Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for April 22, 2025

On April 22, 1891, Asa Candler bought the recipe for Coca-Cola for $2300 and eventually turned its marketing from a “brain tonic” into a plain old tasty beverage.

Adolf Hitler admitted defeat in World War II on April 22, 1945.

The Atlanta Braves won their first home game in Atlanta Stadium on April 22, 1966. The Braves beat the New York Mets 8-4. It’s interesting to look back at how the Braves landed in Atlanta.

During his 1961 campaign for mayor of Atlanta, Ivan Allen, Jr. promised to build a sports facility to attract a Major League Baseball team. After winning office, Allen chose a 47-acre plot in the Washington–Rawson neighborhood for the building site, citing its proximity to the Georgia State Capitol, downtown businesses and major highways. Allen, along with Atlanta Journal sports editor Furman Bisher, attempted to persuade Charlie Finley, owner of the Kansas City Athletics, to move his team to Atlanta. Finley was receptive and began discussing stadium design plans with Allen. The deal, however, ended in July 1963 when the American League did not approve the move.

In 1964, Mayor Allen announced that an unidentified team had given him a verbal commitment to move to Atlanta, provided a stadium was in place by 1966. Soon afterward, the prospective team was revealed to be the Milwaukee Braves, who announced in October that they intended to move to Atlanta for the 1965 season. However, court battles kept the Braves in Milwaukee for one last season.

A verbal commitment by an unnamed team brought the Braves here.

The Blues Brothers made their worldwide debut on Saturday Night Live on April 22, 1978. Two prominent Georgia musicians, Ray Charles (born Albany) and James Brown (died Atlanta) would co-star in The Blues Brothers movie.

Former President Richard Nixon died on April 22, 1994.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Headline of the Day: Owner of Macon’s soon-to-be-opening Flying Biscuit location announces bid for Georgia governor, and subhead: “Along with serving pancakes and breakfast food, Jason Esteves also serves in the Georgia State Senate.” From 13WMAZ:

Georgia State Sen. Jason Esteves announced on Monday that he’s running for governor, but he has an interesting Central Georgia tie: he owns the soon-to-be-open Flying Biscuit Company location in Macon.

But as he prepares for his bid for governor, Esteves is preparing to open the Flying Biscuit Company in Macon. The Macon Chamber of Commerce previously said that they expect the location to open in May.

But Esteves owns the Flying Biscuit company location in Columbus. That location had been open for roughly a year when Esteves decided to open in Macon, which will be located at the intersection of Mulberry and 2rd Street where Michael’s on Mulberry used to be.

Cobb County Commission District 2 and 4 voters are going to the polls in early voting ahead of the April 29, 2025 Special Election, according to the Cobb County Board of Elections.

Cobb County Advance Voting
Districts 2 & 4 Special General Election: April 29, 2025
FOR IN-PERSON ADVANCE VOTING ONLY: Cobb County voters can vote at any of the following locations:
AREA LOCATION DATES & TIMES FOR ALL LOCATIONS
MAIN OFFICE:
*DROP BOX
*SATURDAY
Main Office
995 Roswell St NE
Marietta, GA 30060

April 19, Saturday, 9am-5pm
Saturday Voting @ select locations
Main Office
South Cobb Community Center

NO SUNDAY VOTING

Monday – Friday, 7am- 7pm
There is NO VOTING on April 20, 26-28, 2025

On Election Day, April 29, 2025 voters MUST go to their assigned polling location, open from 7am-7pm

United States District Court Judge Victoria Marie Calvert (ND-GA) issued a temporary restraining order against the federal government in a lawsuit by international students, according to the Macon Telegraph.

A federal judge is giving the U.S. government a Tuesday evening deadline to reinstate the immigration status of 133 current and former college students who would have had to cease attending classes and holding jobs after they lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program status for no apparent reason.

A lawyer for the students and recent graduates argued at a hearing last week in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia that they faced irreparable harm, including deportation and the risk of not earning degrees they had paid for.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., argued the government would face irreparable harm if the judge ordered that the students’ status be reinstated, because it would “interfere with the executive’s right to control immigration,” meaning President Donald Trump.

Judge Victoria Marie Calvert sided with the students, issuing a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration late Friday and requiring that the students’ status under the visitor program be restored by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The judge has scheduled another hearing for Thursday, when both sides will argue over whether the judge should next issue a preliminary injunction on the students’ status.

