On August 10, 1774, a group calling itself the “Sons of Liberty” met at Tondee’s Tavern in Savannah, the first move in Georgia toward what would become the Revolutionary War. The Sons of Liberty adopted eight resolutions, among those one that reads,
Resolved, nemine contradicente, That we apprehend the Parliament of Great Britain hath not, nor ever had, any right to tax his Majesty’s American subjects; for it is evident beyond contradiction, the constitution admits of no taxation without representation; that they are coeval and inseparable; and every demand for the support of government should be by requisition made to the several houses of representatives.
Resolved, nemine contradicente, That we concur with our sister colonies in every constitutional measure to obtain redress of American grievances, and will by every lawful means in our power, maintain those inestimable blessings for which we are indebted to God and the Constitution of our country–a Constitution founded upon reason and justice, and the indelible rights of mankind.
The first copy in Georgia of the Declaration of Independence was read publicly in Savannah on August 10, 1776.
On August 10, 1787, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.”
Missouri was admitted as the 24th State, and the first entirely west of the Mississippi River, on August 10, 1821.
On August 10, 1864, the bombardment of Atlanta by Union force continued, with Sherman writing, “Let us destroy Atlanta and make it a desolation.”
The first Georgia state Motor Fuel Tax was enacted on August 10, 1921, when Governor Thomas Hardwick signed legislation imposing a one-cent per gallon tax.
Japan accepted unconditional surrender on August 10, 1945, one day after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
Red Dawn, the first movie rated PG-13 was released on August 10, 1984.
Wolverines!
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
The late Herman Cain was laid to rest Friday, according to the AJC.
The Georgia Department of Public Health reported the highest one-day total of COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Deaths: 4,117 (+92 deaths in 24 hours). That is the largest single-day increase in reported coronavirus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic. It’s important to note that these numbers indicate when deaths are reported to the Georgia Department of Public Health. It does not reflect when these deaths occurred.
Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia Department of Economic Development touted strong numbers in July, according to a press release.
“From advanced manufacturing to software development, jobs at every skill level and in nearly every region of the state were created for hardworking Georgians during July,” said Governor Kemp. “As we fight to protect the lives and livelihoods of hardworking Georgians in an unprecedented economic climate, this news serves as a great start to the fiscal year. I’d like to thank our state and local economic development partners, and every company that decided to establish or expand their operations in the Peach State last month. Together, we’ll continue to keep our communities safe and healthy while creating great opportunities in every corner of our state.”
“In an economy that brings daily challenges, July’s numbers provide hope and opportunity to counter the uncertainties that Georgians are facing today, because for them, good news comes in the form of jobs and investment,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Even as we continue to work together to fight the spread of COVID-19, the same factors that have made Georgia the best state in the nation in which to do business for seven consecutive years remain. Georgia has momentum, and we’re focused on keeping it going.”
Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Kathy Schrader defends her seat tomorrow against a challenger, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Kathryn Schrader is building a case for her re-election to the bench on her past work with programs such as Drug Court.
“It’s one thing to have a lot of concerns about things that are happening, but it’s another to actually step out, be courageous and lead for change, and that’s exactly what I’ve done over the last eight years,” Schrader said. “I haven’t sat around talking about these problems. I’ve actually gone out and done something about it.”
Augusta will see runoff elections in either five or three commission districts, depending on how you count, tomorrow, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
All polling places in commission districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The runoffs are for commission districts 1 and 3 and Super District 9, which spans districts 1, 2, 4 and 5.
The third-place finisher in the District 9 contest, Jo’Rae Jenkins, said she plans to file a complaint with the Richmond County Board of Elections about first-place finisher Corey Johnson after The Augusta Chronicle reported that Johnson might not live in the district.
Glynn and Camden County voters will go to the polls tomorrow in runoff elections, according to The Brunswick News.
Early voting in the party primary runoff elections nearly doubled that of the last two primary runoff elections, according to preliminary turnout figures from the Glynn County Board of Elections.
By the time the early voting polls closed at 5 p.m. Friday, 5,731 Glynn County voters cast a ballot in the three runoff races on the ballot.
Those voting early and in-person were down by around a third from past elections at 2,244. On the other hand, the number of absentee ballots was more than 10 times that of past runoff elections, reaching 3,487 by 5 p.m. Friday.
Statewide, 334,896 voted early in the runoff as of 5 p.m. Thursday. Of those 126,393 case a ballot in person. The rest, 208,503, voted by mail-in ballot.
