Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for April 26, 2022

On April 26, 1866, the Atlanta Ladies’ Memorial Association held a Confederate memorial observance at Oakland Cemetery for the first time.

In 1874, the Georgia General Assembly passed legislation designating April 26th of each year as “Confederate Memorial Day,” choosing the day of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston’s surrender to Union General William T. Sherman at Durham Station, North Carolina. There is no longer a statutorily-recognized Confederate Memorial Day, but it became custom for Governors to issue a proclamation yearly designating April 26th as Confederate Memorial Day or to make it the Monday or Friday closest to the 26th.

On April 26, 1913, 13-year old Mary Phagan was found dead, having been sexually assaulted, in the basement of a pencil factory in Atlanta. Guilt was pinned on the Jewish owner of the factory, Leo Frank. Frank was convicted, but later his sentence was commuted after Governor John Slaton concluded from his own investigation that Frank had been framed. Frank was later hanged by a lynch mob.

On April 26, 1986, the world’s worst nuclear accident occurred at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union.

Thirty-two people died and dozens more suffered radiation burns in the opening days of the crisis, but only after Swedish authorities reported the fallout did Soviet authorities reluctantly admit that an accident had occurred.

On April 27, Soviet authorities began an evacuation of the 30,000 inhabitants of Pripyat. A cover-up was attempted, but on April 28 Swedish radiation monitoring stations, more than 800 miles to the northwest of Chernobyl, reported radiation levels 40 percent higher than normal. Later that day, the Soviet news agency acknowledged that a major nuclear accident had occurred at Chernobyl.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Brian Kemp yesterday signed seven bills related to law enforcement, according to a Press Release:

On Monday, April 25, 2022, Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Attorney General Chris Carr, members of the Georgia General Assembly, and local, state, and federal law enforcement officials, signed legislation to further public safety efforts in Georgia. The following legislation was signed at a ceremony in the Buckhead community of Atlanta:

•  Gang Prosecution Unit Authority: HB 1134

•  Enhanced Fleeing and Eluding Penalties: HB 1216

•  Clarification of Penalties for Possession of Firearms by Felons: SB 479

•  Clarification of Penalties for Possession of Child Molestation and Pornography: HB 1188

•  Free Basic Law Enforcement Training Tuition for Former Armed Service Members: SB 358

•  Extension of Peace Officer Annuity Benefit Fund to 911 Dispatchers: SB 84

•  Registration Exemption for POST Certified Peace Officers: HB 1441

An excerpt of Governor Kemp’s remarks from the bill signing ceremony is featured below, and the ceremony was livestreamed here.

Most of all, I want to recognize and thank the men and women in uniform who have joined us this morning, representing law enforcement across different levels and agencies. On behalf of all Georgians, we thank you for going above and beyond in protecting us and our communities.

Roughly a month ago, many of us gathered like this to provide a one-year update on the multi-agency Crime Suppression Unit that is producing such great results in taking criminals off our streets, led by Colonel Wright and the elite men and women of our Department of Public Safety.

At that event, I spoke of the fact that public safety is the number one responsibility of government, and that the rise in crime that we’ve been facing in many communities across Georgia due to soft-on-crime policies and officials is unacceptable to me, unacceptable to our law enforcement, and certainly unacceptable to the people we serve.

With the creation of that Crime Suppression Unit, as well as the creation of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Gang Task Force, we’ve taken major steps in confronting street gangs and criminals.

Today, we’re taking another major step.

Here in the heart of Buckhead, which has been an epicenter of much of this growing crime, I will sign seven bills into law, all of them geared toward supporting the good fight by reinforcing our law enforcement officers, putting an end to revolving door justice, and strengthening the public safety organizations represented here this morning.

The first will be HB 1134, which paves the way for a Gang Prosecution Unit within the Attorney General’s Office. As we know, gangs do not confine their activities to one jurisdiction. When they traffic drugs, illegal weapons, and people, they don’t just stop at the county line. This makes it difficult to prosecute them appropriately, and up until now, the Attorney General hasn’t been empowered to go after them.

That changes today!

Modeled after the very successful Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, this legislation will enable Attorney General Carr to join with local prosecutors and serve as a force multiplier in removing these dangerous criminals from our streets and halting their illicit operations.

