James Oglethorpe and the Creek Indians signed the Treaty of Coweta Town, delineating geographic areas open to British settlement, on August 21, 1739.
General Charles Lee of the Continental Army told Congress that Georgia’s value to the young nation required more forces to defend against the British on August 24, 1776.
On August 23, 1784, four counties is western North Carolina declared themselves the State of Franklin, setting up its own Constitution and treaties with local Indian tribes. In 1788, they rejoined North Carolina but would eventually become part of a new state, Tennessee.
On August 21, 1831, Nat Turner led the largest slave rebellion in American history; Turner was later hanged in Jerusalem, VA.
The first of the Lincoln-Douglass series of seven debates was held in Ottawa, Illinois, on August 21, 1858, pitting Democrat Stephen Douglass against Republican Abraham for the United States Senate seat held by Douglass. Expansion of slavery in the United States was the topic for the debates.
The Kimball Opera House, serving as the Georgia State Capitol, was sold to the state on August 23, 1870.
On August 21, 1907, Georgia Governor Hoke Smith signed legislation to place a Constitutional Amendment designed to disenfranchise African-Americans by requiring passage of a literacy test to vote. A number of exceptions allowed local officials to exempt white voters whom they wished to allow to vote; one exemption was for anyone descended from a U.S. or Confederate wartime veteran – the so-called “grandfather clause.”
On the same day, Gov. Smith also signed legislation prohibiting fishing on Sunday, subject to misdemeanor prosecution.
The sale of Coca-Cola Company from the Candlers was announced in the Atlanta Constitution on August 22, 1919.
On August 24, 1931, the Georgia General Assembly adopted a joint resolution appointing a committee to work with the Governor in planning a bicentennial celebration to be held in 1933.
On August 21, 1935, Benny Goodman and his orchestra began a seven-night stand at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles, beginning the Swing Era.
On August 24, 1945, the United States Postal Service held a first day of issue ceremony in Warm Springs, Georgia for the release of a stamp bearing the images of Franklin D. Roosevelt and The Little White House.
Happy 66th birthday to Hawaii, which became the 50th State on August 21, 1959.
On August 23, 1961, four African-American citizens attempted to play tennis at Bitsy Grant Tennis Center in Atlanta, which was informally “whites only.” The Tennis Center was hastily closed rather than allow them to play, but it was the first volley leading to the eventual desegregation of Atlanta’s public recreation facilities.`
The 1968 Democratic National Convention began in Chicago on August 21, 1968.
More than 3000 demonstrators disrupted the Democratic National Convention on August 22, 1968.
In 1972, it was the Republicans’ turn, as demonstrators struck outside the Republican National Convention.
Nolan Ryan recorded his 5000th career strikeout against Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A’s on August 22, 1989.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #08.21.25.01, appointing a Review Commission to consider the indictment of Cobb County Superior Court Clerk Connie Mae Taylor.
Ms. Taylor was indicted in July 2025, according to Georgia Recorder.
Cobb County Superior Court’s clerk has been charged with two counts of destruction of public records and two counts of violation of oath of office by a grand jury Thursday.
The clerk, Connie Taylor, had been the subject of a yearslong joint investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Attorney General’s White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit into her handling of public records.
The clerk’s office is responsible for maintaining official court records.
Taylor, a Democrat, was first elected in 2020, defeating a Republican incumbent. But she later came under fire for pocketing over $425,000 in passport fees paid by Cobb County residents, which is permitted under a Georgia law allowing superior court clerks to use the fees to supplement their income.
In 2024, state Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, a Marietta Republican, introduced Senate Bill 19, a bill requiring clerks to disclose the amount of revenue they generate from passport fees. The bill was signed into law later that year, and took effect this past January.
Taylor became the subject of a Georgia Bureau of Investigation probe in 2022 after a whistleblower complaint accused her of directing employees to delete government emails and financial records related to the passport fees in response to an open records request filed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Nearly three years later, she now faces formal charges.
“The intentional destruction of public records is a serious offense that undermines transparency and public trust,” GBI Director Chris Hosey said in a statement. “We remain committed to working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to ensure accountability and uphold the integrity of government operations across Georgia.”
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr also weighed in on the indictment.
“Georgians deserve honesty and transparency from their elected officials, and anything less undermines public trust,” Carr said. “Any attempts to conceal or destroy government records are serious allegations that cannot be ignored, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
Neither Taylor nor her attorney, former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, responded to a request for comment.
The Review Commission appointed by Gov. Kemp to consider the indictment of Guyton City Council Member Theodore Hamby recommended his suspension from office, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Theodore Hamby has been removed from his duties as a Guyton City councilman.
An executive order issued by Gov. Brian Kemp’s office Aug. 20 reads, “The indictment of Mr. Hamby does relate to and adversely affect the administration of the guidance City Council such that the rights and interests of the people are adversely affected thereby and recommended that Mister [Hamby] be suspended from office.”
But according to Mayor Andy Harville, the suspension does not remove him from his position but simply prohibits him from voting on city matters.
“He would have to be cleared of all charges to resume his duties as a council member,” said Harville.
Hamby was arrested March 14 by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and was charged with theft by taking and financial transaction card fraud, according to a press release.
The investigation began Feb. 21, when the Guyton Police Department requested assistance from the GBI with a theft investigation involving Hamby’s alleged misuse of a city credit card.
According to Kemp’s office, Attorney General Christopher Carr, Dan Peterson of Perry City Council and Tommy Roberts of Fitzgerald City Council were called upon as the review commission to determine if Hamby should remain in office. The three-person committee had until Aug. 14 to provide a written letter to Kemp with their decision.
