Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for February 17, 2025

On February 17, 1739, Thomas Jones wrote to the Georgia Trustees in London of the appalling conditions in Savannah.

“The profanation of the Lord’s Day. When at church in the time of divine service, can hear continual firing of guns by people that are shooting at some game, others carrying burdens on wheelbarrows by the church door.

“The uncommon lewdness practiced by many and gloried in.”

“The negligence of officers in permitting several in this town to retail rum and strong liquors, unlicensed, who have no other visible way of livelihood, where servants resort and are encouraged to rob their masters….”

“I need not mention profane swearing and drunkenness, which are not so common here as in some other places, and few are notorious therein, besides Mr. Baliff Parker, who I have seen wallow in the mire….”

The Georgia legislature, on February 17, 1783, passed legislation granting land to veterans of Georgia militia who served during the Revolutionary War.

On February 17, 1784, the Georgia legislature passed a bill to increase an earlier formula for settling the state, allotting 200 acres to each head of a family, plus 50 acres for each family member (including up to 10 slaves) up to a maximum of 1000 acres.

Thomas Jefferson was elected Third President of the United States on February 17, 1801. The election was deadlocked for three months between Jefferson and his running-mate Aaron Burr.

On November 4 [1800], the national election was held. When the electoral votes were counted, the Democratic-Federalists emerged with a decisive victory, with Jefferson and Burr each earning 73 votes to Adams’ 65 votes and Pinckney’s 64 votes. John Jay, the governor of New York, received 1 vote.

Because Jefferson and Burr had tied, the election went to the House of Representatives, which began voting on the issue on February 11, 1801. What at first seemed but an electoral technicality–handing Jefferson victory over his running mate–developed into a major constitutional crisis when Federalists in the lame-duck Congress threw their support behind Burr. Jefferson needed a majority of nine states to win, but in the first ballot had only eight states, with Burr winning six states and Maryland and Virginia. Finally, on February 17, a small group of Federalists reasoned that the peaceful transfer of power required that the majority party have its choice as president and voted in Jefferson’s favor. The 35th ballot gave Jefferson victory with 10 votes. Burr received four votes and two states voted blank.

On February 17, 1820, the United States Senate passed the Missouri Compromise to govern the admission of new states as either slave-holding or not.

On February 17, 1854, Georgia Governor Herschel Johnson signed legislation by the Georgia General Assembly placing on the ballot for the next generation the question of whether to move the state capital from Milledgeville to Atlanta.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Bulloch County voters begin early voting on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025 for the March 18, 2025 referendum on a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, according to the Statesboro Herald.

Tuesday, Feb. 18, is the last day for Bulloch County residents to register to vote, or update information if already registered, before the county’s SPLOST renewal special election. The referendum will conclude with March 18 as Election Day, but in-person early voting opens Monday, Feb. 24.

The proposal, set forth in an intergovernmental agreement of the county Board of Commissioners and the city and town councils of Statesboro, Brooklet, Portal and Register, would extend the current 1% Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for 6 years. As stated in the ballot question, the tax is projected to raise $138 million in that time.

That one question is the only item on the ballot, with the only answers for voters to choose being “yes” or “no.” But the ballot question is more than 250 words long, listing types of projects the money can be used for, by the county government and each municipality, and naming a few specific projects. More about that will appear further below.

But first, the in-person, no-excuse early voting opportunity will extend Monday through Friday for three weeks and also include two Saturdays, just as in a Georgia general election.

“It’s the law now,” explained Bulloch County Election Supervisor Shontay Jones. “We didn’t use to do Saturdays unless there were federal candidates on the ballot, but after (2021 Georgia) Senate Bill 202 came about, it requires for any election, with the exception of a runoff, a full three weeks of early voting, and that includes two Saturdays as well.”

Early and absentee

The only early voting location will be the Board of Elections and Registration office at the County Annex, 113 North Main St., Suite 201, Statesboro. It will be open for early voting 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Feb. 24-28, March 3-7 and March 10-14, and also from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, and Saturday, March 8.

Meanwhile, mail-out absentee ballots are also available to Bulloch County registered voters if applied for by a March 7 deadline. Elections office staff can mail the absentee ballot to an address outside of Bulloch County that the voter requests or to the address inside Bulloch County recorded in the voter’s current registration information.

A statewide web portal to apply for absentee ballots does not work for a local referendum such as this, Jones said, but voters can request an application by calling the county election office at 912-764-6502. The office’s email addresses are elections@bullochcounty.net and voterregistrar@bullochcounty.net. Its fax number is 912-764-8167.

