Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for August 17, 2018

On August 18, 1591,the English settlement at Roanoke Island in the Outer Banks of what is now North Carolina was found deserted.

On August 18, 1795, President George Washington signed a treaty with Great Britain called the Jay Treaty, after Supreme Court Justice John Jay who negotiated it. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison led opposition to the treaty.

USS Constitution earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” in battle against the British ship Guerriere off the coast of Nova Scotia on August 19, 1812. Launched in 1797, Constitution is today the oldest commissioned vessel in the United States Navy. Live oak from St. Simons Island were cut and milled for timber used in the constructions of Constitution. From a 1977 New York Times article:

The Constitution won her way into Americans’ hearts in 1812, when she defeated the British Guerriere off Nova Scotia in an exchange of broadsides. The spirit of the Constitution crew was noted by the Guerriere’s commander, James Dacres, who boarded the Constitution to present his sword in surrender.

”I will not take your sword, Sir,” the captain of the Constitution, Isaac Hull, replied. ”But I will trouble you for your hat.”

In the battle, a sailor — whether British or American is disputed by historians — is said to have cried out, ”Huzzah, her sides are made of iron!” as he watched an English cannonball bounce off the side of the Constitution. It was the birth of her nickname.

Part of the ship’s secret lay in the wood used in the design by Joshua Humphreys. He picked live oak, from St. Simons Island, Ga. The wood has proved so strong and resistant to rot that the original hull is intact, said Anne Grimes Rand, curator of the Constitution Museum in Charlestown, Mass.

On August 18, 1862, Confederate Major General of Cavalry J.E.B. Stuart was nearly captured, losing his distinctive hat and cloak and written copies of Lee’s orders near Verdiersville, Virginia.

Georgia Governor Joseph Terrell signed legislation creating the State Board of Health on August 17, 1903.

Georgia Tech was designated the State School of Technology on August 17, 1908 by joint resolution of the State Senate and State House.

In a quaint bit of Georgia history, on August 17, 1908, Governor Hoke Smith signed legislation prohibiting corporate donations to political campaigns. Cute!

The Georgia General Assembly adopted a joint resolution urging the creation of a federal Health Department on August 18, 1908.

The Georgia Department of Insurance was created on August 19, 1912 when Governor Joseph Brown signed legislation regulating companies selling policies in the states.

On August 18, 1916, the Cherokee Rose was designated the official state flower of Georgia by a joint resolution of the State House and Senate.

Governor Nathaniel Harris signed the first state law requiring school attendance for children 8-14 years of age on August 19, 1916; on the same day, Harris also signed legislation authorizing women to practice law in Georgia.

The practice of tipping service employees was outlawed by legislation signed on August 18, 1918.

Georgia Governor Hugh Dorsey signed legislation regulating the practice of architecture and licensing practitioners on August 18, 1919.

The Georgia Board of Public Welfare was also created on August 18, 1919 when Gov. Dorsey signed legislation establishing that body and a companion bill that created the Community Service Commission.

“Georgia” was designated the official state song on August 19, 1922 with Gov. Thomas Hardwick’s signature on a joint resolution passed by the General Assembly; in 1979, “Georgia On My Mind,” replaced it.

On August 18, 1924 Gov. Clifford Walker signed legislation that would allow a referendum on a Constitutional Amendment to allow Atlanta, Savannah, or Macon to consolidate their respective municipal governments with their county governments. Macon-Bibb County merged in 2014 after voters passed a referendum in July 2012.

Adolf Hitler became President of Germany on August 19, 1934.

The United States Central Intelligence Agency supported a coup in Iran that restored the Shah of Iran on August 19, 1953.

The Beatles played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on August 18, 1965. AtlantaTimeMachine.com has a couple images from the night.

On August 19, 1976, President Gerald R. Ford was nominated for President by the Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. Ford received 1,157 (52.6%) delegates to 1,087 for Ronald Reagan (47.4%). Georgia’s 48 delegates voted for Reagan on the first ballot.

