Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for December 13, 2024

On December 13, 1636, the Massachusetts Bay Colony General Court organized three regiments of militia to guard against attacks by the Pequot Indians. That day is recognized as the birth of the National Guard.

Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the Constitution on December 12, 1787.

On December 15, 1791, Virginia ratified the Bill of Rights, giving the first ten Amendments a three-quarter majority required to become law.

President George Washington died at Mount Vernon on December 14, 1799. Here’s an article about the nation’s mourning for our first President.

The Congress, in session at the capital of Philadelphia when Washington’s death was announced, immediately adjourned. The House of Representatives assembled the next day and resolved to shroud the Speaker’s chair in black and have members wear black during the remainder of the session. On December 23, John Marshall speaking for the joint committee of both houses, presented five points that became the foundation for the United States’ first “state” funeral. Resolutions structured mourning events around public commemorations that fostered unity and a sense of national identity among grieving Americans.

Echols County, Georgia was created by the Georgia General Assembly on December 13, 1858.

On December 15, 1859, Georgia Governor Joseph Brown signed legislation outlawing public execution of criminals. The previous day he signed legislation prohibiting slave owners from freeing their slaves on the owner’s death.

President William McKinley addressed the Georgia General Assembly on December 14, 1898.

Guglielmo Marconi completed the first transatlantic radio transmission from Cornwall, England to Newfoundland on December 12, 1901.

On December 14, 1939, a parade was held through downtown Atlanta with stars from Gone With the Wind and the Junior League held a ball that night. The next day, December 15, 1939, Gone With the Wind held its world premiere at Loew’s Grand Theater in Atlanta.

Dickey Betts, guitarist for the Allman Brothers Band, was born on December 12, 1943.

Jimmy Carter announced he would run for President of the United States on December 12, 1974.

President Jimmy Carter announced on December 15, 1978 that U.S. diplomatic recognition of the People’s Republic of China would begin on January 1, 1979.

Former Georgia Governor Ellis Arnall died on December 13, 1992. Arnall served in the State House, as Speaker, Attorney General, and in 1942 at the age of 35, was elected Governor.

Arnall also led the fight to outlaw the poll tax and the white primary, and is noted for making Georgia the first state to allow 18-year-olds to vote. He is further remembered for his role in obtaining a new state constitution for Georgia in 1945.

The United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee released a report on December 15, 1998 that recommended impeachment against President Bill Clinton and introduced H.Res. 611.

The United States Supreme Court released its decision in Bush v. Gore on December 12, 2000, stopping manual recounts of contested ballots in Florida.

Al Gore conceded the presidential election to George W. Bush on December 13, 2000.

On December 15, 2016, Republican Tim Echols was sworn in by Gov. Nathan Deal to a second term on the Georgia Public Service Commission.

On December 14, 2020, early voting began for the January 5, 2021 Runoff elections in which incumbent United States Senator David Perdue lost his seat and gave away the GOP Senate majority to Democrat Jon Ossoff.

A federal lawsuit aims to reinstate the name of Confederate Colonel John Mosby to the National Ranger Memorial and the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Moore, fka Fort Benning, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

The National Ranger Memorial Foundation has taken another step in its fight to reinstate the name of a Confederate officer to the National Ranger Memorial at Fort Moore.

A motion hearing was held Thursday in a federal courtroom in Columbus in the ongoing lawsuit the NRMF filed against the U.S. Department of Defense to reinstate the name of Col. John Mosby, a former Confederate soldier, to the ranger memorial.

The Fort Moore garrison commander directed the foundation to remove Mosby’s name from the memorial and hall of fame, the Ledger-Enquirer reported in June 2023.

This was based on a September 2022 final report from the DOD Naming Commission recommending the removal of names associated with the Confederacy from U.S. military assets, the Ledger-Enquirer reported in November 2024.

Jonathan Corley, attorney representing the National Ranger Memorial Foundation, argued that while Mosby’s name did appear in the body of a report recommending his name be removed from the memorial, it was not included in an appendix of that report, which contained a list of assets recommended to be changed.

That report was compiled by a commission responsible for identifying DOD assets commemorating the Confederacy and/or those or those who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America, according to court arguments.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Brian Kemp’s office released November 2024 state revenue numbers.

The State of Georgia’s net tax collections during the month of November approached $2.38 billion, for an increase of $52.9 million, or 2.3%, compared to FY 2024, when net tax collections totaled $2.32 billion for the month. Year to date, net tax revenue collections totaled nearly $13.02 billion, for a decrease of $8.3 million, or 0.1%, compared to November 2023, when net tax collections totaled $13.02 billion.

Year-to-year comparisons were affected by the 2023 motor fuel tax suspension. Net of motor fuel tax changes, revenues for the month of November were down 3.4% from the same month a year ago while year-to-date collections were down 2.2%. Net collections for November were also negatively impacted by the hurricane-related income tax filing and payment deadline extensions announced on October 3. Return and payment deadlines for both individual and corporate income taxes, from that date through April 2025, were extended to May 1, 2025, likely reducing collections of both individual and corporate income taxes except for payroll withholding collections.

The changes within the following tax categories account for November’s overall net tax revenue increase:

Individual Income Tax:  Individual Income Tax collections during November totaled roughly $1.18 billion, down from a total of nearly $1.29 billion in fiscal year 2024, for an overall decrease of $106.4 million or 8.3%.

