Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for April 27, 2022

German scientist Johannes Kepler dated the creation of the universe to April 27, 4977 BC(E).

On April 27, 1773, the British Parliament enacted the Tea Act, granting a monopoly on selling tea to the American colonies.

Richard B. Russell, Sr. was born on April 27, 1861 near Marietta, Georgia. Russell served in the Georgia House of Representatives, on the Georgia Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, and ran for Governor, Congress, and United States Senate. His son, Richard B. Russell, Jr. served in the Georgia State House, including a stint as Speaker, as Governor of Georgia, and in the United States Senate.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Brian Kemp yesterday signed the largest income tax cut in Georgia history, according to a press release.

On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, other members of the Georgia General Assembly, and more, signed the largest income tax cut in state history into law (HB 1437).

“Because of Governor Kemp and the General Assembly’s bold leadership, Georgia taxpayers will directly benefit from this historic tax cut,” said Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan. “I applaud the Governor and my colleagues for working to deliver fiscally conservative policies while prioritizing the needs of our growing state.”

“Today, we have enacted the largest income tax cut in state history – one that will keep more money in the pockets of hard-working Georgians,” said Speaker David Ralston. “I want to thank Governor Brian Kemp for working with the General Assembly to make sure this tax cut returned as much money to taxpayers as possible while keeping the state in a strong financial position.”

“I also want to applaud House Ways & Means Chairman Shaw Blackmon for his tireless work throughout the legislative process to deliver a significant tax cut to Georgians with House Bill 1437.”

“This is the third cut in the state income tax burden on Georgia families we have passed in the last five years. It demonstrates our continuing commitment to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars while meeting the needs of a growing, thriving state.”

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

Excerpt of Governor Kemp’s remarks:

Today is another reminder that we were right to protect both lives and livelihoods during the pandemic and not to let the critics influence us when we reopened our economy.

Because we made the tough decisions when it mattered most and because of our conservative approach to budgets and governing, Georgia leads the nation in the Great Recovery, and we are in the unique position to provide much-needed relief to hardworking taxpayers at a time when they are burdened by sky-high inflation caused by policies coming out of Washington.

Thus far this year, I have signed into law a tax refund that puts over a billion dollars back into the pockets of hardworking Georgians, a temporary suspension of the state gas tax to ease the pain at the pump, and just last week a military retirement income tax exemption – the first in our state’s history.

As I said earlier this year, we can’t fix everything that Washington has broken, but we are doing our part to lessen the impact on Georgians’ wallets.

Today, we will put into place a more long-term relief.

I strongly believe that government should take in the very least amount possible needed to serve the people properly.

We must never forget that taxpayer dollars are the people’s money – not the government’s!

HB 1437 provides the largest tax cut in Georgia history.

And once fully implemented, it will save an average Georgia family of four making 60,000 dollars over 600 dollars per year on their state taxes.

Over a period of seven years, it will cut the current rate of 5.75 percent that most Georgians pay to just 4.99 percent.

These decreases are purposefully separated over that span of time and begin in 2024 to ensure the state is able to respond appropriately to any unexpected or sudden downturns in the economy.

Thankfully, despite the headwinds we’re facing because of Bidenflation and bad policies on the federal level, Georgia is poised to remain a top destination for new jobs and investments.

Our strong and growing workforce, our logistics and transportation assets like the Georgia Ports Authority – now a national model – and the world’s most utilized airport, and our approach to partnering with job creators to bring opportunity to every corner of our state, means our economy will continue to thrive.

As it does, and if and when we hit the growth triggers specified in this bill, all Georgia taxpayers will benefit from that success.

So in closing, I want to again thank everyone standing with me here today who helped make this tax cut possible, including our partners at the Department of Revenue who are tasked with implementing this important proposal.

Georgia continues to be the best state to live, work, and raise a family – even in the face of truly unprecedented times – because of days like today when we put Georgians and their needs first.

Over this past legislative session, we have worked hard to build a safer, stronger Georgia for all who call the Peach State home. Today is just the latest fruit from that good labor.

Thank you. God Bless. And with that, I’ll now sign HB 1437 into law.

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

Gov. Brian Kemp signed the largest tax cut in Georgia history Tuesday, legislation he said when fully implemented will save a family of four with an annual household income of $60,000 more than $600 a year.

The bill, which the Republican-controlled General Assembly passed early this month along party lines, will gradually reduce the state income tax rate from 5.49% to 4.99% over six years, starting with the 2024 tax year. The current tax rate is 5.75%.

Kemp said the income tax cut represents the long-term component of a tax reduction package lawmakers approved this year, including a one-time $1.1 billion tax refund, a temporary suspension of the state’s gasoline sales tax to put a dent in rising pump prices, and legislation he signed last week exempting military retirees from the state income tax.

From the AJC:

Buoyed by strong poll numbers, Gov. Brian Kemp headed to his Republican rival’s home turf Tuesday to sign into law what may be the biggest income tax cut in Georgia history.