I will also sign HB 1188, which enables prosecutors to charge sex offenders with separate charges for each image of child pornography and each act of child molestation, so that perpetrators of these heinous crimes face proper justice and aren’t allowed to skate by with light sentences.

This legislation will also restrict high-risk sexual offenders from using social media to contact minors, so they cannot add to the list of their victims.

I will then sign HB 1216, which increases penalties for fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer by raising fines and sentencing minimums.

Under this law, a fourth offense will also be an automatic felony, and if aggravated crimes are also perpetrated while fleeing and eluding, that will also result in an automatic felony, ensuring that criminals will no longer treat this serious offense as a game.

No longer will street racers and reckless drivers be allowed to get off scot-free!

With SB 479, we will also clarify how charges are applied to felons in possession of firearms. When these bad actors have multiple illegal weapons on them, each firearm will result in a separate charge.

In short, this session we made it so that law-abiding Georgians can better protect themselves, while making things very difficult for criminals who often use illegal or stolen guns.

To grow our law enforcement workforce even more and bring further reinforcements into the fight, I will also sign SB 358, which provides for tuition reimbursement for former armed service members who enroll in law enforcement basic training. This will not only add to the ranks of skilled officers, it will also help these brave men and women transition easier when their service in the military has come to an end.

This morning, I will also sign two other bills designed to cut red tape, promote the recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers, and support first responders.

I also want to make it clear that these bills are not the only measures we’re putting into place to support our public safety officers and bring the fight to criminals.

In the Fiscal Year 2023 budget that I will sign in the coming weeks, we’re investing in an additional trooper school class, adding law enforcement and criminal justice degrees to high-demand career initiatives, and giving the hardworking men and women of state law enforcement who face danger on a regular basis a 5,000 dollar raise.

As I have said many times before, we will use every resource at our disposal to rid our communities of crime and keep Georgia families safe! And today underscores that fact.

As we do so, I will also continue to urge the judiciary to fulfill its responsibility and sentence offenders appropriately so they don’t end up right back on our streets.

Again, every single criminal in Georgia is on notice. They will find nothing but trouble and punishment in our state!

Georgia is the best place to live, work, and raise a family, and every single person here is dedicated to keeping it that way by stopping criminals in their tracks.

We’re going to keep chopping, keep up the good work, and go even harder in taking the fight to the street gangs and criminals!

As we do so, I ask everyone here and all across Georgia to continue to pray for the safety of our law enforcement on all levels. We should also remember their families who give and risk so much for their communities in our daily prayers.

May God protect them while they work to keep us safe, and may He continue to bless the great State of Georgia!

From 11Alive:

Surrounded by dozens of law enforcement officers from across the state, Gov. Brian Kemp signed seven bills into law on Monday all focused on supporting the recruitment of officers and creating tougher punishments for criminals.

One of the new laws, House Bill 1134, received overwhelming support from both the house and senate, and will allow state law enforcement officers to have more authority in helping local jurisdictions combat gang activity.

National policing expert Dr. Cedric Alexander, who used to oversee Dekalb County’s Police Department, said state level support is vital to truly ridding communities of gang activity.

“It’s a win for the community in the fact that it goes after these gang members and their associations, and it’s a win for local law enforcement and DA offices that are very much overwhelmed in cities like Atlanta and across the country,” he said.

From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Rome News Tribune:

Among the bills Kemp signed was legislation giving Georgia’s attorney general the authority to prosecute gang activity along with local prosecutors.

“Gangs do not confine their activities to one jurisdiction,” he said. “When they traffic drugs, illegal weapons and people, they don’t stop at county lines.”

The governor also signed bills allowing suspected child molesters to be charged separately for each image of child pornography or incident of child molestation, and allowing separate charges for each illegal firearm seized from a suspect.

The governor also touted investments in law enforcement in the fiscal 2023 budget the General Assembly adopted this month, including a $5,000 pay raise for state law enforcement personnel, the addition of a new state trooper class and the addition of law enforcement and criminal justice to the high-demand degree programs that quality for tuition breaks.

“We will use every resource at our disposal to rid our communities of crime and keep Georgia families safe,” Kemp said

From WSB-TV:

NRA board member and former Georgia congressman Bob Barr announced the National Rifle Association was giving its endorsement to Gov. Kemp.

