According to tradition, on April 21, 753 B.C., Rome was founded. The one in Italy, not the one in Floyd County.
On April 21, 1732, King George II signed the royal charter creating the colony of Georgia. The King’s signature did not make the charter effective as several additional steps were required.
On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes mounted up on horseback to warn of British troops on their way to confiscate American arms and to warn patriots Samuel Adams and John Hancock, who the British sought to capture.
By 1775, tensions between the American colonies and the British government had approached the breaking point, especially in Massachusetts, where Patriot leaders formed a shadow revolutionary government and trained militias to prepare for armed conflict with the British troops occupying Boston. In the spring of 1775, General Thomas Gage, the British governor of Massachusetts, received instructions from Great Britain to seize all stores of weapons and gunpowder accessible to the American insurgents. On April 18, he ordered British troops to march against Concord and Lexington.
The Boston Patriots had been preparing for such a British military action for some time, and, upon learning of the British plan, Revere and Dawes set off across the Massachusetts countryside. They took separate routes in case one of them was captured….
About 5 a.m. on April 19, 700 British troops under Major John Pitcairn arrived at the town to find a 77-man-strong colonial militia under Captain John Parker waiting for them on Lexington’s common green. Pitcairn ordered the outnumbered Patriots to disperse, and after a moment’s hesitation, the Americans began to drift off the green. Suddenly, the “shot heard around the world” was fired from an undetermined gun, and a cloud of musket smoke soon covered the green. When the brief Battle of Lexington ended, eight Americans lay dead and 10 others were wounded; only one British soldier was injured. The American Revolution had begun.
On April 19, 1775, British troops entered Lexington, Massachusetts, encountering 77 armed Minute Men.
British Major John Pitcairn ordered the outnumbered Patriots to disperse, and after a moment’s hesitation the Americans began to drift off the green. Suddenly, the “shot heard around the world” was fired from an undetermined gun, and a cloud of musket smoke soon covered the green. When the brief Battle of Lexington ended, eight Americans lay dead or dying and 10 others were wounded. Only one British soldier was injured, but the American Revolution had begun.
Two hours later, another confrontation between the British and American patriots took place in Concord, Massachusetts.
On April 21, 1789, John Adams was sworn in as the first Vice President of the United States.
On April 19, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln ordered the blockade of ports in “Rebellious States.”
Whereas an insurrection against the Government of the United States has broken out in the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, and the laws of the United States for the collection of the revenue can not be effectually executed therein conformably to that provision of the Constitution which requires duties to be uniform throughout the United States; and
….
Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, with a view to the same purposes before mentioned and to the protection of the public peace and the lives and property of quiet and orderly citizens pursuing their lawful occupations until Congress shall have assembled and deliberated on the said unlawful proceedings or until the same shall have ceased, have further deemed it advisable to set on foot a blockade of the ports within the States aforesaid, in pursuance of the laws of the United States and of the law of nations in such case provided. For this purpose a competent force will be posted so as to prevent entrance and exit of vessels from the ports aforesaid.
On the same day, the first blood of the civil war was shed in Baltimore as rioters protested against federal troops. Four soldiers and twelve civilians died.
On April 20, 1861, Robert E. Lee resigned his commission as a Colonel in the United States Army.
On April 21, 1904, Ty Cobb made his debut in professional baseball for the Augusta (Georgia) Tourists in the South Atlantic League in center field; Cobb hit an inside-the-field home run and a double.
Manfred von Richthofen, known as “The Red Baron,” was killed in action on April 21, 1918, shot by either an Australian gunner or a Canadian. At the time of his death, Richthofen has shot down 80 aircraft in aerial combat.
The honeybee was recognized as the official state insect of Georgia on April 18, 1975.
On April 20, 1982, the Atlanta Braves set a major league record, winning the first twelve games of the regular season.
Former President Jimmy Carter was appointed Distinguished Professor at Emory University on April 21, 1982. Carter holds an annual Town Hall in which he takes questions from students.
On April 20, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation authorizing a $165 billion dollar bailout for Social Security, saying,
“This bill demonstrates for all time our nation’s ironclad commitment to Social Security. It assures the elderly that America will always keep the promises made in troubled times a half a century ago. It assures those who are still working that they, too, have a pact with the future. From this day forward, they have one pledge that they will get their fair share of benefits when they retire.”
