Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for April 21, 2022

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 21, 1789, John Adams was sworn in as the first Vice President of the United States.

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.

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 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.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Cecil City Council member Constance Davis was indicted for murder, leading to her alleged removal from office, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Constance Davis was indicted by a grand jury April 6 on charges of felony murder and neglect to a disabled adult, elder person or resident, the indictment shows.

Davis was booked into the Cook County Jail Tuesday, jail records show.

She lost her council seat automatically when she was indicted, Cecil Mayor James Spencer Sr. said.

“Can’t hold the position with a felony indictment,” he said.

Cecil City Council will discuss the situation of being one council member short at its next meeting on May 10, the mayor said.

The council, which normally has five members plus the mayor, can still hold binding votes with the remaining four members, Spencer said, “though I may be casting some tiebreaker votes.”

If the remaining council term is less than six months, then the council can appoint someone to serve out the remaining time; if it’s longer than six months, arrangements have to be made for an election, Spencer said.

I believe the Mayor may have misstated the law. Georgia Code §45-5-6 provides that when a municipal elected official is indicted, the Governor will decide whether the suspend the official.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Extreme Northwest Georgia) is appealing the decision by federal Judge Amy Totenberg to allow a state lawsuit challenging Greene’s qualification for office to proceed, according to the Associated Press via the Valdosta Daily Times.

A group of voters last month filed the challenge with the secretary of state’s office alleging that Greene helped facilitate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol that disrupted Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. They say that violates a part of the 14th Amendment and makes her ineligible to run for reelection.

Greene says the law that the voters are using to challenge her eligibility is unconstitutional, and she filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to prohibit state officials from enforcing it. U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg on Monday ruled that the challenge can proceed. Greene on Tuesday filed an appeal with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The challenge, which was filed on behalf of the voters by a group called Free Speech for People, is set for a hearing before an administrative law judge Friday. The administrative law judge must then present his findings to the secretary of state, who then must determine whether Greene is eligible to appear on the ballot.

On 4/20, WTOC notes that both Savannah and Tybee Island have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Ordinances approved by city leaders in Savannah and Tybee Island allow officers to write a ticket if someone they stop has one ounce of marijuana or less.

A city known for its laid back beach lifestyle; Tybee Island has a more relaxed approach than most cities in Georgia when it comes to a certain controlled substance.

In September of last year, the Tybee City Council passed a new ordinance that allows officers to write a ticket when someone is stopped with an ounce or less of marijuana. The ticket comes with a $150 fine.

Since the new ordinance took effect, the city says zero tickets have been written.

“A lot of our officers are actually seizing marijuana and marking it to be destroyed and declining to charge offenders,” Tybee Island Police Department Lt. Emory Randolph said. “It’s more of weighing the totality of the circumstances whether this is something they truly wish to pursue through the criminal process or not.”

Tybee is one of about nine cities in Georgia with new ordinances on the books to decriminalize marijuana. Most of those cities are in the Atlanta area.

“Police officers are now overworked, they’re under paid. They lack the resources as you well know,” said Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia. “A small amount of marijuana will not be a priority to them. Not to mention, anything less than a felony amount of marijuana will not be tested by the Georgia Crime Lab.”

According to Savannah Police, last year the department wrote about 500 tickets for marijuana possession of an ounce or less. And arrested 178 people for offenses that also included marijuana.

While some cities in Georgia have decriminalized, Skandalakis points out -any amount of marijuana remains illegal under state and federal law. “I think the public wants clarity. Law enforcement needs clarity, particularly, when it comes to enforcing laws. Right now, police officers use their discretion to the best of their ability and prosecutors deal with it on a case by case basis,” Skandalakis said.

Governor Brian Kemp campaigned in Slyvester, according to WALB.

“I feel great. You know we’re working hard, not taking anything for granted. You can see we’re drawing great crowds. A lot of enthusiasm going into the primary,” Kemp said. “But look, my ultimate goal is to make sure that we keep Stacey Abrams from being governor of Georgia.”

Kemp said he believes he accomplished everything he set out to do during his current tenure in the governor’s seat and that Georgia is on the right path.

“Whether it’s our economy, you know our educational promises, whether it’s teacher pay raises. You know what we’ve done for rural healthcare. Rural innovation. Rural broadband. Our ports,” he said.

“It’s been an honor to serve. We’re doing great, but it’s all because we were resilient. We stayed open and we protected lives and livelihoods,” Kemp said.

While at his stop in Sylvester, Kemp also talked about signing the constitutional carry bill into law.

Kemp said it’s a critical issue. He also said he doesn’t believe it will cause crime to go up.