While runoffs typically have a low turnout, [Camden County Elections Supervisor Shannon] Nettles said seven percent of the county’s registered voters have already returned their ballots, with more expected by Election Day.
“I am impressed with the number of ballots we have gotten for a runoff,” Nettles said.
In comparison, only 487 people cast votes in person during the early voting period, she said.
The Brunswick News does an outstanding job of covering local politics and elections.
Bulloch County also saw more absentee votes than in-person advance voters, according to the Statesboro Herald.
Early in-person voting concluded Friday at the Elections Office on North Main Street and a little more than 1,500 people cast ballots, Jones said. In July 2016, the last presidential year runoff, 2,198 people voted in person early and 251 voted absentee. However, for Tuesday’s runoff, Jones said her office had received 2,146 absentee ballots as of Friday morning and an additional 1,419 had requested ballots, but had not submitted them.
Tuesday’s election includes the Republican runoffs for the District 4 state Senate seat full term between candidates Scott Bohlke and Billy Hickman and for Bulloch County State Court solicitor-general between Catherine Findley and Mark Lanier. It also includes a nonpartisan runoff between Bohlke and Hickman for the remainder of the late Sen. Jack Hill’s unexpired term to Dec. 31 and another nonpartisan choice, in Board of Education District 7 only, between incumbent board member Heather Mims and challenger Lisa Deloach.
There are no statewide runoffs, and no actual Democratic Party runoffs, although Democrats can vote in the nonpartisan races.
Hall County has legislative runoff elections tomorrow, according to the Gainesville Times.
[Hall County elections director Lori] Wurtz said Friday morning that the county had received about 7,600 absentee ballots for the runoff, and 2,279 people had voted early in person through the end of the day Thursday. Polls close Friday at 5 p.m. for early voting and will not reopen until 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Election Day.
In Hall, the runoff includes Republican and Democratic races for the U.S. House of Representatives seat for Georgia’s Ninth District, as well as a Republican runoff for the Georgia Senate District 50 seat.
Republicans Andrew Clyde and Matt Gurtler and Democrats Devin Pandy and Brooke Siskin will compete Tuesday to be on the Ninth District ballot in the Nov. 3 general election. That district includes all of Hall.
Republicans Stacy Hall and Bo Hatchett are competing to run in November for the state Senate District 50 seat, which includes part of East Hall. The winner of that race will face Democrat Dee Daley in November.
Five central Georgia counties host nine runoff elections, according to 13WMAZ.
Walton and Newton Counties will choose a new Superior Court Judge for the Alcovy Judicial Circuit, according to the Walton Tribune.
Jeffrey Foster of Monroe and Robert Stansfield of Covington are seeking election to a Superior Court judgeship for the two counties in a runoff election.
They are seeking to follow Judge Eugene Benton of Monroe, who is retiring at the end of the year after 16 years as a Superior Court judge for the Alcovy Judicial Circuit.
Foster was the top vote-getter with 37% followed by Stansfield with 32% — both far below the 50% plus one vote required to avoid a runoff. Newton County resident Cheveda McCamy received 31% and did not qualify.
Newton County Democrats will choose nominees for a district seat on the Board of Education and a County Commission district, according to The Covington News.
Coweta County Commission District 4 Republican voters will nominate a candidate tomorrow, according to the Newnan Times-Herald.
David Yarbrough and John Reidelbach were the top two vote-getters in the four-way primary for the Republican nomination for the seat. In the primary, Yarbrough gained 1,662 votes to Reidelbach’s 1,529 votes. The winner will face Democrat Pearl Presley in November.
The District 4 commission seat has been held since 2009 by Rodney Brooks, who is not seeking reelection.
During three weeks of early voting, there were only 271 votes cast, [Coweta County Elections supervisor Jane] Scoggins said. A little over 1,000 absentee ballots were mailed out, and 498 had been received back by Friday.
In the June 9 primary, there were 4,155 votes cast in the District 4 race.
Two Chatham County Commission Districts will see runoff elections tomorrow, according to the Savannah Morning News.
The AJC looks at local runoff elections across Metro Atlanta.
North Paulding High School will go online-only for at least two days after 9 positive tests for COVID-19, according to AccessWDUN.