On April 21, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Israel. From the press statement released that day,
The MOA reiterates for the public record our long-standing relationship of strategic cooperation with Israel. Strategic cooperation can only succeed when there are shared interests, including the commitment to building peace and stability in the region. It reflects the enduring U.S. commitment to Israel’s security. That commitment will never flag. The U.S. commitment to peace will also not flag. The President knows that a strong Israel is necessary if peace is to be possible. He also knows that Israel can never be truly secure without peace.
Thousands of Chinese students protested against their government on April 18, 1989.
By early 1989, peaceful protests against the government began in some of China’s largest cities. The biggest protest was held on April 18 in the capital city of Beijing. Marching through Tiananmen Square in the center of the city, thousands of students carried banners, chanted slogans, and sang songs calling for a more democratic political atmosphere.
On April 20, 1992, Governor Zell Miller signed legislation naming Pogo ‘Possum the official state possum of Georgia.
On April 19, 1995, Governor Zell Miller signed legislation declaring the peanut the Official State Crop.
On April 20, 1999, two students entered Columbine High School in Colorado and killed twelve student and one teacher, and wounded 23 others before shooting themselves.
On April 18, 2006, Governor Sonny Perdue signed legislation establishing February 6 of each year as “Ronald Reagan Day” in Georgia and celebrating the date of President Reagan’s birth.
April 18, 2014 was the deadliest day on Mount Everest as sixteen local guides died.
The avalanche, which occurred around 6:30 a.m., swept over the Sherpas in a notoriously treacherous area of Everest known as the Khumbu Icefall, at approximately 19,000 feet. At the time, the Sherpas had been hauling loads of gear for commercial expedition groups.
The disaster, in which no foreigners were killed, reopened debates about the dangerous risks undertaken by Sherpas for their typically affluent clients (in addition to lugging most of the supplies for an expedition, Sherpas are responsible for such tasks as setting lines of fixed ropes and ladders for climbers), as well as the over-commercialization of Everest, where human traffic jams during the spring mountaineering season and massive amounts of litter have become common.
Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band died April 18, 2024, according to 13WMAZ.
Betts, a guitarist and singer, joined with brothers Duane and Gregg Allman in the late 60s and early 70s as the band from Macon broke through to stardom. Betts penned and sang what is widely regarded as the band’s biggest hit “Ramblin’ Man.”
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that the Betts family announce the peaceful passing of Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts (December 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024) at the age of 80 years old,” Betts’ family announced in a statement to Rolling Stone. “The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader, and family patriarch was at his home in Osprey, Florida, surrounded by his family. Dickey was larger-than-life, and his loss will be felt worldwide. At this difficult time, the family asks for prayers and respect for their privacy in the coming days. More information will be forthcoming at the appropriate time.”
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Attorneys for the Catoosa County Republican Party were in court to attempt to suppress Republican primary voters by allowing the county party to pick and choose candidate who can run in GOP Primary elections. From the Rome News Tribune:
U.S. District Court Judge William Ray heard the Catoosa County GOP arguments Wednesday, April 17, in Rome, Ga. They’re essentially requesting that he overrule a superior court judge’s order to qualify candidates the party didn’t feel reflected its “political positions or values.”
The case is representative of a move by far-right subgroups within the Georgia Republican Party — such as the Georgia Republican Assembly — to restrict which candidates get a valued “R” next to their name on the ballot in deeply conservative districts.
During arguments Wednesday, April 17, Judge William Ray showed a healthy degree of skepticism for the proposal.
“(Voters) really decide who is Republican on election day,” Ray said.
The group crusading for the new rules, the Georgia Republican Assembly, unsuccessfully pushed last year for policies that could have given the Georgia GOP the final say over who can run as Republicans for governor, legislative seats and other state offices.
The organization vilifies Gov. Brian Kemp and other state incumbents who rejected then-President Donald Trump’s demands to overturn his 2020 defeat, and it has targeted legislative leaders deemed unworthy of the party’s brand.
But the movement has gained more traction in smaller, conservative counties, where most races for commission seats and other local offices are decided in GOP primaries. (In Georgia, the two major political parties handle the process for candidates to qualify for office.)