The following notable components within Individual Income Tax combine for the net decrease:

• Individual Income Tax refunds issued (net of voided checks) decreased by $11.6 million or 14.4%
• Income Tax Withholding payments for November decreased by $113.7 million, or 8.9%, from FY 2024
• Individual Income Estimated Tax payments increased by $2.8 million, or 21.5%, compared to FY 2024
• All other Individual Tax categories, including Tax Return payments, were down a combined $7.1 million

Sales and Use Tax:  Gross Sales and Use Tax collections in November totaled roughly $1.60 billion, which was an increase of $97.3 million, or 6.5%, over FY 2024. Net Sales and Use Tax increased by $44.1 million, or 5.9%, compared to last year, when net Sales Tax revenue totaled $746.9 million. The adjusted Sales Tax distribution to local governments totaled $802.1 million, for an increase of $50.2 million, or 6.7%, over last year’s adjusted distribution total of $751.9 million, while Sales Tax refunds increased by $3 million versus FY 2024.

Corporate Income Tax:  Corporate Income Tax collections for November declined by $12.9 million, or 30.6%, compared to last year when net Corporate Tax revenues totaled $42.3 million.

The following notable components within Corporate Income Tax make up the net decrease:

• Corporate Income Tax refunds issued (net of voids) were up $2.2 million, or 7.5%, over FY 2024
• Corporate Income Estimated Tax payments decreased by $11.2 million, or 25.7%, from FY 2024
• All other Corporate Tax payments, including Tax Return payments, were up a combined $0.5 million

Motor Fuel Taxes:  Motor Fuel Tax collections for November increased by $130.8 million compared to last year, when Governor Kemp’s Executive Order to suspend the fuel tax and give Georgians relief from high gas prices, remained in effect until late November 2023, thereby effectively eliminating fuel tax collections for the month.

Motor Vehicle – Tag & Title Fees:  Motor Vehicle Tag & Title Fee collections for November decreased just slightly by $0.1 million, or 0.2%, compared to last year’s total of roughly $30.6 million, while Title ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) collections increased by almost $2 million, or 2.8%, from FY 2024.

Georgia State House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) discussed his priorities in the upcoming legislative session, according to the AJC.

House Speaker Jon Burns repeated his support for a measure to ban transgender girls from competing in girls sports in school but said he wouldn’t back other measures to impose restrictions on trans Georgians.

The Republican said the House would study an Arkansas-style Medicaid program, but his focus revolves around boosting federal-qualified health centers and increasing medical training rather than enacting a full-scale expansion that Gov. Brian Kemp firmly opposes.

And Burns downplayed the idea of broader election changes, such as an “instant runoffs” or limiting primaries to voters who register as party members, though he said legislators could take up some “tweaks” to election rules.
Burns outlined his approach to the upcoming legislative session in an interview Monday with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the Biennial Institute, a three-day session in Athens for new and returning lawmakers.

He told the AJC he endorses Kemp’s approach to Georgia’s growing surplus, which now tops $16.5 billion. The governor has said the surplus shouldn’t be used for recurring expenses, particularly amid recent reports of declining tax revenue.

And Burns expressed support for Kemp’s Pathways program, the governor’s signature health policy initiative that ties work and academic requirements to expanded health care coverage under Medicaid.

On Hurricane Helene aftermath:

“The other challenge we’re going to have now is a result of Helene. There will be additional costs that won’t be met by the federal government when it comes to cleanup on state highways, and that’s also a challenge with assisting our local governments.”

On whether he supports reviving a conversation over Medicaid expansion:

“We’ll continue to look at the Arkansas-type model to see if there are some fits there for Georgia, and we’ll continue to be in conversation with Gov. Kemp’s office. They’ve given a great deal of study to the Pathways program, and certainly we recognize that — and we support what he’s doing there. We believe our job is to look at different alternatives on how you provide health care, so we’ll continue to do that.”

On navigating the session with a 2026 race for top offices already underway:

“We’re focused on the job at hand. There are certainly people who are upwardly mobile, who want to move on to another position, but our job is about today. About what we can do this session to make Georgia better.”

Legislative nerds will want to read the article in its entirety.

From the Savannah Morning News:

Thursday morning, Speaker of the House Jon Burns, Georgia State Senator Billy Hickman and State Legislator Bill Hitchens provided a glimpse into the 2025 state agenda, giving residents a sneak peek into what is on the horizon for the community and state during the annual legislative breakfast in Effingham County.

Key areas state legislators want to address in 2025 include: agriculture, economic development, education and workforce, healthcare and housing.

School Safety

In September, Burns released a statement on his Facebook page, saying he hopes to add more policies to keep students safe to include the following:

• Evaluate new systems and technologies that may be utilized to detect the presence of firearms before they enter a school building.

• Increase penalties for making terroristic threats in our schools—and make it clear that here in Georgia, threats of violence against our students will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

• Reintroduce legislation that incentivizes safe storage and encourages law-abiding citizens to properly secure their firearms and obtain gun safety training.

During Thursday’s breakfast, Burns reiterated that the state is making it a point to ensure schools and students have the resources they need to prevent another tragedy.

“We are going to look at every reasonable step when it comes to students to get ahead of situations like what happened in Apalachee,” said Burns. “We want every school to have an SRO. When it comes to mental health issues, we want to address those issues.”

Healthcare

Burns suggested utilizing military veterans who have healthcare experience to add to the state’s healthcare workforce and making it a focal point to ensure mental healthcare is accessible to all.

