Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for August 22, 2023

The sale of Coca-Cola Company from the Candlers was announced in the Atlanta Constitution on August 22, 1919.

More than 3000 demonstrators disrupted the Democratic National Convention on August 22, 1968.

In 1972, it was the Republicans’ turn, as demonstrators struck outside the Republican National Convention.

Nolan Ryan recorded his 5000th career strikeout against Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A’s on August 22, 1989.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

State Senator Clint Dixon (R-Gwinnett) said he’ll file a complaint against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis when the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission gets underway, according to the AJC.

State Sen. Clint Dixon said Monday that he would file a complaint against Willis in October when the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission begins its proceedings, saying the indictments were sparked by Willis’ “unabashed goal to become some sort of leftist celebrity.”

“Once the Prosecutorial Oversight Committee is appointed in October, we can have them investigate and take action against Fani Willis and her efforts that weaponize the justice system against political opponents,” the Buford Republican said in a social media post.

“This is our best measure,” Dixon added, “and I will be ready to call for that investigation.”

This scenario is what a coalition of opponents, including Willis and Democratic leaders, warned about during debate over the legislation. It passed this year, mostly along party lines, at the urging of Kemp and Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Trump supporter whose candidacy last year was backed by the former president.

It’s one of several GOP initiatives that seek to reprimand Willis, who brought charges accusing Trump and his allies of creating a “criminal enterprise” to subvert the 2020 election after an investigation that spanned more than two years.

State Sen. Colton Moore last week issued a call for a special legislative session to probe Willis. The effort is doomed to fail because it needs significant Democratic support, but it gained attention in conservative media outlets.

Georgia already allows legislators to impeach district attorneys, though those powers have rarely been invoked. There are other checks on wayward prosecutors encoded in the law, plus elections and recall provisions that give voters a chance to remove them at the ballot box.

Under the new law, the commission will start receiving complaints in October, though it could take months before it starts to mete out punishments. A five-member panel will investigate the complaints and decide whether to bring formal charges, and a separate three-member panel will issue orders and opinions.

The AJC Political Insider writes that state legislators may need to brace themselves for a Special Session to address redistricting.

Three senior officials tell us there have been preliminary discussions about summoning legislators back to the Capitol in October or November if a federal judge rules against the state’s current maps.

The high court’s 5-4 ruling in June found Alabama’s GOP-controlled Legislature likely violated the Voting Rights Act when it drew a map with one majority-Black seat out of seven congressional districts.

State leaders won’t make any moves until U.S. District Judge Steve Jones rules on the case, and there’s a Sept. 5 hearing set. Gov. Brian Kemp gets the final say on the timing of a special session, but some lawmakers are nervous about squeezing one in around the holiday season.

United States Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Atlanta) will introduce legislation to address workforce shortages in early education programs, according to the Savannah Morning News.

On Monday, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock toured classrooms at Savannah’s Head Start facility on May Street, located near the Herbert Kayton Homes where he and his 11 siblings were raised. As he engaged with students and teachers, he spoke of his push for bipartisan legislation to address workforce shortages in Early Head Start classrooms, which provides childhood development, learning, health and family well-being services to Georgia’s children from ages birth to 3 years.

According to an official statement from Warnock’s team, “The legislation will allow students earning their Child Development Associate (CDA) degree to work in the classroom, provided they are working alongside a fully credentialed teacher. The legislation also requires mentorship within the program to support staff as they complete their CDA.”

After Warnock’s tour, Head Start Director Alycia Brown shared that the May Street facility has six understaffed classrooms and 20 teaching vacancies. She stated that without the teacher shortage the facility would be able to accommodate about 327 students. Currently, the school caters to roughly 150 students.

“There’s no question that we got to strengthen the workforce pipeline,” said Warnock. “I think early childhood development is key not only for these young children, but also for their families and for our economy.”

From WSAV:

“Long before I was a united states senator, I was a child growing up in a head start program, right here in Savannah, Georgia,” said Warnock.

“Narrow the word gap, the vocabulary gap between poor children and kids from affluent families. I want to raise the pay for childcare, this is a noble profession. You’re looking at somebody whose life story literally embodies the difference that it makes,” Warnock said.

From WTOC:

Early Head Start is a program that helps kids up to age three in low-income families prepare for school.

A February report from the National Head Start Association said nearly 20% of staff positions were vacant nationwide…with the top reason being compensation.

“The biggest challenge is getting kids in and getting people who are CDA qualified,” said Terry Tolbert.

Kroger donated $5000 to fight food insecurity, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

Kroger recently gave $5,000 to Sen. Harold Jones II to donate to organizations fighting food insecurity.

Jones last week was touring a new Kroger on Eisenhower Parkway, which is set to open next spring. He donated the money to the Augusta Dream Center Inc. and Savannah Riverkeeper.

“Through Kroger’s generous donation, we are able to support two incredible organizations dedicated to eradicating food insecurity,” Jones was quoted as saying in a news release.

Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody resigned after pleading guilty , according to 13WMAZ.

Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody has pleaded guilty to groping TV Judge Glenda Hatchett at a hotel bar in Cobb County. There was a state sheriff’s convention happening at the hotel.

Effective this morning, Coody has resigned, according to lawyer Joel Pugh. According to his lawyer, Coody wrote a resignation letter to the governor this morning.

Cobb State Court Judge Carl Bowers apologized to Hatchett for how long the case took, and for her ordeal. He also thanked her for being in the courtroom today.

