Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for February 19, 2025

On February 19, 1807, Aaron Burr was arrested in the Mississippi Territory, in what is now Alabama. Burr had served as Vice President during the first term of President Thomas Jefferson, leaving the administration after the 1804 election; later Jefferson issued a warrant accusing Burr of treason.

On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, authorizing the military to remove from military areas any people whose exclusion was “necessary or desirable.” By June 1942, more than 110,000 Japanese Americans had been interned in concentration camps in the western United States. On the same day, the United States War Department announced that a new bomber plant would be built in Marietta, Georgia.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Former Governor Nathan Deal visited the Golden Isles on a book tour, according to The Brunswick News.

Former Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal visited the Golden Isles Tuesday to speak with area groups and sign his book, a children’s book called “Veto, the Governor’s Cat.”

Deal, a Republican, was Georgia’s governor from 2011 to 2019.

The late Sandra Deal’s career was in education, and during her time as First Lady of Georgia, she promoted literacy across the state. She read books to children at more than 1,000 schools in all 159 counties. Nathan Deal said Tuesday at a Brunswick Exchange Club luncheon that she likely read to more than 250,000 children in all.

“She thought that was the best way to get them interested in reading themselves,” Deal said.

As to why he took on the task of writing a children’s book and not Sandra, the explanation was straightforward.

“It’s the explanation many men have for what they do. My wife asked me to do it,” Deal said.

The impetus for her request was that she wanted to read a new book, and she wanted it to be one written, illustrated and published by Georgians. At the time, he promptly forgot about the request.

It didn’t occur to him again until she was diagnosed with brain cancer. It claimed her life in 2022 at age 80.

Before she passed, the former governor got to work on completing the book, named after two cats the state’s then-first family picked up at a farm in Hall County, Deal’s home county, to take care of a chipmunk problem at the Governor’s Mansion. Staff living at the mansion named them Bill and Veto.

For more information on the book, visit vetothecat.com.

Deal said all proceeds from the book will go to the Deal Foundation, a charitable organization set up in Sandra Deal’s name that promotes childhood literacy education.

Public schools in Dalton and Whitfield County are closed today because of cold weather, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

A number of other schools districts are closed or delayed in opening today, according to AccessWDUN.

School Closures:
North Georgia Technical College – All campuses closed Wednesday.
White County Public Schools

Delayed Openings:
Habersham County Public Schools – Two hour delayed openings.
Tallulah Falls School – Two hour delayed opening for classes.

Virtual Learning/At-Home Learning Day:
Dawson County Public Schools
Fannin County Public Schools
Lumpkin County Public Schools
Rabun County Public Schools
Towns County Public Schools
Union County Public Schools

Under the Gold Dome Today

TBD Senate Rules : Upon Adjournment 450 CAP
8 AM HOUSE SMALL BUS DEV  506 CLOB
8 AM HOUSE Ins Sub Life & Health  415 CLOB
8 AM HOUSE AGRICULTURE & CONS AFF  606 CLOB
8 AM HOUSE WAYS & MEANS  406 CLOB
8 AM Senate Econ Dev & Tourism  450 CAP
9 AM HOUSE RULES  341 CAP
10 AM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD19)  House Chamber
10 AM Senate Floor Session (LD 19) Senate Chamber
11 AM CANCELED: HOUSE Insurance Sub P&C (Upon Adj)  606 CLOB
1 PM HOUSE JUDICIARY JUVENILE  515 CLOB
1 PM HOUSE STATE PROPERTIES  403 CAP
1 PM HOUSE HIGHER EDUCATION  606 CLOB
1 PM HOUSE PUBLIC SAFETY & HOME SEC  506 CLOB
1 PM HOUSE BANKS & BANKING  406 CLOB
1 PM Senate Public Safety  450 CAP
1 PM Cancelled- Senate Transportation  MEZZ 1
1:30 PM HOUSE Education Sub Policy  415 CLOB
2 PM HOUSE TECH & INFRA INNOV  406 CLOB
2 PM HOUSE HEALTH  403 CAP
2 PM HOUSE Approp Sub Human Res  341 CAP
2 PM Senate Ag & Cons Aff  307 CLOB
3 PM HOUSE GOVTAL AFFAIRS   606 CLOB
3 PM CANCELED: HOUSE DEFENSE & VETS AFF  506 CLOB
3 PM HOUSE SPECIAL RULES  515 CLOB
3 PM HOUSE JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL  132 CAP
3 PM Senate Finance  MEZZ 1
3:30 PM HOUSE Natural Res & Envt Sub Res Mgmt  415 CLOB
4 PM Senate Health & Human Svcs  450 CAP
5 PM Cancelled- Senate Govt Oversight  307 CLOB

Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #02.18.25.01, Suspending Audrey Gibbons from the Glynn County Board of Education, and Executive Order #02.18.25.02, Suspending Royce Reeves as Vice Chair of the Cordele City Commission.

Governor Kemp’s proposed budget for FY 2026 includes a $30 million dollar bump for the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, Georgia, according to 13WMAZ.

Governor Brian Kemp’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes more than $30 million to expand the current facility.

Governor Kemps proposal includes $730,000 for additional instructors, nearly $16 million to build a new basic training building, $13 million to build a new public safety training center, $1 million for campus elevator and $780,000 for the construction of an additional braking exercise.

Last year, the state of Georgia doubled the training hours required for law enforcement officers from 11 weeks to 20 weeks.

With the increase in training hours, basic training manager Kevin Angell believes there’s a need for more instructors, too, especially to simulate real world problems they’re likely to see in the field.

“We’re adding classes, like the standard field sobriety exercises. Again, we’re adding more driving, we’re adding more scenario-based training where we need more instructors present at a time,” Angell said.

As officers experience more driving training, they’ll also practice in-depth, high-speed chases. From 2019 to 2023, GSP reports show troopers were involved in nearly 7,000 chases, which has caused some controversy.

Gov. Kemp’s proposed budget also addresses natural disaster cleanup and transportation, according to WJBF via WSAV.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is pushing lawmakers to fund roads, bridges, transportation and infrastructure projects for this legislative session.

He wants more than $600 million to help the state recover from Hurricane Helene. Half of that is for the department of transportation to clean up debris, repair roads and fix signs.

There’s another $100 million budgeted for funds for financial relief for the agricultural and timber industries that suffered huge losses when the hurricane hit last September.

Two billion dollars is slated for water and transportation infrastructure across the state, which also includes funds to the DOT for freight projects to transport goods efficiently.

“That is a continuing thing and I don’t think there’s any disagreement on us and making sure that we adequately fund for ports and fund rural internet access because our children in those communities, businesses won’t have those opportunities and there will be agreement on those,” said House Minority Leader, Carolyn Hugley.

State Senator Derek Mallow said, “I mean those priorities are roads and bridges. The Georgia Finance Authority has enough money for cities and counties to make these projects happen. We have huge water needs. We are fighting climate change and sea level rise and what to do with storm water.”

State Senator Harold Jones said, “As far as Augusta is concerned, we have a lot of debris and trees. We are talking about major trees that are out there and that is the first we have to get done in our particular region.”

The governor is proposing $250 million dollars for local road grants, $250 million for the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority for water infrastructure grants and $500 million for surface water investments in the coastal region.

Governor Kemp said he wants $150 million dollars for the governor’s emergency fund for the state’s share of FEMA reimbursements, including direct aid and temporary shelter expenses.

Yesterday, the State House of Representatives passed three pieces of tax legislation, according to WSAV.

House Resolution 42 would ratify, or officially confirm, executive orders issues by Governor Brian Kemp that suspended of the collection of motor and diesel fuel taxes after Helene. The resolution is sponsored by State Representative Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville).

“Thank you to our partners in the House for ratifying Georgia’s gas tax suspension during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene,” Kemp said. “The suspension provided immediate relief to Georgia families.”

House Bill (HB) 92 would extend the deadline for local governments to opt in or out of the controversial HB 581. HB 581 is a homestead tax exemption that locks in assessed value for homeowners if their local government opts in.