In October, Effingham Health System unveiled the opening of its new Behavioral Health Center in Springfield. According to a press release, the county is underserved when it comes to specialized care for patients dealing with mental illness. For every 2,300 residents, there is just one provider compared to the state of Georgia which has one provider for every 640 residents.

Hickman also pointed to the need to entice doctors to underserved areas across the state.

“We are not as aggressive at attracting doctors to rural areas,” said Hickman. “We are thinking about that.“

From the Associated Press via WJBF:

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp told lawmakers Tuesday that he will emphasize relief efforts for Hurricane Helene and attempts to limit lawsuit verdicts in the state legislative session that begins Jan. 13.

The second-term Republican provided no details of his plan in a speech to members of the General Assembly gathered in Athens at the University of Georgia, but he did say he would propose both legal changes and new spending to address Helene, which cut a swath through eastern Georgia in September, killing 34 people in the state and causing billions in damage.

“With a path that was hundreds of mile wide, responding to the impacts of Hurricane Helene and providing relief to those most affected must be our top priority,” Kemp told lawmakers.

House Speaker Jon Burns, a Newington Republican, said he expected much of the package would look like what lawmakers agreed to after Hurricane Michael hit the state in 2018. That year, Georgia allocated $470 million. That included $200 million in income tax credits for timber and pecan farmers to replant trees and $69 million to help state and local agencies cover emergency response costs, $55 million to assist farmers suffering crop losses and $20 million for cleanup efforts on timberland.

Burns, whose family owns timber property, said wildfires would be a risk to all members of the public by next summer “if we don’t do something about helping those landowners clean up some of those disaster areas.”

State officials have already approved a plan for $100 million in loans to affected farmers and timber owners.

The governor also reiterated his pledge to limit lawsuit verdicts after delaying action for a year, saying solutions needed more study. He argues such verdicts are driving up costs and hampering business.

“We will take another step on an issue that we have worked on for multiple years and that both chambers agree we need to take action on — civil action litigation,” Kemp said without giving any details of his proposal.

Most Republicans say they’re ready to support the proposal but want to hear Kemp’s plan.

Members of the General Assembly gathered from Sunday through Tuesday at the university’s Biennial Institute to learn about issues and network following November elections that returned a 100-80 Republican majority in the state House and a 33-23 Republican majority in the state Senate.

Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones (R-Butts County) writes about the need to improve access to childcare, according to the AJC.

We must address an issue we can all agree on — the need to grow Georgia’s pool of teachers and child care workers. While workforce issues impact businesses across the board, there is a critical need among our child care centers and schools.

These are the places of impact where our youngest and most vulnerable are cared for and educated at the most pivotal moments in their lives. If we wish to remain the number one state in which to do business, we must prioritize innovative ways to grow our workforce, while also providing resources, like child care, for those who are willing and able to work. This includes keeping places of learning open and properly staffed, from day cares through high school. We must do more to ensure that Georgia’s workers have access to affordable and quality child care.

Child care is critical, not only for childhood development, but also for Georgia’s economy. Families across Georgia face the important choice of whether to have one spouse cut back on working hours or leave the workforce altogether due to the high cost of child care. We should do more to ensure more Georgians — especially moms — have access to quality and affordable child care so they can stay in the workforce if that’s what they choose to do.

To address this issue, I appointed and prioritized the Senate Study Committee on Access to Affordable Childcare. I want to thank Sen. Brian Strickland, R–McDonough, each member of the committee, stakeholders and community members who were engaged with this effort. The study committee filed its final report, and I am proud to prioritize the following initiatives from the recommendations.

First, I will propose an increase in the tax credit for child and dependent care expenses to 40% of taxable income (up from 30%).

Second, I will prioritize the creation of a Georgia Child Tax Credit of $250 per child under age 7, helping families with the youngest children offset the expenses they incur as their children reach school age.

Finally, I will propose expanding eligibility for Georgia’s tax credit for employer-sponsored child care and making the amount of that credit more generous. The proposal would allow such facilities to host more children of nonemployees and would allow the sponsor to claim up to 90% of the cost of operation as a credit (up from 75%). The proposal would also allow the credit to consume up to 75% of the sponsor’s income tax liability (up from 50%).

The Georgia Senate Study Committee on Access to Affordable Child Care, mentioned by LG Jones in his op-ed, introduced legislative proposals to address the issue, according to the Savannah Morning News.

During a Thursday meeting in Atlanta, senators on the Study Committee on Access to Affordable Child Care introduced a slate of proposals they say will benefit parents, childcare workers and businesses alike. The recommendations include a three-pronged approach, outlined in the committee’s final report, that will involve improving workforce recruitment and retention among childcare workers, expanding childcare access for families, and increasing funding opportunities for childcare centers.

“The issue of affording child care has great impacts across our state,” said state Sen. Brian Strickland (R-McDonough), who chairs the committee. Lawmakers had heard testimony from a variety of different groups throughout the committee’s hearings, he said, including childcare workers, advocates, and business leaders who were all invested in working to address the issue of inaccessible childcare.

“So we appreciate everybody coming to the table and we know this is an issue, we know this is a big problem,” he continued. “I think that there are things, luckily, that we can do that we’re going to go over here now to make childcare more accessible in our state and to make it more affordable.”

