On April 6, 1776, the Continental Congress announced that all ports in America would be open to trade with other countries not ruled by the British. The action was taken several months after Britain passed the American Prohibitory Act which forbade trade with the colonies and was intended to punish colonists for the growing rebellion.
John Tyler was sworn in as the tenth President of the United States on April 6, 1841.
Tyler was elected as William Harrison’s vice president earlier in 1841 and was suddenly thrust into the role of president when Harrison died one month into office. He was the first vice president to immediately assume the role of president after a sitting president’s untimely exit and set the precedent for succession thereafter.
The first modern Olympic Games opened in Athens, Greece on April 6, 1896.
The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, when the US House of Representatives voted 373-50 on a declaration of war that passed the Senate two days earlier.
2001: A Space Odyssey was released on April 6, 1968.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Jon Bon Jovi and his band will play in Savannah for the first time ever, according to the Savannah Morning News.
“Gosh, we have missed playing live. Nothing can replace the energy of a live show,” Bon Jovi said.
Bon Jovi is one of the greatest and most successful American rock bands worldwide, and although he has performed in more than 2,700 concerts and in over 50 countries this would be Bon Jovi’s very first appearance and live show in the Savannah area.
“It’s hard to believe there’s someplace in America I haven’t played. That is so crazy. But now, you have a great arena. So, I’m on the way,” he said.
When asked what he’s expecting with his first visit to Savannah, he quickly turns it around and asks: “What can I expect of Savannah?”
What: Bon Jovi
When: Wednesday, April 13 at 8 p.m.
Where: Enmarket Arena, 620 Stiles Ave.
Cost: Starts at $59
Governor Brian Kemp spoke about storm damage across Georgia, according to WJCL.
“We will continue to do everything we can to support all impacted by today’s severe weather and the emergency personnel who are responding to the needs and damage on the ground,” Kemp tweeted.
The Bryan County Coroner confirmed Tuesday evening that at least one person had died in Pembroke as a result of the storm.
Some Houston County residents believe they were hit by a tornado, according to the Macon Telegraph.
“I’m pretty positive we had a tornado touch down,” Houston County Fire Chief and EMA Director Chris Stoner said. “We’ve got pretty extensive tree damage and damage to a lot of residential structures on the fairways.”
“We have cleared all the homes and verified no entrapments and no injuries so far.”
“The majority of all the pine trees are knocked off laying on top of houses, in the middle of the road,” Stoner said. “Several houses have their roofs either ripped off or severely damaged.”
Chattahoochee County closed their schools today over weather concerns, according to WTVM.
Thousands of residents in Middle Georgia woke this morning without electricity, according to 13WMAZ.
Right now, Georgia Power’s outage map shows the biggest impacts in Central Georgia are in Bibb and Twiggs counties.
The storms left behind plenty of damage in their wake; including downed trees and powerlines.
In areas serviced by Georgia Power, the worst seems to be concentrated in Houston, Jones, Macon-Bibb, and Twiggs counties.
State Rep. Calvin Smyre has probably seen his last Sine Die as a member of the Georgia State House after 48 years in office, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Columbus’ Calvin Smyre, the longest-serving member of the Georgia legislature, bid farewell to his House colleagues in an hour-long speech during the final day of the 2022 session on Monday.
The 74-year-old Democrat, who was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1974, did not seek reelection to the seat he’s held for almost half a century. He has new plans that take him beyond Atlanta’s gold dome.
President Joe Biden tapped Smyre to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic last year. He awaits confirmation from the U.S. Senate.
In his final address, Smyre thanked everyone from Republican House Speaker David Ralston to the house doorkeepers. And he made sure to throw Columbus some acknowledgments as well.
The Georgia General Assembly frankensteined Senate Bill 441 to transplant the guts of other legislation and passed it to give the Georgia Bureau of Investigation original jurisdiction over some allegations of election irregularities. From CNN via the Albany Herald:
Under SB 441, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation would be able to launch a probe without being called in by another law enforcement agency. The bill also gives the bureau the authority to subpoena election records with signoff from the state’s attorney general. Currently, state election officials investigate fraud allegations.
