On April 2, 1513, Spanish Explorer Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida, claiming it for the Spanish crown. Today he is best-known in Georgia for giving his name to be mispronounced daily on a sketchy street in Atlanta. It is not known if he was wearing jean shorts, or if those were developed later. Georgians began mispronouncing his name immediately.
In perhaps the most fitting historical tidbit ever, the United States House of Representatives first met on April 1, 1789 in New York City. Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania was elected the first Speaker of the House. Georgia’s first Members of Congress were James Jackson, Abraham Baldwin, and George Mathews.
On April 1, 1870, Robert E. Lee, President of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia, arrived in Savannah, Georgia. Lee’s career in the United States Army began with his first assignment at Cockspur Island near Savannah. While in Savannah for the 1870 trip, Lee was photographed with former General Joseph E. Johnston, who was in the insurance business there.
On April 2, 1917, Jeanette Rankin took office as the first woman elected to Congress, representing Montana.
Born on a ranch near Missoula, Montana Territory, in 1880, Rankin was a social worker in the states of Montana and Washington before joining the women’s suffrage movement in 1910. Working with various suffrage groups, she campaigned for the women’s vote on a national level and in 1914 was instrumental in the passage of suffrage legislation in Montana. Two years later, she successfully ran for Congress in Montana on a progressive Republican platform calling for total women’s suffrage, legislation protecting children, and U.S. neutrality in the European war. Following her election as a representative, Rankin’s entrance into Congress was delayed for a month as congressmen discussed whether a woman should be admitted into the House of Representatives.
Finally, on April 2, 1917, she was introduced in Congress as its first female member. The same day, President Woodrow Wilson addressed a joint session of Congress and urged a declaration of war against Germany.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Three Special Elections for the Georgia General Assembly will be decided next week, according to the AJC.
House District 94
Democrats Kelly Kautz and Venola Mason square off in the deep-blue metro Atlanta district spanning parts of Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.
Mason led the March special election with about 44% of the vote, while Kautz trailed her with 23% of voters.
State Rep. Karen Bennett vacated the seat in January before being charged by prosecutors in a federal investigation into pandemic-era unemployment insurance fraud. Bennett pleaded guilty in federal court for making a false statement.
House District 130
Republican Thomas McAdams will face former Democratic state Rep. Sheila Clark Nelson in the safely Democratic Augusta-area district. The winner will replace state Rep. Lynn Hefner, who resigned from her seat in January. Hefner said her home sustained so much damage during Hurricane Helene she could no longer meet the legal requirement to live in her district.
Senate District 53
The race to replace former state Sen. Colton Moore’s deep-red northwest Georgia state Senate district seat is between Republican Lanny Thomas and Democrat Jack Zibluk.
Thomas led Zibluk in the March vote with 39% of the vote to Zibluk’s 27%.
Early voting for each of the three runoffs runs through Thursday.
Under the Gold Dome Today and Tomorrow
Wednesday – April 1, 2026
11 AM HOUSE PUBLIC SAFETY 506 CLOB
11 AM HOUSE TRANSPORTATION 406 CLOB
1 PM HOUSE HIGHER EDUCATION 606 CLOB
2 PM HOUSE HEALTH 403 CAP
2 PM HOUSE MOTOR VEHICLES 506 CLOB
Thursday – April 2, 2026
9 AM HOUSE RULES 341 CAP
10 AM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD40) House Chamber
10 AM Senate Floor Session (LD 40) Senate Chamber
House Resolution 1243 by State Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) passed by the requsite Constitutional majorities (2/3 of each chamber) on a 49-0 vote in the Senate, and would put a Constitutional Amendment referendum on this year’s General Election ballot, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
Georgia voters will decide this year on a constitutional amendment that would dedicate their 911 fees to a statewide fund for improving emergency services.
The Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to put the 911 referendum on the ballot in November. The House previously approved the proposal.
The 911 fund could pay for cellphone technology that would allow Georgians to contact emergency services using voice, text, and data.
“Imagine you’re a first responder being able to see videos of what you’re rolling into, whether it be a terrible situation of an active shooter scene or a crime that just happened, or a firefighter rolling up on a hot fire situation,” said Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta. “It makes the first responders safer and gives them the ability to react to the situation and get to the people that need help.”
If approved by voters, the 911 fee will remain the same as it is today, at $1.50 per month.
But instead of a local fee, the money would be used exclusively for expansion, maintenance, and operation of 911 services across Georgia, according to House Resolution 1243.
Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones, D-Augusta, said the fee could help improve emergency response times.
“We hear many stories: They call 911, a person may not answer. It’s not quite up to the quality level. This is what we’re hoping to actually change,” Jones said.
House Resolution 251 by State Rep. Kimberly New (R-Villa Rica) passed the Senate on a 46-0 vote and would add another Constitutional Amendment to the November ballot.
House Bill 1193 by State Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer), called the “Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026” passed the Senate in amended form and returns to the House for a vote on whether to agree or disagree with the Senate changes, according to Atlanta News First via WTOC.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to sign a sweeping education bill following passage of the compromise by state senators and representatives.
The Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026 is aimed at boosting early reading skills statewide by paying for literacy coaches in elementary schools, updating dyslexia and screening requirements, and steering districts toward reading instruction aligned with the “science of reading.”
On Tuesday, the Senate passed the measure by a vote of 49-0. The slightly amended bill now heads back over the House, where House Speaker Jon Burns has made it one of his major legislative priorities this year.
Shortly before 6:30 p.m., the Georgia House of Representatives also passed the bill.
The bill overhauls parts of Georgia’s early literacy framework and directs new resources to students in kindergarten through third grade.
Under the proposal, the State Board of Education would provide grants — subject to legislative funding — to reimburse school districts for the starting salary and benefits of one school-based literacy coach per school that serves grades K-3. Schools with 200 or fewer full-time equivalent students would qualify for half the amount.
The bill spells out minimum qualifications and duties for school-based literacy coaches, including state certification, at least five years of successful teaching or literacy intervention experience, and expertise in scientifically based reading research and dyslexia interventions.
It also requires coaches to spend at least 70% of the school day in classrooms working directly with teachers and students, and it bars coaches from being used for administrative duties such as substitute teaching, evaluation or serving as a teacher of record.
Here are some of the bill’s other major provisions:
• Authorizes regional literacy coaches employed by Georgia’s regional educational service agencies, or RESAs, to provide coaching and support to school systems in their service areas, with qualifications and duties set by the state in coordination with the Office of Student Achievement.
• Revises the Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia Act, including updating how dyslexia is defined in state policy, revising requirements for universal reading screeners, and pushing for high-quality instructional materials aligned with the science of reading.
• Calls for the State Board of Education to approve high-quality early reading instructional materials for K-3 and creates a process for schools and districts to annually certify their materials meet the state’s definition. Beginning with the 2029-30 school year, schools receiving certain state education funds would be prohibited from using those funds to buy or use K-3 literacy materials not approved by the state board.
• Updates Georgia’s placement and promotion law to add new requirements beginning 2027, including provisions tied to identifying first graders who are “significantly at risk” of not reaching grade-level reading proficiency, required parent notification, interventions, reassessments and, in some cases, retention with an appeals process. It also sets an implementation timetable that adds first grade to the state’s placement and promotion policy beginning with the 2027-28 school year.
• Accelerates the end date for the Georgia Council on Literacy, moving its termination to Dec. 31, 2026, instead of 2030, while assigning the Office of Student Achievement new responsibilities for maintaining and reporting on the state’s broader Georgia Literacy Plan.
House Bill 1116 by State Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire) was amended and passed by the Senate and would reduce property taxes for homeowner, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
The Georgia Senate passed a measure Tuesday that would reduce homeowner property taxes by creating a new sales tax in exchange.
House Bill 1116 came from the House as a cap on property tax valuation increases.
The Senate’s amended version would create new special taxing districts overlayed on county lines, and those districts could implement a 1% sales tax. The revenue would go toward reduction of homeowner property taxes.
The bill would also generally prohibit revenue increases from property taxes of more than 3% or the federal Consumer Price Index, whichever is greater.
Homeowners would benefit most from the combined effect of the cap and the sales tax, said Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, who presented the bill on the Senate floor. But he said properties without a homestead exemption would benefit too.
“Just about every city and county would eliminate their homeowner property taxes. … And the rest of city and county taxes would be eliminated in some counties and reduced in other counties.”
Hufstetler said property taxes have been rising at an unsustainable rate.
“Our citizens who have to live within their means are frustrated,” he said.
Democrats criticized the measure, saying sales taxes consume a larger portion of the household budgets of lower-income people. They also said renters would not enjoy the same benefit from the property tax rollbacks as would homeowners.
“We are choosing to say that the people who own homes really are more important,” said Sen. Sonya Halpern, D-Atlanta.