Superior Court Judge Don Thompson ultimately ordered the Catoosa election board to allow the four to qualify, and he threatened to slap a major fine on the Catoosa GOP if it doesn’t heed his order.
Bryan Tyson, an elections law expert who represents Henry in a separate state challenge, said a Catoosa GOP victory could change the face of politics in Georgia.
“If they are right about the law on this, it means the state party can control who runs for governor and other state races, and the county party can control who runs for county offices,” he said.
“That would outsource the power from the voters to the party,” he added. “The party could pick just one candidate for each position, and that would be it.”
No stranger to politics, Ray reminded the packed courtroom that he was the Gwinnett County GOP chair and a longtime Republican state senator before he was appointed to a superior court judgeship in 2002. In 2018, Trump elevated him to the federal bench.
Ray seemed amenable to arguments from Christopher Harris, an attorney for the local election board, who said the federal judge should abstain from the case because two other state court proceedings involving the same issues are still pending.
But Ray also explored the more substantive consequences of the rule change. He pressed Alex Johnson, a Georgia Republican Assembly leader who represents the Catoosa GOP, on the potential implications of his policy.
“At the end of the day, the Republican Party is who shows up to vote,” the judge said. He then questioned whether Johnson agreed with this notion:
“Voters really decide who is a Republican on election day.”
Think about this for a moment. I believe that if the state party had the authority to reject candidates who wish to run for office, they might very well have excluded Donald Trump from the 2016 Presidential Preference Party in Georgia, as Trump was not considered a mainstream Republican at the time.
Governor Brian Kemp signed House Bill 1015, a state income tax cut, and four other pieces of legislation that reduce state taxes, according to a Press Release.
Governor Brian P. Kemp, accompanied by First Lady Marty Kemp, Members of the General Assembly, and local and state leaders, signed HB 1015 into law today at a ceremony in Augusta – accelerating the largest state income tax cut in Georgia history.
Sponsored by Representative Lauren McDonald and co-sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, Chairman Shaw Blackmon, Representatives Soo Hong, Will Wade and Matthew Gambill and carried in the Senate by Senator Bo Hatchett, builds upon HB 1437, which provided for a step down of 10 basis points in the income tax rate, starting in 2025.
By accelerating the reduction, the rate for Tax Year 2024 will be 5.39 percent, rather than the 5.49 percent set by HB 1437. This will mark a cut of 36 basis points from the Tax Year 2023 rate of 5.75 percent.
The Office of Planning and Budget estimates savings for Georgia taxpayers of approximately $1.1 billion in calendar year 2024 as a result of the tax cut acceleration and the 26 basis-points reduction provided in HB 1437, and approximately $3 billion over the next 10 years.
“Washington D.C. politicians are currently working to raise taxes on hardworking Americans, but here in Georgia we are keeping to our commitment to grow our economy and opportunity for the people of our state, not government,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “As a result of conservative budgeting and our pro-growth, business friendly environment, billions of more dollars will now be kept in the pockets of hardworking Georgians rather than being devoted to creating more government bureaucracy and red tape.”
In addition to HB 1015, Governor Kemp also signed HB 581, HB 1021, HB 1023, and SB 496.
HB 1023, sponsored by Chairman Bruce Williamson, signed by Chairman Shaw Blackmon, Rep. Clint Crowe, Chairwoman Deborah Silcox, Rep. Scott Hilton, Rep. David Wilkerson, and carried in the Senate by Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, lowers the corporate income tax rate from 5.75 percent for Tax Year 2024 to 5.39 percent by matching the corporate income tax rate to the individual income tax rate for the corresponding year – furthering our state’s commitment to maintaining a business friendly environment that creates good paying jobs throughout the state for hardworking Georgians.
HB 581, sponsored by Chairman Shaw Blackmon, Chairman Noel Williams, Chairwoman Beth Camp, signed by Rep. Clint Crowe and carried in the Senate by Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, enables a constitutional amendment (HR 1022) to be decided to allow counties to provide a statewide homestead valuation freeze, which limits the appreciation of property values to the inflation rate. HB 581 also provides for a special local option sales tax for counties and municipalities to provide for property tax relief.
