Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for April 23, 2024

William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564 and died April 23, 1616.

Lucius D. Clay was born in Marietta, Georgia on April 23, 1898, the son of Georgia U.S. Senator Alexander Stephens Clay, who served in the Senate from 1896 until his death in 1910. Clay graduated West Point in 1915 and eventually rose to serve as Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Deputy for Military Government. During the Berlin Airlift, Clay helped keep Allied-occupied West Berlin supplied with food for almost a year after Soviet forces blockaded all land routes into the city.

Hank Aaron hit his first home run in major league baseball on April 23, 1954, playing for the Milwaukee Braves against the St. Louis Cardinals.

On April 23, 1971, former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower visited Augusta to attend the groundbreaking for the Dwight D. Eisenhower U.S. Army Hospital at Fort Gordon, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

“Ike would have been proud,” a tearful Mamie Eisenhower said after the ceremony.

“My heart is filled with gratefulness,” said Eisenhower, who was surprised at plans for the 760-bed, $31 million facility. “You know, I’m proud. And I know this would have meant a great deal to him.”

New Coke was announced on April 23, 1985.

Macon installed new historical markers to recognize events in Black history, according to the Macon Telegraph.

A few bronze markers now highlight significant spots for Black history in Macon, thanks to the efforts of several Macon organizations who unveiled the markers Monday.

The signs help celebrate the city’s bicentennial, which happened last year, and its deep-rooted, rich Black history. One marker is dedicated to the historic African-American Cotton Avenue District.

The marker reads, in part:

“Known as ‘Macon’s Black Wall Street,’ the District is historically important as an educational, professional, business, and residential area for African Americans in Middle Georgia starting in the late 19th century and continuing into the mid-20th century.”

The other marker is dedicated to Poplar Street slave trading markets and reads, in part:

“From 1823 to 1865, slave trading was firmly entrenched in Macon’s social and economic fabric. While there were larger slave markets in the southeast, Macon was a well-known slave trading center, and Poplar Street was the principal location for these slave markets.”

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Early voting begins next week for the May 21, 2024 General Primary Election, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The advance voting period for May’s elections runs from April 29 to May 17. Voters who wish to vote absentee can request ballots up until May 10, and ballots will be mailed out between April 22 to May 10.

A bill to regulate sales of hemp products awaits Governor Kemp’s signature or veto, according to Georgia Recorder.

A bill regulating hemp products, licensing and restricting their purchase to customers 21 and older awaits its fate on Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk after state lawmakers successfully passed it during this year’s legislative session.

The bill, related to “The Georgia Hemp Farming Act” and sponsored by Republican Moultrie Sen. Sam Watson, would require testing for all hemp-derived products, including CBD and Delta-8 edibles and drinks, and prohibit sales to minors. The senate sent the bill to the governor on April 4, who has until May 7 to sign it, veto it or allow it to become law without taking action.

“Once the General Assembly adjourns, the Governor has 40 days to act on legislation. During that time, all bills that reached final passage undergo a thorough review process,” the governor’s spokesperson Garrison Douglas said in a statement.

Watson says the bill is a step forward in consumer protection, treating hemp products the same as any other food product in the state.

The new age restrictions will help protect children from accidentally consuming marijuana products, Watson said.

Opponents of the bill are urging Gov. Kemp to stop it from becoming law.

Dr. Gaylord Lopez, Executive Director of the Georgia Poison Center, said that in the past three years, the center has received more than 260 calls from children falling ill from Delta-8.

“I’m really disappointed in where this bill ended up going,” he said. “What our legislators have done is basically legalize the sale of marijuana.”

While the bill prohibits sales to Georgians under 21 and requires better labeling, it does not prevent the synthetic manipulation of hemp that creates derivatives such as Delta-8 or Delta-10, Lopez said, citing language in the bill that allows for the sale of hemp derivatives including flowers or leaves.

From the cannabis industry itself, organizations like Georgia Medical Cannabis Society are also asking Kemp to veto the bill. Yolanda Bennett, co-founder of the society, said that increased cannabis regulation and testing will shut down mom and pop shops.

“Consumers won’t be able to afford it, retailers won’t be able to afford to eat the product on shelves, processors [will] be run out of business and farmers will end up growing other crops and leave the hemp,” she said.

