Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for December 18, 202

The British ship Mayflower landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts on December 18, 1620.

Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley who founded Methodism, and one of the great hymn-writers, was born on December 18, 1707. Wesley accompanied James Oglethorpe to Georgia in 1736.

The first national day of thanksgiving was observed on December 18, 1777 commemorating the American victory over the British at Saratoga the previous month.

Congress wrote, “It is therefore recommended to the Legislative or executive Powers of these UNITED STATES, to set apart THURSDAY, the eighteenth Day of December next, for solemn THANKSGIVING and PRAISE; That at one Time and with one Voice the good People may express the grateful Feelings of their Hearts, and consecrate themselves to the Service of their Divine Benefactor.”

George Washington’s Continental Army entered winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on December 19, 1777.

During 1777, Patriot forces under General Washington suffered major defeats against the British at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown; Philadelphia, the capital of the United States, fell into British hands. The particularly severe winter of 1777-1778 proved to be a great trial for the American army, and of the 11,000 soldiers stationed at Valley Forge, hundreds died from disease. However, the suffering troops were held together by loyalty to the Patriot cause and to General Washington, who stayed with his men.

When Washington’s army marched out of Valley Forge on June 19, 1778, the men were better disciplined and stronger in spirit than when they had entered.

In her youth, Mrs. GaPundit continually reminded her parents that the area in which she grew up, literally down the street from Valley Forge National Historic Park, was well known for causing frostbite.

On December 18, 1834, Governor William Lumpkin signed legislation chartering the Georgia Methodists Conference Manual Labor School at Oxford, Georgia, which would later become Emory College in 1836 and Emory University in 1915.

On December 19, 1860, the Georgia General Assembly adopted Resolution 14, which read in part,

Resolved 4th. That, should any or all of the Southern States determine in the present emergency to withdraw from the Union and resume their sovereignty, it is the sense of this General Assembly that such seceding States should form a confederacy under a republican form of government; and to that end they should adopt the Constitution of the United States, so altered and amended as to suit the new state of affairs.

On December 20, 1864, Confederate forces in Savannah retreated ahead of Sherman’s army, crossing over into South Carolina, four years to the day after South Carolina’s secession.

On December 18, 1865, U.S. Secretary of State William Seward issued a statement verifying the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which outlawed slavery in the United States.

The office of Superintendent of Public Education and Georgia Schools was created on December 18, 1866 when Gov. Charles Jenkins signed legislation passed by the General Assembly; on December 18, 1894, Gov. William Atkinson approved a resolution for a Constitutional Amendment to make the State School Commissioner elected statewide.

On December 19, 1868, Congress opened hearings into barriers African-Americans faced to voting in Georgia, which included threats, violence, and death.

The United States invaded Panama on December 20, 1989.

On December 19, 1998, the United States House of Representatives voted to approve two of four Articles of Impeachment against President Bill Clinton.

Article I was approved 228-206. Voting in favor were 223 Republicans and 5 Democrats. Voting against were 200 Democrats, 5 Republicans, and one Independent.

Article II was defeated 229-205. Voting in favor were 200 Republicans and 5 Democrats. Voting against were 200 Democrats, 28 Republicans, and one Independent.

Article III was approved 221-212. Voting in favor were 216 Republicans and 5 Democrats. Voting against were 199 Democrats, 12 Republicans, and one Independent.

Article IV was defeated 285-148. Voting in favor were 147 Republicans and one Democrat. Voting against were 203 Democrats, 81 Republicans, and one Independent.

On all four impeachment articles, Georgia’s congressional delegation voted exclusively along party lines. Republican congressmen Jack Kingston (1st district), Mac Collins (3rd district), Newt Gingrich (6th district), Bob Barr (7th district), Saxby Chambliss (8th district), Nathan Deal (9th district), Charlie Norwood (10th district), and John Linder (11th district) voted in favor of all four articles. Democratic congressmen Sanford Bishop (2nd district) and John Lewis (5th district) and congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (4th district) voted against all four articles.

Former United States Senator Johnny Isakson died on December 19, 2021.

Macon Mayor Lester Miller asked local groups to discuss memorializing Black Confederate soldiers, according to the Macon Telegraph.