The extension would run until the end of the month, Mar. 31, versus the current Mar. 1 deadline. The bill is sponsored by Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire).

“HB 92 would provide local governments that are considering opting out of this local tax relief with reasonable time to reconsider,” a House spokesperson said.

HB 223 would exclude federal disaster relief payments, assistance grants and crop insurance related to Hurricane Helene from counting towards taxable net income. This would be in effect for tax years 2024-2029.

It could also create a tax credit for timber loss and a sales tax exemption for building materials used to repair or replace greenhouses and structures used for the production of animals like coops.

The resolution and both bills will have to go in front of the Georgia Senate and be passed to become law.

House Bill 225 by State Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon), which would prohibit speed cameras, is facing opposition, according to Atlanta News First via WTVM.

State Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon) introduced House Bill 225, arguing that the automated cameras—installed by municipalities since a 2018 law allowed them—unfairly penalize drivers and serve more as a revenue generator than a public safety measure.

“It is clear that this system is abusive, and no matter what the intention of passing it, it is designed to rake in money and to do it dishonestly, frankly,” Washburn said during the committee hearing.

Despite Washburn’s push for a ban, law enforcement officials and transportation safety advocates argue the cameras improve public safety by reducing speeding in school zones.

Ashley Rose-Toomer, executive director of the advocacy group Give Kids a Brake, urged lawmakers to consider the potential consequences of removing the cameras.

“What happens when a family whose student has been injured or killed by a speeding driver?” Rose-Toomer asked. “What happens when they come to the capitol and ask for answers if this bill is successful? We do really need to keep kids safe. The speed cameras work.”

The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police also opposes the ban, stating the cameras have helped change driver behavior.

“Agencies across the state have reported back that they have had significant reductions in the total number of violators since they began using the system,” said A.A. “Butch” Ayers, the association’s executive director. “Eliminating the cameras is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”

Since 2019, the Georgia Department of Transportation has issued 290 permits for school zone speed cameras, a sharp increase from the 39 approved in the first year of implementation.

While Washburn’s bill has garnered at least 100 co-signers, some lawmakers on the committee expressed interest in keeping the cameras but implementing additional regulations to prevent abuse.

The bill now moves to the powerful House Rules Committee, which will decide whether it advances to the full House for a vote.

House Bill 446 by State Rep. Jordan Ridley (R-Woodstock) would give third parties to Public Service Commission hearing discovery rights, according to the Athens Banner Herald.

“The bill allows third party interveners the right to discovery in cases before the PSC,” Ridley said of House Bill 446, which was introduced on Feb. 13. “From the research I’ve done, 49 other states allow it. So we’re just trying to bring it in line with all the other states.”

“Interveners, who go before the Public Service Commission, should have all the information they need to help present their case regarding why we should or shouldn’t raise rates.”

The Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies including Georgia Power, makes decisions affecting millions of Georgians’ electric bills. HB 446 would grant discovery rights to all official parties to Commission hearings, allowing them to ask questions and compel relevant information, such as data that is not voluntarily provided in an initial filing, from other parties, including Georgia Power.

As a state that currently denies discovery rights to intervenors, a lack of discovery rights jeopardizes the ability to challenge unfair pricing and practices, according to Vote Solar. HB 446 will align Georgia with best practices nationwide by granting discovery rights to all official parties at hearings.

Ridley said when it comes to an intervenor it’s all-encompassing.

“The PSC has a process on how you can register to become an intervener,” said Ridley. “There are organizations, environmental groups, solar groups to go forward and have all the information before any case before going before the PSC. We used to have the Consumers’ Utility Counsel, that was on the side of ratepayers. But that was eliminated in the 2007 and 2008 budget cuts. So we’re just trying to bring back some of that transparency and fairness.”

Georgia Supreme Court justices raised questions about a law passed in 2019, according to the AJC.

The court unanimously ruled that a woman was not entitled to custody of a young girl she had helped raise since birth with her ex-partner. While the court did not strike down the law, it said the case raises serious questions about “the fundamental right of parents to the care, custody, and control of their children.”

“We have serious concerns about the constitutionality of the statute,” Presiding Justice Nels Peterson wrote for the court.