HB 1021, sponsored by Rep. Lauren Daniel, signed by Speaker Jon Burns, Chairman Shaw Blackmon, Chairman Bruce Williamson, Chairwoman Deborah Silcox, Rep. Scott Hilton and carried in the Senate by Chairman Russ Goodman, increases the state’s income tax dependent exemption by 33%, so that each taxpayer would be allowed to deduct $4,000 per dependent rather than the current $3,000 per dependent.
SB 496, sponsored by Chairman Max Burns, signed by Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, Chairman Frank Ginn, Chairman Chuck Payne, Chairman Rick Williams, Sen. Harold Jones II, and carried in the House by Rep. Debbie Buckner, expands the criteria for a home to be certified as historic and extends the sunsets for the tax credits for rehabilitation of historic homes and structures to December 31, 2029, and for the tax credits for rural zone revitalization to December 31, 2032. Both Rep. Ron Stephens and Rep. Penny Houston were also instrumental in SB 496.
Governor Kemp extends his appreciation to all of those whose diligent work and efforts led to him being able to sign these bills today.
From Atlanta News First via WTOC:
House Bill 1015 will drop Georgia’s income tax this year from 5.75% to 5.39%, supporting a more long-term goal of bringing the income tax to below 5%.
Among the other bills signed were:
HB1023 – Matches the rate of income tax imposed on corporations to that on individual taxpayers
HB581 – Relating to audits and tax accounts including revised deadlines, selection criteria, and economic analyses
HB1021 – Increase the amount of the dependent exemption (child tax credit) in Georgia
SB496 – Ad valorem tax reduction for historic propertiesThe governor has until May 7 to sign or veto several other bills on his desk, approved by the General Assembly.
“Americans right now are having to spend a thousand dollars more each month than what they were doing three years ago for the same quality of life. I’m proud that we have such a great team that makes days like this possible,” said Kemp.
The governor joined Mayor Garnett Johnson and other state leaders to sign 5 bills that will boost Georgia’s economy.
Kemp says Bill 1015 will represent the largest state income tax cut in state history, and will put a lot more money in Georgians pockets.
“With this legislation, we’re accelerating that cut by another 10 basis points, bringing us immediately to a flat tax rate of just 5.39%. That is a cut of 36 basis points this year alone, and it represents a savings of $3 Billion to our taxpayers over the next 10 years,” Kemp said.
The governor also says that bill is in addition to more than $5 Million that he and the general assembly have worked on in recent years.
Those efforts have been shown through special income tax refunds, property tax relief, and the suspension of Georgia’s motor and diesel fuel tax.
“While we cut taxes for the people of our state, we also must ensure that we continue to attract jobs and investments to grow our economy, and create more opportunity for all those who call Georgia home. I believe this legislation will achieve that goal,” Kemp said.
The next bill Governor Kemp signed is House Bill 581, which provides property tax revisions, and enables counties across the state to provide a statewide homestead evalution.
“This limits the appreciation of property values to the inflation rate, helping prevent runaway property taxes, and keeping Georgians in their houses,” said Kemp.
Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson weighed in on the bills signed, and says they will aid Georgians who have dealt with inflation for several years.
“Everyone knows it costs more to go to the grocery store now. It costs more to do about anything, whether it’s taking your family out for an outing, to a movie. This tax relief gives families the opportunity to keep a little bit more of their earned money in their pockets,” said Johnson. “It gives them an opportunity to enjoy more of life outside of having to worry about the burden of paying bills and taxes.”
“All of these bills help keep money where it belongs – in the pockets of hard-working families,” he said. “Part of being good stewards of public funds is trusting our people to make their own decisions and seize opportunities we have worked hard to bring to their communities.”
Governor Kemp plans to sign House Bill 1339, revising Certificate of Need, this afternoon, according to the AJC.
Lawmakers and hospital executives, especially in rural areas, consider the final bill to be a compromise. Some advocates had pushed to do away with state-issued certificates of need, or CON, that required new hospitals to demonstrate significant enough demand to open. Meanwhile, others wanted the process to remain completely untouched.
“If I had my way, the bill would not change the CON requirements at all,” said Chris Dorman, president and CEO of Southwell/Tift Regional Medical Center in Tifton.