Months after Macon Mayor Lester Miller said he wanted local NAACP leaders and the United Daughters of the Confederacy to meet about building a memorial for a Black Confederate, leaders of one of those groups say no progress has been made on meeting to discuss the issue.

The United Daughters of the Confederacy — a nonprofit — proposed the idea of building a memorial for a Black Confederate soldier in Macon-Bibb County, and offered to fund it. The county commission approved it, but Miller halted the plan. He said he wanted the Macon-Bibb County chapter of the NAACP and the United Daughters of the Confederacy to meet before moving forward.

The NAACP and United Daughters of the Confederacy still have not met, now two months later.

Miller initially asked Gwenette Westbrooks, president of the NAACP’s Macon chapter, to meet and discuss the matter, but never followed up beyond an initial text message, Westbrooks said.

Even if they did, the NAACP has little interest in talking about the issue and doesn’t plan to meet with the mayor or the nonprofit.

“We’re not going to meet with the Confederate group because we were not a part of the original conversation. We don’t know what that conversation was,” Westbrooks said.

“I’ve requested members of the (United) Daughters of the Confederacy as well as local African American leaders and NAACP to facilitate a meeting to discuss the particular request in more depth, of which time we’ll hold off on any decisions … until such time that we get a report,” [Miller] said.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Spoiler alert if you DVR Jeopardy to watch later. From the AJC:

“Georgia on our minds” was a Double Jeopardy category on Thursday’s episode. The clue (for $2,000, by the way): “Georgia’s governor since 2019, he’s made national news for defending elections in the state as secure and fair.”

Ashley Chan from Lewisville, Texas, knew the answer. She answered most of the clues in the category, which included Stone Mountain, the Appalachian Trail and Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low.

The only clue to stump the contestants? The Georgia church where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. (It’s Ebenezer Baptist, where U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is now the senior pastor.)

I guess that’s technically multiple spoiler alerts.

President-elect Donald Trump will appoint Herschel Walker as Ambassador to the Bahamas, according to 13WMAZ.

Walker, a former Heisman winner at the University of Georgia in 1980 and later turned politician who ran against Sen. Raphael Warnock in the 2022 midterms, was nominated to be the United States Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

He served on Trump’s first administration as co-chair of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. A statement from the Trump campaign said that Walker traveled to more than 400 military installations around the world to help remove the stigma around mental health. He also represented the U.S. at the 1992 Winter Olympics as a member of the U.S. bobsled team.

“Herschel has spent decades serving as an Ambassador to our Nation’s youth, our men and women in the Military, and athletes at home and abroad,” Trump said in a statement.

Walker and Warnock went to a runoff during the 2022 midterm election, as Warnock received 49.4% of the vote compared to Walker’s 48.5%. In the runoff a few short weeks later, Warnock garnered 51.4% of the vote, while Walker lost with 48.6%.

Despite losing the election, he earned an endorsement from future President-elect Trump in 2021, an endorsement he later paid back to Trump at a rally in Macon just days before the 2024 presidential election.

The former UGA running back and football legend also graduated from his alma mater last week, receiving his degree while hitting the Heisman pose while walking across the stage.

From the Associated Press via WTOC:

Trump made the announcement Tuesday in a post on Truth Social, his social media website. He described Walker as “a successful businessman, philanthropist, former Heisman Trophy winner.”

He campaigned for Trump this year in his home state of Georgia.

To hold the ambassador position, Walker will need his nomination approved next year by the Republican-led Senate.

He selected another Georgian, former Sen. David Perdue, to serve as U.S. ambassador to China. Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a 2022 primary against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

Another former senator from Georgia, Kelly Loeffler, was also tapped by Trump for a job. He chose her to lead the Small Business Administration.

From the AJC:

Trump also noted that Walker was a member of the U.S. bobsled team in the 1992 Winter Olympics.

“Congratulations Herschel! You will make Georgia, and our entire Nation, proud, because we know you will always put AMERICA FIRST!” Trump wrote.

Walker’s appointment will require Senate confirmation. That means he will likely be asking for the support of his former rival, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. Trump endorsed Walker in the 2022 race, but he lost to Warnock in a runoff.

Calvin Smyre retired as the longest-serving member of Georgia House after President Joe Biden appointed him in 2021 to an ambassadorship, first in the Dominican Republic before saying he would rather Smyre serve in the Bahamas.

