Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for December 21, 2021

On December 21, 1829, Georgia Governor George Gilmer signed legislation outlawing the teaching of African-Americans to read or write. One year later to the day, he signed legislation claiming for the state all territory occupied by the Cherokee tribe.

On December 21, 1835, Oglethorpe University was incorporated near Macon, later moving to Atlanta.

On December 21, 1863, the Confederate government selected a site in Sumter County for construction of Camp Sumter, which would be better known by the name Andersonville Prison.

General William Tecumseh Sherman received the surrender of Savannah, Georgia on December 21, 1864.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Brian Kemp ordered flags at state buildings and properties to fly at half-staff in honor of the late Senator Johnny Isakson until the day of his interment.

Governor Kemp also issued Executive Order #12.17.21.01 for the continuing COVID-19 economic recovery.

A majority of Georgia Republican State Senators asked David Perdue not to run against incumbent Governor Kemp, according to Axios.

A majority of Georgia’s Republican state senators quietly sent former Sen. David Perdue a letter last month asking him not to run for governor, Axios has learned. Weeks later, Perdue forged ahead and announced his primary challenge to incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp.

In the letter, 25 of the state Senate’s 34 Republicans told Perdue he “made us proud” during his time in the U.S. Senate — but asked him to join them in endorsing Kemp for re-election for the sake of preserving their chances in the November general election.

“Our GOP and state must be unified behind our governor with a positive message to keep Georgia conservative and moving forward,” they wrote.

Thirty-one state senators had already endorsed Kemp in early September.

Asked about the letter, Perdue acknowledged he’d received it but said it never affected his decision.

He said that “it was kind of funny that they thought it might.”

“This is what career politicians do,” he told Axios, pointing to the 2014 Republican Senate primary when his opponent, then-Rep. Jack Kingston, received much of the support of Georgia’s political establishment.

“They think that endorsements among each other can elbow an outsider out of a race,” he said. “People who vote don’t care about that. You know who cares about that? Career politicians.”

“And that’s what’s so ironic, ludicrous, for 20-something state senators to send a letter like that, thinking that I’m going to be moved one way or the other,” he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration granted a favorable Record of Decision for the Camden County Spaceport, according to The Brunswick News.

“This once-in-a-generation opportunity will provide a new frontier of economic prosperity for Camden, the region and the state of Georgia,” [Camden County Administrator Steve] Howard said. “Georgia is part of the new space race, and we will become one of the leaders.”

Spaceport Camden becomes the nation’s 13th licensed spaceport but only the third vertical lift facility.

“It has been a long time coming, but Camden County is immensely proud of this accomplishment,” said Camden County Commission Chairman Gary Blount. “With this license, Spaceport Camden offers coastal Georgia over 100 miles of opportunity. We are no longer a one-dimensional economy solely reliant on the brave sailors and contractors at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay for economic prosperity.”

Opportunity — that is what Spaceport Camden’s LSOL is providing Camden County,” said U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-1. “Our already world-class economy is now diversifying in a way that will catapult Georgia into the 21st century and beyond.

“I am immensely proud of Spaceport Camden for their hard work and innovation that made this possible. With this announcement, Georgia’s First District has solidified itself as a global leader.”

From WTOC:

A statement the FAA sent Monday said, in part, “After completing an environmental and safety review, the FAA is issuing a license for Spaceport Camden in Georgia. This license does not authorize a single launch.”

The FAA made it clear this license only allows the county to start operating the site as a potential launch location. That’s the next phase for the county, but some people want it to stop.

Blount says they’re in discussions for a possible launch in 18 months.

An injunction was filed in the Camden County Superior Court to stop the project until citizens can have the vote. A probate court judge has 90 days from Dec. 14 to verify the signatures for a referendum election.

From News4Jax:

“This once in a generation opportunity will provide a new frontier of economic prosperity for Camden, the region and the state of Georgia,” Steve Howard, Camden County Administrator and Spaceport Camden executive project lead, said in a statement after the FAA’s decision was announced.

“Georgia is part of the new space race, and we will become one of the leaders,” Howard added.

United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg spoke about supply chain issues, according to the AJC.

In a visit to the Port of Savannah Friday, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg promised to push initiatives that will ease two crucial bottlenecks in the supply chain: the shortage of truckers and the lack of capacity at the nation’s shipping terminals.

Buttigieg toured the facility with officials of the Georgia Ports Authority and the International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents many of the workers who unload ships and move cargo around the terminal.

“One of the reasons we are here is that we think that what the Georgia ports have done could be a model for other places around the country,” Buttigieg said during a press conference in Savannah.

Thousands of truckers retire or quit each year, Buttigieg told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution during a phone interview. “We have been working the issue all year and our focus is two-fold. We need to recruit more people and we need to retain more people.”

The department is looking for ways to entice more veterans into trucking, but also to add more women, he said. “We should not be leaving so many excellent drivers on the table. We want to make it easier for people who want a career in trucking to have that opportunity.”

From the Savannah Morning News:

“If you hear about strains in the supply chain, it’s not because workers or ports, especially in a place like Savannah, are slowing down,” Buttigieg said at a press conference Friday afternoon. “Quite the contrary. They are moving the most we have ever seen move. It’s just that the demand is so far off the charts that it’s going to take even more to keep up.”

“We cannot only make up for lost time investing in our ports and waterways and our roads and bridges and our rail and transit, but also get ready for the growth opportunity in the future,” Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg visited the port to view the expansion projects — including the new Mason Mega Rail — and discuss how the newly passed bipartisan infrastructure bill will further alleviate backlogs and high demand at the ports and related sites. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill will funnel billions into improvements for ports, roadways, railroads and airports to improve travel and supply chain congestion.

Carter, the U.S. Representative for the Savannah-Chatham area, voted against the bill and would “vote against it again,” he said. Carter participated in the roundtable to hear ideas and solutions to the supply chain issues from business owners directly, not to help Buttigieg promote the infrastructure bill.

“What this bill included was more than that, only about 56% of it was true infrastructure,” Carter said. “The other were Green New Deal initiatives. And not only that, but it was very disappointing, it was a missed opportunity for us to work in a bipartisan fashion.”

Buttigieg said his department is working with unions and private businesses to “clear the red tape” around licensing and training to bring in new truck drivers, while retaining the stringent safety protocols that are required of people driving commercial vehicles.

“This is crucially important for the entire supply chain,” Buttigieg said. “In order for these goods to efficiently move to where they need to go, we need to have the right kind of trucking workforce. But we don’t have the capacity that we need right now…”

Buttigieg said he and the president will continue to advocate for union jobs, especially in states such as Georgia, which is one of the least-unionized states in the nation.

“These are workers who don’t get to work from home, you can’t Zoom into your job at the Port of Savannah or when you’re driving a truck. We need to support them,” Buttigieg said. “And I think unions are an important part of that support structure.”