“To be on this side of this is very difficult. It is important for the defendant and everyone present to understand the horrific effect this has had on me.” Hatchett said “This has cut me to the core”

Coody has been sentenced to 12 months probation, 40 hours of community service, a $500 fine, and a psychosexual evaluation, and he must complete an alcohol and drug course, which his lawyer says he has already completed.

Daniel Cape, formerly Bleckley County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy, now serves as interim Sheriff, after now-former Sheriff Kris Coody resigned, according to 13WMAZ.

Daniel Cape says when he was chief deputy, he managed day-to-day operations like policy and administrative duties. With the sheriff’s title, he wants to get to know the community better and have complete transparency in the sheriff’s office.

“We want to have some more community engagement. I have some ideas on those things, maybe some citizen involvement and some sheriff office functions,” Cape said.

Cape says he’s looking to continue pursuing the mission that was already in place at the sheriff’s office.

“We always strive to get to know the community better, and that’s something I encourage, you know, the old adage of just pulling over, stopping your patrol car, and get to know who your citizens are,” Cape said.

WMAZ reached out to the Georgia Sheriff’s Association and they said when Coody resigned, Cape automatically becomes sheriff’s until the next special election.

Municipal qualifying got off to a quick start in Albany with two Mayoral candidates filing, according to the Albany Herald.

Incumbent Mayor Bo Dorough was at the Dougherty County Voter Registration office before 10 a.m. on Monday, and former Albany City Commission member Henry Mathis, who finished third in a large field of candidates four years ago, arrived a short time later.

Two commission incumbents, Ward I Commissioner Jon Howard and Ward VI Commissioner Demetrius Young also completed the process before noon, as did political newcomer Larry Harris.

Harris is seeking office for the first time and is running in Ward IV, currently held by Chad Warbington. After spending some time speaking with his family members to prepare them for his entry into politics, the retired Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital radiologist and medical dosimetrist decided to take a shot.

Dorough won the November 2019 runoff election against the incumbent Mayor Dorothy Hubbard, but Mathis finished a close third and nearly made it into the runoff contest.

On the Nov. 7 ballot, Dougherty County voters, both in the city and in unincorporated areas, will weigh in on extending the 1% transportation special-purpose local-option sales tax.

Most Gwinnett County municipalities have candidate qualifying this week, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Candidate qualifying for this November’s municipal elections will begin Monday for most Gwinnett cities — except for Braselton, which announced its qualifying period will begin on Wednesday. Many of cities will wrap up their qualifying on Wednesday, although Auburn and Braselton will continue until Friday.

One big part of this year’s municipal election cycle which stands out is the number of cities that will be electing mayors. Nine cities in all — Auburn, Berkeley Lake, Duluth, Grayson, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Peachtree Corners, Snellville and Suwanee — are holding mayoral elections this year.

And, in Buford, the seat held by City Commission Chairman Phillip Beard, is up for election. City commission chairman is effectively Buford’s version of a mayor, although the city commission, not the voters, decides each year which of its members will be chairman. The chairman is also an ex-officio member, and chairperson, of the city’s school board.

This year’s elections will bring some changes even before qualifying begins. Duluth Mayor Nancy Harris is not running for re-election so her office will be an open race, with Councilman Greg Whitlock already announcing that he is running for it. Meanwhile, Snellville City Councilman Dave Emanuel is term-limited so he cannot run for re-election.

Four North Fulton municipalities are qualifying candidates this week, according to the AJC.

City Council in four north Fulton cities could be vastly different in January. The terms of elected officials in Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Milton are ending in December.

This is qualifying week for all candidates — incumbents and contenders — who want to run for the posts.

Qualifying started Monday and continues until Wednesday afternoon in Alpharetta and Johns Creek; and Friday in Roswell and Milton.

Houston County property owners will see higher property tax bills, according to 13WMAZ.

“Due to property values in Houston County going up significantly in the past year, we had to advertise that rate as a tax increase despite the fact that we actually reduced the millage rate,” Chairman Dan Perdue said.

Perdue says nobody from the Houston county government, nor the board of tax assessors, actively sought out to re-assess property values.

Rather, the state of Georgia conducted a sales ratio analysis, where the price-to-sales ratio equals the market price per share divided by the sales per share.

“They take all the properties that have sold & what do they sell for & what did you have them valued at on their tax digest,” Perdue said.

Valdosta City Schools installed weapon detectors, according to WALB.

“I have mixed feelings for a few reasons,” A Valdosta City Schools parent said. “I fully appreciate and understand the necessity. I appreciate the installation of the equipment. They need to do some beta testing and scheduling to see what works. I don’t feel like they need to remove them. They need to stay there, but they definitely need to modify scheduling to offset the impact.”

“As far as my students coming in every morning, it seems less. The first question I asked my parents were they excited about this. And it was a round of applause by all of our parents. A few of our parents said they were hesitant at first but after coming through it they were happy,” Kevin Daw, S.L. Mason Elementary School principal, said.

The weapons detection system is installed at all Valdosta City School campuses and will be used at all school events, including football games.

Bibb County school system is installing more speed cameras, according to the Macon Telegraph.

The school board voted unanimously to approve an agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation and Macon-Bibb County for operation of the cameras.

Speed enforcement cameras are currently active at nine Bibb Schools and more are planned at the Academy for Classical Education, a state charter school, and two private schools: Stratford Academy and Windsor Academy.

The school board also voted Thursday to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the county which calls for the two governing bodies to meet on an annual basis and work in a collaborative manner to identify ways to meet the district’s safety needs.

Christopher Hamilton was sworn in as Jesup Police Chief, according to WTOC.