Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for August 31, 2022

On August 31, 1864, Confederates charged Union forces at the Battle of Jonesboro, in which the CSA suffered more than 1400 casualties in one hour.

On August 31, 1955, the first solar powered car was demonstrated by William Cobb of General Motors.

On August 31, 1965, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation creating the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which the Senate had previously passed.

A new historical marker commemorates the Tybee Island Wade-Ins of 1960, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Former Tybee mayor Parker, his wife Mary Ann and a hundred folks were gathered for the unveiling of the latest marker erected by the Georgia Historical Society. The marker commemorates the events known as the “Savannah Beach Wade-Ins.” Now part of the Georgia Civil Rights Trail, it describes the non-violent acts of bravery by young Black students who put their bodies on the line to challenge the racial segregation of the public beach.

The date for the unveiling was chosen because it was 62 years to the day that 11 students, trained by Savannah’s W.W. Law and the NAACP Youth Council, were arrested for trying to take a swim. Tybee’s beaches back then were “Whites Only.”

The students were arrested and charged with disrobing in public.

It was Georgia’s first wade-in. It came on the heels of a Biloxi Mississippi event in April that became known as the Bloody Wade-In. Black families who gathered on the beach to protest its segregation were attacked by a White mob. A historic marker on the Biloxi beach now commemorates it.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Brian Kemp announced the state will spend $250 million dollars on what is being called “neighborhood level improvements.” From the Press Release:

Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the creation of a $250 million “Improving Neighborhood Outcomes in Disproportionally Impacted Communities” grant program. Awards will go to qualifying projects that improve neighborhood features such as parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks, and healthy food access. Availability of these types of community assets have been connected to decreased levels of mortality and illness, both in regards to avoiding the spread of Covid-19 and other physical or mental ailments. Applications will be accepted from September 1 through November 18, 2022, with awards of up to $2 million per qualified project.

“Though we have long since turned the corner on the pandemic, we know there are still some lingering public health impacts of Covid-19 that are broader than the disease itself” said Governor Brian Kemp. “They include mental health challenges and unhealthy physical conditions caused by isolation. That’s why throughout the pandemic, we worked hard to keep our state parks and recreational facilities open and operating safely, encouraging people to continue to utilize environments where they could socially distance, get outdoors, get fresh air, and exercise. We were met with resistance at times on this approach, but we prevailed in giving both Georgians and numerous out-of-state visitors safe options. By carefully investing these funds, we’re helping communities further move past the effects of the pandemic and become healthier.”

The program funds will be allotted to local units of government, counties, or non-profits to utilize in improving or maintaining recreational facilities in Qualified Census Tracts or for repair or maintenance due to significantly greater use of public facilities during the pandemic.

Applicants must use the Georgia Qualified Census Tract (QCT) Dashboard to verify that the proposed project resides within one of the state’s QCTs. Applications received that are not within a QCT will not be eligible for review. Application information for this program can be found here.

For general questions on grant programs, applicants may also reach out to grants@opb.georgia.gov.

Georgia Democrats are seeking votes in rural Georgia, according to the AJC.

Behind in the polls, Abrams has been doing a lot of hunting for votes lately. In a race that could be decided by a sliver of the electorate, Democrats are anxious to cut the margins in overwhelmingly conservative territory far from the urban and suburban areas that form their base.

Mitchell County, a racially split county about 200 miles southwest of Atlanta, epitomizes that strategy. Over the past decade, the county of about 21,000 people has grown more Republican.

Divided by less than 1 percentage point in the 2012 presidential race, Mitchell gave Trump 55% of its vote in 2020. Kemp garnered about the same percentage of the county’s roughly 8,000 voters in 2018, besting Abrams by double digits.

But for Abrams and other Democrats, shaking free a minority of voters in deep-red areas is central to a goal of building on the party’s wins in the last campaign cycle, when victories were fueled by new gains in the suburbs and mixed successes in rural parts of the state.

“We’re headed back to all 159 counties to build on this momentum,” said U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, the state Democratic Party’s chairwoman. “We have to make sure we can maximize our support. There’s no secret sauce — we just have to continue to knock on doors, make calls and outwork Republicans.”