Smyre never was confirmed by the Senate, and Biden chose not to reappoint him in 2023.

Walker joins a growing list of Georgians appointed by Trump to serve in his administration. He selected former U.S. Sen. David Perdue to serve as U.S. ambassador to China and former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler to lead the Small Business Association. Trump also tapped former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins to serve as his Veterans Affairs secretary.

Georgia’s Republican Presidential Electors cast their votes for Donald Trump, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.

Georgia’s Republican presidential electors formally cast their votes for former President Donald Trump Tuesday in a ceremony at the state Capitol.

The 16 electors, consistently largely of local GOP leaders, met on the same day electors in every state cast their votes either for Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, depending on which candidate the majority of voters in their state supported on Election Day last month.

Trump received 312 electoral votes – well above the 270 needed to win the election – to 226 for Democrat Harris. The former president carried Georgia by more than 115,000 votes.

Democrats have complained in recent years about the Electoral College, which was incorporated into the U.S. Constitution by the nation’s founders.

Democrat Hillary Clinton won more popular votes than Trump in 2016 but lost to Trump in the Electoral College. The same thing happened to Democrat Al Gore in 2000, when he won the popular vote but lost to Republican George W. Bush.

But Georgia Republican Chairman Josh McKoon, who served as an elector and chaired Tuesday’s meeting, defended the Electoral College as a wise decision by the founders.

“They didn’t want the most populous state in the nation picking the president,” McKoon said. “That’s why every state is able to participate in the Electoral College.”

McKoon said he was gratified that Tuesday’s meeting ran “like clockwork” in contrast to four years ago, when Republicans fielded an alternate slate of electors that met at the Capitol to vote for Trump, even though Democrat Joe Biden had won the popular vote in Georgia. The real electors – all Democrats – met on the same day inside the state Senate chambers to vote for Biden.

On Tuesday, McKoon said the Republican group met on the advice of lawyers who said the alternate slate of electors was necessary to preserve Trump’s legal options to challenge the results of the 2020 election. Those challenges were later dismissed in a variety of courts.

Congress will meet on Jan. 6 to count the electoral votes from across the nation. Trump will take the oath of office Jan. 20 on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Several new state laws go into effect January 1, 2025, according to Atlanta News First via WALB.

New changes to elections

While most of SB 189 became law earlier this year, several parts of the bill — Sections 4, 6 and 9 — will become law in the new year. One section of the bill that will become law on Jan. 1 requires those experiencing homelessness and without a permanent address to register to vote at the registrar’s office in the county they live in.

The bill also allows a county election superintendent to authorize the use of physical ballots of the same type as absentee ballots in certain elections, such as special primaries and runoffs, along with special elections that present a question to voters of a county. These elections will need to be independent from presidential primaries, statewide general primaries, statewide general elections and statewide special elections.

Another section of the bill will now make into law that a board of registrar or absentee ballot clerks will need to keep those ballots “safely, unopened and stored in a manner that will prevent tampering and unauthorized access.” The bill also lists several procedures for absentee ballots, including how and when absentee ballots are tabulated.

School voucher program

While the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, also known as SB 233, went into effect in April, applications for the program are expected to open in early 2025.

The new program will give up to $6,500 a year to families to pay for private school tuition or home-schooling expenses. The voucher program will be available to elementary, middle and high schools in Georgia deemed as low-performing.

Effective Jan. 1, the Georgia Foundation for Public Education will be authorized to receive donations from taxpayers and set guidelines for awarding grants to schools in the lowest 25% of schools identified by a state-wide accountability system.

Property taxes

HB 581 was also passed in the 2024 legislative session.

Effective Jan. 1, the bill limits future increases on a home’s taxable value.

Two third parties filed a lawsuit contesting “leadership committees” for some state elected officials, according to the AJC.

Georgia’s Libertarian and Green parties have challenged a state law that allows major party nominees for governor and lieutenant governor and incumbent leaders in the General Assembly to skirt campaign contribution limits.

Under the 2021 law, Republican and Democratic nominees for those offices can form “leadership” committees that can raise unlimited funds, while other candidates for statewide office are limited to receiving $8,400 from individual donors for the primary election and the same amount for the general election.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, the Libertarian and Green parties say the disparity violates their equal protection and free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution. At least four previous lawsuits have challenged the law, with mixed results.
In 2022, Republican David Perdue and Democrat Stacey Abrams filed separate lawsuits challenging the law. Perdue ran against Gov. Brian Kemp in the primary election that year, while Abrams challenged him in the general election.