The overall bill mostly deals with criminal data processing, an issue which had bipartisan support. Republican state Rep. James Burchett tacked on the GBI provision to the bill in the final hours of the session, prompting outcries from Democratic supporters of the original bill.
“The rest of this … good bill. The original jurisdiction piece for GBI — heartburn for Democrats and a lot of people in the room,” said state Rep. Josh McLaurin, a Democrat.
“What we’re looking for is GBI to investigate conspiracy to commit election fraud, if it is necessary and giving them the investigatory discretion to do so. I think these are germane in subject matter and that’s why this bill was picked,” said Burchett in explaining the last-minute addition to the bill in a key committee meeting on Monday.
House Republicans had first started with a 40-page bill that last week was gutted into a two-page bill after local election officials urged lawmakers to reconsider making changes to Georgia’s elections procedures just months before November’s midterm elections.
Early on Monday morning, House Republicans revived the bill again only to see it not make it to the state Senate floor after outgoing Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican, ruled the legislation out of order and the majority of senators backed his decision.
The bill now goes to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for his approval. He has 40 days to sign the legislation or veto it.
House Bill 1084 also received a transplant before final passage, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Albany Herald.
House Bill 1084, introduced on behalf of Gov. Brian Kemp, cleared the Republican-controlled state House of Representatives 99-69 Monday night, then passed the Georgia Senate 32-21 along party lines during the rush of the session’s waning minutes without Senate President Pro Tempore Butch Miller even disclosing to his colleagues the addition of the transgender piece to the underlying measure.
The so-called “divisive concepts” bill, which Kemp is expected to sign, prohibits teaching about U.S. history in a way that might make any student feel guilty or that they are superior or inferior to anyone else because of their race.
The transgender component of the bill was originally introduced as a standalone bill the Senate passed in February to prohibit transgender students born male from competing in most girls’ sports. Supporters said students who went through puberty as males would have unfair advantages in speed and strength over female participants.
When the bill failed to gain traction in the House, supporters agreed to what was held out as a compromise giving jurisdiction over policies governing participation of transgender athletes in school sports to a newly created oversight committee reporting to the Georgia High School Association (GHSA).
“We’re basically adopting the NCAA model, kicking it over to the GHSA,” said House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge. “That’s where the determination needs to be made.”
From the Dalton Daily Citizen News:
Following the Senate’s amendment to House Bill 1084 Friday, a House amendment surfaced just before midnight Monday that now includes a provision allowing the Georgia High School Association to ban transgender females (biological males) from playing on girls sports teams.
“If the athletic association determines that it is necessary and appropriate to prohibit students whose gender is male from participating in athletic events that are designated for students whose gender is female, then the association may adopt a policy to that effect,” a section of the bill states.
The policy should apply to all of the athletic associations participating in high school parts, the bill states. The GHSA may be convinced to implement such a policy.
The bill was approved in the House 98-71 shortly before the midnight deadline and was immediately sent to the Senate where it was approved 32-21 just after midnight.
Before the House vote, Democratic Rep. Matthew Wilson called out the sneaked-in addition to HB 1084.
“The Georgia GOP just shoved their trans-youth sports ban into their anti-CRT legislation 15 minutes to midnight on the last day of the session. It has passed,” Wilson, a gay man, tweeted shortly after the vote. “It is so hard to reconcile being in a state that hates people for who they are with the love I have for us I’m sorry.”
The bill now awaits the signature of Gov. Brian Kemp who had alluded, during a visit to the House floor earlier in the day, that the measures are part of his priorities.
“I’m looking forward to continuing the critically important conversation on the best ways to achieve an income tax cut for hardworking Georgians, on fairness in school sports, divisive concepts and the fiscal year 2023 budget,” Kemp said.
Senate Bill 338, to address Georgia’s high maternal mortality rate, passed and is haded to Gov. Kemp for signature or veto, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
Georgia is on its way to joining more than a handful of states in providing Medicaid coverage up to one year postpartum.
The proposal, Senate Bill 338, received approval in the House in a 142-18 vote late Monday night and now heads to the governor for signature. The bill had received unanimous approval in the Senate in early February.