The bill would also close the so-called THCA loophole by including it in testing, which would limit the medical marijuana industry.

Meanwhile, Lopez urges the Legislature to close loopholes allowing hemp derivatives to hit the market.

“Our legislators are our ardent fans of not legalizing marijuana. Well, when you tell them hemp can be converted into marijuana, no one seems to be listening,” Lopez said. “We need to get them more aware. Poisonings will continue to happen.”

United States District Court Judge Marc Treadwell (MD-GA) found seven Georgia corrections officials in contempt of court, according to 13WMAZ.

In 2019, Treadwell wrote, prison officials agreed to settle a lawsuit over conditions at their special management unit in Jackson.

But over the past five years Treadwell wrote they “violated every requirement of the settlement.”

His order Friday says he’ll appoint an independent monitor to get the Jackson unit into compliance.

He’s giving the corrections department six months to honor their 2019 agreement. And he’s fining the prison system $2,500 a day due to its “longstanding and flagrant violations.”

 

Suspended Effingham County Commissioner Reginald Looper appears in court today, according to WTOC.

Reginald Loper will be in court for the first time since the indictment. He was originally scheduled to be arraigned two weeks ago but it was moved.

Loper has been indicted on one charge of sexual battery and one charge of sexual battery of a child.

He was arrested in May 2023 but was just indicted in March 2024.

Loper has been suspended from the Effingham County Commission, awaiting a ruling from a review commission.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is tasked with putting together a three-person review commission that will decide whether Loper keeps his spot at the District 4 Commissioner or if he should be removed from that position altogether.

Loper won’t be paid for the position in the meantime, if he is acquitted and retains his position on the Commission, at that point he would be owed backpay.

If he is removed from the Commission, Governor Kemp would appoint his replacement.

Some election officials are preparing for protests or attempts to disrupt voting, according to the AJC.

During a training exercise last week at Paulding County’s election office, sheriffs and election officials talked through how they would both ensure public safety and protect voting from interference.

“Hopefully it will not grow and get worse than it did in 2020, but I think there’s a chance it will,” said Chris Harvey, a former Georgia elections director who now oversees law enforcement training. “We’re not trying to make you really paranoid; we’re trying to make you a little paranoid and to plan for worst-case scenarios.”

The threat to elections and election workers isn’t theoretical. In an article published last fall in the publication Lawfare, counterterrorism researchers Pete Simi and Seamus Hughes wrote that more than 500 people across the country over the past decade have been charged in federal court with threatening public officials.

“And the trendline is shooting up,” they wrote.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Georgians need to know that their votes will be accurately recorded, kept safe by election officials and law enforcement.

“I know how contentious and how polarized this is. Elections should be safe and secure when you’re exercising your precious franchise,” Raffensperger said after the training session, the fifth so far across the state.

Serious problems at polling places would require a police response. Election officials would need law enforcement if there were a bomb threat, voter intimidation or interference while election workers tried to count votes.

“Election threats are real, and we need to take them seriously,” Paulding County Elections Director Deidre Holden said. “November is going to be crazy. That’s usually when the most people come out, and you don’t want people to be agitated.”

Police received a seven-page quick-reference guide, outlining Georgia laws against election interference, violent threats or carrying firearms within 150 feet of a voting location.

The training session focused on physical threats at election locations. Future sessions will likely include responses to other types of risks, such as cybersecurity.

“Tensions are high, and you never know what’s going to be around the next corner,” Georgia Elections Director Blake Evans said. “The way to prepare for that is to talk through scenarios before that. Everyone is taking it seriously.”

United States Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Extreme Northwest GA) topped the list of fundraisers among Georgia Congressional candidates, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

[T]he Rome Republican’s national profile is making her by far the most prolific fundraiser in this year’s Georgia congressional races.

The Greene campaign had raised nearly $5 million through the end of the first quarter, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission this week. Of that amount, about $4.8 million came from individual contributors, including $3.4 million in small-dollar donations of $200 or less.

The closest to Greene in fundraising among Georgia congressional candidates is Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, who had raised just more than $1.5 million through March 31.

“She’s become a national name, for better or worse,” said Kerwin Swint, a political science professor at Kennesaw State University. “That brings certain benefits, and that includes fundraising.”

