgia’s open primaries, which now allow any voter to choose either party’s ballot, has long failed to gain traction.

But Georgia GOP chair Josh McKoon says it’s time to reopen the debate now that President Donald Trump is back in the White House.

He released the party’s “election integrity priorities” late Tuesday, which is topped by a call for closed party primary elections.

McKoon told Politically Georgia that party stalwarts are clear they want “Republican voters electing the Republican nominees.”

“It is common sense to limit participation in Republican primaries to those voters who declare their allegiance to the Republican Party so our nominees reflect the philosophy of our voters,” he said.

The overhaul faces long odds under the Gold Dome and will be staunchly opposed by more mainstream Republicans who rely on moderate and independent votes to carry swing legislative districts.

While crossover voting isn’t widespread, it does happen. About 67,000 voters in the 2022 GOP primary cast ballots in the Democratic primary in June 2020. That’s about 6% of all voters who participated in that year’s GOP primary.

Sgt. Anna Lange of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office was in court in a lawsuit about gender-affirming healthcare coverage under their employee benefits, according to the AJC.

A transgender Houston County sheriff’s deputy fought Tuesday to preserve a landmark ruling by the conservative Atlanta-based federal appeals court as it reconsiders whether employers can be liable for denying insurance coverage for employees’ transgender-related health care.

Sgt. Anna Lange attended oral arguments at the 11th Circuit in Atlanta where her legal team worked to persuade a 13-judge panel that Houston County and its sheriff violated the Civil Rights Act by refusing coverage for Lange’s medical needs associated with her transgender status.

“I have hope that the right thing will be done,” Lange told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the 11th Circuit hearing Tuesday. “Transgender people are people and we deserve to be treated just like everybody else. The fight will continue until we’re treated equally.”

Houston County and its sheriff have been defending their policy for employee health coverage since Lange sued them in 2019. The county and sheriff urged the 11th Circuit to reconsider the case after a three-judge panel ruled in Lange’s favor in May 2024.

The May ruling was the first time a federal appellate court had concluded that it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against transgender people in an employee health plan, according to Lange’s legal team.

The federal government had initially supported Lange in the case, filing a brief in October saying the Civil Rights Act prohibits sex discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of transgender status. Upon Trump’s return to the White House, the federal government withdrew its involvement in the case.

Houston County and its sheriff have maintained that their health plan lawfully provides and denies coverage based on the type of care or procedure, rather than an employee’s gender or sexual orientation.

“This health plan does not make distinctions based on people, it makes distinctions based on medical procedures,” Patrick Lail, an attorney representing Houston County and its sheriff, told the court Tuesday. “The plan covered Sgt. Lange’s nonsurgical care, including her endocrinologist visits, her hormones and her psychologist visits.”

The United States Senate voted to confirm Doug Collins as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to USA Today via the Savannah Morning News.

Collins, 58, previously served in the U.S. House as a Georgia Republican and for two decades in the military, including in Iraq in 2008. The Senate confirmed Collins by a vote of 77 to 23.

“Our heroes deserve the best care and support,” Collins said in a mid-November post on X when Trump chose him. “We’ll fight tirelessly to streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they’ve earned.”

Collins was one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal defenders as the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee when it investigated Trump during his first administration and voted twice to impeach him. Trump was acquitted in both Senate trials.

Collins is a Navy veteran, an Air Force reserve colonel and a chaplain. He’s also a lawyer.

At his confirmation hearing Jan. 21, Collins said his top priority will be to deliver veterans access to care and benefits. He also said the department must do more outreach to vulnerable veterans at risk of suicide or homelessness.

“The chaplaincy has taught me that leadership is about more than rank. It’s about listening, having a servant’s heart, motivating people and setting a good example for others to follow,” Collins said. “And as a longtime congressman and attorney, I know the federal government and I have the policy background to solve complex problems, cut through red tape and get things done for those who have worn the uniform.”

After eight years in the House, Collins ran for the Senate in 2020 with Trump’s endorsement. But Collins finished third in a special election to former GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democratic Sen. Rafael Warnock. Warnock beat Loeffler in the runoff.

Doug Collins also served three terms in the Georgia State House.

Governor Brian Kemp talked about tort reform on “The Martha Zoller Show,” according to AccessWDUN.