“Actions speak louder than words — and no matter how many times Stacey Abrams talks the talk, Brian Kemp and I have walked the walk for rural Georgia,” said Tyler Harper, the GOP nominee for agriculture commissioner. “And it’s why we are going to win in November.”

Chatham County experienced a 20% uptick in overdoses fueled by fentanyl, according to WSAV.

In a recent report to the county commission, The Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team said overdose deaths are up 20% compared to this time last year.

Director Michael Sarhatt said more and more illegal drugs are laced with fentanyl — including heroin, cocaine, meth, marijuana and any type of pills.

“My advice to everybody to everybody in the county, and to all the parents and basically everybody, if you don’t physically go to the pharmacist yourself, get what you were prescribed from a medical doctor and you take that home and that’s the pill that you take, you’re rolling the dice,” Sarhatt said.

Chatham County authorities are also seeing a new, purple fentanyl, on the streets now. They say the color makes the drug easier to spot and avoid.

Chatham County still has roughly $12 million dollars in federal aid to dole out for rental assistance, according to WTOC.

In order to qualify, you need to be a Chatham County resident, living in a single or multi family rental home or mobile home, must meet the income requirements, be able to show proof that the household is at risk of experiencing homelessness, housing instability or eviction and lastly, that someone in the household qualified for unemployment benefits, experienced loss of income or other financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UGA Agricultural Marketing Professor Gopi Munisamy says the industry faces challenges, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Gwinntt Daily Post.

Supply chain disruptions, trade wars, droughts across the globe, the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine are challenging farmers on multiple fronts, Gopi Munisamy, an agricultural marketing professor at the University of Georgia, told an audience of farm industry and political leaders during a summit on ag issues at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter.

Not to mention inflation, which is driving up the cost of farm inputs including fertilizer, seeds and diesel fuel.

“All those have gone up exponentially,” said state Sen. Larry Walker III, R-Perry, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

However, [Walker] said consumers buying more Georgia-grown farm products would help reduce the state’s reliance on overseas imports.

“Supporting Georgia-grown is in our best interests,” he said. “We may have to pay more for food, but we’ll be better off in the long run.”

The Evans County Board of Education adopted a property tax hike, blaming the state, according to WTOC.

Property taxes in Evans County are going up this year. The board of education unanimously approving the 2022 millage rate at 14 mills.

This after they received a suggested rollback rate of 13.993 mills.

School leaders say that state law requires a millage rate of 14 mills in order for them to get more than $2 million in state funding.

“We can’t forgo the $2.2 million in state funds without having drastic impacts on school attrition, transportation, and school services. So, we have had a commitment over the last 6 years to maintain the 14 mills and I think that’s what the board will continue to do and hopefully continue to do in the future as well,” Evans County Schools Superintendent Marty Waters said.

Hall County public schools will partner with UGA to allow dual enrollment in high school and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, according to AccessWDUN.

The Howard E. Ivester Early College is a campus in the Hall County School District that specifically focuses on dual enrollment for high school students who are academically ready. The campus provides students an opportunity to earn a high school diploma while also earning college credits.

“We are proud of our six-year relationship with our current college partners: Brenau University, Lanier Technical College, and the University of North Georgia,” said Ivester Dean of Students, Michele Hood. “Now, we are excited to partner and begin a new journey with the University of Georgia.”

The program is hopeful more students will be attracted to the field of agriculture, which is the leading industry for the state of Georgia. “Almost one half of Georgia’s economy depends on agriculture,” said Superintendent Will Schofield. “We need to do more to expose students to the career opportunities that exist in this critical area. Our venture with UGA and the Ivester Foundation is an exciting opportunity that has the potential to change lives and strengthen the economy of the great state of Georgia. We are grateful for the partnership.”

Democratic candidate for State School Superintendent Alisha Thomas Searcy spoke in Valdosta, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Searcy is running for Georgia state superintendent of schools. She is on the ballot in the general election on Nov. 8; she advanced from the Democratic primary on May 24.