Republican Donnie Robertson is running for the District 170 seat being vacated by the retirement of State Rep. Penny Houston, according to the Moultrie Observer.

Following the announcement from Rep. Penny Houston that she would not be seeking reelection, Roberson was one of two candidates who decided to throw their hat in the ring and serve as the legislator for District 170, the other being fellow Republican candidate and Berrien County native Jaclyn Dixon Ford.

Many of the policies he hopes to pursue if elected are focused around his areas of expertise and experiences, namely a focus on mental health and healthy aging, tourism recreation, and the support of agricultural industry.

“I’m not connected to anything; I don’t have some sort of agenda to go and take to Atlanta and work on,” Roberson said. “I can really just work on the people of Tift, Berrien, and Cook, and see if I can help improve their lives in some way.”

Roberson will compete against Ford in the upcoming May 21 primary election. As both are Republican candidates and there are no Democratic candidates running, whoever wins this election will be named District 170 representative.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) will not debate her primary opponent, according to the AJC.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has declined an invitation from the Atlanta Press Club to debate her Democratic opponent as she seeks a second term.

Willis, who is leading Fulton County’s sweeping election interference case against former President Donald Trump and his allies, has attracted a pair of challengers — Christian Wise Smith, a fellow Democrat, and Courtney Kramer, a Republican.

A statement from Willis’ campaign to the debate host said that the DA is not giving interviews on high-profile cases her office is handling, including the election case and the ongoing trial of Atlanta rapper Young Thug.

“We understand that she cannot insist that panelists and her opponent avoid certain subjects, and consequently, her participation means likely repeatedly being unable to respond to questions, as well as risking saying something that defense counsel could make an issue in ongoing litigation,” the statement said.

Willis is the overwhelming favorite in the race. Wise Smith has made two previous runs for office but lost each in the Democratic primary. Willis defeated him in her 2020 race for Fulton DA and he was bested by Jen Jordan in the 2022 race for attorney general.

The League of Women Voters of Coastal Georgia will host a forum for Chatham County candidates, according to WSAV.

The forum is to encourage voters to get to know the candidates for Chatham County District Attorney (D) before the General Primary and Nonpartisan Elections on May 21, as well as for audience engagement through a moderated Q&A session.

The two Democratic candidates that are running [for Chatham County District Attorney] are Shalena Cook Jones and Jennifer L. Parker.

“This event underscores our commitment to promoting democracy and empowering voters through knowledge,” said Chassidy Malloy, President of the LWVCGA. “As a nonpartisan organization, the League believes that informed voters are essential for a thriving democracy, and we are proud to provide a platform for voters to engage directly with the Democratic candidates for Chatham County District Attorney.”

The League is allowing all contested judicial candidates to greet voters as they arrive at the forum, for a “Meet the Candidates” from 6:00 until 6:30 p.m.

The event is scheduled for Monday, April 29 at the Georgia Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Fahm Street. The event is free to attend, however, advance registration is requested at LWVCGA.org.

Candidates for Augusta Commission Districts 5 and 9 appeared in a public forum, according to WRDW.

There are races this May for sheriff, district attorney and Augusta commissioners.

Candidates for commission districts 5 and 9 filled up stands at the Alleluia Community School on Saturday night to hear from incumbents and challengers trying to secure commission seats.

For District 5, Commissioner Bobby Williams, and challenger Don “DC” Clark, both talked about tonight’s biggest recurring topic: keeping Augusta-Richmond County clean.

Super District 9 candidates Commissioner Francine Scott, and former Commissioner Marion Williams also spoke about keeping the county clean.

This super district seat looks over districts 1, 2, 4, and 5.

Mayor Garnett Johnson also made an appearance at Saturday’s forum and spoke about bringing voting power to the mayor’s seat at commission meetings, rather than just being a tie-breaking vote.

Early voting gets underway Monday, April 29, and the Georgia primary voting day is on Tuesday, May.

Augusta voters will weigh-in on allowing the Mayor to vote in Commission meetings, according to WJBF.

In April 2023, Governor Brian Kemp signed the bill to put that decision in the hands of Augusta voters.

The resolution sent from the mayor’s office was signed off by Mayor Johnson along with 5 other commissioners.