The Senate’s amended version of HB 1116 passed in a party-line 31-19 vote.
The bill returns to the House. The version that chamber passed in early March sought to restrain property value increases for taxation purposes at 3% a year or the federal Consumer Price Index, whichever is greater.
From Atlanta News First via WRDW:
Sen. Josh McLaurin, a Democrat, said renters could end up subsidizing property owners.
“If you’re a renter, you will be subsidizing property owners who likely have six or seven figures in wealth already,” McLaurin said.
Sen. Sonya Halpern, a Democrat, said the measure does not reduce costs but moves them.
“It doesn’t eliminate costs. It moves them from what you own to what you spend,” Halpern said.
Republicans backing the bill said property tax bills have risen rapidly in some communities, making it difficult for homeowners to budget. Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, the Republican sponsor, cited instances of steep increases.
“When somebody’s taxes go up 107 percent, that’s not predictability,” Hufstetler said.
After the vote, Hufstetler said lawmakers could still change the bill as they negotiate with House leaders.
“This bill is going to change a little bit more. We’re going to get with the House and work on some things,” Hufstetler said.
The Senate adopted a substitute version, sending the bill back to the House for another vote.
The bill must pass the House again because of the Senate substitute. With the final day of the session set for Thursday, lawmakers have little time to reach an agreement before the General Assembly adjourns.
Senate Bill 406 by State Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan), the “Georgia Property Owners’ Bill of Rights Act” passed and would regulate Homeowner Associations’ relationships to homeownere, according to WABE.
Legislation to create an administrative process to settle conflicts between owners and homeowners associations, along with similar organizations, is one step closer to becoming law after passing the Georgia legislature on Tuesday.
Republican state Rep. Rey Martinez of Loganville is the House sponsor of the Georgia Property Owners’ Bill of Rights Act.
“Any association in order to collect fines or fees against any owner, or file or record liens or initiate foreclosure proceedings against any lot, must be registered by the Secretary of State’s office,” he said Tuesday from the House floor.
HOAs would have to register yearly with the Secretary of State’s office with their governing documents and financial statements.
Complaints between owners and associations would be heard by a hearing officer with the Secretary of State’s office. Supporters say this is better than hiring lawyers and going to court.
“If a homeowners association wants to collect fines or any fees, it must register with the Secretary of States,” Martinez said. “If you don’t wanna do that, if you don’t wanna collect fines and fees, it is not mandatory to register with the Secretary of State’s office.”
Senate Bill 406 passed the House 155-10 and the Senate agreed to the House substitute 51 to 0.
If Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signs it into law, it will take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
The final day of this year’s legislative session is Thursday.
I really appreciate WABE including not only the bill number, but the date on which it goes into effect.
Senate Bill 552 to protect student free speech in schools, passed both chambers and heads to Governor Kemp’s desk for his signature or veto, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Statesboro Herald.
A bill that honors conservative activist Charlie Kirk and protects students’ political speech won final approval from the Georgia General Assembly on Tuesday.
The Republican-controlled Georgia House voted 95-68 to pass the bill Tuesday over Democrats’ objections to Kirk, who co-founded the conservative student organization Turning Point USA. Kirk was assassinated last year during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.
The Senate later voted 42-7 on the bill. It now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp.
The legislation, Senate Bill 552, would make it illegal for public schools to deny access to school facilities for student meetings based on political or ideological content.
“They can’t discriminate based on the content of the subject or viewpoint of the group,” said Rep. Rob Leverett, R-Elberton.
Schools would still be able to restrict conduct that could disrupt education or infringe on other students’ rights, Leverett said.
The bill is named the “True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act,” giving it the same acronym as Turning Point USA.
Democrats said they support student speech but opposed Kirk’s criticism of gay people, immigrants, and Black people.
“The title excludes some of the groups it purportedly seeks to include on our campuses,” said Rep. Jasmine Clark, D-Lilburn. “It breaks my heart that we are doing this bill in a way that only gives a nod to one political ideology and one specific organization.”
House Bill 955 by State Rep. Deborah Silcox (R-Atlanta) passed and changes the official state floral emblem from the Cherokee Rose to the Sweetbay Magnolia, according to the Savannah Morning News.
After unanimous approval by the Senate in mid-March, the Sweetbay will likely soon become the new state’s flower.
Previously, the state flower was the Cherokee Rose, another white flower that has been mistaken for a native plant used by the Cherokee. But this is a fallacy, said [Cherokee Elder Tony] Harris, who in tandem with the Georgia Native Plant Society (GNPS), have instead been advocating for a change to the Sweetbay Magnolia.