Harville called on Hamby to resign March 24. The mayor released a new statement Tuesday, Aug. 19, and maintains his position regarding the issue.
“The City of Guyton would like to extend its appreciation to Governor Brian Kemp and the appointed review committee for their action regarding the recent indictment of Councilmember Theodore Hamby…the City of Guyton remains committed to transparency, accountability, and serving our citizens with integrity. We will continue to work diligently to ensure that city business moves forward without disruption.”
Gov. Kemp issued Executive Order #08.20.25.02, suspending Hamby after the Review Commission’s recommendation.
The Town of Register advertised an incorrect date for the November 4, 2025 General Election, according to the Statesboro Herald.
In an advertisement from the Town of Register that ran in the Aug. 21 edition of the Statesboro Herald, the town listed the wrong date for the November General Election. The correct date is Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
Vice President JD Vance visited Peachtree City yesterday, according to WJBF via WSAV.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance spent Thursday in Atlanta highlighting President Trump’s “Working Families Tax Cut,” a key piece of legislation he said is designed to protect American jobs and provide relief for working families.
Vance, joined by Second Lady Usha Vance and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, was welcomed at the airport by Georgia Lt. Governor Burt Jones.
The Vice President toured a refrigeration manufacturing plant in Peachtree City, where he emphasized keeping jobs in the United States.
“If you’re building it here, if you’re making it here, if you’re producing it here, we are going to give you a big fat tax cut,” Vance told workers. “But if you ship our Great American jobs and factories overseas, then you are going to pay a big fat tariff before you bring that back into the United States.”
Vance said the administration’s goal is to ensure that Georgia taxpayers are protected, not punished.
He noted that the tax plan eliminates taxes on overtime and tips, expands the child tax credit, and delivers what he called “the biggest tax cut for families this country has ever seen.”
In addition to his plant visit, Vance also spoke to Republican National Committee members at a private event, as GOP leaders set their sights on Georgia’s 2026 Senate race against incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff.
Meanwhile, Second Lady Usha Vance participated in a separate Atlanta event promoting a summer reading challenge for children.
Vice President JD Vance spoke in Peachtree City Thursday where he promoted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) as a “tax cut for families” while mounting a campaign against Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia.
Vance, who spoke for just over 30 minutes at the ALTA Refrigeration facility, promoted OBBBA as an “American tax cut,” which he said was designed to benefit American families and workers.
“If you’re working hard every single day right here in the United States, or if you’re building a business right here in the United States, you ought to have a tax code that rewards you instead of punishes you,” Vance said, claiming that OBBBA would increase take-home pay for working class Americans by over $10,000 over several years, primarily through tax cuts, specifically pointing to a deduction in overtime tax and tips, as well as an increased child tax credit.
He contrasted these policies with what he said was Sen. Ossoff’s opposition to the bill, alleging that Ossoff voted against it “because he is allegedly worried about people getting paid while they’re healthy.”
Ossoff, who is up for reelection in 2026, said in a statement that Vance’s visit to Georgia was to defend the “hugely unpopular budget law.” According to a press release from Ossoff’s campaign, Vance’s visit came during a week when multiple news outlets reported how Trump’s budget law was creating a crisis for rural health care in Georgia.
“I think it is embarrassing for the Vice President to be coming to Georgia to sell a policy that is already resulting in harm to hospitals in the state of Georgia, that’s projected to throw more than 100,000 people off of health care in the state of Georgia,” Ossoff said in a statement.
Vance repeatedly linked immigration to the strain on public resources, particularly health care, and repeatedly used strong language regarding immigration, framing it as a threat to American workers and public services. He claimed in his speech that cuts to Medicaid would only impact “illegal aliens,” claiming that cuts are “not about kicking people off the health care.”
“It’s about people kicking illegal aliens the hell out of this country so we can preserve health care,” Vance said.
He said that government-provided benefits like Medicare and Medicaid should be reserved for American citizens, not “illegal aliens” who he claimed have no legal right to be in the country.
Derek Dooley, a former football coach and candidate for U.S. Senate, also took aim at Ossoff, accusing Ossoff of supporting policies that led to high inflation and borders that were “wide open.”
“And now, he resists any type of progress we’re making, especially all the common-sense provisions of the big, beautiful bill,” Dooley said.
U.S. Rep Mike Collins from the 10th Congressional District, who is also running for U.S. Senate, also used his time to criticize Ossoff, saying that Ossoff “doesn’t reflect Georgia’s values” and called him a “trust fund kid” who comes to Georgia to pay “lip service” who goes to Washington to vote with “the woke.”
“He never had to work hard in his life. He doesn’t know how to build a business, make decisions and have results,” Collins said.
Congressman Buddy Carter, another Republican seeking to run for Ossoff’s seat, also praised OBBBA, blamed immigrants for endangering Medicaid and called for work requirements for the program.
Less than two miles from where Vance spoke, people gathered to protest his appearance. Phyllis Williamson, a 77-year-old resident from Fayetteville, said this was her 21st protest in five months due to deep concern over the budget cuts. She said she was concerned that budget cuts would lead to more hospital closures, as well as cuts to food assistance programs.
“All these cuts are going to hurt us. They’re taking money from poor people,” Williamson said. “Stop hurting the middle class. Stop hurting seniors and children and poor people. Do something for somebody besides the rich.”