A parent-child relationship can be difficult to define, especially as changing cultural norms have embraced nontraditional families. At least 38 states now recognize the concept of a “de facto parent,” where legal rights are rooted in the person’s relationship to the child.

In 2019, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the Equitable Caregiver Act, which gives people the right to ask for custody if they can prove they have a “permanent, unequivocal, committed and responsible parental role” for the child.

Abby Boone believed she met that description. She helped raise a young girl for the first four years of the child’s life along with her partner, Michelle Dias. The girl is a cousin of Dias, who legally adopted her in 2011. Boone was not part of that adoption, but the court noted the girl’s middle name is listed as “Boone” on the child’s new birth certificate.

The Georgia Supreme Court ruled the law doesn’t apply to Boone because her relationship with the girl happened before the law took effect. But the justices raised broader questions about the law, saying one way it could stay in effect would be for a parent to “waive their constitutional right at least in some limited fashion.”

“But only a knowing and voluntary waiver would suffice,” Peterson wrote.

From the AJC Political Insider:

But that misses the point, according to the state lawmaker who wrote the law.

State Rep. Chuck Efstration, R-Mulberry, said the intent was to “focus on the rights of a child to grow up in the best environment.”

“Imagine a dad abandons his wife upon the birth of a child. The mother remarried and a stepfather raises the child as his own,” he said. “If the mother unexpectedly dies, I think a judge should be able to consider the stepfather continuing to serve as the child’s caregiver.”

The case before the court concerned a woman, Abby Boone, who helped raise a young girl from birth with her partner, Michelle Dias. Dias was the girl’s legal guardian, while Boone was not. Dias cut off contact with Boone a few years after the couple broke up.

The court sidestepped the question of whether the law was constitutional, ruling in favor of Dias because Boone’s relationship with the child happened before the law took effect in 2019.

Still, the ruling puts the future of the law in doubt. That concerns Efstration, who said he could push for changes to the law.

Bryan County Board of Education members voted to opt out of the HB 581 Homestead Exemption, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The Bryan County School District voted 5-2 to opt out of House Bill 581Tuesday. The decision was made during a special called meeting that took place at 8 a.m.

The move has created frustration among Bryan County residents who do not feel their voices were heard. Board members Shawn Page and Dennis Seger voted against opting out.

“The other thing that people asked us to do is really look at our budget,” Murphy said. “When we start looking at our budget, we are going to do what you’ve asked us to do, [which] is to really take a look at our spending money and what we need to do.”

The agenda also included a vote to authorize a comprehensive study on senior citizen school tax exemptions across the state. Murphy went on to say the board will consider seniors moving forward.

However, House Bill 362, which is being proposed by Ron Stephens, Lehman Franklin and Jesse Petrea, appears designed to counter act the Bryan County School Board’s decision on HB581 by creating a duplicate of the contentious homestead exemption that would let Bryan County citizens vote on the issue in November. Effectively this would take this decision on tax relief and this part of school funding out of the school board’s hands and give it back to voters.

A draft of the bill says it will, “Provide a homestead exemption from the Bryan County School District ad valorem taxes for educational purposes in an amount equal to the amount by which the current year assessed value of a homestead exceeds the adjusted base year assessed value of such homestead.”

Stephens elaborated on what the bill entails and what it means for the school district.

“Now the only option that we have is to put in a local bill, which is House Bill 362, which is exactly the same as the general bill that people have already voted on,” said Stephens. “So, if we can pass this out of the House and the Senate, it would allow another vote this November for the 2026 tax year.”

Stephens said the bill would give power back to the taxpayer.

“It gives the ability to the taxpayer,” said Stephens. “In other words, [the Bryan County School District] would be held to the same standard as the General Bill, which has the opt out provision in there that both Pembroke, Richmond, Hill and Bryan County have. The school board will then have to live by the same rules as the rest of the taxing authorities in the county. But now that they have voted to opt out, then it leaves it up to the local delegation and places this in front of the taxpayers, the homeowners again to vote in November.”

