Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for August 8, 2025

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 printed copy of the Declaration of Independence arrived in Savannah on August 8, 1776 and was read publicly for the first time 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 8, 1863, General Robert E. Lee offered his resignation in a letter to Confederate President Jefferson Davis, following the Battle of Gettysburg.

On August 10, 1864, the bombardment of Atlanta by Union force continued, with Sherman writing, “Let us destroy Atlanta and make it a desolation.”

Herman E. Talmadge was born on August 9, 1913, son of Eugene Talmadge, who later served as Governor. Herman Talmadge himself served as Governor and United States Senator from Georgia.

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.

On August 8, 1925, Georgia Governor Clifford Walker signed legislation outlawing the brazen act of dancing publicly on Sunday.

On August 8, 1929, Georgia Governor Lamartine Hardman signed legislation placing on the ballot for Fulton and Campbell County voters a merger of the two.

The old Campbell County Courthouse still stands in Fairburn, Georgia.

Japan accepted unconditional surrender on August 10, 1945, one day after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew were nominated for President and Vice President by the Republican National Convention on August 8, 1968.

On August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon resigned, effective at noon the next day.

On August 9, 1974, Gerald Ford was sworn in as President of the United States after the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Ford, the first president who came to the office through appointment rather than election, had replaced Spiro Agnew as vice president only eight months before. In a political scandal independent of the Nixon administration’s wrongdoings in the Watergate affair, Agnew had been forced to resign in disgrace after he was charged with income tax evasion and political corruption.

In September 1974, Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while in office, explaining that he wanted to end the national divisions created by the Watergate scandal.

Red Dawn, the first movie rated PG-13 was released on August 10, 1984.

On August 9, 1988, President Ronald Reagan announced his nomination of Dr. Lauro Cavazos as Secretary of Education, succeeding William Bennett. Cavazos was the first Hispanic to serve in a Presidential Cabinet position. Interestingly, he was born on the King Ranch.

On August 9, 1990, voters in the City of Athens and Clarke County chose to unify the two governments into Athens-Clarke County government.

On August 9, 1995, Jerry Garcia died of a heart attack while at a residential drug treatment facility. I remember where I was when I heard.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

A three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rejected the appeal of former State Rep. Stan Watson, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.

In Georgia, people can be held responsible for false imprisonment if they get police to arrest someone who did nothing wrong.

A former DeKalb County commissioner learned that costly lesson Monday in federal appeals court when judges sided with two women who are seeking $100,000 in damages and legal costs.

The story almost writes itself.

“This appeal is about a man who lost his wallet and, shortly after, his solvency. We begin with the wallet. We then turn to his bankruptcy,” starts the opinion of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. It continues: “On July 12, 2012, Stanley Watson, a DeKalb County commissioner, entered the Tanqueray Lounge in Decatur, Georgia, and saw Shenekka Bradsher sitting at the bar.”

Things went downhill quickly.

He bought her drinks and asked her to go home with him. She felt insulted and called him “big” and “greasy.”

When Watson couldn’t find his wallet, he accused her and her friend Zarinah Ali of stealing it.

He then got an off-duty police sergeant who was providing security to arrest Bradsher, the opinion says. Watson, whom the opinion says was “intoxicated,” “belligerent,” and “irate,” then briefly drove away despite the officer’s concerns about his condition. Watson returned, then a lieutenant arrived and called a major who told the lieutenant to tell the sergeant to let someone take Watson home. Watson wanted them to arrest Ali, and they told her to remain on the scene.

The sergeant wrote in his incident report that “circumstances beyond his control” prevented his arresting Watson, adding that he did not “feel right” arresting Bradsher, whom he released with a warning.

A video of the incident shows Watson threatening to call the police chief and threatening the bar with the loss of its food certification.

The next day, Watson found his wallet in his car.

The women sued, Watson filed for bankruptcy, the case got hearings in bankruptcy court and district court, then made its way to the appeals court.

The appeals court concluded that the bankruptcy court did not err in finding Watson had “willfully and maliciously” caused the confinement of the women.

The women also received a judgement against Watson for slander, but the bankruptcy court determined that Watson didn’t have to pay that $50,000. However, he remains liable for the $100,000 stemming from false imprisonment.

The moral of this story: it’s safe to relay facts to an officer and share an opinion that a person should be arrested. But one may be held liable for false imprisonment if one “actively instigates or procures” an arrest.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr (R-Cobb County) has filed a lawsuit against Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones (R-Jackson) over campaign loans, according to Atlanta News First and the Associated Press via WALB.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr — who is seeking to become the state’s next governor — filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against the only other GOP gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.