Lawmakers will likely seek to expand Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) funding, which could allow more families to access subsidized childcare services. The report also recommends implementing a variety of new tax credits for families and businesses, and evaluating the current regional differences in reimbursement rates for childcare centers. Eliminating such differences in reimbursement rates could benefit childcare centers in rural areas who say they are currently being reimbursed at lower rates than comparable centers in metro areas.

Additionally, legislators will look into tri-share childcare models that have been implemented in states like North Carolina and Michigan, in which the cost of childcare is split evenly between an employee, their employer, and the state government.

“My hope is this report will be studied as part of going into the upcoming legislative session, as we all work together to find creative ways to help bring down the cost of child care, to make it more accessible for more families in our state,” Strickland said.

From State Affairs:

Working parents in Georgia spend, on average, $20,732 a year for an infant and 4-year-old in a child care center, according to Child Care Aware of America, a group that works to create affordable child care. That’s more expensive than one year of college tuition, which averages about $8,300 in Georgia.

Committee chair Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, said at the start of Thursday’s meeting that the committee’s recommendations are small steps toward addressing a longstanding problem.

“We can’t fix this as a state government,” Strickland said during the 10-minute meeting. “This is something that is bigger than us. The issue of affording child care has great impacts across our state. It affects individual families that we don’t get to hear from because they’re at home caring for their children or trying to balance a job while caring for children.”

From Georgia Recorder:

Committee chair Brian Strickland, a McDonough Republican, said he’s optimistic that lawmakers in both chambers will have the appetite to take some serious action this year.

“Even though we’ve seen other issues come up in the past – other people have worked on this particular issue – this is the first time I’ve seen this much conversation about it,” he said. “It’s something that impacts, of course, anybody with children in our state. If you don’t have kids, you have grandkids or you know someone with kids and it’s something that everybody’s dealing with. So I’m just glad to see this conversation happening at such a high level. And so I do think you’re going to see some real reforms.”

Atlanta Democratic Sen. Elena Parent, who also served on the committee, said there is bipartisan agreement about the issue, but there will likely be debate during the session about how much the state should chip in.

“It’s a really important issue that has a ripple effect throughout our entire system, communities and economy, so that’s fantastic,” Parent said. “I think that there’s no doubt that in order to try to make child care more affordable for families, it will take some state investment, and so then the question is how much are the Republican leaders willing to make a meaningful investment in these critical needs that Georgia parents have?”

Strickland suggested lawmakers will be cautious about funding and may prefer to focus on expanding existing programs like CAPS rather than creating new programs that could call for high initial investments, such as a proposed early child care trust fund that could cost billions up front but yield more in returns over years and decades. The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute testified that investing $1.5 billion into such a trust fund could yield $1 billion in returns in the first ten years, while a $4 billion initial investment would yield nearly $2.8 billion in the same time frame.

“There’s the idea of increasing the current programs we have, such as more slots for CAPS, and that’s one thing, but you do have to be careful about creating a new program,” he said. “So we did mention in our report evaluating what some sort of trust fund program would look like, but I don’t think you’re going to see someone saying, here’s $2 billion, create a new program right now, because we have to be careful to stay within our finances and and look at what we’re spending.”

Parent argued that a trust fund, which could be a heavy political lift requiring a constitutional referendum and voter approval, would be a good use of the state’s $11 billion-plus surplus because it would continue to yield yearly payouts from the initial investment.

“Gov. (Brian) Kemp has made it clear, as have some of the other leaders, I think Speaker (Jon) Burns said this recently, too, that he does not see the very large surplus we have as being an appropriate use of year-over-year spending,” Parent said. “That’s kind of what I like about the trust fund idea, because it would be self-sustaining, and it would be the type of meaningful generational impact investment that you could make now that we have saved up this huge amount of money.”

Strickland, who is the father of two young children, said specific bills based on these recommendations will begin to be filed in January, and he expects more discussions on measures to help the families of the youngest Georgians.

“Looking beyond this, our current law on paternity leave, and we saw a paternal leave law for state employees doubled this last year, and should we go further with that?” Strickland said. “I think you’re looking at a big conversation around doing more to help people with children find ways to work, because it’s obviously good for these families, but it’s also good for businesses and employees as well.”

State legislators from Hall County discussed legislative priorities at a breakfast forum, according to AccessWDUN.

The Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce held its annual Eggs and Issues event at the Ramsey Conference Center at Lanier Technical College on Thursday.

Local businessman Doug Carter moderated for the eight representatives in attendance including State Senator-Elect for district 49 Drew Echols and State Senator for district 50 Bo Hatchett.

It also featured State Representatives for district 27 Lee Hawkins, district 29’s Matt Dubnik, district 30’s Derrick McCollum, district 31’s Emory Dunahoo, Jr., district 100’s David Clark, and district 103’s Soo Hong.

Health

The first question centered around health, specifically Governor Brian Kemp’s prioritization of liability reform in the next legislative session that begins on Jan. 13.

“We’re reviewing all of the information to come up with a solution that is good to not only protect our businesses … but also making sure that those that are hurt, those that are liable, are held liable and those that are hurt are compensated,” Hong said.

Mental Health and School Safety

Next, Carter moved on to mental health and how it relates to school safety, pointing the question toward Dubnik.

“We do have to tackle that from a financial standpoint, but we do have to also find a way to find more practicing clinicians who can help inside,” Dubnik said.

Hatchett said that while the financial investment is a good start, money can not solve all of the issues.

“$300-million towards school safety, and while that’s a great start … I don’t think money is going to solve the problem,” Hatchett said. “While it does start at the door of the school, it also starts at home.”