Another demonstrator, Loretta Keith, a 65-year-old resident of Fayetteville, said she was protesting the “fascism going on.” She said that as a retired school teacher, she was “doing OK,” but pointed to the children at the protest, saying she was worried about their future.
“I’m 65, but look at these babies out here,” she said. “I’m worried about it going further than it’s gone, and we can’t bring it back, that people are just going to die, just like Nazi Germany, and it breaks my heart.”
For former football coach Derek Dooley, it was the first public political speech of his career. He went heavy on the football metaphors — an early hallmark of his campaign — comparing Ossoff’s reelection bid to a question of whether he should be the “starting quarterback for the next six years.”
“And I don’t know about you guys, but where I come from, when you deliver those kind of results, your a– is on the bench,” he said.
The joint appearance marked a new phase in their quest for President Donald Trump’s endorsement — a prize that seems very much up for grabs.
The biggest tell? Each Senate hopeful was given a coveted speaking slot, while Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Trump’s pick for governor, was the lone gubernatorial candidate invited to address the crowd.
From Atlanta News First via WALB:
Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance made separate stops in Georgia on Thursday, underscoring the Peach State’s growing importance in the upcoming 2026 elections.
The vice president visited Peachtree City, where he toured Alta Refrigeration and pitched the administration’s new “Working Families Tax Cuts,” a rebranding of spending changes introduced during the Trump administration.
Second Lady Usha Vance traveled to Cherokee County, a GOP stronghold just outside Atlanta, where she visited the Cherokee Classical Academy. Her stop highlighted her Summer Reading Challenge.
“It really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these children and for us,” said state Rep. Jordan Ridley.
“It’s an honor that she chose Cherokee County,” said state Rep. Charlice Byrd.
“You don’t see that a lot, with people really getting very engaged,” said state Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick.
In a room full of fourth, fifth and sixth graders, Vance read “Paul Revere’s Ride” and took questions from students.
“The fact that she came all the way down here I think is something really huge,” said Addie Huffman, a 12th grade student.
Applause and excitement filled the auditorium, but outside, a group of protesters chanted as the motorcade pulled away.
“MAGA hurts kids,” protesters shouted. Others held signs accusing the administration of undermining democracy.
Organizer Martha Jean-Schindler said, “You make me go to school for 12 years, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and telling me to be proud to be an American because at least we know we’re free, I’m going to take that very seriously.”
Back in Atlanta, Vice President Vance met privately with members of the Republican National Committee.
While details of the closed-door meeting were not made public, speculation is growing about the GOP’s strategy for the 2026 Senate race.
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who currently holds the seat, called the visit “political damage control.” The White House has not yet endorsed a Republican challenger.
If the Pre-Primary in the Republican race for Governor was President Trump’s endorsement, the next battle is taking place in court. From the AJC:
Two top Georgia Republicans squared off in court Thursday in a fight over the rules of raising campaign cash ahead of next year’s race for governor.
A lawyer for Attorney General Chris Carr argued that Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has an illegal advantage as both seek the Republican nomination for the state’s highest office. He asked a federal judge to restrict Jones’ ability to raise unlimited cash through a political leadership committee.
Jones’ lawyers argued he’s done nothing improper and Carr could enjoy the same benefits by working with other leadership committees that agree to support him. Carr has asked U.S. District Judge Victoria Calvert to issue a preliminary injunction barring Jones’ committee from raising and spending money until after next year’s primary election.
Calvert said the fact that one candidate can raise unlimited cash while the other can’t seems unfair. But she did not say it was illegal. She’s expected to rule soon on Carr’s request for a preliminary injunction. Previous rulings in federal court have limited the use of Georgia’s leadership committees in some circumstances.
The dispute focuses on a 2021 state law that allows certain candidates and elected officials to create committees that can raise unlimited amounts of cash, collect money during the legislative session and coordinate with candidates’ campaigns.
Only the governor, lieutenant governor, candidates who win their party’s nomination for those offices and legislative leaders of both parties can create leadership committees. Under Georgia law, other candidates — like Carr — are subject to contribution limits, and legislators and statewide elected officials are prohibited from raising money during the legislative session.
Carr’s lawsuit says Jones’ WBJ Leadership Committee gives him an illegal advantage as they compete against each other for the Republican nomination. Campaign records show Jones’ committee has received individual contributions of up to $250,000, while the maximum contribution Carr can accept is $8,400.
Carr also had to stop raising money during this year’s legislative session. Jones’ committee raised more than $750,000 during the session, campaign records show.
In 2022, Republican David Perdue and Democrat Stacey Abrams challenged Gov. Brian Kemp’s ability to use his leadership committee. In those lawsuits, a federal judge prohibited Kemp’s committee from raising and spending money before he won the Republican nomination for reelection.
Bryan Tyson, Carr’s lawyer, asked Calvert to issue a similar injunction against Jones’ committee. He said Jones’ decision to use his leadership committee to support his candidacy in the Republican primary creates an unfair advantage. Tyson said Jones did so despite knowing the previous rulings prevented such actions in the cases brought by Perdue and Abrams.
Among other things, Tyson also asked the judge to prohibit Jones from lending the committee money until after the primary (Jones has lent the committee $10 million to date) and to appoint a magistrate to oversee spending by Jones, his leadership committee and his regular campaign committee.
Josh Belinfante, Jones’ lawyer, argued that the previous court rulings were wrongly decided. And he said the judge in those cases issued preliminary injunctions but never officially ruled that Kemp’s committee’s actions were unconstitutional, so Jones was not bound to heed those decisions.