“I just want it to be fair,” Kemp said. “We cannot continue to live with 20-to-30-percent increases on liability insurance.”

The core issue for Kemp is that other states competing with Georgia’s economic prowess are using “our legal environment against us.”

“I hear from people every week about insurance cost, frivolous lawsuits,” Kemp said. “We need to be on parity with other states around us … that we compete with everyday in the marketplace for good paying jobs and new opportunities in our state.”

Kemp did also say that the juries should be empowered to make good decisions. That is opposed to decisions that can be harmful to small businesses and business owners in the state.

“We are protecting the rights of all Georgians that have access to our civil justice system and ensure that those that have been wronged receive justice and are made whole,” Kemp said.

He said the reform will look to strike a balance between businesses who may be held liable and those who are wronged and take their issues to civil court.

Kemp shifted focus to Hurricane Helene and relief efforts.

“I wrote a letter to President Trump the other day about extending the 100-percent payment for debris removal,” Kemp said. “We’ve never seen a storm this big.”

Kemp added there was a $614-million package in his proposed budget to the legislature for hurricane relief.

When asked what he will do next, Kemp said he is focused on his day job, with his focus outside of his family and business being his governorship and being the chair of the Republican Governors Association.

“We’re cutting taxes and we have budget surplus,” Kemp said. “So it’s important we continue to elect leaders like that.”

House Bill 225 by State Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon) would repeal earlier legislation that allows speed cameras, according to WABE.

Georgia lawmakers filed legislation to ban school zone traffic cameras on Monday, with more than half of state House representatives signing onto the bill due to concerns about operating hours and fines.

House Bill 225 would repeal H.B. 978, passed in 2018, which allows the use of automated speed detection devices in school zones.

H.B. 225 prevents local bodies from entering or continuing contracts with companies that provide such devices and enforcement, meaning that recent contracts for automated speed detection programs in places like Decatur could end prematurely.

The bill would ban such devices altogether, though some have proposed ideas on regulating them.

House Speaker Jon Burns shared concerns during a January press conference that cameras operate at all hours. However, he said lawmakers originally intended for them to work only during schools’ starting and ending times.

“I think we’ll correct the issue that what our legislative intent is, that schools on cameras operate when young people are going to school in the mornings and then when they’re leaving school in the afternoons,” Burns said in a January press conference.

Moreover, Burns said the revenue generated from tickets issued due to school zone driving violations should be redirected.

“We want to make sure that any revenue that’s created by school zone cameras are applied to school safety,” he said.

The bill’s lead sponsor, Republican State Rep. Dale Washburn of Macon, wants to go a step further, saying it is simply time to ban the school zone cameras.

The politician said that in many areas of the state, local governments are using the cameras inappropriately and charging an exorbitant amount in fines from residents in places where students don’t walk to school in the first place.

“If you start trying to do any sort of a fix-it — and there’s some conversation about that — in my mind, that still allows these camera companies to do things that should not be done to our citizens, and I believe the correct thing to do is to ban this,” Washburn said.

State House legislators will bring their own bill addressing transgender student athletes, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.

Sex and school sports will be a priority for both chambers of Georgia’s General Assembly this year, with House Speaker Jon Burns announcing Tuesday that his caucus will have its own version of legislation banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.

Republicans in the state Senate have a head start on the issue.

A GOP-led Senate committee passed a bill last week that says student athletes in middle school through college can compete only on teams that match the sex on their birth certificates. At a news conference on Monday, Republican leaders of the Senate announced that the issue would be a top priority for them, something that was already clear from the title of their bill — Senate Bill 1.

Even so, Burns, R-Newington, said the House needed its own version.

“I’m not sure what’s in Senate Bill 1,” he said. “We’ve been focused on providing these safeguards, leveling these playing fields, working with good partners to perfect this legislation.”

The House version will be introduced by Rep. Josh Bonner, R-Fayetteville. It appears to differ significantly from the Senate’s in at least one key way: It would affect public school sports starting in kindergarten, Burns said, rather than in middle school.

Like SB 1, the House version would affect private schools that compete against public schools, he said.

In explaining the need for such legislation, Republicans have pointed to a much-publicized NCAA swim meet at Georgia Tech in 2022 when a transgender athlete dominated the women’s field. GOP lawmakers say that incident demonstrates that women and girls need to be protected from competing against men and boys — and from sharing locker rooms with them.