Ultimately, legislators in the state House and Senate struck a deal to shorten the timeline for review of hospitals’ applications and expand the rural hospital tax credit program, giving taxpayers a credit toward their state tax bill if they donate to qualifying medical facilities.
Negotiations between legislative chambers also prevented a full repeal of CON for free-standing outpatient care facilities. Those facilities, also known as ambulatory surgical centers, or ASCs, provide some surgical procedures to patients, but they are not required to meet the same requirements as hospitals.
And despite a last-minute attempt to pair the measure with an expansion of Medicaid, the government health care program for people with low or no incomes, the effort failed. However, the legislation does direct the state to form a study commission to explore the idea.
“Medicaid expansion would be phenomenal,” Dorman said.
Steve Gautney, CEO of Crisp Regional Hospital in Cordele, said that while he’s disappointed legislators didn’t pass Medicaid expansion this session, he is pleased it was discussed openly and frequently.
“Compared to where discussion has been in the past, at least it’s on the table now,” Gautney said.
HB 1339, sponsored by Rep. Butch Parrish of Swainsboro, would allow facilities to establish behavioral health services without having to go through a CON process in order to meet the growing demand for mental health care, which has increased, especially among young people, since the pandemic began.
Monty Veazey, president of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, said the legislation passed is a “radical change” and he hopes “CON will not be an issue for quite some time.”
“I hope they can move onto other things now,” he said, “like funding Medicaid expansion.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Kemp put himself firmly in the “No” camp on Medicaid expansion, according to the AJC.
Gov. Brian Kemp said he opposes an effort to expand Medicaid next year, even as a growing number of Republicans say they’re open to a debate on allowing Georgia to join the 40 other states that have boosted their programs for low-income residents.
The governor told Politically Georgia during a live event Thursday that he’s concerned that expansion will “increase your short-term costs and your long-term costs” by shifting hundreds of thousands of people from private-sector insurance to Medicaid.
“That’s just not good policy. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat. I’m in the no camp. I am supportive of what we did. We need some more time to continue to implement and get people to sign up on Pathways.”
Kemp’s remarks were the strongest yet against a Medicaid expansion push backed by senior Republicans in the Legislature who want the state to consider a “private option” modeled after a program adopted by GOP-controlled Arkansas.
They’ll need Kemp’s support. Although the Georgia Legislature voted in 2014 to give itself authority to expand Medicaid’s rolls, the governor would still have the final say on whether to sign the measure into law or veto it.
For the first time, Kemp unveiled a set of statistics he said showed that his programs have increased healthcare coverage to about 713,000 additional Georgians, including the 3,800 or so on his Pathways plan.
Pressed for details, the Department of Insurance said Friday about 850,000 more Georgians have signed up for a state-based healthcare exchange called Georgia Access that was created by Kemp-backed legislation for those who don’t qualify for Medicaid.
Of those, state insurance officials said about 710,000 are adults with annual incomes earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level, meaning they’d otherwise qualify for Medicaid coverage under a full expansion through the Affordable Care Act.
State Rep. Michelle Au, a Johns Creek physician, is among Democrats who have long called for Kemp to fully expand Medicaid to add hundreds of thousands of Georgians to the rolls.
She said the figures the governor cited show the federal law signed by President Barack Obama is working, and that Kemp is “trying to take credit for a state-based website that simply allows patients to sign up for that coverage.”
Kemp also acknowledged for the first time that he helped squelch legislation this year that would have allowed the state to purchase private health insurance plans for some low-income Georgians.
It failed to pass a committee in March after a suspenseful debate, though two Republicans joined Democrats to vote for the bill. Kemp said lawmakers didn’t account for the fallout of the expansion, including an estimated $580 million price tag.
“Look, we were fine with the Legislature having a conversation about that. That’s certainly up to them. I was respectful of that,” Kemp said. But he said they crossed a line when “they start talking about going to the floor and into a vote.”
United States Senator Lindsey Graham said the US Department of Homeland Security illegally allowed Laken Riley’s accused killer into the country, according to Atlanta News First via WTVM.