Belinfante also argued that Carr can lend money to his own campaign and coordinate with other established leadership committees — putting him on an equal footing with Jones. And he argued the relief Carr is seeking goes far beyond that granted to Perdue and Abrams.
The Republican race for Georgia governor is taking a nastier turn, with a key ally of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones filing an ethics complaint accusing a fundraising committee backing Attorney General Chris Carr of violating campaign finance laws.
The complaint filed by state Sen. Matt Brass contends that Keep Georgia Strong Action “brazenly engaged in advocacy” for Carr while skirting mandatory registration requirements.
Brass, R-Newnan, urged the State Ethics Commission to open a formal investigation or risk setting a “dangerous precedent, signaling that dark money may evade transparency until caught.”
An attorney for the committee, Stefan Passantino, dismissed the allegations.
“As will be readily apparent in the very near future, this committee has fully complied with all of its obligations under Georgia law and we fully expect this complaint to be dismissed in short order,” he said of the committee, which has launched digital ads pummeling Jones.
It’s the latest front in an escalating feud between the rival Republicans in the GOP primary. Both are competing to succeed term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp.
Brass accused Carr of “bullying.”
“Rather than attacking the integrity of my friend Burt Jones, the Attorney General should focus on ensuring his paperwork is in order,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen (R-Augusta) visited a BBQ restaurant in Statesboro and discussed the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” according to the Statesboro Herald.
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, R-Georgia 12th District, visited Dolan’s Bar-B-Q in Statesboro at the start of the lunch rush Thursday, Aug. 21, where he talked with restaurant owner Mary Beth Paulk about the “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime” provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Paulk and Allen had about a half-hour conversation while seated together just out of earshot of the two reporters present. The Statesboro Herald then interviewed Paulk for a couple of minutes while Allen, after speaking to employees at the service counter and register, ducked into the kitchen for a moment to meet more of the staff. He then spoke briefly to reporters outside the restaurant.
Paulk said she told Allen she hopes the “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime” provisions can help her hold onto more long-term employees in this university town.
“One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is the headline name given in the online index at www.congress.gov for what was otherwise House Resolution 1 of the 119th Congress. This massive, complex tax and spending policy legislation was passed by the House and Senate from late May to early July and signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4.
Allen, in speaking to the one Herald reporter and one WTOC Television reporter on the curb at Dolan’s, referred to it as legislation developed in the House of Representatives .
“Small business employs 50% of the American people. It also is responsible for hiring about 75% of new employees in economic expansions,” Allen said. “What we promised the American people we were going to do is we were going to go out to all our small businesses, find out why they’re not growing, why they’re not hiring – we’ve got 10 million job openings in this country right now – but why they aren’t hiring more people, and if they had vacancies why are people not applying.”
Members of the House in the past year “have studied every area of this economy, and we have put forth in the new Big Beautiful Bill something that addresses these issues, and a lot of them are post-COVID issues on the employment side, and we need to get back where we need to be,” he said. “We need to do immigration reform in the country and we need to get people who are on safety-net programs out there to go to work.”
Allen said the “no tax on tips” provision is “worth $1,300 more a year” in taxes saved to someone who works in part for tips. In response to a follow-up question, he said this is a kind of average based on “the amount of money people receive total in tips.”
Allen said the no tax on tips provision amounts to no longer considering tips as “earned income.” Asked if he has concerns that some employers or employees may “game the system” by trying to count some pay as tips that isn’t really tips, he said they would have “to answer to the IRS for that.”
“I mean, earned income is taxed, and … you can’t work tips-only. So ‘gaming the system,’ (you say), ‘Hey, I want to go up and work in the restaurant but I don’t want any earned income, I want tips only.’ You can’t do that. You’ve got to pay minimum wage.”
More on how the Big Beautiful Bill will affect Georgians, from the Savannah Morning News.
Some Georgia residents will experience financial relief by tax cuts introduced under President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Signed into law on July 4, the legislation marks the most significant overhaul of federal tax policy since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which lowered average tax burdens across income levels and temporarily streamlined the filing process through structural reforms, according to an analysis by the Tax Foundation.
The new bill not only makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent but also introduces additional breaks, including deductions on tips and overtime pay, tax relief for seniors and an expanded child-care tax credit.
How will Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ cuts impact taxpayers in Georgia?
In Greene County, residents can expect to receive an average tax cut of $5,963 in 2026, about 63% higher than the state average tax cut of $3,084.
• Fulton County: $5,666
• Oconee County: $5,403
• Forsyth County: $4,760
• Fayette County: $4,268Hancock County is projected to receive the lowest average tax cut at $1,272. Here are some other counties with lower cuts:
• Macon County: $1,286
• Talbot County: $1,547
• Clayton County: $1,426Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff argues that the massive cuts will affect hospitals, health insurance, Medicaid, nursing homes, and will actually slash economic progress in Georgia.
“This bill is a disaster for the State of Georgia. It guts the Medicaid program and puts nursing homes and hospitals at risk. It will drive up health insurance premiums for working and middle-class families in Georgia, and it takes a hatchet to the fast-growing industry that is driving Georgia’s economic development,” said Ossoff’s website before the bill was passed. “That is why I oppose this bill. That is why I worked so hard to defeat this bill. That is why even some Senate Republicans oppose this bill. And I call upon the Republicans in Georgia’s U.S. House delegation to put Georgia ahead of partisanship and oppose a bill that is bad for Georgia’s health and bad for Georgia’s economy.”