Transportation

With TSPLOST failing in Hall County, the focus shifted to transportation.

“I’m hoping we’re gonna push for more funding in Georgia for transportation options, that’s a huge issue especially here in north Georgia,” McCollum said.

Echols said that the state will continue trying to fund projects, including the Spouts Springs widening.

“The state of Georgia ponied up an extra $1.5-billion last year for transportation,” Echols said. “That’s a big number, but look forward to it again this year.”

A University of Georgia poll found higher voter confidence, according to WRDW.

A new poll from the University of Georgia measuring the state’s voter confidence in the recent 2024 presidential election showed a 14% increase in trust from the 2020 results.

The survey showed that in 2020, perhaps the most contentious race in political history, only 78% of Georgia voters expressed confidence in the election results. This year, 92% of all polled voters trusted the counting process and ultimate results.

“I think trust is the real standard when society is so polarized,” said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “The proof is in the pudding, the proof is in the numbers. What we have is accurate. The machines are good. We have these great election workers. It’s all come together.”

“Sometimes when people’s candidate doesn’t win, their trust isn’t as high as when their candidate does win,” said Raffensperger. “We get that.”

The School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia surveyed voters on various aspects of the voting process in Georgia during the recent presidential election.

From the AJC:

Nearly 98% of respondents who identified themselves as Republicans said they believed their ballots were counted as intended, up from 60% when the same question was asked after the 2020 race.

Among Democrats, 84% said they believe their ballots were counted correctly, down from 96% after the 2020 election.

This year’s election outcome was less contentious than the last one four years ago, when Trump falsely claimed there was massive fraud. Trump won by 2 percentage points in Georgia this year compared with Biden’s 0.2-percentage-point victory in 2020.

“Georgia elections are on the right track. These results show what we’ve been saying all along: Georgia elections are secure and accessible,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said.

The survey was conducted Nov. 11-20 by UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs. It included 1,541 registered Georgia voters who self-reported as having voted in this year’s general election. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points.

Although voters expressed confidence after the election, they were doubtful beforehand.

Nearly 3 out of 10 likely voters lacked confidence the election would be conducted fairly, according to a UGA poll in October commissioned by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

About 21% of Georgia voters said it was easier to cast a ballot than in the last election they voted in, and 3% said it was harder to vote. About 76% said there was no difference.

Few voters reported they had to wait long to vote. Almost 81% of voters said their wait was less than 10 minutes. Just 2% of voters said they waited more than 31 minutes, and less than 1% waited over an hour.

Though some folks might find this less-heartening: a State House election result is being appealed on allegations that some voters received incorrect ballots, according to the AJC.

Tucked in a jagged corner on the Georgia House map, Donna Harris and her neighbors voted last month for the candidates they thought could be their next representative.

It now appears they cast ballots in the wrong state House district in rural east Georgia, throwing the 48-vote outcome into doubt and jeopardizing a longtime Democrat’s reelection. The race was the closest House race in Georgia, with a 0.2 percentage point margin out of nearly 28,000 votes cast.

About 60 people likely voted in the incorrect district, according to mapping by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The apparent errors occurred after redistricting in 2021 in McDuffie County, where these voters were assigned to the wrong side of political borders running along roads and highways.

Incumbent state Rep. Mack Jackson, D-Sandersville, was the announced winner of the election, edging out Republican Tracy Wheeler, a businessperson from Sparta. But a judge could soon decide whether to order a new election.

“I didn’t know I was in the wrong district. It’s kind of crazy,” said Harris, who lives near the town of Dearing, population 537.

An election redo would give Wheeler another chance to earn a seat at the Georgia Capitol and build on Republicans’ 100-80 majority in the state House.

After Wheeler went to court to challenge the outcome of the election, the AJC sought to verify her allegations of ineligible voters.

Using voter registration lists, turnout records and mapping software, the AJC identified voters who were assigned to House District 128 but actually live just outside the district, in House District 125, where Republican Rep. Gary Richardson won reelection by a wide margin.

The voters live near the border between the two districts, often just across the street from the boundary. Under state law, a judge can order a new election when the number of ineligible voters exceeds the margin in the race.

Wheeler said districting mistakes must be corrected and voters should be allowed to recast their ballots.

Wheeler’s attorney, Jake Evans, said he’s confident in their case after winning similar election challenges in the past.

In August, a judge threw out a South Georgia school board race decided by just two votes because election officials in Tift County assigned voters in an apartment complex to the wrong district.

And in 2018 and 2019, a state House election had to be redone twice because of repeated mistakes that placed dozens of Habersham County voters in the incorrect district.

House District 128 includes 43,500 registered voters, stretching from outside Milledgeville to Sandersville and Thomson.

Thousands of Georgia public school students may be eligible for the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act’s $6500 private school voucher, according to WTOC.

That funding can be used for private school tuition or home school expenses.

This all comes after the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act was created, allowing students zoned in the 25% lowest performing schools in Georgia access to this program.

The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement is responsible for making the list of schools eligible across state, based on the College and Career Ready Performance Index.

Public school systems, on the other hand, are not feeling so great about the scholarship.

“There may be some well intended intent here, but there’s some unintended consequences,” said Kurt Hetager with the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

The biggest consequence, according to Hetager, is lack of funding for local schools.

“Vital resources that go into the daily operation of our public schools,” said Hetager.