“DHS just confirmed to me that the man charged with Laken Riley’s murder was paroled into the U.S. illegally, ‘due to detention capacity at the Central Processing Center in El Paso, Texas,’” Graham posted to X on Tuesday. “He wasn’t granted parole because he provided a significant benefit to the country or that he had a humanitarian need, as the law requires.”
Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, faces charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another in connection to the death of 22-year-old Riley.
Graham’s Washington, D.C., referred to a statement from DHS that said, “Subject was paroled due to detention capacity at the Central Processing Center in El Paso, TX.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Ibarra illegally entered the United States.
“By law, immigration parole is only to be granted at the discretion of the DHS Secretary on a case-by-case basis, in instances of ‘urgent humanitarian reason or significant public benefit,’” DHS officials said in a release.
Immigration has emerged as a major campaign issue, dividing the nation and straining resources in New York, Chicago, Boston and other cities after migrants settle there and in communities across the country after crossing the nation’s southern border.
Republicans say some migrants with criminal backgrounds are not vetted and are improperly released into communities, putting U.S. citizens at risk. They have seized on the Georgia case to make those claims as the 2024 presidential election heats up.
Graham has also said Riley’s death is “gonna change this election as much as anything.”
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia are opposing an effort by Georgia’s Secretary of State to invalidate part of the federal Voting Rights Act, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia filed a brief in federal court Tuesday opposing Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s efforts to challenge part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act during the state’s redistricting process last year.
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act forces states to protect minority communities by banning practices that seek to dilute voting power due to race, and by allowing private citizens and advocacy groups to file lawsuits to combat gerrymandering. It was under this law that three voting rights cases — Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. v. Raffensperger, Pendergrass v. Raffensperger and Grant v. Raffensperger — were able to challenge district lines drawn in 2021 and ultimately force the legislature to redraw the boundaries.
Although it is too late for a ruling to impact district lines for the 2024 elections, Raffensperger’s appeal has made its way to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, meaning the ruling will affect future elections across Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The appeal effectively challenges the constitutionality of the redistricting mandated under Section 2, prompting the coalition of 19 attorneys general to file their brief urging the Eleventh Circuit to uphold the lower court’s decision.
Although it remains a pivotal piece of civil rights legislation, protections under the Voting Rights Act have been repeatedly weakened in recent years. In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a provision that required states with a history of disenfranchising voters of color to receive preclearance from the federal government before making changes to their election laws. Under current law, Section 2 serves as the only real avenue for citizens to enforce their voting rights.
State Senator Ben Watson (R-Savannah) faces a primary challenge from fellow Republican Beth Majeroni, according to the Savannah Morning News.
For the first time since being appointed to the state senate in 2014, Ben Watson has a challenger in the republican primary. Education activist Beth Majeroni announced she would enter the state senate race in December 2023.
The District 1 seat covers Bryan County, as well as portions of Chatham and Liberty counties.
During the most recent legislative session, Watson was a proponent of bills that banned puberty blockers to treat body dysmorphia in transgender youth and co-sponsored a bill to prohibit public money to be used for membership in the American Library Association.
Majeroni is a retired schoolteacher and education chairman of Ladies on the Right, a Republican women’s organization in The Landings gated community on Skidaway Island. As part of the school board action team, Majeroni has been a frequent public speaker at Savannah-Chatham school board meetings, speaking against masks in schools and for removing “obscene” books from school libraries.
Georgia Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mountain) and House Minority Leader James Beverly (D-Macon) are retiring from the legislature, leaving a leadership vacuum for their party’s caucuses, according to Atlanta News First via WRDW.
Beverly and Butler have more than 40 years of experience combined. These big characters in the world of politics will leave their party with a chance to reinvent themselves.
Senate Minority leader Gloria Butler said it’s bittersweet. She is leaving when she feels like Democrats have the best chance to negotiate for Medicaid expansion. This year some Republicans split from their party to support a last-minute proposal.
“I have a hard time figuring out why they don’t want to except that it’s politics. because it was called Obamacare. I was hoping so much that I could be a part of making that difference for the state,” said Butler.
Beverly said negotiating with Republicans across the aisle is what he’s most proud of. He worked with Republicans to change the state’s hate crime statute after Ahmaud Arbery was killed.