Lowndes County Democratic Party hosted a meet and greet with the candidate, following her visits to local churches and lunch with local supporters on Sunday.

Adrian Rivers, Lowndes County Democratic Party chair and 8th congressional chair for the Democratic Party of Georgia, said, “We have to get out and vote. We have a very critical race to win in Georgia and all hands are on deck to change Georgia for the better.”

As state superintendent, Searcy said her plans are:

– Redesign a system that works for every child in every corner of the state.

–Ensure Georgia students learn in safe schools.

– Address teacher burnout and ensure teachers feel respected and supported.

– Create an educational system where parents feel empowered and have the ability to choose a public school that works best for their children.

United States Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Atlanta) is again criticizing Herschel Walker over debates, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

Warnock told the Ledger-Enquirer that voters “deserve better” from Walker regarding debate appearances.

“He accepted a different debate after saying he would debate me anywhere, anytime, and (it’s) a debate where you’re given the questions in advance. I think the people of Georgia deserve better,” Warnock said. “I think they deserve an authentic conversation and a chance to see the sharp contrast between me and my opponent.”

Two Democratic candidates held a joint press conference to criticize their opponents. From WTOC:

Charlie Bailey for Lieutenant Governor and Wade Herring for Georgia’s First Congressional District held a news conference in Savannah.

Both candidates called out elected officials Buddy Carter and Burt Jones for what they call “extremist” policies and viewpoints.

“When I get a hospital bill, can I pay it? Instead of working on those issues that are closest to the hearts and everyday lives of the people of Georgia, Burt Jones, my opponent is engaged in the politics of extremism,” said Bailey.

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller explained that his anti-violence program will take years to work, according to 13WMAZ.

“This is not going to be instantaneous where you stop bullets from flying,” Miller said during the August edition of Ask Mayor Miller, an interview program that aired Saturday on 13WMAZ.

By addressing root causes of violence by counseling and educating young people, Miller said the MVP program is taking a long-term approach.

The mayor also said law enforcement knows there is a small group of people that is causing the majority of the problems.

“When the sheriff arrests those folks, they are going to have to stay in jail until their court case comes up,” Miller said. “We’ve seen time and time again that people who have committed offenses and had victims across Macon-Bibb County, they’re let out of jail. Within a reasonably short period of time, they reoffend.”

Dr. William “Todd” Cason announced he will retire as Superintendent of Valdosta City Schools at the end of the year, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Whitfield County Tax Commissioner Danny Sane urged all residents to ensure they sign up for any property tax exemptions for which the qualify, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

“Anyone who owns a home in this county, if it’s your primary residence, the county knocks off $20,000 of the value of the property (for county maintenance and operations and special tax district taxes),” Sane said. “Some places in the state, the county knocks off $2,000. Some places $10,000. I don’t think there are a whole lot of counties that knock off $20,000 or more.”

In addition, homeowners outside the city of Dalton who are 65 and older and earn less than $35,000 a year can receive an exemption of $87,500 for school taxes only.

“Now, at age 70 and older, it doesn’t matter how much money you make,” Sane said. “We deduct $150,000 for school purposes.”

City of Dalton residents qualify for homestead exemptions.

“Both the city government and the city school system have an exemption of $75,000 at 65 and older if your income is $35,000 or less and $150,000 at 70 and older,” Sane said. “That may not sound like a lot, but it was a pretty big sacrifice for all entities. It costs them millions of dollars, and I really appreciate the school boards taking part.”

The first senior exemptions, for those 65 and older, were enacted by local legislation passed by the state legislature in 1996.

“I was trying to exempt those with below the median home value at the time and the median Social Security at the time,” Sane said. “A man and his wife were probably drawing $1,000 apiece at the time, and even with a part-time job, he probably wasn’t going to hit $35,000 in income.”

The second senior exemption, for those 70 and older, was passed in 2003.

Sane said he isn’t sure how many people in the county qualify for those exemptions. He said he puts a note on every tax bill that certain elderly persons may be entitled to these exemptions and should contact his office for more information. But he said the type on that notice is small (“The state doesn’t let me make it any bigger than that”), and people may not notice.