Dr. Betty Siegel became the first female President of a state college or university in Georgia when she was named President of Kennesaw College on August 19, 1981; under her leadership, it became Kennesaw State University in 1996. Siegel served until 2006. Kennesaw State was recently named the 4th best college for food in the nation.

Also on August 19, 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

On August 19, 1984, President Ronald Reagan was nominated for reelection by the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas.

On August 18, 1991, hardline Commies in the Soviet Union arrested Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev as part of a coup against Gorbachev’s reforms.

On August 17, 1998, President Bill Clinton testified as the subject of a grand jury investigation.

The testimony came after a four-year investigation into Clinton and his wife Hillary’s alleged involvement in several scandals, including accusations of sexual harassment, potentially illegal real-estate deals and suspected “cronyism” involved in the firing of White House travel-agency personnel. The independent prosecutor, Kenneth Starr, then uncovered an affair between Clinton and a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky. When questioned about the affair, Clinton denied it, which led Starr to charge the president with perjury and obstruction of justice, which in turn prompted his testimony on August 17.

On August 18, 2015, Jeb Bush visited The Varsity in Atlanta. Here’s the funniest line from the CBS46 story:

Recently, Bush put a series of “Jeb No Filter” videos on YouTube and some say it’s a way to bring up his popularity.

“We’re going to work hard to earn the support of Georgians in the March 1 primary. It’s the second largest state in the primary, it’s our neighbor to our north, we’re going to be working hard,” Bush said.

While the instinct behind “Jeb No Filter” may have been good, it would take Donald Trump to show what No Filter really means.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Nathan Deal yesterday announced that Georgia hosted 455 movie projects last year, a record for the state.

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that Georgia-lensed feature film and television productions generated a total economic impact of $9.5 billion during FY 2018. The record 455 film and television productions shot in Georgia represent $2.7 billion in direct spending in the state.

“With a record 455 productions shot in Georgia, the film industry continues to support jobs for Georgians, boost small businesses and expand offerings for tourists,” said Deal. “Today, Georgia is one of the world’s top destinations for film production and communities across the state are seeing the benefits of welcoming the industry. I am proud to see our success continue, as the $9.5 billion in total economic impact reflects the sustainability of the film industry and the benefits of our competitive incentives program.”

According to the Motion Picture Association of America, the motion picture and television industry is responsible for more than 92,100 jobs and nearly $4.6 billion in total wages in Georgia, including indirect jobs and wages. Since 2010, more than 300 new businesses have relocated or expanded in Georgia to support the industry.

“We are very fortunate to have state leadership that understands the vital role that the entertainment industry plays in Georgia’s economic prosperity,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson. “The film industry creates jobs across almost every profession, in addition to camera, lighting and audio, film companies hire Georgians with skills in a myriad of support services including construction, catering, transportation, accounting and payroll and post-production. Thank you to all our friends in the industry for helping to make Georgia the top filming location in the country.”

Since the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act was signed into law in 2008, Georgia has become the nation’s most popular site for on-location filming. Direct spending by the film industry has increased from $93 million in 2007, the year before HB 1100 was revised, to $2.7 billion in FY 18.

In addition to the increase in production expenditures, Georgia has attracted major investments from studio and stage facilities. Georgia is now home to more than 1.1 million square feet of purpose-built soundstage space and over 1.2 million square feet of retrofitted soundstage space, up from 40,000 square feet of purpose-built soundstages available before 2010.

“The significant increase in production infrastructure is what sets us apart from our competitors. No other state has seen the growth that we have and it proves that the industry in Georgia is here for the long term,” said Lee Thomas, deputy commissioner of the Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office. “The amount of stage space and support businesses we have here now gives every production the confidence not only in Georgia’s ability to host them, but in our ability to accommodate larger tentpole franchises as well as television shows. With the unwavering support from our legislature, Georgia sends a powerful message to the film industry – attracting greater commitments that will continue this growth for years to come.”

Democrats are claiming voter turnout records, according to the Washington Times.