“Changing the state flower was our first objective because of its symbolic importance,” wrote GNPS Board of Directors Chairman Michael Cowan in an email. “The mere fact of going through the effort of changing it will hopefully spur broader conversations about why native plants are so important as the foundation of any healthy ecosystem.”
In 1916, the Cherokee Rose was deemed Georgia’s state flower, believed to be indigenous to northern Georgia. It was named for the Cherokee Tribe, mostly situated within the Blue Ridge Mountains region of northern Georgia. They were forcibly removed in 1838 due to mounting pressure from white settlers seeking land to grow cotton, and the discovery of gold.
When the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs recommended the flower to Georgia lawmakers in 1916, it was readily adopted.
“The Cherokee Rose, having its origin among the aborigines of the northern portion of the State of Georgia, is indigenous to its soil, and grows with equal luxuriance in every county of the State,” stated the proclamation.
It’s a really nice story by Jillian Magtoto of the Savannah Morning News and is worth reading in its entirety. There’s probably a cool story about why Rep. Silcox named the bill the “Caroline Romberg Silcox Act,” and I’d love to hear it.
Georgia’s Secretary of State announced a financial services firm will repay $6.7 million dollars tied to the First Liberty Building & Loan alleged Ponzi scheme, according to the AJC.
The restitution stems from allegations that a former financial adviser with deep roots in Georgia GOP politics steered clients to the Newnan-based firm, which federal regulators accuse of orchestrating a $140 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded some 300 investors overall.
The agreement comes weeks after Raffensperger’s office levied a $500,000 fine against Nathaniel Darnell, a former Bankers Life adviser, and referred his case to local prosecutors for possible criminal charges over allegations that he deceived First Liberty investors.
Darnell is the former head of the insurgent conservative Georgia Republican Assembly organization and a close ally of First Liberty founder Brant Frost IV and his son.
The state’s civil complaint accuses Darnell of selling unregistered First Liberty investments to nearly four dozen clients without informing his employer. Investigators also allege he concealed from both clients and the firm that he was collecting nearly $250,000 in commissions over several years.
Bankers Life president Cheryl Heilman said Darnell acted independently without the firm’s knowledge or authorization.
“Our clients come first,” she said. “And that’s why we agreed to make a monetary contribution to this fund.”
Darnell’s attorney, Douglas Gilfillan, has said his client denies the allegations and accused Raffensperger, a GOP candidate for governor, of rushing to judgment for political reasons.
Police Blotter: Liberty County District 1 Commissioner Marion Stevens Sr. was arrested and charged, according to WTOC.
A Liberty County commissioner is facing felony charges following an arrest over the weekend related to allegations of cruelty to children.
According to jail records, District 1 Commissioner Marion Stevens Sr. was arrested on March 28 and later released on a $4,600 bond.
In a statement issued Tuesday night, the Liberty County Board of Commissioners acknowledged the arrest, emphasizing that the charges are serious but unrelated to Stevens’ official duties.
The Board added that it remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the continued operation of county government, noting that additional updates may be provided if appropriate.
“The Board of Commissioners is aware of the recent arrest of Commissioner Marion Stevens, Sr.
“While the charges are serious, this matter is unrelated to the performance or duties of his office.”
“As such, and out of respect for the legal process and the integrity of the ongoing investigation, the Board will refrain from further comment at this time.”
“The Board remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the continued good operations of County government. Further statements or updates may be provided if it becomes appropriate to do so.”
– Board of Commissioners of Liberty County
Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones (R-Jackson) campaigned in Moultrie, according to the Moultrie Observer.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a candidate for governor, made a stop in Moultrie Saturday, March 28, at Moultrie Billiard Parlor. He spoke to the crowd about “kitchen table issues.”
“Sometimes we have to take on some of the social issues fight but the main thing I want to do is stay on ‘kitchen table issues,’” Jones said during his visit.
He said the issues were: lower income tax, do something about property tax, do something to improve education, provide educational opportunities with school choice, look at public safety and workforce development.
State Sen. Sam Watson, R-Moultrie, introduced Jones to the crowd that packed the restaurant in downtown Moultrie. Residents from different sectors of the community were there including the city, the county, school board and the business community.
Watson said he and Jones had worked on legislation together for many years to make Georgia a better place to live, work and raise a family.
“It’s been an honor to do that with him,” he said.
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