Both challengers argued the law gave Kemp an unfair and illegal advantage. As the incumbent, Kemp could raise unlimited contributions, while they had to wait until they won their party’s nomination for governor.

In both case, U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen found merit to their arguments. In the Perdue lawsuit, he ordered Kemp’s political committee — Georgians First — to refrain from spending money to support his candidacy until he had secured the Republican nomination for governor. In Abrams’ lawsuit, he ordered the committee to stop raising money until he won the nomination.

The latest lawsuit says the law illegally allows only major party candidates for governor and lieutenant governor to form leadership committees. The Libertarian and Green parties seek to prevent Carr and the ethics commission from enforcing the law in a manner that violates their constitutional rights.

Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King may run for United States Senate in 2026, according to the AJC.

Insurance Commissioner John King isn’t yet a candidate for the U.S. Senate, and he might never be. But on Tuesday’s “Politically Georgia” podcast he laid out the case he would make if he entered the case.

“I’m a full supporter of Gov. Brian Kemp. If he chooses to run for the Senate, I think he would be the best candidate available,” King said. “But if he decides not to, I’m taking a hard look at it.”

The Republican’s comments confirm our AJC report last week that King is taking steps to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff if Kemp passes on a run.

King said he’s already had preliminary conversations with powerbrokers in Washington along with consultants in Atlanta. But he stressed that he’s “obviously making sure I don’t get ahead of Gov. Kemp.”

King said his record sets him apart from other potential Republican contenders, a list that could include Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as well as U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter of St. Simons Island and Mike Collins of Jackson.

Cordele Commissioner Royce Reeves is able to continue serving after pleading guilty to charges, according to WALB.

Commissioner Reeves has been charged with the following:

• Criminal trespass
• Obstruction of justice
• Violation of his oath of office

The charge of violation of oath of office is a felony under Georgia law.

However, Reeves has not been found guilty.

Since Reeves was sentenced under the First Offender Act, meaning there is no adjudication of guilt.

He also is allowed to remain a member of, and serve on, the Cordele City Commission.

Reeves was previously sentenced in early December in a 2021 incident where he attempted to enter the scene of a friend’s motorcycle accident.

In a separate case, he was charged with conspiracy to sell marijuana, Gang Act B, use of a communication facility, and RICO. A trail for those charges are set for a later date.

Savannah Classical Academy was hit with a shooting hoax, according to WTOC.

Everything started when someone called the Savannah Police Department and reported there was a person or persons with a gun on campus.

“The officer that called me said ‘hey’…. ‘there was a call into the 911 center that someone reported that there was a gun on our campus,’” said Barry Lollis, the CEO of Savannah Classical Academy.

SPD, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Board of Education Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol responded and determined there was no threat.

Savannah’s mayor commended the response of city’s police department in a Tuesday press conference.

“They quickly were able to ascertain the fact that it was a hoax, I think that was important for, not only the students, but also the parents and the surrounding community,” said Mayor Van Johnson.

SPD says that as of Tuesday, there are no leads on who made the phone call, though they do know that it wasn’t anyone at the school.

Whitfield County Commissioners scheduled a vote on the FY 2025 budget for Monday, December 23, 2024, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

The budget calls for $63.218 million in spending, up from $60.243 million budgeted for 2024.

Funding for the sheriff’s office enforcement and support services would rise to $10.817 million from $10.1 million. The jail and court services would see their spending rise to a combined $12.712 million from $12.101 million in the 2024 budget.

The budget anticipates $62.071 million in revenue, up from $60.599 million.

The commissioners are scheduled to vote on the budget at their regular monthly meeting Monday at 6 p.m. in the meeting room of the courthouse. The meeting will be livestreamed on the county’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Glynn County Commissioners will consider allowing residents to serve on multiple boards, according to The Brunswick News.

The Glynn County Commission will consider at Thursday’s meeting removing a prohibition on residents serving on multiple boards.

The proposed amendment to the county ordinance would also reduce the submission requirement for resumes or letters of interest from nine days to seven days for people seeking appointments or nominations by county commissioners.