Once signed by the governor, postpartum Medicaid coverage would be extended from six months to one year. The proposal is backed by $28.2 million in Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposed Fiscal Year 2023 budget.Many states such as Alabama and Mississippi only cover up to 60 days postpartum. Last year, the state had elected to extend Medicaid state plan benefits from 60 days to six months to postpartum women with incomes up to 220% of the federal poverty level.
Georgia is ranked in the top five states for the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, especially among Black women and health officials link that to new mothers not having adequate health care coverage after birth
The Gainesville Times spoke to local legislators about legislation passed in the session.
Rep. Emory Dunahoo, R-Gillsville, has long been a proponent of constitutional carry and said he was happy to see a version of the legislation passed last Friday, April 1. SB 319 would allow Georgians to carry a handgun in public without a gun permit or background check.
“I really do think we came out with a good bill that the governor will sign,” Dunahoo said. “I’m glad that we have open carry that’s passed, but I’m going to conceal carry, just because the bad guy’s going to pick off the person that he can see has a gun or a weapon.”
He said the bill would not increase gun violence, because legislation to allow open carry on college campuses has not led to an increase in school shootings.
Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville, co-sponsored HB 1461 in response to concerns from Hall County and Hall County Schools officials that cities were too easily annexing land and substantially changing the land’s use. County and school officials have said the legislation is a first step, but doesn’t go far enough to give them more authority over land use decisions during annexation.
Hawkins authored HB 1276, which passed Monday, requiring the Department of Community Health to make statistical reports of state health information available on its website. Hawkins said it would give consumers more information and provide more transparency.
“We’re going to be able to get a good handle on exactly what’s going on with the insurance in this state,” Hawkins said. “Then we can start asking the critical questions that we need to ask and see it coming before the bomb has already blown up.”
HB 1304, sponsored by Hawkins, would require hospitals to provide patients the opportunity to identify a lay caregiver, creating a plan for assistance after a patient is discharged. The bill passed on Friday, April 1.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich‘s endorsements are like Georgia’s weather: if you don’t like what’s happening now, wait fifteen minutes. From CNN via the Albany Herald:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he is backing trucking company owner Mike Collins for a US House seat in Georgia, hours after a video had been released where Gingrich endorsed another candidate in the race.
Gingrich announced his support for Republican candidate Vernon Jones in a video released earlier Tuesday by the Jones campaign — even though Gingrich had endorsed Collins, whom he had long known, months ago.
“I am delighted to announce my support for Vernon Jones for Congress,” said Gingrich in the video, calling Jones “the kind of legislative, experienced person who can get things done.”
Hours after the video was released, Gingrich’s team said that he still supported Collins, blaming “junior staff” for “prematurely” announcing the Jones endorsement.
“The video produced for the Jones team was released prematurely by junior staff without final approval,” said Gingrich aide Louie Brogdon. “It had not been thoroughly vetted to ensure there were no conflicts with Speaker Gingrich’s prior commitments.”
“Speaker Gingrich continues to support Mike Collins for Georgia’s 10th Congressional District,” added Brogdon. “He has known Mike and his family for decades, and he believes Mike is the best candidate for the job.”
Gingrich tweeted Tuesday evening after the Jones video was released that he supports Collins.
The Gainesville Times profiles candidates for the Senate District 49 seat being vacated by State Senate President Pro Tem Butch Miller.
The Rome News Tribune wrote up Republican candidates’ talking points from the Floyd County GOP Women’s luncheon.
Floyd County and its municipalities are discussing how to divide sales tax funds, according to the Rome News Tribune.
Rome, Cave Spring and Floyd County representatives struck a conciliatory tone Tuesday as they discussed the process of determining sales tax distribution.
Every 10 years the three governments renegotiate how sales taxes are shared. Per the agreement penned on Aug. 28, 2012, Floyd County currently receives 56.5% of the sales tax revenue while the city receives 41.7% and Cave Spring gets 1.8%. According to City Clerk Joe Smith, that’s been the formula since 1995.
The process must begin before July 1 and must be completed by Dec. 31.
Prior to the meeting, several city commissioners had expressed a desire to see a larger percentage of those sales tax funds go to Rome coffers. The main argument brought up during a city retreat session in March concerned the feeling that city residents pay both city and county taxes but don’t get the benefits of all county-funded services.
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