Democrats contend it was an isolated incident unlikely to recur and that Republicans are trying to score political points by promoting a solution in search of a nonexistent problem, particularly in K-12 schools.

Asked about that, Burns said he doesn’t disclose everything he knows, “but I know some situations where boys have competed against girls.”

Democrats introduced their own bills this week, also in the name of protecting female athletes.

But their legislation is focused on equal funding.

Senate Bill 41 and House Bill 221 target wiggle room in the current law governing gender equity in sports by proposing the deletion of the words “all reasonable efforts” from language requiring equal opportunities for girls.

The Democrats’ legislation would clarify that equity means “funds, facilities access, equipment, supplies, and other resources” and that schools would be in noncompliance if they failed to provide these.

It would allow lawsuits to enforce the provisions.

Burns said the GOP House legislation builds off a 2022 state law that authorized the Georgia High School Association to ban transgender athletes.

That law allowed athletic associations to “prohibit students whose gender is male from participating in athletic events that are designated for students whose gender is female.” The GHSA promptly did just that.

Both of the bills by Democrats would remove that language from the law.

The Georgia State House Judiciary Committee voted to recommend passage of HB 199, which will exempt some personal information for judges from disclosure, according to Georgia Recorder.

The House Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced House Bill 199 Tuesday, which will allow judges to fill out a form that will be submitted to local governments, which will be required to remove judges’ names, addresses and phone numbers from public records.

The House bill is an update to last year’s Senate Bill 508, which allowed the Administrative Office of the Courts to collect and maintain personal information about judges.

The sponsor of this year’s legislation, GOP Rep. Trey Kelley of Cedartown, said the bill is intended to address concerns about the security of a single database containing information that is supposed to be confidential.

Under Kelley’s bill judges will access a form provided through the Administrative Office of the Courts and submit it to local governments so that personal information about judges, such as property tax information, will be removed from the local governments’ online systems

This bill will save taxpayers about $150,000 compared to the statewide system, Kelley said.

“Through conversations with different cybersecurity experts, we realized that having one website where everyone’s personally identifiable information was kept together may not be the best idea in case it got hacked,” Kelley said.

During his recent State of the Judiciary address, Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs mentioned the need for state leaders to protect judges from rising threats to their safety.

Boggs cited U.S. Marshals Service reports showing threats against federal judges tripled from 2019-2023, and anecdotal evidence suggests Georgia judges are increasingly being threatened.

“I think there’s a policy decision that we’ll maybe expand at some point to different officials, but the measure last year and this year specifically focuses on our judicial branch because of the unique and sensitive nature of some of the things they do outside of policy decisions, which we make,” Kelley said.

Latino Georgians went to the Capitol yesterday for Latino Day, according to Atlanta News First via WALB.

There are an estimated 1.1 million Latinos in Georgia — a group that adds billions to the state economy each year and has become a powerful voting bloc. One in four new businesses in Georgia are Latino-owned.

“We have a dynamic community of Latino entrepreneurs and business owners that significantly contribute to a thriving economy in Georgia,” said Stefanie Zaenker with the group Libre Initiative. “At the end of the day, we’re all Georgians and we’re all Americans. We want safe communities and a thriving Georgia economy.”

But it’s hard to ignore the impact increased immigration crackdowns are having on the community, even those here legally. According to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, some 7,400 arrests have been made since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20.

State Rep. Reynaldo Martinez (R-Loganville) has been fielding questions from fellow members of the Hispanic community about the raids.

“Not to worry,” Martinez said he tells them. “Keep going to church, keep working hard, keep contributing to our state. Do not worry about that. If you know you’re doing something right, don’t worry about that.”

Jefferson Dominguez, who works with the Georgia Hispanic Construction Association, said some of his Hispanic employees stopped showing up to work when the raids started happening.

“Yes, I have to admit that there are some people that are afraid because of misinformation that they see on some platforms which is not true,” he said. “Whoever is working here with respect, paying taxes, and do great things for this country, they should stay. We just want to get out the bad people that came here to do bad things. We don’t want the bad people.”

“As a Latino, I don’t want bad Latinos here. I want the good, hard workers that make this great country.”

Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Jones spoke to the Savannah Morning News.

After being reelected as the Chatham County District Attorney in November 2024, Shalena Jones plans to recruit, hire and train more prosecutors and improve data culture.