Bryan County schools did not respond to requests to comment on the proposed local legislation as of press time, however as previously reported by the Savannah Morning News, the school system has pointed to a number of reasons why it was choosing to opt out of HB581’s plans. It has pointed out that it expects the property tax cap to reduce the school system’s operational funds which could lead to fewer teachers, larger class sizes, deteriorating facilities, fewer safety personnel and force the school board to ultimately raise the millage rate, increasing local taxes on all property owners, not just home owners, to offset these funding losses.

From WTOC:

Local Republican lawmakers Ron Stephens, Jesse Petrea and Lehman Franklin are sponsoring a bill that if passed, would essentially not allow the school district to opt out as long as voters were in agreement.

WTOC spoke with Representative Petrea earlier, who says he believes the people of Bryan County deserve to have their voices heard on this, rather than just the schools.

“It appears to me that the school board is tone deaf to the will of the people and you know we have the highest paid teachers in the southeastern United States. We want Bryan County to continue to have the best schools possible, but the people of that county should make this decision, and all we’re doing is simply allowing them the ability to make this decision,” said Rep. Petrea.

The City of McDonough will opt out of the HB 581 Homestead Exemption, according to the Henry Herald via NewsBreak.

The mayor and City Council of McDonough have announced their intention to opt-out of House Bill 581 (HB 581) that Georgia voters approved in the November 2024 election. HB 581 implements a limit on the amount that homesteaded properties pay in taxes, relative to the rate of inflation.

The city of McDonough does not currently have any homestead exemptions, meaning HB 581 would be a major source of relief to taxpayers. However, opting-out of HB581 means that the homestead exemptions would not go into effect and homeowners will continue to pay taxes based on un-capped property values. Earlier this month, the Henry County Board of Education voted to opt-out of HB 581, meaning that the school district will continue to collect property taxes at an un-capped rate.

The City of Hampton will opt out, according to the Henry Reporter.

Hampton will hold their first two hearings on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 10:00 am and 6:30 pm. They have not communicated the third date. Hampton City Hall is located at 17 East Main Street, Hampton.

The city has an existing frozen homestead exemption which is more beneficial to homeowners than HB 581. For that reason, the city’s decision to opt-out has no real effect on homeowners. The same cannot be said about McDonough, discussed more below, who presently have no homestead exemptions.

McDonough’s decision whether to opt-out of HB 581 would affect the whole county’s ability to ask voters for a floating local option sales tax (FLOST). This is a new local sales tax created in HB 581 which, if approved, would offset property taxes. Eligibility for a FLOST is limited to counties where the county commission and every city have a frozen or floating homestead exemption in place.

If a FLOST were passed in Henry County, then the county and each city would receive a portion of the proceeds. This is similar to the existing local option sales tax (LOST). Collections would then reduce the property tax rate. Based on recent discussions at city meetings, there is interest by Henry County officials in asking for a FLOST.

The school board’s decision to opt-out of HB 581 does not affect FLOST eligibility. They voted to opt-out at their February 10 meeting.

Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education members will decide today whether to opt out, according to WTOC.

The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System plans to make its decision on Georgia House Bill 581 during a special called meeting Wednesday morning.

There are two main differences House Bill 581 has that the Stephens Day homestead exemption does not.

The first difference is the ability of local jurisdictions to opt in or out of House Bill 581.

The second difference is that House Bill 581 would also allow for cities and local governments to make up the difference through a sales tax option approved through a public vote.

The Richmond County Board of Education voted to opt out of the HB 581 Homestead Exemption, according to WJBF.

The Richmond County Board of Education has chosen to opt out of homestead exemption with a nine-to-one vote.

“In future years it would limit assessment based on the inflation rate. So, by tonight, by them opting out, we will not be subject to those limits in the future years for that,” said Smith.

Smith says they already have exemptions in place, and opting out of the bill will not affect current taxes. He reported that 8 million dollars in funding would have been lost if the measure had been in place for the past 4-years. The school board was also afraid of staying in the bill because there is no way out of it as of now.

March 1st is the last day to opt-out. Columbia County has also opted out of House Bill 581.