“I am announcing today and providing the governor an official letter of endorsement endorsing Gov. Brian Kemp,” Barr said.

It is seen as a key endorsement as Kemp is trying to appeal to the base of the Republican party as he seeks the nomination for governor.

“A key component of public safety lies in the individual’s right to defend themselves and their family. That’s why our founders enshrined the right to bear arms in our constitution,” Kemp said.

Kemp will head down to middle Georgia Tuesday for an economic announcement where he will appear with former Gov. Sonny Perdue, David Perdue’s cousin.

Governor Kemp is expected to sign House Bill 1437, which would flatten marginal rates for the state income tax, according to 13WMAZ.

House Bill 1437, which would make a flat state income tax of 4.99% by 2029 or later. It would cut taxes by more than $1 billion.

13WMAZ spoke with tax experts to see what this bill could mean for taxpayers and why some Democrats are wary.

“The first decrease will be in 2024, when it’ll go down to 5.49%, and then from there it will go down 0.1% each year until it gets down to 4.99% in 2029,” [Clifton Lipford Hardison & Parker tax director Ron Busby] says.

Busby says that’ll reduce taxes pretty significantly; almost a full point.

Albany State Representative CaMia Hopkins (D) is concerned about the bill.

“The bill eliminates the current structure, which those tax rates increase from 1-5.75% as the income levels go up,” she said.

That means you will pay the new tax rate of 4.99% no matter what you earn. The change would raise the rates paid by some low-income taxpayers, but legislators tried to offset that by raising exemptions for many people.

Hopkins says she was among Democrats who changed their “no” votes to a “yes” once Republicans agreed to delay changes for a year to see if the revenue keeps up with the governor’s estimates.

Gov. Brian Kemp will be in Bonaire Tuesday to sign the bill.

Gov. Kemp named attorney David Burge to the Georgia State Ethics Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, according to the AJC.

But the appointment Kemp made late last week comes as the commission is continuing its investigation into Democrat Stacey Abrams’ 2018 gubernatorial campaign and groups it says may have illegally coordinated with the candidate’s bid for office. Abrams is the Democratic gubernatorial nominee-in-waiting this year, and she will face Kemp or his top GOP challenger, ex-U.S. Sen. David Perdue, in the general election.

Burge is a partner with Smith Gambrell Russell, where he has worked in real estate law since 1998. He has served as a Republican member of the Fulton County Board of Elections and was a delegate to the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Burge said he didn’t apply for the job. “They called me and asked if I would be willing to serve,” he said.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution review of campaign reports shows Burge has contributed to Kemp more than three dozen times since 2006, when the governor was then running for agriculture commissioner. Most of the contributions were relatively small. Burge also contributed to the reelection campaign of Gov. Sonny Perdue that year. Perdue later appointed Kemp to the job of secretary of state.

Living in a Democratic city, Burge has also contributed to some Democrats, including state Sens. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta; and Kim Jackson, D-Stone Mountain; Jason Carter when he ran for governor in 2014; and then-Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

Early voting begins next week, and some changes are in store, according to WSAV.

[In Chatham County] only the Islands Library, Mosquito Control and the main elections office will house drop boxes for absentee ballots. Because of Georgia’s new voting law, those boxes must now be inside, not outside like before, and are only available during voting hours.

“It effectively makes an absentee drop-off box unusable,” McRae said, “just because if you’re going to the early voting location to drop it off, you’re probably in position to just go and early vote.”

Chatham County will also host two Saturdays for early voting on May 7 and 14, but McRae says that, too, is limited this year.

“For Saturday voting, we’ll actually have only two locations available, one being our main office on Eisenhower, and the other being the Civic Center,” the chairman said.

Though not required, McRae said Chatham County will offer early voting on Sunday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the main election office, because of popular demand from voters.

From WRDW:

[In Richmond County] There used to be an absentee dropbox housed outside the municipal building, but under the new law, you’ll only be able to find that box inside from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

It’s one of the reasons elections officials urge you to decide which method you’ll use going to cast your vote.

“We have to test all 500 machines that will be sent out when it’s election day or advanced,” said Travis Doss, Richmond County Elections, director.