Governor Brian Kemp yesterday signed Senate Bill 68 and SB 69, the two pieces of his tort reform legislative package, according to a Press Release.

Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Speaker Jon Burns, Constitutional Officers, members of the Georgia General Assembly, and state and local leaders signed historic legislation delivering commonsense, meaningful tort reform.

The legislative package, signed into law by the Governor, levels the playing field in our courtrooms, bans hostile foreign powers from taking advantage of consumers and legal proceedings, aims to stabilize insurance costs for businesses and consumers, increases transparency and fairness, and ensures Georgia continues to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

“Today is a victory for the people of our state who for too long were suffering the impacts of an out-of-balance legal environment,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “While there was great passion on all sides of this issue, I am grateful for the diligent work of Commissioner John King and his office in studying this issue, the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and Speaker Jon Burns, the unrelenting work of Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy and House Majority Whip James Burchett, as well as Chairmen Brian Strickland and Rob Leverett for leading a thorough review, and the thoughtful deliberation of our legislative partners in the General Assembly. As a result of this collective effort and outpouring of support from Georgians of all backgrounds, Georgia continues to move in the right direction as we work to stabilize costs and compete for economic opportunities that will create good paying jobs for hardworking Georgians across our state.”

“My position on this important issue has not changed – these are not anti-lawyer or pro-insurance bills, these are pro-Georgia bills,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “From the extensive debate we saw on this issue, it is clear that the environment we are in right now is not playing well consistently and something had to change to level the playing field. I want to thank Governor Brian Kemp and his entire team for making these measures a top priority. These bills ensure that we put Georgia families and consumers first by tackling the hidden costs we have all been paying thanks to Georgia’s current tort laws. These much-needed reforms, which I was proud to support, strike a balance by stabilizing insurance costs for businesses and consumers, while increasing transparency and fairness for all Georgia citizens.”

“Today was certainly a great day to be a Georgian as Governor Kemp signed into law the most comprehensive lawsuit reform legislation our state has seen in nearly two decades,” said House Speaker Jon Burns. “The House was proud to support these measures that return much-needed balance to our state’s courtrooms and deliver financial relief to Georgia’s citizens and businesses facing skyrocketing insurance premiums—all while ensuring we protect the rights of Georgians with legitimate claims.”

“Getting lawsuit reform across the finish line took all of us coming together to deliver this win for Georgia,” said President Pro Tempore Kennedy. “Georgians deserve a balanced civil justice system, not one that incentivizes frivolous lawsuits, leading to higher insurance premiums that burden small businesses, job creators, healthcare providers, and families. I am grateful to Governor Kemp for his trust in me as the Bill Sponsor and his unwavering leadership to get these meaningful pieces of legislation across the finish line.”

“With today’s signing of these important bills by the Governor we bring balance to Georgias civil justice system,” said House Majority Whip Burchett “I’m proud of the work of the General Assembly to protect Georgia’s small businesses and job creators from frivolous lawsuits while ensuring that Georgians that are injured are still able to recover for their claims.”

“Georgians have been footing the bill of a legal system that has gone unchecked for far too long,” said Commissioner John King. “By enacting these reforms, we are giving breathing room to consumers and small businesses in every community across our state, while protecting the rights of those are truly hurt. Our achievements today would not have been possible without the steadfast leadership and hard work of Governor Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Jones, Speaker Burns, and members of the General Assembly. Their tireless commitment to meaningful reform has brought long-overdue accountability to a broken system.”

Below are the specific policy areas addressed by the legislation:

Reevaluates the Standard for Negligent Security Liability (“Premises Liability”): Ensures businesses are only liable for what they directly control. The legislation holds property owners accountable when they fail to keep their property safe for their customers and the public, but protects establishments for simply opening their doors and employing hardworking Georgians in communities and neighborhoods that need them.

Truthful Calculation of Medical Damages in Personal Injury Cases  (“Truth-in-Damages”):  Ensures Georgians injured by negligent actions are made whole and have their costs covered, while protecting consumers from inflated costs being passed on to them. The legislation permits counsel in a jury trial to submit evidence of the medical bills charged by providers, as well as the evidence of what was actually paid by an insurer to satisfy those charges. Jurors may then determine the reasonable value of the plaintiff’s past medical care with full transparency into the billed and paid value of their treatment.