Georgia’s Secretary of State’s Office purged more than 471,000 inactive voter registrations, according to the AJC.
Georgia finished canceling nearly 471,000 voter registrations Friday, one of the largest removals of inactive voters in U.S. history.
The mass cancellations target people who moved or didn’t participate in recent elections.
About 5,500 eligible Georgia voters saved their registrations before they were canceled by responding to notification letters or verifying their information online. An additional 800 voters reached out to election officials to cancel themselves or have died. Initially, almost 478,000 voter registrations were planned for cancellation.
State Election Director Blake Evans said the cancellations, required by state law every two years, ensure Georgia has “the cleanest voter rolls in the country.”
The cancellations shrink Georgia’s number of registered voters from 8.44 million to less than 8 million.
While this year’s cancellations are large — 6% of Georgia’s registered voters — they fall short of the state’s record-setting removal of 534,000 registrations in July 2017.
The State House Study Committee on Evaluating Funding for Public Health met Wednesday to hear testimony, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
Anticipating federal cutbacks or funding freezes, Georgia lawmakers held a hearing Wednesday to explore a redesign of the state’s public health system, which protects residents from diseases and offers preventative health care in some places.
The state’s public health districts operate under the Department of Public Health. Most of the staff work for local government, but the amount counties must contribute has not changed in 50 years. Nearly $403 million of the $922.5 million budget for public health comes from the state while almost $465 million is provided by the federal government.
Some expect the administration of President Donald Trump to issue more “block grants” with less oversight, giving states an opportunity to redesign their systems for health services, such as dental hygiene, and for the tracking and the prevention of diseases, such as syphilis.
“These changes at the federal level are giving us an opportunity to really reimagine what public health can be,” state Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey said.
But cuts in services may have to accompany that flexibility as the federal government pushes more costs to the local level. So Rep. Butch Parrish, R-Swainsboro, asked Toomey to assess which programs merit funding from the state if federal dollars wane.
“We can help some, but I don’t think we can make up all of those dollars,” said Parrish, chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee.
“I think there can really be some challenges out there, and I know that y’all will be up to it,” said Parrish, who represents a district south of Augusta. He was among several lawmakers on the panel who expressed concern that rural areas get fewer services than urban areas.
A funding freeze could be less than two months away given Congress’ challenges in passing a timely budget, said Carolyn Mullin with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Her group predicts a “high likelihood” of a government shutdown Oct. 1. If that does happen, she said, federal payments for public health could be frozen, pushing costs to the states.
That would further stress an already stressed public health system in Georgia.
The House Study Committee on Evaluating Funding for Public Health was created by a House resolution that said “public health has historically been underfunded.”
Rep. Darlene Taylor, R-Thomasville, who chairs the study committee and has a seat on the House Appropriations Committee, will hold two more hearings this year.
“We are all waiting to see final outcomes and what Congress does,” she said.
State Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) proposes raising the tobacco tax, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
Smoking kills, but many still do it, and a small group of Georgia lawmakers want to help people kick the habit and discourage others from starting.
A big challenge for a bipartisan panel in the state House of Representatives: their main proposal is a tax increase, and tax increases are not popular in an election year. Their proposed legislation would come up for a vote in 2026, observed the chairwoman, Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, at the last of three hearings for the House study committee on smoking and vaping Thursday.
Committee members are considering other ideas, too, such as requiring ingredient disclosures on the packaging of vaping products and banning flavors. They also discussed increasing the $10 licensing fee for vape shops to suppress their numbers. (In Georgia, it costs $10 for a tobacco sales licensing fee and another $10 to sell tobacco vape products.)
“There are more vape shops now in Georgia than Chick-fil-A and Starbucks combined,” said Dr. Daniel Miller, a thoracic surgeon at the Medical College of Georgia who offered a buffet of statistics at Thursday’s hearing. “They pop up anywhere for $10. It’s incredible how they’ve exploded. It’s because it doesn’t cost anything.”
Miller said vaping products contain 25 times more nicotine than cigarettes, making them highly addictive for children.
It is illegal to sell tobacco products to children, but observers complained about lax enforcement. One in five middle school students and one in four high school students vape, Miller said, adding that one in three college students do, as well.
Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, said he floated a sales tax increase to the chairman and members of the House Ways & Means Committee, which holds jurisdiction over taxes.
He also disclosed at the hearing that his wife’s sister, a smoker since the 1970s, had died Wednesday.
“It touches a lot of families,” said Stephens, a long-time advocate for increased tobacco taxes.
Back in June, as the committee was getting underway, Stephens said the likelihood of federal budget cuts might decrease resistance to higher taxes on products like tobacco.
Georgia has one of the lowest cigarette taxes in the nation, the committee heard in June.
At 37 cents a pack, it is well below the national average of $1.97. Only Missouri, at 17 cents, charges less.
“Sometimes the pocketbook and the squeeze changes minds,” Stephens said in an interview that month, adding that the tax revenue could offset health-care costs that would be borne by Georgians in the event of federal cuts, which subsequently became a reality when President Donald Trump signed his “Big Beautiful Bill” into law in July.
“If you smoke long enough and hard enough,” Stephens said, “you’re going to get sick, and somebody’s got to pay for it.”
By then, federal actions were already having an impact, something anti-smoking advocates noted Thursday, saying Georgia should restore $2.1 million to the Tobacco Use Prevention Program.
The Georgia Department of Public Health shuttered the program in May due to federal cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention though the state agency said “core” tobacco and vaping prevention and cessation programs were still operating.