Commissioner Walter Rafolski said he and other commissioners believe some people serving on boards that only meet two or three times a year have the expertise and desire to serve on planning commissions and other advisory boards.

“Some would be useful on other boards,” he said. “It’s hard to get people to serve on some of these boards.”

Brunswick City Commissioners will continue considering a blight tax on some properties, according to The Brunswick News.

If approved, it would cover all regulations regarding blight, whether on residential or commercial property. It will deal with nuisance properties, derelict buildings and relevant building codes and permits.

Among the new additions is a blight tax — an increased property tax the city would be able to levy if the ordinance is approved. Should a property be determined to be blighted, an owner’s property tax bill could be multiplied by seven for all years the property is in violation of the blight ordinances.

Before a property can be declared blighted under the proposed ordinance, the owner could challenge the designation. If that happens, the city would have to go through a quasi-judicial process, including a hearing in Brunswick Municipal Court.

Alternatively, the owner could also work with the city to develop a plan to repair or demolish buildings and clean up the property, thereby avoiding the blighted designation.

Opinions were mixed among commissioners at their last meeting. Commissioner Lance Sabbe felt the ordinance was a good thing for the city, while fellow Commissioner Felicia Harris was more concerned it could hurt the city’s poorest residents and be used to punish those whose properties are not truly blighted.

City officials assured commissioners that the goal is not to hurt anyone but those who can and refuse to maintain their properties. Planning, Development and Codes Director John Hunter said his department goes to great lengths to help city residents when local codes might affect their housing.

Two Middle Georgia electric co-ops will receive federal loans, according to the Macon Telegraph.

Two Middle Georgia electric cooperatives got a sizable share of $6.3 billion in loans granted by the federal government for expanding access to a clean and reliable electric grid, provide safe drinking water and create good-paying jobs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the loans earlier this week, meant to invest in rural communities across 44 states. The two Middle Georgia cooperatives received over $157 million combined.

The Central Georgia EMC, headquartered in Jackson, was awarded about $110.4 million. This investment will be used to improve 295 miles of line and will connect nearly 6,000 consumers, according to the report. This loan includes about $2.3 million in smart grid technologies.

The Central Georgia EMC serves an average of around 65,000 members over 5,462 miles of line in 15 counties, according to a report on the grants.

Southern Rivers Energy, headquartered in Barnesville, was awarded about $46.97 million. This money will be used to improve 362 miles of line and connect nearly 3,500 consumers, according to the report. This loan includes about $11.4 million in smart grid technologies.

Southern Rivers Energy serves 21,240 consumers over 3,114 miles of line in nine counties in central Georgia, according to the report.

Augusta City Commissioners declined to change garbage service, according to WJBF.

Commissioners have been working for months on a new trash service contract without success.
The proposal increases the annual fee by almost $120 while taking $3 million from that fee to pay for services like street sweeping, lot cleaning and building demolitions, a sticking point some.

“An increase to every home owner that actually receives the trash service to pay for other services throughout the county. I don’t think that’s fair as to how to spend money,” said Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle.

With commissioners stalled on a new trash service deal and the clock ticking, city leaders will vote Wednesday to go month to month under the current deal garbage for the next 90 days.

“It gives us additional time to determine which path we want to go forward with we’re looking at the governing body to give us that directive this will continue to keep the trash services going and not have a disruption,” said City Administrator Tameka Allen.

The 90 days gives Augusta’s commission more time to reach a new agreement with the two hauling companies, but some want to dump contracting with two companies.

Columbia County Commissioners will not pursue incorporation, according to WJBF.

Columbia County Board of Commissioners Chairman Doug Duncan released a statement Tuesday night regarding the commission’s recent stance on incorporation and consolidation.

“I’m announcing tonight that this Commission is not moving forward with Incorporation and Consolidation at this time,” Duncan stated Dec. 17.

According to Duncan, any future steps on the issue would involve the public to vote to approve the initiative.

“Incorporation and Consolidation is a very complex issue,” Duncan stated. “To date, the only efforts the county has made to investigate this is the funding of feasibility study that is required by law before the next step can be take.”

Duncan said, “While Incorporation and Consolidation may possibly benefit the citizens of Columbia County in the future, it is something that must thoroughly be vetted and that takes time.”