Eliminates the Ability to Arbitrarily Anchor Pain and Suffering Damages to a Jury (“Anchoring”): The new law stops the use of anchoring tactics when presenting damages for pain and suffering to a jury during the closing arguments of a trial. The bill instructs that closing arguments describing damages must be related to actual evidence of the plaintiff’s pain and suffering, which prevents counsel from using an artificial benchmark–like a professional athlete’s salary, the cost of fighter jets, or the number of miles driven by a truck—to describe what a plaintiff should be owed for their injuries. This bill does NOT place a cap on the amount of money a jury may award. In fact, the Governor’s legislation protects the jury’s decision making from irrelevant and improper arguments from counsel – empowering the jury to decide an award amount based on real evidence in the case.

Bifurcated Trials: Permits a party in a case to move for bifurcation of the trial, so that the defendant is found liable before the jury hears evidence detailing the extent of the plaintiff’s damages. This clarifies important procedure in the courtroom and gives both sides of a case the same opportunity to have their arguments heard.

Allows a Jury to Know Whether the Plaintiff Wore Their Seatbelt (“Admissible Seatbelt Evidence”): Removes the current exclusion from the evidence code that prevents the defendant from showing evidence the plaintiff was not wearing his or her seatbelt in an auto accident. Allowing admission of seatbelt evidence at trial may be used by the defense to mitigate damages, particularly where the plaintiff’s failure to use this essential safety feature results in significantly worse injuries for the plaintiff.

Eliminates Double Recovery of Attorney’s Fees: Closes an misused loophole that allowed plaintiff’s counsel to recover their fees twice for the same lawsuit. Courts will remain able to award attorney fees—but only once.

Eliminates Voluntary Dismissal During Trial: Amends the timeline for voluntary dismissals – putting an end to the practice of plaintiffs dismissing a case just to refile or “cherry pick” a more favorable jurisdiction after the defense has already racked up the cost of preparing and beginning the trial.

Motion to Dismiss Timing Changes: Changes the Georgia Civil Practice Act to allow a defendant to file a motion to dismiss in lieu of an answer – cutting down unnecessary discovery expenses while a motion to dismiss is pending.

Reforming and Bringing Transparency to Third Party Litigation Funding: First, the legislation bans hostile foreign adversaries from using our judicial system to undermine our vital security and economic interests – protecting Georgia businesses and consumers from foreign actors who may fund litigation to obtain trade secrets or advance their own political interests against the interests of the citizens of this state.

Second, the legislation protects consumers from predatory lenders that want to take advantage of litigants in vulnerable situations by prohibiting litigation funders from having any input into the litigation strategy or from taking the plaintiff’s whole recovery and making sure plaintiffs are aware of their rights.

Third, the bill increases transparency for all parties—the courts, opposing litigants, and the plaintiffs themselves.

From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News:

Gov. Brian Kemp signed two tort reform bills Monday that supporters say should reverse a pattern of excessive jury awards they hold responsible for rising liability insurance premiums that are hurting Georgia businesses’ bottom lines.

Overhauling the civil litigation process in Georgia was the Republican governor’s top priority for the recently concluded 2025 General Assembly session.

“These two bills level the playing field in Georgia’s courtrooms and ensure our business environment remains the best in the nation,” Kemp said during a signing ceremony at the state Capitol.

Senate Bill 68, which House Speaker Jon Burns called the most comprehensive lawsuit reform in Georgia in nearly two decades, deals with issues involving trial procedure, including when plaintiff lawyers can argue for non-economic damages, when discovery can begin, and when lawyers on either side can request dismissal of a case.

But the legislation’s most controversial provision put new limits on “premises liability,” which governs when plaintiffs can sue business owners after suffering injuries during the commission of a crime by a third party outside the owner’s control.

To get enough legislative Republicans on board to pass the bill, the House amended the Senate measure to carve out victims of sex trafficking and their lawyers from the bill.

The Republican-backed Senate Bill 68 cleared both legislative chambers largely along party lines, with Democrats arguing it goes so far in shielding businesses from liability that it effectively will deny victims their day in court.

Kemp pushed back on that argument Monday.

“If you are wronged, you deserve to be made whole and can be,” he said. “This legislation protects that very right.”

The second tort reform measure, Senate Bill 69, is much more narrowly drawn and enjoyed bipartisan support, at least in the state Senate. It focuses on a growing number of lawsuits being financed by third parties where financiers who are not a party to a case pay the costs of pursuing litigation in exchange for a portion of any judgement a plaintiff is awarded.