“Well, it’s hard to imagine more crime that what we have around our country right now. This is a public safety issue. This is why people want constitutional carry. You know, everybody that’s got the guns are criminals and bad people. What we need to do is give law-abiding citizens the ability to carry a handgun without a piece of paper from the government. Which they have in the United States constitution with the second amendment. Which is all we have done,” Kemp said.

“Background checks still apply just like any time your purchase a firearm. There’s been 20 plus other states that have done this. We’re just simply bringing priority to our citizens in the state of Georgia. Now look, people don’t have to carry if they don’t want to. It just gives them the ability to protect and defend themselves and their property,” Kemp said.

The governor also said he doesn’t think the new law will cause racial profiling by law enforcement.

“I think just the contrary. I think it’s actually gonna help minorities. I mean, I have a lot of minorities that have reached out to me and saying, ‘Thank you for doing this. You know, we’re scared to death in our communities just like other people are and we want to be able to protect and defend ourselves when we’re outside of our homes,’” Kemp said.

Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black campaigned for U.S. Senate in Columbus, according to WTVM.

People came out to the Wicked Hen in Midtown to hear where the candidate stands on the issues.

Black says he’s building a grassroots movement to win back the U.S. Senate. Currently, he holds the position of Georgia’s Commissioner of Agriculture.

He also says we need to make the tax cuts placed by former President Trump permanent.

The Senate hopeful believes in pro-life and that life begins at conception.

When it comes to the southern border, he supports zero amnesties. Additionally, he says critical race theory must not enter our classrooms.

Republican Herschel Walker campaigned in Gainesville, according to the Gainesville Times.

He is confident in his chances and wants to “straighten some things out” in Washington.

“One of the things you look at is the economy and look at the inflation … what needs to be fixed. Look at the gas prices that’s going out of the roof right now. You look at the food on the shelf, the supply chain … And I think people are not even aware of all of the things that’s happening.” Walker said. “You look at all the crime in the streets. Crime in the streets have gone up like something crazy. And you look at our school system, all the things we’re trying to teach in schools, so the question is, ‘What is not going on?’ It seems like everything that’s going on is not putting America first. We’re putting America second and I believe in this country, I believe in the people, and I want to get Americans back (to) being the number one.”

“When you start trying to teach kids to hate themselves because they’re Black or because they’re White, teaching Black kids to hate themselves because they’re oppressed, that they can’t do it — I think that is totally wrong,” Walker said.

“We shouldn’t even be talking about trying to say what gender are you, or anything like that. It’s written in the Bible, and I’m a Christian that believes in what God says. And right now when you start talking about gender identification and putting men in women’s sports, that’s something I disagree with.”

“I want to show some strength (in (Ukraine), and I’m not saying putting boots on the ground,” he said. “But what I am saying is that maybe we need to help some of these people that are doing what they need so they can fight for themselves.”

“I’m not afraid to talk about these sensitive subjects from race and mental health, because we do have a mental health problem,” he said. “You look at the law enforcement. I said, ‘What (are) some of the major problems you’re having?’ And they said, ‘We’re not really equipped when we make arrests of someone that may have a mental health problem. And you see some of the hospitals are having to deal with it as well. So I want to be a champion for the mental health, as well as champion for the kids and the ladies out there, the women out there.”

From the AJC:

Herschel Walker spoke to a Hall County GOP women’s group over the weekend where he was asked how he would help secure rural infrastructure investments.

He spoke of “a lot of grants out there that they don’t even know exist because they don’t have someone to represent them in Washington.”

Then he asked: “Why don’t we combine counties together so we can pay for that one person that can look for all those grants, look for all those things coming down, that represent those rural areas now they could become like the big areas as well.”

Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson is holding a meet and greet Saturday, according to WTVM.

Republicans running for the Second Congressional District will meet in a candidate forum on Saturday, according to the Albany Herald.

There is no charge to attend the forum, which starts at 7 p.m. at Doublegate Country Club at 3800 Old Dawson Road. A pre-forum reception runs from 5:30-6:30 p.m., with a charge of $35 per person or $60 per couple.

Tickets are available at https://dougherty-and-lee-county-gop.ticketleap.com/ga-2nd-congressional-district-gop-candidate-forum/.

The forum is being presented by the Dougherty County and the Lee County Republican parties.

The candidates in the race are Vivian Childs, Jeremy Hunt, Wayne Johnson, Rich Robertson, Chris West and Paul Whitehead.

The winner in the May 24 primary will face the Democratic challenger, likely long-time U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, in the fall. Bishop is being challenged in the Democratic primary by Joseph O’Hara.

“I think the Republican nominee this year has a bona fide chance to win,” [Dougherty County Republican Party member Bill] Morehead said.