On Election Day, March 18, polls in all 16 of Bulloch County’s traditional voting precincts will be open 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. for their assigned voters who haven’t voted early or absentee.

The long question that voters will answer on their  ballots begins: “Shall a special 1 percent sales and use tax be imposed in … Bulloch County for a period of time not to exceed six years for the raising of an estimated … $138,000,000 for the purposes of (a)(i) an addition to the Bulloch County Jail, and (ii) joint solid waste projects of Bulloch County and Statesboro including, but not necessarily limited to, the purchase of space in a regional landfill … ?”

Although less than one-third of the total question, that passage sets out the first two projects, which the intergovernmental agreement calls “joint and priority projects,” meant to serve the whole county. The ballot question does not include specific cost numbers for these projects or any of the other project categories, but the agreement assigns the jail project $51 million and the joint solid waste project $9.6 million.

Governor Brian Kemp announced that Georgia Ports set a new export record in 2024, according to a Press Release.

Governor Brian P. Kemp today joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) in announcing that the State of Georgia surpassed $53.1 billion in exports, a year-over-year increase of 6.4% that outpaced the national average of 2.3%. The state also moved up a rank to sixth in the United States for dollar value of trade, serving as a global gateway to facilitate more than $198.7 billion in trade to 222 unique countries and territories.

“With more than 87% of Georgia exporters being small businesses, these record-breaking numbers represent economic opportunity and success in every corner of the state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “In 2024, Georgia outpaced the national average for growth in exports and moved up another rank in total trade, further demonstrating that our strategic investments and commitment to working with job creators to meet their needs are delivering results for hardworking Georgians.”

Exporting to 219 unique destinations in 2024, Georgia retained its No. 12 ranking in the U.S. for dollar value of exports. Civilian aircraft and ancillary parts also remained the state’s No. 1 export, followed by motor vehicles, data processing machines (computers), electrical apparatus for line telephony (telephone sets), and medical devices.

“Georgia’s diverse industry base and connectivity to more than 200 global markets create a more resilient state economy,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Georgia offers extensive partnerships, expert guidance on export strategies, and top-tier infrastructure – including deepwater ports, railways, highways, and airports – that empower businesses to thrive in the global market. We appreciate the General Assembly, local leaders, and statewide partners for ensuring Georgia remains the No. 1 state for business, supporting companies in expanding, investing, and moving products both statewide and worldwide.”

The state’s international trade efforts are bolstered by representatives in key markets around the world that facilitate connections between Georgia exporters and key global customers. Markets where Georgia maintains full-time representation accounted for 66% of exports and 83% of bilateral trade in 2024.

“A fourth consecutive year of record-breaking exports is an incredible accomplishment that requires strong partnerships at all levels, from global to local,” said Deputy Commissioner of Trade Lizann Grupalo. “Georgia’s international representatives are a key link to global markets, providing on the ground insights to navigate an ever-changing global environment. Their contributions allow our Georgia-based team members to serve Georgia’s small business exporters who otherwise may not have access to this information and opportunities.”

Georgia is home to the busiest and most efficient airport in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; the fastest growing and third-busiest container gateway in the U.S. at the Port of Savannah; and one of the nation’s busiest gateways for Roll-on/Roll-off cargo at the Port of Brunswick. The Georgia Ports Authority also recently announced twelve consecutive months of year-over-year container volume growth, on top of consistent growth for multiple years prior. In addition, Georgia offers a robust rail and highway infrastructure, with more rail miles than any other state in the Southeast.

From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Valdosta Daily Times:

Georgia businesses continued years of export growth last year, with a 6.4% gain and more than $53 billion in merchandise shipped, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday.

Top exports were civilian aircraft and parts at $12.6 billion, motor vehicles at $2.4 billion, computers at $1.8 billion, telephone sets at $1.6 billion, and medical devices at $1.3 billion.

Kemp noted the state’s key assets, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest, and two booming ports.

Brunswick recently supplanted Baltimore as the nation’s busiest port for autos and heavy equipment. Savannah has the fastest growing port in the country. Georgia also boasts more rail miles than any other Southeastern state.

Exporters here can tap the state’s official international presence, with trade representatives in a dozen global markets. But businesses have gone beyond those markets.

“Georgia’s diverse industry base and connectivity to more than 200 global markets create a more resilient state economy,” said Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

However, the state is running a trade deficit with some major partners. Georgia imported $18.6 billion in merchandise from Mexico last year, nearly three times more than the $6.3 billion exported south of the border.