The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Atlanta, asks a judge to permanently cut off Jones’ ability to spend money from Jones’ leadership committee, a special fundraising vehicle that allows Georgia’s governor, lieutenant governor and legislative leaders to raise unlimited funds.

Carr argues the leadership committee violates Carr’s First Amendment right to free speech as well as his 14th Amendment right to equal protection by setting up a campaign finance structure that favors Jones and limits how much Carr can spend on his campaign.

The 2021 state law that created leadership committees doesn’t grant Carr or other candidates access to the fundraising vehicle. Instead, Carr only has a regular campaign committee which is limited to raising $8,400 from each donor for his primary campaign, as well as $4,200 for any primary runoff.

Carr spokesperson Julia Mazzone said Jones “is using his position to sidestep contribution limits, raise six-figure checks during legislative sessions and funnel unlimited money into a competitive primary through a structure only he can access.”

Jones’ campaign spokesperson Kendyl Parker called Carr a hypocrite because his office in 2022 defended the same law he is now challenging. Carr’s position has been that the attorney general is obligated to defend challenged laws even if he personally disagrees with them. Parker did not address the substance of Carr’s lawsuit.

Last month, Carr asked the Georgia Ethics Commission to determine if Jones illegally lent $10 million to his campaign committee to evade restrictions under state campaign finance law.

Carr’s campaign lawyer asked the commission for a legal opinion, saying Jones was prohibited from making the loan to his leadership committee, a special fundraising vehicle that allows the governor, lieutenant governor and legislative leaders to raise unlimited funds.

At the time, a Jones spokesperson called the complaint a “weak attempt to get attention.” The ethics commission declined Carr’s request.

So far, Carr and Jones are the only Republicans seeking their party’s 2026 gubernatorial nomination in the race to replace outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp.

Earlier this week, former state Labor commissioner Michael Thurmond joined four other Democrats — state Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson, former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and businessman/pastor Olu Brown — who are seeking their party’s nomination.

From the AJC:

In the 24-page lawsuit, Carr argues Jones’ ability to raise and spend unlimited funds through his leadership committee “significantly disadvantages” Carr’s campaign for governor. Carr is capped at $13,200 per donor for the primary and runoff combined.

“Mr. Jones is raising and spending unlimited amounts of money in the primary — and Mr. Carr is limited in what he can raise by Georgia’s existing campaign contribution limits,” the lawsuit states. “This Court should level this uneven playing field by preventing Mr. Jones from using his leadership committee during the primary election.”

Jones spokesman Kendyl Parker noted that Carr’s office defended the state against several challenges to the fundraising law, which was championed by Gov. Brian Kemp and passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature in 2021.

“Georgia’s lackluster attorney general defended this law two years ago. Now, he’s running for governor and wants to challenge the same law he once defended,” said Parker. “If hypocrisy were an Olympic sport, he’d take gold.”

As attorney general, Carr is constitutionally bound to represent the state when it is sued.

The law allows governors, lieutenant governors, party nominees for those posts and legislative leaders to create leadership committees that can raise unlimited cash — even during the legislative session, when other state officials are barred from fundraising. The law excludes other statewide officials, including Carr. In just a few years, it has dramatically reshaped how political campaigns are financed.

In 2022, both Republican David Perdue and Democrat Stacey Abrams filed suits arguing that Kemp’s leadership committee gave him an unfair advantage during the primary and general elections. U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen sided with both challengers, temporarily blocking Kemp from using the committee until he secured the GOP nomination.

Even so, once the primary was over, the law took full effect — and Kemp and Abrams combined to raise nearly $100 million through their leadership committees in the 2022 cycle.

The Carr campaign’s lawsuit seeks to block Jones from using his leadership committee during the GOP primary, prevent him from repaying a $10 million loan with donor funds, and asks a judge to appoint an independent monitor to oversee all future financial activity tied to the committee.

The suit lists $170,000 Jones collected from lobbyists, executives and companies during the 40-day legislative session.

“Leadership committees were never intended to be unregulated campaign machines,” Carr spokeswoman Julia Mazzone said.

“The court has ruled on this before, and the Constitution prohibits exactly what’s happening here,” she said. “We’re taking action to uphold transparency and accountability standards.”

Meanwhile, AG Carr’s Office moved to dismiss three lawsuits by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, according to the AJC.

The group is suing the state over the relocation of Confederate flags at Stone Mountain Park and the park’s planned “truth-telling” exhibit about the Civil War, slavery, segregation and the Ku Klux Klan.