A former Republican Lieutenant Governor is now talking about running for Governor as a Democrat, according to Atlanta News First via WALB.
Geoff Duncan, who recently made national headlines when he switched political parties, has confirmed he is considering making a Georgia gubernatorial run.
“We’re thinking about it,” Duncan said in an exclusive interview with On The Record With Atlanta News First, which airs Sunday, Aug. 24, at 11 a.m. “We haven’t made any firm decisions.
“There are issues after issues that I’ve got a track record of wanting to work on. I’m going to be honest and authentic and certainly I’m going to be a more moderate individual than probably other folks that are going to run for governor in 2026, if that’s a decision we make.”
If Duncan does enter the race, he would join five other Democrats who are seeking their party’s gubernatorial nomination: former state Labor Commissioner and DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond; state Sen. Jason Esteves; state Rep. Derrick Jackson; former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms; and businessman/pastor Olu Brown.
All are minority candidates with strong ties to Atlanta.
After leaving office, Duncan became a political commentator for CNN. He has been openly critical of Trump regarding the 2020 presidential election.
Last year, Duncan delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
In January 2025, the Georgia Republican Party’s executive committee passed a resolution to expel Duncan from the state party.
Candidates for Governor spoke at a meet-and-greet in Macon, according to the Macon Telegraph.
Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is the former mayor of Atlanta and worked in the White House under former President Joe Biden, lambasted Trump’s policies and positioned herself as a candidate who can take Trump on and improve conditions at the state level.
“We’ve all seen the chaos coming from the federal government in Washington D.C.,” Bottoms, who did not attend in-person, said in a video message. “Trump’s election in November was a wake-up call for me and I’m sure for many others.”
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Republican who is endorsed by President Trump, emphasized his support for voucher programs, which allow parents to receive state money to pay for private education programs.
“You can support (school vouchers) and public schools,” Jones, who did not attend in person, said in a video message.
Other candidates emphasized increasing funding for schools and improving teacher pay and benefits. Democratic State Sen. Jason Esteves, who represents a portion of metro Atlanta and is a former educator, pushed for more equity in Georgia’s education system.
The last gubernatorial race in 2022 — which saw Gov. Kemp face off against Democratic organizer Stacey Abrams — broke fundraising records with the candidates raising around $170 million total. The number broke records set during the 2018 gubernatorial election, which was also between Abrams and Gov. Kemp.
Rome Board of Education member Jill Fisher qualified to run for City Commission, according to WRGA News.
Jill Fisher, who has been on the school board since 2018, qualified to run for the Post Two seat on the city commission on Wednesday.
She joins the three incumbents in the race.
Elaina Beeman and Randy Quick qualified on Monday, while incumbent Jamie Doss qualified on Tuesday.
Other candidates also qualified for Rome City Commission and Rome BOE, according to WRGA News.
For the Rome City Commission, in Ward Two, Vic Hixon has qualified.
He previously ran for city commission in 2021, and he joins Elaina Beeman, Jamie Doss, Jill Fisher, and Randy Quick in the 2025 field.
For the Rome City Board of Education, Brenda Boyd qualified on Thursday, along with incumbent Will Byington.
The other candidates are Toni Blanchard, Faith Collins, Marquita Davis, Karl Gyden, Alvin Jackson, and Ron Roach.
Friday is the final day of qualifying.
Qualifying is from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the Rome City Clerk’s Office at city hall.
The fee to run is $360 for the city commission and $180 for the school board.
The Gwinnett Daily Post covers municipal candidate qualifying across the County.
Fourteen cities in the county wrapped up candidate qualifying for this fall’s municipal elections on Wednesday. The only city that did not finish candidate qualifying on Wednesday was Auburn.
Auburn’s qualifying period runs through Friday so its list of candidates was not yet available.
And, for anyone wondering about Mulberry, the legislation that created the city specified that the inaugural City Council members elected last November will not be up for election again until 2027.
But every other city has wrapped up qualifying — and some cities will see changes in some of their elected positions.
United States Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Atlanta) and two Republicans seeking to oppose him spoke at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Congressional Luncheon, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and two of the Republicans vying for the GOP nomination to challenge the incumbent Democrat next year highlighted Wednesday’s annual Georgia Chamber Congressional Luncheon.
It wasn’t a campaign stop for Ossoff and U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter of Savannah and Mike Collins of Jackson. Instead, the three politicians gave leading Georgia political and business leaders at the Columbus Trade and Convention Center their takes on issues facing Congress and their respective roles on Capitol Hill.
Ossoff, who is seeking a second six-year term in the Senate, criticized the tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed on America’s allies and adversaries alike since taking office this year.
“The tit-for-tat tariff war is alienating key international parties while paralyzing much of the business community with the uncertainty,” he said.
Ossoff said Trump’s massive budget bill the Republican-controlled Congress passed last month will hurt Georgia businesses by repealing clean-energy tax credits at a time Georgia has become a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing.
When Congress goes back into session next month following the annual August recess, Ossoff said he plans to introduce legislation providing tax credits to businesses that contribute to technical colleges.
Carter praised Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” for leaving federal tax credits for the nuclear industry intact even while repealing the clean-energy credits.
Carter said the most important step Congress could take to help businesses in Georgia and elsewhere would be to rein in federal red tape that is hampering business activity. He noted that the deepening of Savannah Harbor from 42 to 47 feet took 24 years to complete.
“We’ve got to do better than that,” he said. “We’ve got to have permitting reform.”