Turnout records were broken in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, with Democrats outdistancing Republicans in the gubernatorial race and collecting more votes in numerous primary fights as both parties picked their nominees.

Those are all states where President Trump led Republicans to gains in 2016, but where Democrats say things are swinging back their direction.

“You are seeing a huge turnout in every race from dog catcher to governor,” Jared Leopold, spokesman of the Democratic Governors Association, told The Washington Times. “That sign bodes well for November.”

“What you are seeing in instance after instance after instance is there is surge in Democratic enthusiasm relative to Republican primary voting,” said John Couvillion, a pollster and political strategist. “That surge has happened enough times for me to conclude that it is just not a fluke.”

Mr. Couvillion said his analysis found that Democrats have accounted for 54 percent of the primary electorate, compared to 46 percent for Republicans. It was the other way around in the 2010 when the GOP flipped control of 63 seats on its way to winning the House and 2014 when Republicans captured the Senate, he said.

Overall, Mr. Couvillion said Democratic turnout this year has increased 82 percent compared to 2014 and 48 percent since 2010. Republican turnout, meanwhile, has increased 24 percent since 2014 and increased 4 percent since 2010, he said.

But a Pew Research poll of registered voters released Thursday found Democrats are more engaged, showing more up at rallies, donating to candidates and volunteering for campaigns.

Mr. Leopold said Democrats experienced similar levels of voter enthusiasm in the 2017 governor’s race in Virginia and New Jersey, where high turnout in the primary races served as a preview of the big victories to come in the general election.

“Everywhere you are Democrats are excited to come out in vote,” he said. “That is true in the primary and that is going to continue to be true in November.”

Macon-Bibb County Commissioners adopted a property tax millage rate increase, according to the Macon Telegraph.

The new millage rate is 20.652, or 3 mills higher than the previous year. A homeowner with a homestead exemption will pay about $129 more for a property valued at $125,000.

The county will reap about $12 million in new revenue from the increase.

The new millage rate was passed by a 5-4 vote Thursday. Those supporting it were Commissioners Al Tillman, Bert Bivins, Elaine Lucas, Virgil Watkins and Scotty Shepherd, whose reversal provided the fifth vote needed to pass.

Commissioners Mallory Jones, Valerie Wynn, Larry Schlesinger and Joe Allen voted it down.

Whitfield County municipal leaders met publicly to discuss a potential Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), according to the Dalton Daily Citizen.

“I think you can see we’ve done some pretty good stuff with it,” [Dalton Mayor Dennis Mock] said, pointing to photos of projects funded by the 1 percent 2015 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). “We are proud of what we’ve done.”

The current four-year SPLOST expires June 30, 2019. It is projected to collect $64 million. The Whitfield County Board of Commissioners is talking about a six-year SPLOST which would be expected to bring in $100 million.

Thursday night, commissioners and officials from Dalton, Cohutta, Tunnel Hill and Varnell gathered at the community center to show off what they’ve done with the current SPLOST and to seek the public’s input on what they’d like to see funded with a future SPLOST.

Richmond County opens qualifying for five seats on the Board of Education starting Monday, according to WTVM.

Randolph County is considering closing seven of nine voting precinct, according to WJBF.

Randolph County is in southwest Georgia, about an hour south of Columbus.

The director of elections there announced in the newspaper plans to only keep two precincts open, even though all of them were used for the primary and July runoff.

One civil rights attorney calls it voter suppression, and says it appears racially motivated.

“We’re talking about a county that is 60 percent black. It’s in the black belt and has twice the rate of African American population compared to the rest of the state. When you cut out 75% of those polling places, it’s going to have an affect on African Americans and all but guarantee lower turnout,” says Sena Young, Legal Director at the ACLU of Georgia.

From the AJC:

[T]he office of Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a Republican candidate for governor who oversees elections, added its objection to the proposed closures. Kemp spokeswoman Candice Broce said Thursday the office’s elections director advised the county to ditch the proposal.