Rather than abolish third-party financing, the bill puts in guardrails to protect plaintiffs entering into such arrangements. It passed the Senate unanimously but drew 42 “no” votes in the 180-member House.

Business groups praised the governor for getting behind tort reform this year, as did the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, a a think tank that advocates free-market approaches to public-policy issues.

“These new laws will bring much-needed fairness and transparency to a system that has become costly and unpredictable,” said Kyle Wingfield, the nonprofit’s president and CEO. “Georgia has long been recognized as the best state in the nation to do business, and these reforms will help ensure it remains that way.”

From Atlanta News First via WTOC:

“Action was desperately needed to stabilize our insurance marketplace and protect our consumers,” Kemp said. “Childcare facilities, truckers, restaurant owners, doctors, hospitals, grocery store owners, gas station companies, you name it, the calls for change came from every sector of Georgia’s economy. The status quo was simply unacceptable.”

Tort reform, which would overhaul Georgia’s civil litigation system, would make it harder to sue businesses for things that happen on their property, a concept known as premises liability. But survivors and families of victims say it could also make it harder for them to seek justice against wrongdoers.

Last week, Kemp signed HB 111, accelerating the largest state income tax cut in Georgia history, and HB 112, which will authorize the delivery of $1 billion in one-time special tax refunds up to $500 to Georgia taxpayer households.

Kemp said people can still use the civil courts when they’re wronged, but said the new laws “level the playing field” for those involved.

“Let me be clear, if you are wronged in this state, you deserve to be made whole and you still can be,” he said. “SB68 and 69 simply bring transparency and fairness to a process that has been abused for too long that have driven up costs for businesses and consumers alike.”

From the AJC:

The governor and his supporters have long promised that the sweeping changes, which supporters call “tort reform,” would stabilize insurance premiums by curbing costly litigation and reining in multimillion-dollar verdicts.

At Monday’s celebratory ceremony at the state Capitol, where he signed the two-part package, Kemp repeated his pledge that the law will ease pressure on consumers and help keep Georgia’s economy competitive.

“In the end, both of these bills accomplish our goal of leveling the playing field in Georgia’s courtrooms and ensuring our business environment remains the best in the nation,” he said.

But even Kemp’s GOP allies warn the impact on premiums could be modest. House Speaker Jon Burns has already tasked a legislative panel with reviewing how insurance rates are set, signaling more legislation might be on the way next year.

And Insurance Commissioner John King, who has crisscrossed the state defending the legal overhaul, said he will turn up the pressure on companies seeking rate hikes. State law gives insurance commissioners power to review rates but only halt increases in limited circumstances.

“I’m telling insurance companies now they have to do their part,” said King, a potential U.S. Senate candidate. “We are going to have public hearings and they’re going to have to justify raising rates. I don’t mind holding their feet to the fire.”

Democratic opponents, who fought the bill at every step, say the measure is a giveaway to insurance companies that lacks any guaranteed relief for Georgia consumers.

Miller and other Democrats point to Florida as a cautionary tale. Insurers there pushed lawmakers to tighten liability laws after claiming steep financial losses — only for a Tampa Bay Times investigation to show their affiliate companies posted billions in profit.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others who advocated for the changes say the state’s insurance market is slowly stabilizing after years of problems, while opponents say it hasn’t lowered insurance premiums and never will.

Some experts predict the impact will be uneven. Businesses and commercial property owners might see relief on liability coverage, while consumers might not notice much difference in auto or other insurance rates. Critics argue the biggest winners are insurers.

Paul Nair, CEO of boutique grocer Savi Provisions, sees it differently. Insurance costs have become a major barrier to growth, he said, especially in underserved areas.

“We went to try to get liability insurance, and 15 out of the 17 refused to underwrite the insurance,” Nair said. “Our premiums were extremely high. At some point, it kind of defeats the purpose we’re trying to do — addressing food deserts.”

Candidates are announcing campaigns for Mayor of Warner Robins, according to 13WMAZ.

The race for Warner Robins mayor is taking shape as incumbent LaRhonda Patrick prepares to face at least one potential challenger in her bid for a second term.

Fabian Velazquez, a 24-year-old Warner Robins High School graduate, has announced his candidacy for the Nov. 4 election.

Mayor Patrick, who won her first term in 2021, has focused her administration on downtown development and crime reduction. The commercial circle project downtown represents one of her signature initiatives.