Kemp visited the White Diamond Grill in Bonaire — one of Perdue’s favorite eateries — to sign legislation ready-made for the campaign trail, a measure to gradually drop the state’s income tax rate from 5.75% to 4.99% by the end of the decade.

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who attended the bill-signing ceremony, said, “Nothing screams conservative louder than a good old-fashioned tax cut.”

Kemp also used the trip to participate in an economic development announcement in Perry with his political patron and Perdue’s cousin, former Gov. Sonny Perdue.

Once fully implemented, House Ways and Means Chairman Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, said the measure will save a family of four with an income of $75,000 about $650 a year.

Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, who helped write the tax bill that Kemp signed Tuesday, said: “This is a historic moment in Georgia. This is only the second income tax rate cut since it was put in, in 1937. It’s something to be proud of.”

From 11Alive:

It also generously increases the standard exemption – more than fourfold for single filers, and ups deductions for child dependents. One projection said the bill will cost the state treasury about a half-billion dollars in its first year.

The bill includes a way to walk back the tax cut. The tax cut stalls if state revenue stops growing or if the state’s rainy day fund surplus gets depleted.

Gov. Kemp’s economic development announcement was that a new Jack Link’s facility in Perry will bring 800 jobs, according to the Macon Telegraph.

The plant, which represents a $450 million investment, is expected to be fully operational at the end of 2023.

Company leaders also noted that collaboration among local and state leaders is “what got us here today.”

Kemp said that when he first ran for governor, he promised to bring opportunities to all parts of the state “especially the rural communities that have been overlooked in the past.”

“Today is the latest fruit of our hard labor,” Kemp said.

From 13WMAZ:

The company says this is their largest project yet, and Governor Brian Kemp says this is the largest rural economic development announced this year.

“This company is going to be around for generations,” said Kemp.

Kemp, along with former governor and agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue, top Jack Link’s execs including the company’s own namesake, and its mascot, Sasquatch, all broke ground on the soon-to-be 120-acre plant.

“This is a natural fit. Knowing this company, knowing these folks, this is an amazing family business that exemplifies the American Dream,” said Perdue.

“This is a good product because this is a great family and you’re in a great family community, and we welcome you,” Kemp added.

Gov. Kemp’s address to Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, originally scheduled for this month, has been pushed to August, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

“COVID-19 derailed many of our plans over the last two years, so we are thrilled, honored and hopeful to welcome Governor Kemp back to our podium,” Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Executive Director Schelly Marlatt said. “During his first Environmental Address appearance in 2019, he had a very optimistic outlook for the state — both economically and environmentally. Governor Kemp holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Georgia and was raised to believe that nature and everything in it are gifts from God.”

“During (Kemp’s) first speech, he made clear that the environment is an important matter to him, and he’s proving that fact with measures like his proposed program to connect farmers with families in need to battle food insecurity and reduce food waste,” Marlatt said.. “It’s a little like our own in-school Food Waste Warrior program on a state-wide scale. Governor Kemp was a big hit with our crowd two and a half years ago, so — barring any emergencies — we look forward to learning what he has to say about Georgia and the state of our environment when he joins us in August.”
As has been the case in the past, the Governor’s Environmental Address will be held at the Gs South Convention Center. It will be held from 11:15 until 1 p.m. on Aug. 12. Anyone who is interested in attending the event, or purchasing a sponsorship, can visit gwinnettcb.wpengine.com/signature-events/governers-environmental-address/.

Gwinnett County has included law enforcement in planning for the upcoming primary elections, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Elections Supervisor Zach Manifold recently told county commissioners that meetings have already taken place between his staff and officials from the Gwinnett County Police Department, Sheriff’s Office and Solicitor General’s office to discuss safety at polling locations during voting for the upcoming May 24 primary election.

One development of note that Manifold highlighted was that law enforcement officials had already been talking about polling location safety for some time.

“(Gwinnett Police Chief J.D. McClure’s) staff did tell us that they’ve already started working on this,” he said. “They’re way down the line on election planning. They’ve already started planning a lot of this stuff.”

Manifold said he and his staff have talked with law enforcement about items such as active shooter training in case their is a shooting, particularly at the elections headquarters or advance in-person voting locations, so staff will know what to do in those situations.
“We’re going to do some trainings with staff at our office and then also kind of implement that with poll workers,” Manifold said.

There is also the fact that absentee ballot drop boxes, which have been a particularly controversial topic with many Republicans expressing opposition to their use, could be a point of contention during the early voting period.

Sheriff’s Office deputies are set to be stationed at polling locations, beginning during advance in-person voting, which gets underway next week. Police are also planning to keep an eye out in case their assistance is needed at a polling location.

The City of Rome is considering establishing an elections board, according to the Rome News Tribune.