Collins, fresh off formally launching his Senate campaign Tuesday during a rally in his hometown, has been pushing to reform the federal Clean Act. He is sponsoring legislation aimed at streamlining permit requirements for water infrastructure projects.
Collins said he plans to introduce tort reform legislation when Congress returns to Washington next month to address skyrocketing insurance premiums. The General Assembly’s Republican majorities passed a bill this year overhauling Georgia’s civil litigation process.
“Until we’ve got tort reform on the federal level, we’re not going to fix this problem,” Collins said.
As part of Wednesday’s program, the chamber awarded its first annual Coolest Things Made in Georgia Award to Marietta-based Lockheed Martin for its new C-130J Super Hercules Aircraft.
United States Rep. Buddy Carter (R-SSI) is calling for greater oversight of nursing homes, according to WTOC.
Congressman Buddy Carter is calling for oversight of nursing homes and workforce development, following a WTOC Investigation into nursing home care in the Savannah area.
WTOC Investigates uncovered that Georgia is the fourth most understaffed state in the nation when it comes to nursing homes, and that over half of Savannah-area nursing homes provide substandard care.
“Look, there’s bad nursing homes out there. I know that for a fact, and they need to be disciplined and they need to be closed, but for the most part, the vast majority, they’re trying to do what they can,” says Congressman Carter.
Carter is all too familiar with the way the system is set up, having worked as a pharmacist consultant in nursing homes himself. When asked if more corporate oversight is needed of the companies running nursing homes, Carter said it is.
“Yes, I do believe that we need to do a better job, and licensure is doing a better job,” says Carter.
But what the Congressman is most concerned with is staffing.
Carter voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes provisions that delay Biden-era minimum staffing standards in nursing homes for a decade. The standard required every patient in a nursing home to receive at least 3.48 hours of direct care from a nurse every day.
“There was also a study done by a federal agency that said there’s really no ratio that can guarantee quality care, and there’s really not. So that’s why we in the Republican majority in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we changed that.”
The June 2023 report, commissioned by CMS, found there’s no specific staffing level that guarantees quality care. It did find that higher staffing levels would lead to few hospitalizations and fewer instances of neglect in nursing homes.
“We’re trying to focus more on workforce development,” says Carter.
“If you have crackers in the cabinets that are out of date, that’s not really patient care, per se. So unless it is something directly with patient care, then you want to continue with the CNA program. That’s the kind of thing we can address at the federal level and from a licensure perspective,” says Congressman Carter.
That provision was introduced as the bipartisan Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act in 2024, but it never made it to a vote.
We reached out to both Senator Jon Ossoff and Senator Raphael Warnock on this story, as well. Both Senators declined to give an interview, or to comment.
Bulloch County Commissioners voted to move forward with a Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) referendum, according to Grice Connect.
Commissioners unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with Statesboro, Brooklet, Portal, and Register to hold a FLOST referendum on the November 4, 2025 ballot.
The property tax relief measure would add a 1 percent Floating Local Option Sales Tax beginning in January 2026 for a five-year term. Revenue from the tax would be used exclusively for property tax relief, offsetting rising service costs without shifting the burden entirely to millage rates. Chairman David Bennett called it a “critical tool” for providing taxpayers with relief while maintaining service funding. Chairman Bennett went on to say that if approved, would create a 1 percent sales tax dedicated to property tax relief starting in 2026. He said $15 million in revenue could reduce property taxes by about five mills.
Bulloch County Commissioners also hosted a public hearing on their proposed property tax millage rate, according to Grice Connect.
The Bulloch County Board of Commissioners held the second of three public hearings on proposed tax increases on Thursday, August 21, 2025, fielding questions from residents and providing clarification on new state legislation. The hearing focused on property tax increases and the county’s plans to offset the rising costs for homeowners.
Chairman David Bennett clarified that while they can’t answer the specific breakdown of the tax digest increase immediately, they would consult the tax assessor’s office for the next hearing. They explained that the county is required by state law to perform reassessments when the tax digest increases by a certain amount, a requirement Bulloch County has met for the last five years. Failure to comply would result in the state invalidating the county’s tax digest, preventing them from collecting revenue.
Regarding House Bill 581, the commissioner explained that for properties with a homestead exemption, this year’s taxes will be based on the 2024 assessment, not the new, higher 2025 valuation. Next year, the assessed value will be tied to the consumer price index (CPI), with the maximum increase capped at the rate of inflation. This offers significant relief to homeowners facing steep increases in their property valuations. Kristie King, Bulloch County CFO clarified that only five acres qualify for the homestead exemption.
Chairman Bennett confirmed that the city and county have passed a resolution to place a Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) on the ballot this November. If approved by voters, this 1% sales tax will go directly toward property tax relief, a measure they believe will be a huge step forward for the community.
Chairman Bennett reminded citizens that the final public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, August 26 at 6 p.m. He also invited community groups to request a commissioner to speak at their meetings to share information and answer questions. “Y’all pay our salaries,” the Chairman said, “we work for you.”
The Bulloch County Board of Education adopted their property tax millage rate, according to Grice Connect.
The Bulloch County Board of Education voted to raise the millage rate to 10.4 mills after three public hearings where residents voiced sharply divided opinions on the proposal. Supporters said the increase was needed to protect teachers, programs, and students, while opponents argued it would overburden taxpayers already struggling with rising property values.
[Board Member Lannie] Lanier emphasized that the main driver of the deficit was rising property values and reassessments, not decisions by the school board. He noted that Bulloch County’s millage rate had been among the lowest in Georgia, and even at 10.4 mills, it would still remain comparatively low.