In a 45-minute interview, which took place in her office at the Chatham County courthouse, Jones also spoke about planning to expand community programming, including the conviction integrity unit, mentoring programs, and diversion programs.

In November 2024, Jones was reelected to the Chatham County District Attorney seat with 53.39% of the vote, defeating her Republican challenger, Chatham County attorney André Pretorius.

The Floyd County Board of Education will appoint a new member to fill a vacancy, according to WRGA.

Floyd County Schools announced the process to appoint a new board member for the Armuchee area on Monday morning in a called board meeting.

According to the law, the Board must appoint a new member within 45 days of the vacancy. The following procedure will be used to fill this position[.]

Savannah City Council held their first meeting to discuss opting out of the HB 581 Homestead Exemption, according to WSAV.

The City of Savannah and Chatham County currently tax homeowners through the 25-year-old Stephens Day model, which freezes home values to what they were upon original purchase, and locks in the county tax rate, something city leaders said does not need changing.

“Some of the thinking of opting out would be why fix what’s not broken, why confuse a really good thing, and why potentially cause room for error that could potentially harm taxpayers?” Savannah City Manager Jay Melder said.

This, despite HB 581 allowing for homeowners to be taxed under the model that saves them the most money, giving them an option.

That is what is leading homeowners to question the city’s stance.

“If we would opt in to 581, we would still get the benefits, so I think this needs to be looked at very carefully by council before we move forward,” said homeowner Bob Rosenwald.

Still, city leaders said a new system could cost everyone more money for training and software and would rather stick with what they know.

“I think the smartest thing to do is to opt out,” said Melder. “We already know what Stephens Day is and know that it provides a better benefit for our taxpayers. It’s been adjusted, litigated, tried and true over time, and we just don’t know what the impacts of House Bill 581 will do.”

“You get whatever’s better so why do we need to opt out?” said Jason Combs, president of the Thomas Square Neighborhood Association. “If you can say with 100% confidence that Stephens Day is better than I trust you, but I’d like to see some more side-by-side comparisons, maybe for older homes and stuff too.”

There are still two more public hearings before the city can makes a final decision. The meetings will be held Thursday, Feb. 13 at 2 and 6 p.m.

The deadline to opt in or out of HB 581 is March 1, though Mayor Van Johnson said that deadline may be tentative.

Tift County met with other local governments to discuss opting out of HB 581, according to the Tifton Gazette.

With a multitude of municipalities across the state deliberating over how to approach the state bill, which would provide a cap on taxable value increases on homes, a special sales tax for property relief, or the option to opt out of these programs, the Tift County government organized a joint meeting Thursday night to consult the city councils of Ty Ty, Omega, and Tifton and the Tift County Schools Board of Education on what their own course of action for the bill would be.

Jim Carter, county manager, began the discussion with a presentation breaking down the ins and outs of the bill, its origins, and the potential effects it could have to ensure that those in attendance were fully informed of the topic at hand.

He highlighted the amendments that the house bill would make to the state constitution, including the change of the term “estimated tax” used for notices of assessment to “estimated rollback rate,” which he believed would be clearer for taxpayers to understand, but present a greater challenge to the county’s governments, as they would need to estimate that rollback rate with no established formula.

Regarding the floating sales tax offered through HB 581, or FLOST, Carter explained that the policy required a year of tax collections before a rollback could be applied, whereas the Local Option Sales Tax was applied at the beginning of this process. In addition, he was unsure whether Ty Ty or Omega levied property tax, which could bar them from benefitting from the FLOST.

Carter provided a table of projections, based on records of SPLOST revenues, for how FLOST would possibly be distributed for 2024, noting that it would only result in the county receiving the funds due to the estimated FLOST rollback rate negating the established net mill rate.

The county manager stressed that he was not advocating for either opting in or out of the homestead exemption, and believed that whatever decision any of the municipalities were to make would not harm them in a fiscal sense. However, he clarified that opting in and receiving a tax break would shift the tax burden away from homestead properties and further towards non-homestead properties.

Tifton city attorney Rob Wilmot warned that opting in was not a decision they could undo, but Carter in turn noted that many local municipalities had found workarounds by opting out, then establishing local legislation to gain the effects of opting in.