While the city currently contracts with the Floyd County Elections Board to conduct city elections, the committee is considering creating its own elections board, said City Commissioner Bill Collins, who chairs the committee. While this proposal is only in the research stage, Collins added, depending how it benefits citizens, a city elections board could be in effect by either this November or the 2023 elections.

City elections are held in odd-numbered years, but there will be a special election in November for a Rome Board of Education seat, City Clerk Joe Smith said. This is because the board needs to permanently fill an abrupt vacancy created earlier this year.

Ten candidates for the Fourteenth Congressional District took the stage to trash Marjorie Taylor Greene , according to the Rome News Tribune.

Washington came to downtown Rome for nearly two hours as 9 of the 10 candidates for the 14th Congressional District talked jobs, voter rights, Social Security, critical national security concerns and one common target: incumbent Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was invited to the Monday event but didn’t attend.

Sponsored by One Community United, the NAACP and the Floyd County Democratic Party, the event was shaded by the local Republican Party — which didn’t stop five of six GOP candidates from taking part. The state House and Senate forum scheduled for Tuesday night, however, was canceled for lack of participation.

The Savannah Morning News looks at Coastal state senate district races.

Lester Jackson (D-District 2) has served in the Georgia General Assembly for 24 years and previously chaired the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. Ben Watson (R-District 2) joined the Legislature in 2011 and chairs one of the Senate’s highest-profile committees, Health and Human Services.

Watson is likely to return, but Jackson isn’t running for re-election to his Senate seat, choosing instead to mount a statewide campaign for Georgia Labor commissioner. Additionally, the 2021 redistricting session added a third Senate district, District 4, to Chatham County.

Two Democrats are challenging Watson while four candidates – two Democrats, two Republicans – are running for Jackson’s open seat. Republican Billy Hickman, who resides in Statesboro, is running unopposed in District 4 and will represent a swath of West Chatham residents.

Columbus Mayoral Candidate John Anker is suing the city over Open Records requests he says went unfilled, according to WTVM.

Columbus Mayoral Candidate John Anker is suing the city of Columbus, saying he did not receive information formally requested about a recent jail audit.

Mayor Skip Henderson says the lawsuit is baseless.

Anker said, “The citizens of Columbus deserve to know the truth.”

The Columbus mayoral hopeful filed the lawsuit late Friday against the city of Columbus after he said the city refused to honor his more than six requests for information on the most recent jail audit.

Anker showed paperwork that indicated he requested the information on April 3 and still has not received it.

Democrat Russell Edwards suspended his campaign for Public Service Commission District 3, according to the AJC.

Russell Edwards, a Democrat, said Tuesday that he is suspending his campaign for the District 2 seat on the Public Service Commission currently held by Tim Echols, a Republican.

Edwards’ name will still appear on ballots in the Democratic primary when early voting begins next week. However, Edwards said in an emailed statement that he was “proud” to throw his support behind his opponent in the primary, Patty Durand.

“She has the knowledge and experience to lead Georgia in an independent direction, free from the corrupting influence of companies she’ll be sworn to regulate in the best interest of the people,” Edwards said of Durand.

Georgia Supreme Court Justice Verda Colvin spoke in Valdosta, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Georgia Supreme Court Justice Verda Colvin was keynote speaker Saturday during the 100 Black Men of Valdosta’s Annual Black Tie Dinner at Valdosta Middle School.

Colvin spoke on the state of the young Black man and presented a challenge to the 100 Black Men of Valdosta and the community.

“I believe we can work together to change the trajectory of young Black males if we have more Black male teachers in early childhood,” Colvin said. “I challenge the 100 to give college scholarships to young Black men who will commit to teach in early childhood for up to five years.”

“If the 100 would see this through, I will pledge $5,000,” Colvin said.

Colvin received her bachelor’s degree from Sweet Briar College and her juris doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law.

She was appointed to the Macon Circuit Superior Court in 2014 by Gov. Nathan Deal.

In 2020, Kemp appointed Colvin to the Georgia Court of Appeals. She is the state’s first Black female appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals by a Republican governor.

Dalton City Council will consider allowing municipal retirees to return to work, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

The Dalton City Council could decide at its Monday meeting whether to allow some retirees to come back and work part time for the city without having their pension benefits halted.

Council members told City Administrator Andrew Parker and Human Resources Director Greg Batts to place the proposal on the agenda for that meeting during a recent meeting of the Dalton Finance Committee. The Finance Committee is made up of the members of the City Council.

In the March Finance Committee meeting, Batts said that under the city’s current pension plan rules if retirees come back to work for the city their pension benefits have to be suspended until they leave city employ again.

Batts said easing that rule might make it easier for the city to keep some employees on part time and not lose the knowledge and skills they have gained. He said it could also help the city with some positions that are difficult to fill. In particular, he said the city is finding it hard to attract and retain employees with commercial driver licenses (CDLs) because they are in such high demand in private industry.