Attorney General Chris Carr’s office has moved to dismiss the Sons of Confederate Veterans’ three lawsuits, arguing the group does not have legal grounds to sue and that the state is protected by sovereign immunity — a legal doctrine that normally shields governments from lawsuits.

“It’s important that people come to understand how it came to be and how they can find common ground even though the history is complicated,” Bill Stephens, CEO of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, said in an interview this week with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

But following the recent changes, the Sons of Confederate Veterans took aim at the relocation of the flags in May, filing a lawsuit against the state and another one against Stephens and association chairman Abraham Mosley. The group contends the relocation of the flags away from a walking trial violated state law.

The group also argued in a separate July lawsuit that the association broke a Georgia law requiring the state maintain the park as an “appropriate and suitable memorial for the Confederacy” by planning the proposed exhibit.

A group of transportation organizations closed on financing for new managed lanes, according to the AJC.

The group that last year won a massive contract to build and operate the new Ga. 400 express lanes has closed on the record-breaking financing package needed to pull off the nearly $11 billion project.

SR 400 Peach Partners expects to build the new 16-mile managed lanes by 2031 and collect tolls along the route for 50 years.

It’s the most expensive project the state has ever pursued, but because of the unique private-public partnership, state officials say it will have limited impact on taxpayers. It also will allow for future bus rapid transit connection from the North Springs MARTA station.

In order to fund the project, the consortium on Tuesday closed on a $3.9 billion low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation — the largest ever issued to a single borrower, the government said.

“Thanks to this loan, this crucial project will become a reality,” said SR 400 Peach Partners CEO Javier Gutierrez in a statement. Gov. Brian Kemp applauded the “largest public-private partnership in USDOT history.”

The loan has been a long time coming, as the state has been working for years to lay the groundwork with the federal government, Nuria Haltiwanger, CEO of ACS’ North American investment division ACS Infra, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“It’s a pretty fundamental project, and as anybody who’s driven on SR 400 knows, congestion relief is critical there,” she said.

The group also finalized $3.32 billion in tax-exempt private activity bonds Tuesday and will likely be the largest deal in American municipal capital markets this year, ACS estimates.

It’s the fruit of “bipartisan” lobbying efforts by the state and Georgia officials in D.C., Haltiwanger said.

Overall, the project’s capital investment will reach nearly $11 billion, ACS estimates.

That includes $4.6 billion to construct and $3.8 billion in an up-front concession fee to the Georgia Department of Transportation and the State Road and Tollway Authority.

“We’re building a project that is worth $4.6 billion of construction costs, and we’re paying GDOT $3.9 billion to do that,” she explained. While the group is putting in equity as well, “the financing is huge.”

Lowndes County Commissioners voted to accept an intergovernmental agreement to put their Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST IX) on the ballot, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

“Since the 1980s, Lowndes County voters have approved a one penny Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) to be collected for capital improvements across the community. SPLOST is a county-wide tax on items subject to state sales and use tax within the county,” said Meghan Barwick, Lowndes County’s public information officer. “In Lowndes County, SPLOST is the seventh penny on the dollar. SPLOST proceeds must be spent for capital, non-operating items by local governments.”

“The proposed SPLOST IX is not a new tax that will add an additional penny of sales tax. It is the renewal of the current seventh penny on the dollar. If passed by voters in November, SPLOST VIII collections will end on Dec. 31, 2025, and SPLOST IX collections will begin on Jan. 1, 2026,” said Barwick.

The SPLOST IX project list that was proposed focuses on improvements that will address the need of water/sewer facilities, public safety and transportation. Lowndes County, and the cities of Valdosta, Hahira, Lake Park, Remerton and Dasher met on April 23 to officially call for the referendum. Each of the local governments must approve the agreed upon sales tax allocation and project lists via action in a public meeting. Now that the County Commission has approved the agreement, it will move on to the city.

“Once approved by all local governments, on Aug. 26, 2025, the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will consider a final resolution required by law to move the list and approval consideration to voters via referendum in November,” said Barwick. “After the resolution is approved, a citizens advisory committee will be created to educate voters on the project lists along with overall community impact. SPLOST funds are required to be spent in accordance with the list approved by voters.”

Harris County property owners will see bigger tax bills this year, according to WTVM.

Harris County residents will soon see a two percent increase in property taxes. Two percent may not sound like a lot, but that could mean an additional 300 dollars a year or more in taxes. School officials say the increase is to make up for inflationary cost for school operations.