Most of the campaign funds raised for the 14th Congressional District election come from outsiders, according to the Rome News Tribune.

The top three campaign fundraisers in the 14th District primary races — Marcus Flowers, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Holly McCormack — brought in over 90% of their funds from out of state contributors, according to statistics compiled by OpenSecrets.org.

The top fundraiser this reporting cycle, Democrat Marcus Flowers, drew $3,123,298 from out of state donors, as well as $245,231 from Georgia donors.

That’s mirrored by the Republican incumbent, Greene, who raised $1,973,778 from out of state donors and $173,297 from Georgia donors.

Up to this point, over $17 million dollars has flowed into the district, which hadn’t seen much incumbent opposition until former Rep. Tom Graves announced his retirement in 2019.

For reference, the most Graves ever raised in any of his four election bids was $2 million. He held the office from 2010-2020 and nearing the end of his tenure he was a ranking member of that body.

The AJC profiles Republican candidates for Lieutenant Governor.

Burt Jones — a Jackson Republican and state senator who has supported Trump’s conspiracy theories that his 2020 election was stolen — has led in several polls of potential primary voters, sometimes by double digits.

Jones is facing his colleague, Senate President Pro Tem Butch Miller of Flowery Branch, as well as Republican activist Jeanne Seaver of Savannah and first-time candidate Mack McGregor of Lafayette. The winner in November will take on Libertarian candidate Ryan Graham and the winner of a nine-way Democratic primary.

A University of Georgia poll released last week found that of those with a preference, nearly 30% of Republican voters said they would vote for Jones. Miller was the next closest, with about 11% saying they plan to vote for the senator. A little more than 4% of voters backed McGregor, and Seaver got the support of 1% of those polled.

But the numbers changed drastically when voters were told that Trump endorsed Jones, with nearly 59% saying they would support the candidate backed by the former president.

Columbia County Sheriff Richard Roundtree addressed violent crime, according to WRDW.

After six homicides across the river region in the past six days, we sat down with the Richmond County sheriff.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office tells us gang activity is behind at least two of the deaths. Deputies say they’ll be upping patrols and road checks in areas recently impacted by gang violence.

Roundtree: “I’m the father of two African American boys. I see what’s happening. It’s heartbreaking to me to keep one, seeing these young African American males die, and two, having to send other ones to prison. Then parents calling me being upset that I had to send their child away to prison. That’s why I’m trying to send a message now that this is a choice. This can stop. This can stop today, either voluntarily or it’s going to stop by force.”

Roundtree: “There’s been a reduction in crime. It’s just that we have these anomalies, these upticks. That’s when people want to say crime is running rampant, but crime is actually decreasing these last ten years. But to keep crime at a sustainable level, the community has to be involved. We’re talking about civic leaders, faith-based organizations, and our county government. All these groups and the neighborhood have to be invested. I’ve said it many times before you can’t just arrest your way out of a problem. You can’t lock your way up. That’s all some of these individuals know. That’s all they’ve ever seen. That’s all they’ve been exposed to. They know nothing else. There are no programs for them, there’s no events, there’s no accountability, and that starts at home, and then it spills over into the community.”

The Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce announced the results of a sales tax study, according to The Brunswick News.

A new study estimates anywhere from 37% to 43% of sales tax generated in the Golden Isles comes from people living in other communities.

Information from the study, conducted by the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute, will be used as part of a promotion campaign to persuade voters to approve a referendum for a new Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax in the November general election.

“There is a lot of money left on the table because SPLOST was not passed,” said Mike Scherneck, chamber chairman.

Tourism in the Golden Isles continues to set new records, said Scott McQuade, president and CEO of the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau. Occupancy for the month of February is 30% ahead of the same month a year ago and bed tax collection is 55% ahead of last year’s record.

McQuade said the Golden Isles is on pace to see $500 million in lodging revenue this year.

The Baldwin County Board of Education is working to finalize its FY2023 budget, according to 13WMAZ.

Dr. Noris Price, Baldwin County Superintendent, says teachers don’t get paid enough for the work they do. She breaks down what the new budget will look like for the district.

“That budget is about $43.8 million. 86% of the budget is for salaries, personnel, and the other 14% is operational,” she says.

Price says teachers will get a permanent $2,000 raise from the state starting next year. That’s the final step of the $5,000 raise that Governor Brian Kemp promised for all the state’s teachers over the last three years.

“Anybody not included in the governor’s budget will get a 3% salary increase effective July 1, so whether you’re a teacher, support staff, an administrator,” she says.

Price says the budget will include money to buy supplies, so that teachers won’t have to use their own money. It also provides new technology for both students and educators.