The issue first came to light on July 24, when Superintendent Charles Wilson presented a grim financial outlook to a packed board meeting. He warned that the district faced a $15 million deficit for FY2027, much larger than the $4 million shortfall originally projected for FY2026.
Wilson explained that the deficit was the result of:
Revenue losses, including about $1 million from House Bill 581 property tax caps.
State funding cuts, with nearly $7.9 million lost through changes in the state’s equalization formula and higher “local fair share” payments.
Rising costs, including higher Teacher Retirement System contributions, healthcare premiums, and general inflation.
Local commitments, such as adding school resource officers and increasing coaching supplements.
A long history of millage rate rollbacks, which left little cushion.
Because salaries and benefits make up nearly 88% of the budget, Wilson said cuts would fall mainly on staff. Up to 125 teaching positions could be eliminated, along with programs like the Transition Learning Center (TLC) and the LIFE program for at-risk students.
[T]he Bulloch County Board of Education voted 6-2 Thursday night to adopt a “3-mill” property tax rate increase, making the rate going to fund the school system 10.4 mills.
School system Chief Financial Officer Alison Boatright first gave a slideshow presentation on the basic facts of the proposed increase and the rationale behind it. It’s a 2.468-mill direct rate increase from last year’s 7.932 mills for school maintenance and operations, but under the Georgia law known as the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, it had to be advertised as an increase from the “rollback rate” of 7.446 mills that the county tax assessors’ staff determined would have been needed to offset average inflation in property values. So in that sense it’s an increase of 2.954 mills, or 39.67%.
Complying with requirements in the tax law, Boatright cited these examples, that the increase in tax will amount to approximately $349 on a Bulloch County “average homestead property” (market value $300,000) and $325 added tax on an “average non-homestead property” (market value $275,000).
The slideshow also included the total school tax – the portion of a total Bulloch County property tax bill that goes for school operations – that will result from the increase. The total “school M&O” tax will be $1,227 on a $300,000 homestead property, or owner-occupied home – and $1,144 on a $275,000 non-homestead parcel, a category that includes rental housing and second or vacation homes, as well as businesses.
Glynn County Commissioners voted to adopt a property tax millage rate for FY 2026, according to The Brunswick News.
State law requires three public hearings any time property values increase resulting from inflation and the millage rate is not rolled back to offset those increases. As a result, the county will increase the 2025 property taxes it will levy this year by 7.07% over the rollback millage rate.
The increase in property assessments only applies to businesses, vacation homes and those without a Scarlett-Williams Act homestead exemption. Property owners with a Scarlett-Williams homestead exemption will not see an increase in the county’s portion of the tax bill.
Later in the meeting, commissioners voted to adopt a resolution accepting the Glynn County Board of Education’s millage rate.
Effingham County Commissioners are considering seceding parting ways with the Live Oak Public Library System, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
The county called upon former County Chairman Wesley Corbitt to dig into the numbers of the library system due to his experience as an accountant. He presented his findings at Tuesday’s county commissioner meeting.
According to Corbitt, his research showed administrative costs are high compared to that of Bulloch County.
“Our budget is $415,000 greater than the budget for Bulloch County,” said Corbitt. “This is predominately due to administration costs. For every dollar you spend, 39% goes to admin and 61% goes to programming and services. But in Bulloch County, only 7% goes to admin while 93% goes to programming and services.”
The Augusta Charter Review Committee will research strong-manager forms of municipal government, according to WJBF.
“It is a big deal, today, because we’re taking baby steps to actually putting the charter together,” said Marie Wilhelmi Chair Charter Review Committee,
The Charter Review Committee voted to have its UGA advisors draft language for a strong city manager form of government. It’s significant, because currently Augusta operates under a strong council form.
“My big thing is you don’t need to be answering to 11 different individuals because the history of Augusta-Richmond County, it hadn’t worked out too well,” said committee member Charlie Coleman.
The vote was seven to three in favor to study the city manager structure, but even supporters say it doesn’t mean it will be the committee’s recommendation.
“It doesn’t solidify anything, we’re just looking at language. I want to clarify that because I think a lot of people are upset, like oh we just choose something, no we’re asking for language so we can review and decide whether we will move forward,” said committee member Sheffie Robinson.
The committee heard from UNC researcher who did an extensive study of government corruption. The study concluded that a strong manager form of government is far less prone to corruption than a strong mayor form.
“Politicians aren’t require to have degrees, they’re not required to have the experience when people vote for them, but your city manage does. So now that kind of solidifies the professionalism people are asking for,” said Robinson.
Jamie Boswell will serve as the new Chair of the State Transportation Board, according to AccessWDUN.
Jamie Boswell was elected chair of the STB by board members, and he was formerly the vice chair. Boswell serves as the 10th Congressional District’s representative for the STB.
The 10th District covers Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Elbert, Franklin, Gwinnett, Hart, and Madison Counties in the northeast Georgia region.
It also encompasses Butts, Greene, Hancock, Henry, Jasper, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Putman, Taliaferro, Walton, and Wilkes Counties.
Boswell is a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business with a major in real estate. He’s also the president and owner of the Boswell Group based out of Athens that does insurance, real estate, and appraisals.
Boswell was first elected to the 14-member STB in 2013.
Joining Boswell is Vice Chair Dennis McEntire and Secretary Tim Golden, who were both recently elected at Thursday’s meeting.
The STB determines policy and governs GDOT. Board members serve staggered five-year terms and are selected by their corresponding U.S. congressional representative.
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