While workers at the Annex power on the machines, the office is sending absentee ballots. They have more than 600 requests, but it’s not as popular as last year.

“Many people, because of 2020 and 2021, when applications were mailed to them, they aren’t as aware, or they don’t remember that they have to request one,” he said.

The last day to apply for an absentee ballot, and the last day they’ll be sent out is May 13.

“Decide now. How do you want to vote? Don’t wait for the last minute because there’s nothing worse than waking up on the 25th and saying, ‘ah I forgot to vote’,” said Doss.

The Daily Beast writes that former Senator David Perdue’s erstwhile campaign for Governor is becoming an embarrassment.

What wasn’t expected, however, is what Kemp carefully alluded to in Louisville: the possibility that Perdue’s much-hyped challenge fizzles out in embarrassment.

Not a single public poll of the primary has found Perdue leading Kemp; one recent survey even showed the governor ahead by 24 points. Meanwhile, the Georgia GOP establishment has largely rallied around Kemp, as have legions of rank-and-file types. Kemp has badly outraised Perdue, and his ads attacking the ex-senator are omnipresent on TV screens across the state.

Trump, already seeking to manage expectations, has publicly suggested Perdue—a former senator and Fortune 500 CEO—is a “long shot.”

If [Kemp] doesn’t get more than 50 percent of the vote in May, the two Republicans will go head-to-head in a June runoff.

In that scenario, anything can happen—so much so that in Georgia, local politicos often joke that the first-place spot is “cursed” in a runoff.

Just ask Perdue, who lost to Democrat Jon Ossoff in a 2021 runoff after leading him by over 80,000 votes after the 2020 general election. Or ask Kemp, who finished a distant second in the GOP primary for governor in 2018 before winning in the runoff.

“We’ve got to run like we’re 10 points down, and win by 10,” Kemp told the crowd in Louisville. “That’s what we’re doing.”

Charles Bullock, a longtime professor of politics at the University of Georgia, said [Perdue’s Rivian] line of attack “smacked almost of desperation.”

The weakness of Perdue’s 2020 election-focused pitch, Bullock says, has “forced Perdue to take counter-Republican positions… most folks in Georgia, generally, are in favor of things that are going to bring jobs.”

From the New York Times:

Mr. Perdue, who was endorsed by Mr. Trump to challenge Mr. Kemp in the May 24 primary, assailed Mr. Kemp for refusing to call a special Georgia legislative session to try to overturn the election’s results.

Mr. Perdue insisted he would still be a sitting United States senator if Mr. Kemp hadn’t “caved.”

But when Mr. Perdue claimed that he had repeatedly asked Mr. Kemp to call such a special session, the governor pushed back forcefully, reminding voters of the many days he and his family had spent on Mr. Perdue’s campaign bus, trying in vain to help him win a second term.

“Folks, he never asked me,” Mr. Kemp said. And when Mr. Perdue repeatedly accused the governor of lying, Mr. Kemp challenged him to produce witnesses to back up his claims.

“The fact is, if you hadn’t lost your race to Jon Ossoff, we wouldn’t have lost control of the Senate, and we wouldn’t have the disaster that we have in Washington right now,” Mr. Kemp said.

The latest AJC poll shows Governor Kemp with more than 50% support among likely primary voters, according to Axios.

Kemp has 53.3% of the vote share in the GOP primary, leading former U.S. senator David Perdue (26.8%), who’s endorsed by former President Trump.

Among moderates, Kemp has a 68.4% vote share. 61% of independents also favor him in the five-way GOP primary.

Early voting starts May 2 — that’s Monday.

From the AJC:

The governor dominated Perdue in almost every category of voters polled by the AJC. Perdue fared best with lower-income voters, but he still trailed Kemp significantly. The governor’s campaign is racing to slam the door shut on Perdue in the May 24 primary, wary of an unpredictable runoff.

Perdue only outpolled Kemp among likely GOP voters who said a Trump endorsement would make them more likely to vote for a candidate, leading him 55% to 30% among that group. But a majority of respondents said Trump’s blessing made no difference or made them less likely to back a contender.