Several of the residents at Thursday’s meeting said closing the polls would force voters to drive or walk additional miles to cast their ballots. There’s no public transit in Randolph County and roughly one-third of residents live below the poverty line.

The county plans to hold a second hearing on Friday and has scheduled an Aug. 24 vote on the changes.

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp now supports new voting machines, but not until after this year’s elections, according to the Statesboro Herald.

The secretary of state is asking companies for proposals to implement new machines that produce verifiable paper records in time for the next presidential election in 2020.

Voting-integrity advocates have asked a federal judge to force Kemp to use a new paper-based balloting system in time for the November midterms. Attorneys for Kemp’s office responded in court this week that Georgia would be “plunged into chaos” if ordered to move that fast.

Secretary of State spokeswoman Candice Broce says the system is “accurate and secure, but we must plan for its eventual replacement.”

“There is not enough time to acquire the right inventory, train local elections officials, educate voters, and ensure the necessary safeguards to prevent chaos at the polls if a judge orders Georgia to convert to a new system virtually overnight,” her statement said.

Georgia’s second inland port is scheduled to begin operations next week, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The Appalachian Regional Port, located on 42 acres in Northwest Georgia’s Murray County, will provide a powerful new gateway to the Port of Savannah with a direct, 388-mile rail route to GPA’s Garden City Terminal.

The inland port is expected to create and expand international markets for regional businesses as well help reduce carbon emissions and truck traffic through the state.

Located in an industrial belt — which features the production and export of carpet and flooring, automobiles and tires — the Appalachian Regional Port will initially be capable of handling 50,000 containers annually.

The new facility joins the Cordele Inland Port, located in Crisp County in the south-central part of the state, which offers a direct, 200-mile rail route into Garden City Terminal for the area’s extensive agricultural production.

Some Valdosta residents spoke against a millage rate that would increase revenues, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Valdosta City Council has set a tentative millage rate that will remain at its current 8.001. However, due to the city’s property tax growth, this means a property tax increase of 2.72 percent, City Manager Mark Barber said.

Barber said the city would have to lower its millage rate to 7.916 to prevent a property tax increase, which would cost the city about $286,000 in revenue, he said.

Republican Joe Profit opens his campaign for the Fourth Congressional District on Saturday, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Glynn County‘s hotel-motel tax produced record revenues for the fifth consecutive year, according to The Brunswick News.

Gainesville will see a protest against a statue of a Confederate soldier on Saturday, according to the Gainesville Times.

A year after a nonviolent protest against “Old Joe,” the confederate statue in the center of Gainesville’s square, another demonstration is set for Saturday, Aug. 18 at 11:30 a.m.

The monument, erected in 1909 by the Gen. James Longstreet Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, sits on about an acre of land owned by Hall County located in downtown Gainesville. The Longstreet Chapter of the UDC’s lease on the property was renewed in 2008 and ends in June 2033.

While the statue honors Confederate veterans, Old Joe himself is not a Confederate soldier. When purchasing the statue, due to financial constraints, the UDC settled for a Spanish American War soldier statue and made some adjustments so he would look like a Confederate soldier.

The groups that organized Saturday’s protest “do not wish to see Old Joe removed or thrown into a landfill,” according to a flyer for the event. Organizers just want the statue to be modified so it does not explicitly honor the Confederacy.

Georgia’s unemployment rate is the lowest seen in fifteen years, according to the Albany Herald.

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the state’s unemployment rate dipped below 4 percent for the first time in more than 15 years. At the same time, Georgia set records for jobs, labor force and number of employed residents as the state’s economy continued to boom, Butler said.

“Georgia, like the nation, is in a period of continued economic growth,” the commissioner said. “We continue to set records in all the key metrics. This is a great time to live and work in Georgia.”

The July unemployment rate came in at 3.9 percent, down from 4.1 percent in June. Last July, the rate was an already low 4.6 percent. The last time the rate was 3.9 percent was July 2001.

In July, Georgia added another 5,300 jobs to push the state’s total number to 4.54 million – a record. Over the past year, Georgia has added 83,200 new jobs.