Other jurisdictions opting out of HB 581’s Homestead Exemption include:

Gainesville City School System – “While HB 581 aims to provide property tax relief, it also creates a duplicate reassessment cap competing with a new local legislation passed by the voters in November. By opting out, Gainesville City School System seeks to support HB 1271 and the local 3% reassessment cap on homestead properties.”

Hall County Board of Education – The HCSD believes it is in the best interest of our boys and girls to exercise the one-time opportunity to opt out of HB 581 for the following reasons:

The local legislation is more restrictive and will go into place regardless of whether the district opts out of HB 581, resulting in no loss of the tax reduction benefits to Hall County taxpayers.

The GDOR may not release the annual rate of increase in a manner timely to the HCSD’s budget process, resulting in the budget being passed after the beginning of the fiscal year rather than before the fiscal year begins.

Knowing that the annual increase will always be no greater than 3% provides better ability to predict property tax revenues than a floating CPI rate.

The consumer price index (CPI) to be used under HB 581 can vary at the will of the State Revenue Commissioner.

The District will plan to opt-out of HB 581 according to the following notice and will advertise its intent and provide opportunities for hearings and public comment according to the below schedule.

City of Gainesville – The City of Gainesville intends to opt out of House Bill (HB) 581, the statewide adjusted base year ad valorem homestead exemption, as approved by voters during the Nov. 5, 2024 general election.

“We have all worked together to ensure we are providing our citizens with the most clear and straightforward course of action,” said Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey. “This includes streamlining the assessment process and relieving administrative burdens that would come with managing two separate homestead exemptions for each qualifying parcel, while also providing a consistent 3% year-to-year cap.”

Hall County’s local homestead exemption, which took effect Jan. 1, is capped at a 3% property tax assessment with the base year reflecting the property’s 2023 assessment. This same homestead exemption would also apply to ad valorem taxes affecting the City and Hall County Government, plus the Hall County and Gainesville City boards of education.

Gwinnett County via WSB-TV – On Tuesday, the county followed the example of many other metro Atlanta counties and school districts by opting out of House Bill 581, which was previously approved by Georgia voters.

The bill is meant to provide relief for homeowners, but county officials say Gwinnett County already has a tax break that works better.

The county’s Value Offset Exemption has been in place for over 20 years. It freezes a home’s taxable value for county taxes, even as market values rise.

“The county’s VOE has saved Gwinnett homeowners more than a billion dollars on the Gwinnett County portion of their property tax bills,” Deputy County Attorney Jenny Carter said.

In the end, commissioners voted unanimously to opt out of the state plan.

From Gwinnett County – Gwinnett County Government is one of the few local governments in the state of Georgia that already offers a better tax exemption for homeowners than the one introduced in House Bill 581. The County’s existing Value Offset Exemption — in place since 2001 — offers better protection against rising property values and keeps County government taxes lower for homeowners.

By opting out of the statewide exemption, Gwinnett County can avoid unnecessary administrative costs — ultimately benefiting our taxpayers.

Gwinnett County Government’s existing VOE is applied when a homestead exemption is granted to a Gwinnett County homeowner. The VOE freezes the assessed property value at the base year valuation.

With Gwinnett County government’s existing VOE, the homeowner’s County government taxes are based on the frozen base year valuation, even as property values continue to rise. This is why most property tax increases seen by Gwinnett homeowners in recent years have been due to increases in school and city taxes, which have risen as property market values have increased.

Unlike the existing County Government VOE, the base value of the home is adjusted annually for inflation under the new Statewide Adjusted Base Year Homestead Exemption, making it subject to increases.

The benefit of the existing County Government VOE can be seen in the savings that homeowners receive.

United States Representative Buddy Carter (R-SSI) spoke to high school students, according to The Brunswick News.

Carter started as usual with a basic lecture on his background as a grandson of sharecroppers, son of a paper mill worker and his career in pharmacy. Then he went on to talk about the way government works and his happiness in serving the U.S. House district that takes in 15 counties, including all of Georgia’s coast.

In talking of the citizen representatives in the House, Carter said, “We’ve got accountants. We’ve got new car salesmen. We’ve got way too many lawyers.”