Those include District 3 Commissioner Catherine Smith-McKnight, District 4 Commissioner Alvin Mason, District 7 Commissioner Sean Frantom, District 8 Commissioner Brandon Garrett, and District 10 Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle.

[District 1 Commissioner Jordan] Johnson adds that if voters decide that the Mayor should vote, it wouldn’t improve the system.

“What you would simply have is 11 commissioners at that point, and you don’t need 11 commissioners. I think what we need to have is to have clear roles defined as to who’s responsible for what in this government,” said Johnson.

Bibb County Sheriff candidate Christopher E. Patterson discussed allegations related to his former service, according to 13WMAZ.

A candidate for Bibb County sheriff was disciplined twice after internal affairs investigations in 2021 and 2022.

Capt. Christopher E. Patterson worked at the sheriff’s office for 32 years, and says he was voted the county’s best officer five times, but he was punished for his role in the internal investigations.

Former Hall County Board of Education member Brian Sloan was appointed by the Board to fill the vacancy created when Mark Pettit qualified to run for Clerk of Courts, according to AccessWDUN.

“Brian Sloan has a proven track record of supporting young people and their families —not just in the south Hall area, but across the entire Hall County School District,” Superintendent Will Schofield said. “We are fortunate to have someone like Brian on hand who has the experience, knowledge, and character to fill this position.”

Sloan served as a board member for Post 2 for three consecutive 4-year terms from 2007 to 2018.

“It was an extremely rewarding experience to serve the Hall County School District during my three previous terms,” Sloan said. “This appointment comes as a very unexpected turn of events, but I am deeply honored to have been asked to return and serve. It is my prayer that together, we will make wise and sound decisions in the months and years ahead.”

The term Sloan now holds will expire at the end of the 2026 calendar year.

United States Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Atlanta) announced federal funding for four new ambulances for Central Georgia, according to 13WMAZ.

Ossoff visited Macon to get a glimpse of what will be provided. He said just under $600,000 is going toward getting better equipment for EMT’s.

The federal money will buy four new emergency medical vehicles. They will serve Macon-Bibb, Twiggs, Jones, Baldwin and Treutlen Counties.

“Macon-Bibb County’s volume is growing so much so the fact that we’re able to have these ambulances to respond the more increased volume of calls is super helpful for the residents,” [Paramedic Jeannie] Middlebrooks said.

These ambulances are smaller than the common model, but Middlebrooks said bigger isn’t always better.

“Lot more safer for the general public when we are responding to an emergency because these ambulances are a lot smaller and lighter. They’re able to stop quicker. They’re able to make evasive maneuvers when we need to,” Middlebrooks said.

The Chatham County Board of Assessors approved a property tax exemption for a new dorm on SCAD’s campus, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The Savannah College of Art and Design’s 17-story dorm on Indian Street is officially property tax-exempt for tax year 2024. The parcel is 80% completed for the tax year and has a market value of $26.7 million, according to the Chatham County Board of Assessors.

The exemption was approved by the Board of Assessor’s Thursday. The dorm qualifies for a typical tax exemption awarded for education-related properties.

The property next to the future dorm, which has been permitted to be renovated into a classroom and studio space was also awarded its 2024 property tax exemption. The market value of the property is $2.9 million.

Augusta Commissioners approved an audit of the Parks & Recreation Department, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

Recently the commission voted 6-4 to have the city’s finance department seek bids for an independent audit of 10 areas in the recreation department. District 7 Commissioner Sean Frantom made the motion.

“At some time during the past three years, one of these areas has been questioned, whether it was by the media or someone up here. We currently do not have a (recreation) director. We are looking forward to setting (the new director) up for success,” Frantom said.

“It also allows us to look at a microscope on one department and look at what we can implement into other departments. We’ve never done anything like this in the nine years I’ve been here. It sends a message to the community and our department heads that we are going to start making this government more efficient.”

Parks and Recreation Director Maurice McDowell resigned in February after a city Equal Employment Opportunity Division investigation substantiated claims of age discrimination by McDowell and recommended he be suspended. The commission is searching for a new director.

Former Lowndes County Commission Chair G. Norman Bennett died, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Bennett served on the Lowndes County Commission for 20 years, from 1977-1997. He was vice chairman for 16 years and chairman for the final four years.

He also ran for the state Senate and the state House of Representatives.