North Paulding High School made headlines soon after students returned to school Aug. 3 when photos posted on social media showed hallways crowded with students, and many of them not wearing masks. The school’s principal notified parents Saturday that six students and three staff members had tested positive for the virus, though it’s unknown if any were infected at school.
Now students will take online classes Monday and Tuesday, Paulding County Schools Superintendent Brian Ott said in a letter to parents Sunday. He said those two days will be used to clean and disinfect the school, and parents will learn Tuesday evening if in-person classes can resume later in the week.
Meanwhile, school officials in a nearby metro Atlanta county reported 12 students and two staff members across a dozen schools tested positive for the virus during their first week back at school. The Cherokee County school system reported that more than 250 students with potential exposure had been sent home to quarantine for two weeks.
Dougherty County schools will reopen online-only Augusta 17, according to the Albany Herald.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson says Georgia municipalities need additional federal funding for COVID-19 relief, according to the Center Square.
“Cities, towns and villages have been the backbone of the American economy, and our hometowns are at risk. We cannot keep fighting Congress and the administration on much-needed local aid when we are too busy fighting economic ruin,” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said in a statement.
The CARES Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump in March, earmarked $4.1 billion for Georgia for direct support for the state and local governments.
One of the most significant expenses has been overtime for public safety, public health, health care and human services employees and other workers involved in the pandemic, said Todd Edwards, deputy legislative director for ACCG.
Clarence Anthony, executive director of NLC, said the direct CARES Act funding “has already been obligated, and small cities and rural areas have been left out entirely.”
“In fact, 70 percent of CARES Act funds allocated to state and local governments has already been obligated through the end of the year, with only 10 percent going toward aid for local governments,” Anthony said.
From the Savannah Morning News:
Savannah has received over $2 million in funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, and according to Alderman Nick Palumbo, it will give the city a little more wiggle room if council votes to roll back the millage rate.
Last Thursday, the city received $2,268,707 in allocations from the CARES Act, and it is slated to receive a total of $7,562,356 from phase one.
Mayor Van Johnson said he’s glad the funding will help those who have been struggling with evictions due to the financial stresses brought on by COVID-19.
“I want to use this money to create opportunities — to help people who are being evicted from their homes, either through tenants and owners to help with rent assistance, mortgage assistance, to help people get caught up so they’re not evicted, as well as help small businesses that have found themselves on hard times,” Johnson said. “I think this money provides us with a great opportunity to create a force multiplier for these funds to be able to help people here on the ground.”
Glynn County will sue the state over legislation that will allow citizens to vote to dissolve the county police department, according to The Brunswick News.
State legislators passed three bills during the recent legislative session giving the registered electorate the chance to decide whether to abolish the GCPD and fold it into the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office. Gov. Brian Kemp signed two of those bills this week — one giving the state the power to abolish a county police department, which it did not have before, and one placing the binding referendum on the ballot.
He vetoed a third bill, which would have placed an alternative non-binding referendum on the November ballot alongside the binding question. In a statement released Thursday, Kemp said he vetoed the non-binding item “because the presence of two similar ballot questions could lead to voter confusion.”
In June, commission chairman Mike Browning said the county would likely take the matter to court if passed into law. Browning confirmed Thursday that the commission will do so.
Glynn County residents will vote on the question in the Nov. 3 general election.
Glynn County voters in November will also see a referendum question on a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Education (E-SPLOST), according to The Brunswick News.
Glynn County voters are set to have the opportunity during the upcoming election to approve or deny the continuation of a 1 percent sales tax for educational purposes.
The Glynn County Board of Education plans for voters to decide this November whether to approve ESPLOST IV (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax), which will raise no more than $112 million for a specific list of projects.
ESPLOST funding will also go toward school buses, road work, improvements at the athletic facilities, land acquisition, technology purchases and other facility needs.
Facebook drama has led to allegations of assault and a GBI investigation, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
A candidate in Tuesday’s Republican primary runoff election for the Georgia House of Representatives District 33 seat is under investigation on a complaint that he assaulted a man during an Aug. 4 argument inside the Madison County Courthouse.
The dispute, which apparently stemmed from Facebook postings, occurred about 5 p.m. between Tripp Strickland, a candidate for the state house, and William T. Waldrop, a member of the county’s Board of Equalization.
The matter occurred just days before the Tuesday runoff for the state office between Strickland, who is also an elected member of the Madison County Board of Commissioners, and candidate Rob Leverett of Elberton. The district runs from Madison County to Lincoln County.
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