He also told them that he sleeps in his office.

“I spend more nights of the year on a cot than I do in a bed,’’ he said, also noting it is a nice cot that his wife picked out for him.

It didn’t take long to get to TikTok, the controversial social media site that Congress has said must go if the Chinese government doesn’t sell it.

“We did not ban TikTok,’’ but Congress said it cannot continue to be owned by the “Chinese communist government,’’ he said.

“They are our enemy,’’ Carter said of the Chinese. “They are spying on us.”

A student asked about his bill that would authorize the president to acquire Greenland from Denmark, as Trump has said he wants to do, and to rename it Red-White-and-Blue Land.

“This is a very serious bill I proposed’’ because the U.S. needs that strategic land between “us and Russia for national security,’’ he said.

America also needs access to the rare earth minerals in Greenland so “we won’t have to buy from our adversaries,’’ he said.

Carter said he believes Greenland’s citizens would be proud to be part of the “freest nation on earth.”

Georgia’s rate of sexually-transmitted infections is among the highest in the nation, according to the Ledger Enquirer.

In alarming health news, Georgia is ranked number nine in the U.S. for sexually transmitted infections (STI), with a particularly high number of HIV cases.

Additionally, according to a recent study conducted by UDS, Georgia scored an 8.11 out of 10 in states worst affected by STIs, reflecting a significant health crisis endangering some of the youngest residents.

Georgia is the number one state where HIV is most prevalent. These health challenges disproportionately affect young people ages 15 to 29, who account for approximately half of all new STI cases in the United States annually.

This data is especially concerning since this demographic only makes up a quarter of the sexually active population.

The number of new reported STI cases may seem dire, but recent data shows some encouraging trends. The number of chlamydia cases, for example, has decreased in Georgia and this aligns with a national trend of declining STI rates.

Luckily, there are programs distributing free condoms, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

Georgia is among 12 states that offer free condoms by mail, and there are many resources to find other kinds of contraceptives for free or at deeply discounted prices.

Given the rise in cases of sexually transmitted infections (STI) in Georgia and beyond, health advocates say access to methods of birth control must remain available.

Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson discussed his vision for the city in his State of the City address, according to WTVM.

Tuesday, at the State of the City luncheon, Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson shared his vision for the future with over 300 elected officials, business leaders, and community members at the sold-out event.

The mayor addressed key issues such as affordable housing, job creation, and the decrease in crime.

“We’ve got a lot of economic development and capital investments happening in our community,” he said. “We’re looking forward, not so much to baseball, but to what baseball brings. We’re anticipating between $2.5 and $350 million in capital investments. We’ve talked to different developers who are interested in participating, and we’re also working on enhancing services for our poorest citizens.”

During his address, Mayor Henderson was interviewed by Crystal Shahid from the Chamber of Commerce.

When asked about the most pressing issues facing the city, he identified workforce development and housing challenges. “We have outstanding people working on workforce development,” the mayor said. “However, we’ve had many out-of-town individuals entering the housing market and charging high prices for properties.”

Mayor Henderson also expressed concerns about changes in federal funding.

Habersham County Attorney Donnie T. Hunt is retiring, according to AccessWDUN.

The Habersham County Government said Hunt will continue to work for and represent the county on an hourly basis as normal without a monthly retainer through Jun. 30.

Habersham County will prepare a request for proposal at the board’s discretion to find a new county attorney.

Savannah terminated the contract of Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) Director John Bush, according to the Savannah Morning News.

In late July 2024, the City of Savannah terminated the employment of its first Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) Director, John Bush, due to alleged violations of “anti-harassment,” “code of conduct” and “code of ethics,” according to documents obtained by the Savannah Morning News via an open records request to the city.

On Tuesday, the city announced it hired Jimmie H. Johnson, IV as the Director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE). Created in 2022, ONSE is “dedicated to implementing crime reduction strategies and increasing neighborhood safety through a collaborative community approach,” according to a press release sent via email by City of Savannah Press Secretary Josh Peacock on Feb. 11.

The ONSE office has been allocated and spent more than $1 million per year since its inception in 2022.