The November election will also include three city council seats: Post 1 (At Large), Post 3, and Post 5.

The qualifying period for candidates begins Aug. 18 and runs through Aug. 22. Residents must register to vote by Oct. 6 to participate in the November election. Early voting will be available from Oct. 14 through Oct. 31.

If no candidate receives a majority of votes, a runoff election would take place on Dec. 2.

Additional candidates may still enter the races before the qualifying deadline. The Warner Robins City Clerk’s office provides information for potential candidates at City Hall.

Glynn County School Board members announced three leading candidates to fill the vacancy created by the suspension of District 5 member Audrey Gibbons, according to The Brunswick News.

Savannah-Chatham County approved a free lunch program for all students, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Savannah-Chatham County School Board District 4 Representative Shawn Kachmar asked Megan Davidson, chief operating officer for the school district, if the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would still exist in six months.

Kachmar’s inquiry followed Davidson’s April 9 Regular Meeting introduction of the district’s motion to offer free breakfast and lunch to all Savannah-Chatham County public school children for the 2025-2026 school year through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision. The provision allows high-poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications.

Davidson assured Kachmar and the board that the USDA provides the funding and that the Georgia Department of Education is not aware of any Trump Administration proposed changes to the USDA.

Ganci said even more than the 65% of students who use school lunch might already be eligible under current guidelines. She cited reluctant parents who may forgo the application so as to prevent their children from being identified as someone in need.

She feels free lunch for all would remove that and other related stigmas, which may increase the overall participation and thus improve students’ nutrition. A recent study by the University of Georgia Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics “found that children from all walks of life improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches following the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act nutritional guidelines instead of home-prepared lunches.”

Ganci hopes the change encourages even more lunch participation, which is at about 65% at the elementary school level, according to Ganci. Middle school-aged students have a 35% participation rate while high school is around 19%. She said older students tend to drop off for a lot of different reasons, but also elementary school populations are typically smaller than middle and high school populations.

The Augusta Charter Review Committee adopted rules, according to WJBF.

The Augusta charter is called the city’s constitution, and now 11 people appointed by commissioners and the mayor are tasked with recommending changes to it.

The Charter Review Committee voting to follow the commission lead when it comes to approving items, six votes will be needed.

Former Commissioner Ben Hasan said the standard should be higher than six because some recommendations will be controversial.

“Seven is fine, but eight would make it what the commission always looked at when it came to having something to do with this charter. Even though they are a recommending body, they should have raised the standard for themselves,” said Hasan.

But the Committee Chair does not have concerns about only six votes.

“It’s a very diverse group of people they were selected faithfully by their commissioners and I’m just going to place my trust in the American system of doing things majority rules,” said Wilhelmi.

One thing commissioners are allowed to do is have their cell phones on during meetings, but the charter committee following a motion by Charlie Coleman voted to turn them off.

“I think it’s inappropriate for individuals to get text messages or guidance what to bring up in the meetings and to expedite what we were sent here to do,” he said.

The committee will go over the city charter from top to bottom recommending changes. Those recommendations will go to the state lawmakers and if they approve, the changes will be placed on the ballot for voters to decide.

Home Depot CEO Ted Decker joined his colleagues from Target and Walmart in a meeting with President Trump to discuss tariffs, according to the AJC.

First reported by Bloomberg, the White House meeting was not on Trump’s public schedule, though it was later confirmed by similar statements from the three retailers. Ted Decker attended on behalf of Home Depot, according to a statement from a company spokeswoman.

“We had an informative and constructive meeting with the president and look forward to continuing the dialogue,” the statement from Home Depot reads.

The exact points of discussion are unknown, though trade was the top priority. Trump’s trade policies have roiled the U.S. and global economies.

Tariffs are a tax on all imported goods. The White House has said the tariffs are designed to reshore manufacturing, address the “injustices of global trade” and reduce the trade deficit, which exceeded $1.2 trillion in 2024. Companies bringing foreign goods to the U.S. will pay the tax, but economists warn American businesses and consumers will ultimately shoulder the costs. According to the Tax Foundation, the tariffs will amount to an average tax increase of $1,243 per U.S. household in 2025.

Walmart, Target, Home Depot and many of their big box counterparts rely heavily on imports to stock their shelves, from produce and pantry food items to home decor and furniture.

A number of them begin placing orders for holiday inventory during the spring and early summer season, making April an inopportune time to impose high import taxes.