“What people don’t know is that I never passed one bill, not one bill, because influence is not just about passing bills, it’s about how do you move the dial to make Georgia better?” said Beverly.
They’re both still working to make sure their party’s caucus has money and staff in place for the transition. We expect they will name new leaders in November.
WTVM profiles the candidates for Columbus City Council for District 10.
Candidates for Pulaski County Sheriff met the public in a Town Hall hosted by the Hawkinsville-Pulaski County Chamber, according to 13WMAZ.
Voters were greeted at the door by candidates giving them the chance to interact one-on-one. Five republican sheriff candidates took the stage for the community forum.
Greg Hattaway, Wayne Wiley, Terry Hood, and Amanda Vaughn are running against Sheriff Danny Brannen.
All of the candidates agreed there needs to be more school resource officers to protect kids in the community, and they vowed to protect the Second Amendment.
All of these candidates for sheriff are running in one party, so the May election will determine who will be on the November ballot by themselves for Pulaski County Sheriff.
Gwinnett County Board of Education members voted 3-2 to adopt a $3.18 billion budget for FY 2024, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
The school board voted 3-2 to tentatively adopt the district’s $3.18 billion budget, with board members Tarece Johnson-Morgan and Adrienne Simmons voting against it. The dissenters raised concerns that GCPS was not doing enough to meet the needs of growing population of multi-lingual learners.
There were a few points of contention, but a key one was what GCPS planned to do to address a growing need to work with English language learner, also known as multi-lingual learner, students.
The proposed budget calls for adding two multilingual program specialist positions as well as two biliteracy specialists for world languages.
The district also plans to add two interpreter positions at its International Newcomer Center.
Simmons and Johnson-Morgan said that is nowhere near enough for the multi-lingual learner community.
“Despite the growing number ELL/multi-lingual learners and their families in the community, we have not increased investment in that area,” Simmons said.
South Georgia Judicial Circuit District Attorney Joseph Mulholland’s office filed a brief on the Bainbridge monkey farm issue, according to WALB.
Overall he says there is a “plain error in this case.” Lisa Dasilva, a concerned resident who is also suing city and county leaders, said the recent filing gives her allthe more reason to fight.
“We trust our government. We trust them to be making good decisions on the citizen’s behalf and nobody ever suspected that something this controversial would get slipped through,” she said. “We’re optimistic that the law is not on Safer Human Medicine’s side and we’re hoping to prove that.
Safer Human Medicine has 10 days to respond to this legal brief and they tell me they still have every intention of moving this project forward.
The South Georgia Circuit serves Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Grady, and Mitchell Counties.
Lawyers for the Athens-Clarke County Commission say an ordinance adopted after closed door negotiations is still valid despite violating the Open Records Act, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
The allegation that commissioners violated provisions of state open meetings laws is contained in a lawsuit filed last month by a group of nine STR owners, four of whom do not live in Athens-Clarke County, and some of whom have more than one STR property in the county.
The legal action seeks a sweeping review of the adoption of the ordinance amendment, as well as a declaratory judgment that the amended ordinance violates the U.S. and state constitutions, as well as state law.
The lawsuit’s allegation that a decision on the ordinance was reached in violation of state open meetings law is based on the proceedings at the Feb. 6 meeting of the mayor and commission at which the 9-0 decision was reached. Commissioner Allison Wright, who owns an Airbnb property, recused herself from voting.
After lengthy discussion following public comment from STR owners and counsel for the owners in the subsequent lawsuit, along with comment from discontented STR neighbors, commissioners found themselves unable either to approve or deny the proposed code amendment.
An initial 5-4 vote to adopt the amendment failed because six votes are required to approve an amendment. Subsequently, a 4-5 vote to deny the amendment failed because it did not get a majority vote.
Immediately after the impasse, Mayor Kelly Girtz, who does not vote except in the event of a tie, called for a 15-minute recess. Commissioners have a regular practice of taking a 15-minute break if their 6 p.m. meeting stretches beyond 8:15 p.m. They moved through the 8:15 p.m. mark on Feb. 6, with Girtz’s call for a recess coming at about 8:45 p.m.
A little more than 23 minutes later, the commission came back into session, with Girtz asking for “a fresh motion.” Commissioner Carol Myers made a motion to approve the amendment, with a provision that it be sent immediately to the commission’s Government Operations Committee (GOC) for further discussion.