Adding to Perdue’s challenge, 71% of respondents gave Kemp a positive review, compared with 21% who viewed him unfavorably. By contrast, 57% of likely GOP voters had a favorable view of Perdue and nearly one-third had a negative image of him.

The races for the two down-ticket contests in the poll remained up in the air. State Sen. Burt Jones led Senate GOP leader Butch Miller 27% to 14%, though more than half of likely GOP voters remain undecided. Other contenders polled in the single digits.

Jones, who won Trump’s endorsement, outdid Miller among wealthier and older Republican voters. Miller fared better with voters who considered themselves moderate and independent.

The competition for secretary of state was also muddled. Incumbent Brad Raffensperger and U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, his Trump-backed challenger, were neck-and-neck. The poll had Raffensperger at 28% and Hice at 26% — within the margin of error. About 37% were undecided.

You think those low income voters supporting Perdue know he wears Armani when he’s not cosplaying in denim?

Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams is in a lawsuit with County Commissioners about the respective Constitutional prerogatives each holds. From the Augusta Chronicle:

Lawyers for Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams filed a brief with the Georgia Court of Appeals stating that the sheriff “inherently” has the “power to maintain control of his payroll.” The brief follows a January ruling against the sheriff’s suit to independently manage his department’s budget.

“We believe The Superior Court committed reversible error by denying our petition and declaring that it is ‘within the Board of Commissioners’ sound discretion to continue administering payroll for’ the Sheriff’s employees,” the appellant’s brief read.

Augusta circuit Superior Court Judge Jesse Stone ruled then that the Burke County’s Board of Commissioners was the county’s fiscal agent, and that it was not required to turn over control of a department’s budget to its elected official, according to The Waynseboro True Citizen.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited Albany State University, according to the Albany Herald.

The City of Lawrenceville will publish extended financial information via “Open Checkbook,” according to AccessWDUN.

“The City of Lawrenceville is delighted to offer a sophisticated level of financial transparency to our citizens,” said Mayor David Still.  “We are one of only five communities in the state of Georgia offering this particular type of digital transparency product.”

The site “Open Checkbook”, created by Socrata, is updated weekly with current fiscal year budgetary numbers and provides a transparent look at city expenses with interactive charts, graphs and tables.  Financial information is available for capital projects, operating, vendor-related, and payroll expenditures.

Through the website, city budgets dating back to 2019 are available. Digital versions of the most recent Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports and Budget Report are also available.

To find the full financial report, go to lawrencevillega.org and click on “Financial Transparency.”

Diane Wagner with the Rome News Tribune has written a fantastic article about what local voters will see on their ballots.

The Morris newspapers have published candidate reviews for State School Superintendent, Public Service Commission, and Ag, Labor, and Insurance Commissioners.

Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education District 5 candidates met in an online forum, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Columbus City Council District 3 candidates met in an online forum, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

The Gainesville Times profiles six candidates running for State House District 28.

Valdosta City Council voted to spend $16.2 million dollars in federal COVID relief funding, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Valdosta’s total allocation is $16,254,682 with half of that allocation being received in June 2021. The City of Valdosta has already spent $3,214,584.73 in 2021 as premium/retainage pay to some hourly paid employees.

Former Macon Mayor C. Jack Ellis has sued Bibb County Sheriff David Davis alleging Ellis was wrongfully detained, according to 13WMAZ.

Ellis says he called a news conference at the East Macon apartment complex to talk about trash piling up. Bibb deputies told Ellis and reporters to leave– claiming they were on private property.

“This is a public street. This is a public street owned by the city,” Ellis told Bibb deputies.

“Go ahead and leave for me,” the deputy said in response.

After getting his keys, video shows Ellis leaving the parking lot. However, just four minutes later, body camera video shows Ellis returned.

“We told him to leave. We told him to leave. He refused to leave,” a deputy told another deputy on scene.  Deputies detained Ellis, alleging he criminally trespassed.

Former State Rep. and Congressman J. Roy Rowland died, according to 13WMAZ.

The former Representative served in the state legislature from 1976 to 1982. He was then elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1983, representing Georgia’s 8th District.

He used his medical knowledge to provide leadership in Congress during the AIDS crisis.  Rowland left office in 1994 and returned to Dublin where the city renamed its courthouse for him, the J. Roy Rowland Federal Courthouse.