Harris County Superintendent Justin Finney says an increase in employee health care, purchasing new literacy materials required by the state, as well as the increase in operation cost have contributed to the need for an increased property tax.

“This year the Harris county school district has proposed a two mil increase from 16.5 to 18.5 mils in the property tax.” says superintendent Harris county school district Justin Finney

A millage rate is a tax rate used to calculate local property taxes. Superintendent of the Harris County school district Justin Finney says the school district has a separate rate from the county. He says half of the money generated from this tax goes funds the operations for the school district.

“What has warranted this increase is ongoing inflationary cost, unexpected requirements we had put on us from the state this year, and we are on the verge of needing a new elementary school. And building a new elementary school can be quite expensive.” says Finney

One resident says he hasn’t been told what the increases are for. He says until things are explained he is against paying more taxes.

“I’m against the increase until the expenses are known. If the increases are necessary, if we absolutely have to have them. But don’t say we have to have them until we have looked at where all the dollars are going.” says Harris County resident Shawn Morford

Finney says they will have town hall meetings soon starting August the seventh to explain and go into details about the need for the increase.

“We just want to be transparent with the tax payers. We want to be transparent and be completely open. We will have public hearing meetings starting tomorrow at 6 o’clock two more public hearing meetings on August 14th and the final hearing will be on August 19th.” says Finney.

Augusta Commissioners heard a staff-proposed budget, according to WJBF.

City Administrator Tameka Allen presented the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026, and took public comment from residents concerned about cuts and changes to the budget. Allen stressed that while the decision for the budget is a big one, her office plans to lead with accountability.

Former Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis spoke to the Charter review commission, according to WJBF.

Hardie Davis knows the job, spending two terms as Mayor, and Davis says the charter hasn’t served the city when it comes to the mayor’s authority.

“What we’ve had is chaos and confusion, a level of dysfunction that was inherently rooted into what was chartered,” Davis said.

Davis said the committee needs to correct this wrong, but some members don’t favor giving the mayor total control.

“I’m very interested in the city manager’s role, it’s difficult having 11 or 12 bosses I think,” said Committee Vice Chair Clint Bryant.

“We certainly need a good mayor and strong commissioners, but the city manager would be the person who does the day-to-day operations,” said member Lee Powell.

The committee also heard from the city attorney’s office about their meeting operation, after public infighting among some members.

They handed out the rules on proper decorum.

“It was needed I think it was needed we’re 11 volunteers who are not a custom to the ways of government, government definitely, definitely operates different than the private sector does,” said Chair Marcie Wilhelmi.

The Augusta Department of Housing and Community Development stopped accepting applications for rental assistance, according to WRDW.

Leaders say that due to the high level of demand, they are closing applications online and in-person at the Community Development Department.

The funds were made available to Augustans facing an emergency over eviction or utility costs through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

When the application opened, leaders said funding was limited and would be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Gwinnett County Commissioners will consider a budget that includes microtransit, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Gwinnett County transportation officials made their 2026 budget requests to a citizens budget review committee on Thursday. One of their two requests was a $400,000 operational request to establish a sort of sideways crescent moon-shaped “Central Business District” microtransit zone.

The proposed zone would launch in fall 2026 if it is funded in next year’s budget.

“The introduction of the new microtransit zone within the central business district is expected to provide significant benefits to the local community,” Gwinnett Transportation Director Edgardo Aponte said. “The estimated 2026 operating cost is $400,000, an estimate which reflects our commitment to flexible and efficient transportation options that meet the evolving needs of the community.”

Gwinnett has been slowly expanding its microtransit service since it was launched in 2023. The county began with zones in Lawrenceville and Snellville at first, but added a pilot zone in the Norcross and Gateway85 Community Improvement District area last year.

Microtransit is an on-demand service where residents can use an app to schedule pick-ups to take them from their homes to places in their community — such as doctor’s offices, schools, jobs, libraries, parks, stores and restaurants — at a cost of $3 for a one-way trip.

Transportation officials said the Norcross pilot zone is so far averaging about 1,100 trips per month this year while the Snellville zone is averaging about 1,900 trips per month and the Lawrenceville zone is averaging between 2,200 and 2,300 trips per month.

“It is continuously growing,” Gwinnett County Deputy Transportation Director for Safety, Operations, Mobility and Business Services Natasha Tyler said. “We actually noticed a spike in July where the Snellville zone hit almost 2,300, which was really high so I’m not sure if it’s just because kids are off from school and they were also using it more, but in July it almost saw Lawrenceville numbers.”