He believed said option could be one of their better alternatives, but expressed frustration and concern with the permanence of the decision either way. Both sentiments were shared by many of the assembled government officials, including chair of the County Commission Tony McBrayer and Ty Ty mayor Keith Beasley, who added that he had spoken to many constituents who were confused by the exact bounds and processes of the bill.

Having heard discussion of a possible extension for the deadline of HB 581, Tifton mayor Julie Smith stressed it would need to be approved soon for it to have any effect. Wilmot urged the local municipalities to continue operating under the original March 1 deadline for the time being.

The city attorney also expressed concern over how the chips could fall between the cities, county, and school system regarding opting in or out, fearing that the cities could be forced to fall in line with the county’s decision or that the workload on their tax workers could be drastically increased should some of the governments decide to opt out and others opt in.

Carter felt a decision needed to be made by the second week of February, and promised to begin reaching out to state delegates over the next few days for more information and clarification. Smith suggested a commission could be formed with representatives from each municipality’s government to assist Carter, which he was open to.

Smaller governments considering whether to Opt Out of HB 581 have special concerns, according to WRDW.

“They voted for this strongly for this to pass, and so we’re committed to making it work and doing whatever it takes to make it work,” said Mitchell McGraw, Jefferson County council chairman.

McGraw, says it’s a fine balance of doing what almost 60% of what the county voted for versus making sure there is enough money for vital services.

“Our salaries, our health insurance, our employee’s fuel, just everything continues to go up just like it does at your home,” said McGraw.

Despite those concerns, counties like Jefferson, McDuffie and Lincoln are deciding to opt in.

Georgia Senator Max Burns says the intent was always to provide ease to property taxes – but he understands the choice is not so clear cut for many communities 50 year future.

“They’re concerned,” said Burns. “They recognize that this is a kind of an unknown area. I think we need to provide a little bit more flexibility to our counties and our cities and our school boards because they’re having to come to a decision in a couple of months.”

Meanwhile, McGraw says they’re going to make it work, but they have to be careful about doing it.

“We’re hoping that people will spend more money on the bypass here,” said McGraw. “Maybe come into our towns in the county and spend more money. Hopefully, the tax revenue will take care of that money that we will lose.”

We also checked in with Burke County about their decision.

Like some other counties, they’re still in the process of discussion with its public hearings.

Macon-Bibb County voters will decide a $450 million dollar Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax on March 18, 2025, according to 13WMAZ.

Bibb County leaders want a penny-per-dollar sales tax to pass in hopes of funding a bunch of new projects. The penny-per-dollar sales tax has been in effect since 2012. It was last renewed in 2016, two years before it took effect.

Since then, voters have watched Bibb leaders divvy up $280 million for major project developments, but the election for its renewal is fast approaching as the collection will be capped around June.

“It’s the most reasonable way to pay for large capital improvements in economic development in our community,” Mayor Lester Miller told 13WMAZ. “But more importantly, it comes from 71% of people who live outside of Macon-Bibb county. So that one penny sales tax is not a burden on just the taxpayers.”

Bibb leaders are now eyeing a renewed $450 million SPLOST to be passed in a special election on March 18.

“Economic development includes the projects we do with Industrial Authority [and] bringing in, creating jobs, bringing in these companies and purchasing land for these companies, things of that nature,” Miller said.

Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson will allow alcohol licensees to sell on Super Bowl Sunday, according to WTVM.

Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson has announced that all holders of an on-premises local alcohol license may sell and serve all alcoholic beverages they are licensed to offer.

According to state law, service hours will begin Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and continue until midnight, with all patrons required to vacate the premises within 20 minutes after sales end.

Officials said this declaration will be approved by the city council at the next meeting on February 11.

From the Ledger-Enquirer:

“The mayor hereby advises that all holders of an on-premises local alcohol license may be open and sell and serve all alcoholic beverages which they are otherwise licensed to sell,” the news release says.

The release says Georgia law allows local governments to designate by resolution one Sunday each calendar year for the lawful sale of alcoholic beverages.

Columbia County District Attorney Bobby Christine was called to Active Duty in the Army National Guard, according to WJBF.

Columbia County District Attorney, Bobby L. Christine, a Major General in the U.S. Army National Guard, has received notice that he is being called to military service starting Saturday, February 8th.

According to a press release, Christine will be posted to Washington, D.C., for temporary duty but will maintain his position as D.A.