Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for August 21, 2015

Georgia and American History

James Oglethorpe and the Creek Indians signed the Treaty of Coweta Town, delineating geographic areas open to British settlement, on August 21, 1739.

On August 21, 1831, Nat Turner led the largest slave rebellion in American history; Turner was later hanged in Jerusalem, VA.

The first of the Lincoln-Douglass series of seven debates was held in Ottawa, Illinois, on August 21, 1858, pitting Democrat Stephen Douglass against Republican Abraham for the United States Senate seat held by Douglass. Expansion of slavery in the United States was the topic for the debates.

On August 21, 1907, Georgia Governor Hoke Smith signed legislation to place a Constitutional Amendment designed to disenfranchise African-Americans by requiring passage of a literacy test to vote. A number of exceptions allowed local officials to exempt white voters whom they wished to allow to vote; one exemption was for anyone descended from a U.S. or Confederate wartime veteran – the so-called “grandfather clause.”

On the same day, Gov. Smith also signed legislation prohibiting fishing on Sunday, subject to misdemeanor prosecution.

On August 21, 1935, Benny Goodman and his orchestra began a seven-night stand at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles, beginning the Swing Era.

Happy 55th birthday to Hawaii, which became the 50th State on August 21, 1959; they’ve undoubtedly been receiving AARP literature in the mail for ten years.

The 1968 Democratic National Convention began in Chicago on August 21, 1968.

The name of Julian Bond of Georgia, then-27 and too young to serve, was placed in nomination for Vice President during the 1968 DNC.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Today at 3 PM, I’ll be joining Bill Nigut, Jim Galloway of the AJC, Howard Franklin, and Captain Brian Robinson on Georgia Public Broadcasting’s “Political Rewind.”

You can tune in at 88.5 FM in Metro Atlanta, or on your local GPB affiliate. You can also stream the show online and a recording is usually posted a day or two after broadcast.

“Governor Bush has a proven conservative track record, as Governor he cut taxes, reduced the size and scope of government and created 1.3 million private sector jobs. Finally, when he left the Governor’s office, he left the state of Florida with an $8 billion dollar rainy day fund surplus. This is the leadership we need in Washington DC,” said State Senator Brandon Beach (R-North Fulton).

“Governor Bush has a proven track record of bringing people together to get results without compromising his conservative principles. Gov. Bush has tremendous experience as a successful Governor of Florida and I am confident he is the leader our country needs,” said State Senator Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga).

Public Service Commissioner Stan Wise
State Senator Brandon Beach (SD-21)
State Senator John Kennedy (SD-18)
State Senator Jeff Mullis (SD-53)
State Senator John Wilkinson (SD-50)
State Representative Matt Dollar (HD-45)
State Representative Joe Wilkinson (HD-52)
Sandy Springs City Councilman Ken Dishman
Ed Lindsey, former State Representative and Majority Whip

Previously Announced:
Lt. Gov Casey Cagle
Attorney General Sam Olens

Paulding County Commission Chairman David Austin announced he will not run for reelection.

Meanwhile, County Commissioner David Carmichael announced Wednesday he plans to run for the chairman’s seat in the May 2016 Republican primary.

Ron Davis, who operates the website openpaulding.org which advocates more transparency in county government, announced Wednesday he will seek Carmichael’s Post 1 seat on the commission in 2016.

Austin, who defeated incumbent Jerry Shearin for the job in 2008, won re-election in 2012 over County Commissioner Tony Crowe.

Dr. Betty Price (R-Roswell) was sworn into office as State Representative for House District 48.

She was sworn in by Judge Tom Campbell who previously served in this seat in the Georgia legislature from 1989 to 2004.

Price was elected in a special summer election called by Gov. Nathan Deal upon the passing of State Representative Harry Geisinger of Roswell who died after a short illness on May 1. Geisinger served in the seat from 1969 to 1974, and again from 2004 until this year.

On hand for the low-key swearing in were her husband Congressman Dr. Tom Price and their son Robert, who both witnessed the first day of officially assuming the office on July 20.

Having met with Speaker David Ralston and Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, and talking with a number of other legislators, the committees I initially serve on will soon be determined,” she said. “In the summer and fall between the two year legislative term, there are study committees and other assignments and requests I am grateful to help with, and I will try to move ahead on issues important to our community and provide needed constituent services on state matters.”

Price’s office is in the LOB room 507-F. She can be reached at (404) 506-0202 and betty.price@house.ga.gov.

Shaw Blackmon (R-Houston County) was sworn in as State Representative from House District 146.

Just before Shaw Blackmon was sworn in as the District 146 representative to the state House of Representatives, his predecessor advised him to enjoy his last moments as a private citizen.

“It’s probably the last day in your political life that most everybody will like you,” Larry O’Neal quipped, drawing laughter from the crowd of more than 100 people. “You haven’t voted yet and told anyone what they can’t do. Those days will come.”

O’Neal stepped aside in midterm to take a judgeship after serving in the General Assembly for 15 years. Blackmon won the seat Aug. 11 after defeating Larry Walker III in a runoff.

He was sworn in Thursday by Houston County Superior Court Judge George Nunn.

“I promise, as I have before, that you will get the absolute very best I’ve got,” Blackmon told the audience, which included many state and local elected officials.

Senator David Perdue spoke to the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce yesterday, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Perdue (R-Ga.) evoked the “outsider” status that he used during last year’s election campaign as he spoke to hundreds of Gwinnett’s business and political leaders during the chamber’s monthly General Membership meeting at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth. Legislative term limits, a balanced budget, the Iran nuclear agreement, government regulators and even the popularity of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign were all on the table during the remarks by Georgia’s junior senator.

The Iran deal, in particular, hung over the occassion as the deadline approaches for both legislative houses to pass a resolution oppossing the White House’s proposed agreement to allow Iran to have limited Iran’s nuclear enrichment abilities for the next 10 years. Perdue’s comments on the issue came a day after his colleague, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), announced he would vote against the deal.

“We’re about to be on the verge of having a nuclear Iran,” Perdue said.

The senator talked to reporters after his speech about his opposition to the deal, which is lining up to be a major hurdle for Congress and President Barack Obama in September. Perdue favors tougher sanctions against Iran to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.

The Georgia State Charter School Commission staff recommended approval of Brookhaven Innovation Academy in DeKalb County.

SCSC Deputy Director Gregg Stevens told the BIA the final decision to approve or deny petitions for a state charter school will be made by the SCSC. If the SCSC votes to approve Brookhaven Innovation Academy and the State Board of Education does not overrule the approval within 60 days, Brookhaven Innovation Academy will be authorized to open for students as a state charter school in the 2016-2017 school year.

“Congratulations on reaching this stage of the authorization process,” said Stevens. “The SCSC staff is excited to work with you in developing Brookhaven Innovation Academy as a high-quality state charter school.”

Councilman Bates Mattison and Chairman of the BIA said, “The BIA Board is extremely excited that the SCSC staff has recommended approval of Brookhaven Innovation Academy. We are excited to help improve education options in our community with our innovative 21st Century learning curriculum.” Mattison said the BIA Board would like to thank the SCSC staff for their confidence in the BIA petition and the many BIA volunteers who have worked diligently over the past two years to get to this point. “We look forward to the SCSC board meeting on Aug. 26th!”