The Georgia Education Savings Authority says this scholarship does not only apply to a child currently at a school on the list, but to any student living in the school’s attendance zone. So, even if a middle school is on the list, elementary and high school students living in that zone will apply for the up to $6,500.

From the Associated Press via WALB:

Hundreds of thousands of students in Georgia will be eligible for $6,500 vouchers to pay for private school tuition or home-schooling expenses — far more than many legislators expected — under an expansive interpretation of the law by the new agency running the program.

Students who attend the lowest performing 25% of schools under Georgia’s academic rating system are supposed to be eligible to apply.

But the Georgia Education Savings Authority, a body created by the law, wrote rules saying any student in such a school’s attendance zone is eligible, even if they don’t attend that school. For example, if a middle school is on the list, elementary and high school students who live in that zone can also apply.

“It’s going to dramatically increase the number of students who are eligible,” said Rep. Danny Mathis, a Cochran Republican. He opposed the law, saying it doesn’t actually solve problems in public schools. Now, all the students in four of the five counties Mathis represents south of Macon could get a chance to apply.

The law capped spending at 1% of the funding formula for public schools, or $144 million. That could provide more than 22,000 vouchers, if lawmakers decide to spend that much in 2025. But Georgia currently has 1.75 million public school students, and an Associated Press analysis finds more than 400,000 students could get a chance to apply.

Such broad eligibility means applications could far exceed the spending limit, creating pressure to raise it. Some opponents have said a push toward universal vouchers has been the point all along.

Georgia Education Savings Authority spokesperson Hayley Corbitt pointed to the language in the law, which says eligibility applies if “the student resides in the attendance zone of a public school that is included on the list.”

House Republican leaders, including Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones of Milton, say they want to rein in the authority’s interpretation. She says such broad eligibility isn’t what she advocated for.

“That wasn’t my understanding,” Jones said.

The House approved the program with no votes to spare this spring after seven rural Republicans and a Democrat flipped under pressure from Gov. Brian Kemp, House Speaker Jon Burns of Newington and other Republicans.

The House Education Committee chair, Republican Rep. Chris Erwin of Homer, said that if the rule isn’t rewritten, he will work to get it overturned.

“The scholarships are specifically designed for children in an individual school that meets the eligibility requirements, and are not intended to be provided to every student in a district where the qualifying school is located,” Erwin wrote in a text.

Erwin was superintendent for 11 years in Banks County, where all students could be eligible for vouchers.

It’s unclear how Senate Republicans feel. Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming, who as the bill’s sponsor was consulted on the rule-making, referred questions to Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. He didn’t respond to questions about how the law is being implemented, instead only expressing support for “educational freedom.”

“I believe more can be done to give parents greater control and resources that can meet their child’s unique educational needs,” Jones said in part in his statement.

An Associated Press analysis of the second list found every student in at least 67 of Georgia’s 180 public school districts, including every student in the districts serving Augusta and Macon, could be eligible. In many small districts with only one middle school or one high school, all students become eligible if one school makes the low-performing list.

For example, the 4,500 students at all six schools in middle Georgia’s Baldwin County could be eligible because Oak Hill Middle school was rated as low-performing. Eligibility also would extend to at least half the students in at least 13 other districts, including the city of Atlanta and its suburbs of DeKalb County, Clayton County and Douglas County.

Tift County public schools has installed weapon detection systems, according to the Tifton Gazette.

At Monday’s combined Tift County Board of Education regular meeting and work session, [Superintendent Natalie] Gore commended the district operations team for the installation of weapons detection systems at the schools.

“Last week, we completed a staggered deployment in each school,” Gore said, “with different entrances going live on different days.” She said all schools are fully operational now.

The Georgia Airport Commission says funding for airports is insufficient, according to The Brunswick News.

A study by the Georgia Airport Commission found that regional airports in Brunswick, Valdosta, Albany, Columbus, Macon, Savannah and Augusta need $83.5 million for capital improvements.

Georgia spends $2.8 million a year, with another $16 million from the Federal Aviation Administration, to support the airports.

Rob Burr, executive director for the Glynn County Airport Commission, served on the committee that conducted the study.

“The study was written because Georgia is not investing in airports like other states,” he said.

One possible solution to close the funding gap is for Georgia to begin collecting an aviation tax on fuel dedicated to supporting airports, which is how Tennessee and North Carolina fund their airports. In Georgia, state funding for airports comes from the general fund balance.

Ralph Staffins III, president and CEO of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, said airport funding will be an issue discussed during the annual visit to meet state lawmakers in Atlanta during the General Assembly session.

“We support the airport and our airport authority,” Staffins said. “We are blessed to have that airport. Our airport is poised for growth.”

From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Athens Banner Herald:

“Without increased investments, projects to improve infrastructure and enhance capacity will be deferred and Georgia’s airports will continue to fall behind neighboring states,” Collette Williams told members of the State Transportation Board’s Intermodal Committee.

Williams said a study of regional airports in Augusta, Brunswick, Columbus, Macon, Savannah, Albany, and Valdosta identified funding needs for capital improvement projects of $83.5 million per year. However, the airports receive only $16 million annually from the Federal Aviation Administration and $2.8 million a year from the state, she said.

In comparison, commercial airports in North Carolina are receiving $89 million per year in capital projects funding, while Tennessee airports are getting $33 million annually, she said.

Williams said those other states collect a dedicated sales tax on aviation fuel, while all of the state funding Georgia provides to commercial airports comes from the state’s general-fund budget.