That motion passed 9-0, and since then, the amendment has been in the hands of the GOC. At its meetings on tweaking the ordinance, the GOC’s discussion has ranged from establishing a procedure for STR owners to work with county government staff to set specific “sunset” provisions for individual properties, to use enhanced enforcement of existing county nuisance ordinances to more tightly control STRs, to declaring that no more STRs be allowed.
Glynn County Schools internet connections were shut down after a cyberattack, according to The Brunswick News.
A cyberattack on the computer infrastructure of Glynn County Schools Wednesday prompted the system’s technology team to pull the plug on internet connections systemwide, leading to an outage that persisted Thursday and is expected to linger into Friday.
No sensitive information is believed to have been taken, a school official says.
Teachers in many classrooms reverted on Thursday to classic learning styles using books, paper and pencils instead of computers. Others in classrooms that rely on technology as part of the curriculum were able to adapt using processes like those used during the COVID-19 pandemic, a school system spokesperson said.
The full extent of what may have been impacted by the attack was still being assessed on Thursday afternoon by the school system’s IT department with help from a third-party consultant, Assistant Superintendent of Operations Mike Blackerby said.
Fort Valley City Council members explained their votes to fire the previous interim administrator and hire a new one, according to 13WMAZ.
Two weeks ago, the council fired previous interim administrator Jonathan Harris over crimes uncovered in his background check. He had only been on the job for about a month. On Thursday, after about eight minutes of discussion and a 4-3 vote, the council named Gary Lee, their development director, as the new interim administrator.
“He was the assistant to our previous administrator, so again, he is very familiar with the job,” Councilwoman Laronda Eason said.
However, according to an executive order from Mayor Jeffrey Lundy in January, Lee’s only role with the city was as economic development director.
Eason was one of four ‘yes’ votes. She says appointing Lee to the position was a way to move forward.
The decision to fire Harris came up again in Thursday’s vote as Mayor Pro Tem Fred van Hartesveldt questioned Lee’s own legal troubles.
Before serving as Fort Valley development director, Lee had the same role in Warner Robins for 14 years. Five years ago, he was charged with falsely reporting a crime at Warner Robins City Hall. He allegedly denied signing a document in his city personnel file, then accused another employee of putting it there.
He says he doesn’t have anything against Lee’s skills or qualifications, but van Hartesveldt voted no because he felt the council rushed to a decision. He says not vetting a candidate didn’t work out last time.
Tybee Island put fire chief Jeremy Kendrick on administrative leave, according to WSAV.
Mayor Brian West has confirmed the developments, but would not elaborate further on the circumstances surrounding Kendrick’s leave.
A city spokesperson tells WSAV, “We cannot comment on personnel issues, and be assured that this will not impact our public safety readiness for Spring Break this weekend.
The Port of Brunswick set new records for cargo throughput in March, according to The Brunswick News.
The Georgia Ports Authority said Wednesday the port handled 77,236 units of roll-on/roll-off cargo, an increase of 13,438, or 21%, over March 2023.
Those arrived at Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island Terminal aboard 52 vessels during the month, setting another record for the port. That is 11 more, or 27%, compared to March 2023.
The terminal is on track to see a record-setting 572 ships by the end of the current fiscal year on June 30, the authority said.
The previous record was 534 vessels in 2015.“March was the busiest month ever for ro/ro cargo in Brunswick, with organic growth and new customers driving increases in both autos and high and heavy equipment,” Georgia Ports Authority President and CEO Griff Lynch said.
“Import and export trade has increased as automakers expanded production and Colonel’s Island processors have captured additional market share in the South Atlantic region.”
Brunswick’s strategic location and the growing capacity at Colonel’s island make it an attractive place to import and export rolling cargo, GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain said.
Brunswick’s contributions to traffic at Georgia ports are on track to make the current fiscal year the busiest ever for rolling cargo for the ports authority. In the first nine months of the fiscal year Georgia ports handled 628,937 units of roll-on-roll-off cargo, a 16% increase, or 88,200 units, which could result in an all-time record of 800,000 units handled by the end of the fiscal year, the state authority said.
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