“We really need to start looking at how we close this gap,” board member Cathy Williams of Columbus said. “When a private airplane or a corporate airplane decides to move because the facilities aren’t what they needed … that is business we are not going to get back.”

Committee Chair Emily Dunn of Blue Ridge said board members need to raise awareness among members of the General Assembly – who hold the state’s purse strings – of the funding gap confronting Georgia’s commercial airports.

Some Georgia TikTokers say a pending federal ban on the Chinese-owned app could hurt them economically, according to the AJC.

The holiday season is always the busiest for Paul Tran’s Atlanta-based skin care business Love & Pebble. But his attention is elsewhere as the future of TikTok — the source of about 90% of his sales — remains uncertain.

TikTok is still racing against the clock to challenge a law signed in April that bans the social media platform from operating in the U.S. if it cannot break its ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance and sell to a government-approved buyer by mid-January.

On Dec. 6, a federal appeals court rejected TikTok’s petition to overturn the law, siding with the Justice Department’s position that TikTok poses a risk to national security because of its connections to China. Officials say that Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok’s U.S. patrons or use the platform to spread, or suppress, information, The Associated Press reported. However, the U.S. hasn’t publicly provided examples of that happening, according to AP.

“I’m praying for a miracle at this time,” Tran said, who runs his business with his wife. “We have so much riding on this platform.”

A ban of the app in the U.S. has the potential to upend what is called “the creator economy” — the network of both influencers and brands making money from the content they post to social media platforms that Goldman Sachs calls “one of the biggest developments of the digital age.” TikTok is one of the most popular social media networking platforms by users across the globe, making it a key player in this arena.

On TikTok, influencers can monetize their content through the company directly, which compensates eligible creators based on views, or by partnering with brands, which pay the creator directly to advertise their products in videos. Businesses can also use TikTok to engage with customers and drive revenue by selling items directly through TikTok Shop, the app’s integrated e-commerce platform that launched last year.

Tran started posting videos to TikTok in 2021 to advertise Love & Pebble products. He and his wife found a much broader audience with TikTok compared to other apps and the company sold out of its entire inventory within the first month, a difficult feat for the competitive skin care industry. They eventually began selling their products directly through TikTok Shop, which now accounts for about 90% of his sales. Along with Tran and his wife, the company has three full-time employees.

Tran said he hopes the Supreme Court will hear their argument and President-elect Donald Trump will step in to either delay enforcement or pressure lawmakers to repeal the law. For now, the company is working across its other social media platforms — Instagram, Facebook and Twitter — to market its products.

United States Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Atlanta) announced the availability of grants to build out broadband infrastructure, according to WTOC.

Wednesday, Senator Jon Ossoff announced that the applications for broad band infrastructure funding are now open.

These applications are through the Georgia Technology Authority.

Keep in mind local governments, internet service providers and nonprofits can all apply.

This is made possible by bipartisan infrastructure law through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment.

U.S. Senator Ossoff also discussed federal plans to expand the footprint of the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge , according to WTOC.

Wednesday, Georgia Senator Ossoff announced a new effort to protect the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge in Georgia.

This new initiative would expand the protected area of the swamp.

Right now, the US Fish and Wildlife Services is looking at this proposal to offer landowners in that area, an option to put that land into the conservation area.

“Enthusiastically supporting the proposed expansion of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. This is a treasured conservation and wildlife and wilderness site for Georgians. I like so many Georgians spent childhood days paddling, exploring in the swamp. I’m pleased to see this proposal to expand and strengthen the refuge as a site for Georgians to enjoy now and for future generations,” said Senator Ossoff.

Chatham County Commission Chair Chester Ellis discussed a possible “fire tax” to fund emergency services, according to WSAV.

“We were not comfortable, nor were the citizens comfortable with the level of fire services that were being received,” Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis told News 3.

He described to News 3 what the condition of the fire protection services were before the county took over on July 1. Now, what was once a separate bill called a “fire fee,” could possibly become a fire tax which would make it part of your property taxes sometime next year.

“The county itself now owns the fire department, and that’s a part of our service delivery,” Ellis said. “And because it’s in service delivery, all our service delivery comes out of taxes, not fees.”

This comes after the county got rid of a third-party vendor, which rendered fire service to unincorporated Chatham County. Residents were once charged 14 cents per square foot, a formula the chairman said will no longer apply.

County officials are now trying to figure out ways to fund the department, including salaries for its workers.

“We are looking at putting up new firehouse houses and new fire stations and all this money collected with fire tax will go to the service of the fire department,” Ellis said.

The proposed fire tax is still in its early stages. Ellis told News 3 that the commission should have a better idea of how residents will be taxed before Dec. 20, which is the next regular meeting.

“Right now, nobody should be getting a fire fee bill,” Ellis said. “We have to work out the logistics of how it is going to be, and we have to get with the board of assessors that we have to get with the tax commissioner on how those taxes will be collected.”

He added, “We are trying to meet that demand with the demand before it gets beyond what we are capable of handling. So, we are looking at how exactly what the impact of the fire tax will be on the unincorporated area”

Cordele City Commissioner Royce Reeves was sentenced after pleading guilty to felony charges, according to WALB.

Today, a Cordele city commissioner, Royce Reeves, was sentenced to probation for felony violation of oath, misdemeanor criminal trespass, and obstruction of an officer charges.

Royce Reeves will serve a total of 60 months of consecutive probation that will be subject to special drug and alcohol conditions. Additionally, Reeves will have to pay a total of $1500 in fines, and serve 40 hours of community service.

These charges stem back to an incident in June of 2021 where Reeves attempted to get onto the scene of his friend’s motorcycle crash. Reeves was found not guilty of additional charges, including felony obstruction of an officer and disorderly conduct.

At a later date, Reeves will go to trial once more in a separate case.

He was charged with conspiracy to sell marijuana, Gang Act B, use of a communication facility, and RICO in July of this year.

WALB is working to find out what today’s sentence means for his commission seat.

Former Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson appeared in court in connection with charges that she interfered with the investigation of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, according to WTOC via WALB.

Former District Attorney Jackie Johnson appeared before a judge as she prepares to stand trial on violation of oath and obstruction charges.

Prosecutors say Johnson did not treat Arbery or his family fairly.

For nearly an hour Wednesday, lawyers argued over what evidence should be allowed in her trial.

The former Brunswick District Attorney appeared for the first time in front of judge since being charged in 2021.

She’s accused of using her power as Glynn County’s top prosecutor to favor Gregory McMichael and direct officers not to arrest McMichael’s son Travis after the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery.

The McMichael’s along with former neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan were convicted of murder and federal hate crimes after the three were charged with chasing the 25-year-old Black man through Brunswick’s Satilla Shores neighborhood in a truck and shooting him.

Judge John Turner will also have to decide if Georgia’s Attorney General Chris Carr can prosecute the case.

Johnson’s lawyer, Brian Steel argued Carr should be disqualified.

The indictment says Johnson did not tell the A.G. she sought help from fellow D.A. George Barnhill, after she recused herself from the Arbery investigation and recommended Barnhill to prosecute the case instead.

Steel said he plans to call A.G. Carr as a witness.

“I don’t believe that it is within the law to allow a prosecutor, or any lawyer, to also be a witness and it’s a material witness, in the case,” said Steel.

Prosecutors pushed back, saying the move would slow down the case even more.

“By trying to make Attorney General Carr a witness, by speculation, without subpoenaing him, and try to come up with some vague reason, they’re trying to get this case into a place where it cannot go forward any longer,” said prosecutor John Fowler.

Johnson was silent in court Wednesday and has pleaded not guilty.

Judge Turner said he’d rule on these latest motions next week ahead of jury selection expected to start January 21st.

Meanwhile, the Cobb County Assistant District Attorney who prosecuted Arbery’s killers is leaving the DA’s office, according to the AJC.

Veteran prosecutor Linda Dunikoski was shocked to learn that she’ll be out of a job next year when the newly elected district attorney takes charge in Cobb County.

Dunikoski made a name for herself trying two of Georgia’s most high-profile, closely scrutinized trials of the past decade.

Her work as the lead prosecutor in the Ahmaud Arbery murder case netted life sentences for the three men who chased down the 25-year-old as he jogged through a coastal Georgia neighborhood. She was also part of the Fulton County prosecution team that secured convictions for 11 of the 12 Atlanta Public Schools educators who stood trial in the test cheating scandal case.
But she is leaving the district attorney’s office at the end of the year after being told her services are no longer needed.

“I was completely blindsided by the decision,” said Dunikoski, a senior assistant district attorney who leads the appellate section of the Cobb DA’s office. “I don’t even know why.”

In her resignation letter to outgoing District Attorney Flynn Broady on Tuesday, Dunikoski said she was informed of the decision in writing by a representative of DA-elect Sonya Allen.

“It has been an honor serving the people of the State of Georgia and the citizens of Cobb County for the last five years,” Dunikoski told Broady. “I especially want to thank you for entrusting me and our great trial team with the prosecution of the three men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery.”

Allen, who was sworn in Monday night, ousted the incumbent Democrat in May’s primary, receiving nearly 55% of the vote. She faced no Republican opposition in last month’s general election.

Dunikoski was named Assistant District Attorney of the Year in 2023 by the District Attorneys’ Association of Georgia. In 2022, the Daily Report named her Attorney of the Year in Georgia.

Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hugley announced he will retire at the end of 2025, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

When he retires Dec. 31, 2025, from the Columbus Consolidated Government, Hugley will have worked 41 years for CCG, including 20 years as city manager.

Hugley, 67, said he entered CCG’s Deferred Retirement Option Plan two years ago. The plan allows eligible employees (who are at least age 65 with 30 years of work for the city) to accumulate tax-deferred pension payments while earning their salary for three years.

“I am at that point in my life where I am able to get the full pension from the city,” he said. “I am at that point in my life where I am able to get my full Social Security without penalty, . . . and so it’s time to pass the baton to someone else who can take it to the next level.”

Asked whether anyone pressured or asked him to retire and whether his decision is connected to the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office investigation of the city’s finance department, Hugley said, “Absolutely not. I filed my retirement papers in November of 2022.”

Those following Columbus politics have mentioned Hugley as a possible candidate in the next mayoral election, which will be in 2026. Mayor Skip Henderson, who was re-elected in 2022, can’t run for mayor again because of the city’s two-term limit.

Asked whether he will be a mayoral candidate in 2026, Hugley said, “Well, let me just say that a lot of people approach me about the notion of running for mayor, but I don’t know what I’m going to do once I retire. I’ll wait and see what God says.”

The mayor of Columbus appoints the city manager, and the city council votes on the selection. Henderson hasn’t replied to the Ledger-Enquirer’s questions about Hugley’s pending retirement.