The gap with China was even larger: the state imported $17.2 billion from that industrial powerhouse, more than five times the $3 billion exported to the Asian giant. Germany sent four times more exports to Georgia than the state imported from that nation, at $11.8 billion versus $2.4 billion.

Motor vehicle imports – $15 billion – were more than six times greater than exports. The state also imported twice the value of computers and telephone sets than it exported.

Still, exports continued a long growth trend of 37% over a decade. Top export markets were Canada at $7.4 billion, followed by Mexico, China, the Netherlands and Germany.

President Donald Trump’s tariffs could affect that trend though.

Broad and high tariffs on imports likely will drive up prices for Georgia consumers, while retaliatory tariffs levied by America’s trading partners could damage export industries, State Economist Robert Buschman told Georgia lawmakers Wednesday during his annual economic outlook presentation.

Some grocery stores are limiting the number of eggs a person may purchase, according to WALB.

The egg shortage is due to increased bird flu among chickens. More than 13 million hens have died or have been slaughtered since December as a result of the bird flu outbreak, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Because of the shortage, grocery stores are now limiting the amount of eggs customers can buy.

Publix and Trader Joe’s are limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer per day.

Walmart is limiting customers to two 60-count cartons per purchase but does not have a limit on smaller quantities of eggs.

Kroger and Aldi stores have a two dozen carton, per trip limit.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, egg prices are expected to increase 20.3% this year.

This time last year, the average price for a dozen eggs was around $3, but last month, the average price was around $5, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

File Under Tort Reform: A Columbus jury awarded $2.5 billion dollars in punitive damages in a lawsuit against Ford, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

A Columbus jury rendered a “phase 2” verdict Friday of $2.5 billion in punitive damages in a case against the Ford Motor Company, according to a news release from Butler Prather LLP, a Columbus-based law firm.

The case, Brogdon (Mills) v. Ford Motor Company, involved the deaths of Herman and Debra Mills, who died as a result of their injuries after their 2015 Ford F250 “Super Duty” truck rolled over and the roof crushed down on them in August 2022 in Decatur County, according to the news release.

The Mills were founders of Mills Welding & Fabrication Services and retired in 2019, according to the release.

The lawsuit was filed May 23, 2023, by James E. “Dusty” Brogdon and his brothers Ronald B. “Rusty” Brogdon and Jason Mills, according to the release. The release says the case was filed in the Columbus Division of the Middle District of Georgia because James E. Brogdon lives in Harris County.

The case was tried in the United States District Court, Middle District of Georgia, Columbus Division, before U.S. District Judge Clay Land.

This phase 2 verdict comes after the the jury rendered its phase 1 compensatory damages verdict Thursday for $30.5 million, according to the release.

“Ford has known for 26 years that people were getting killed and hurt by these weak roofs,” James “Jim” Butler Jr., lead counsel for the Mills family, said in the news release. “Ford has constantly refused to admit the danger or warn of the risk.”

Georgia State House members introduced school safety legislation, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.

The state House of Representatives passed legislation last year offering tax credits to Georgians who buy safe firearm storage devices such as trigger locks and gun safes, but the bill died in the state Senate.

Doing nothing is no longer an option following last September’s mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County that killed two teachers and two students. During the opening weeks of this year’s General Assembly sessions, lawmakers have introduced a series of bills aimed at improving school safety.

“Our children are our future,” House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, said early this month during a news conference unveiling a comprehensive school safety measure. “This House is committed to leaving no stone unturned when it comes to securing their safety.”

House Bill 268 calls for improvements in information sharing among schools through a new anonymous app for tips alerting law enforcement personnel or mental health-care providers that a troubled student could pose a treat to themselves or others.

The measure also would establish a statewide information-sharing database to allow the timely transfer of pertinent student data between school systems. The 14-year-old student at Apalachee High arrested for the murders, Colt Gray, had just transferred from another school.

The bill also requires school systems to create threat management teams, provides for the mandatory suspension of students who make terroristic threats, and offers tax incentives to encourage gun owners to purchase safe gun storage equipment.

On the Senate side, majority Republicans are backing legislation requiring schools to install alert systems that could be triggered discretely to warn nearby law enforcement agencies of an active shooter. Senate Bill 17 – Ricky and Alyssa’s Law – is named in honor of Ricky Aspinwall, the coach at Apalachee High who died in the September shooting, and Alyssa Alhadeff, one of the students killed in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

The bill also requires schools to develop maps showing first responders the layout of school buildings, including access points.

“The big picture is to save minutes, save time, to let first responders take down an active shooter and protect the lives of children and teachers in the building,” Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R-Dallas, the bill’s chief sponsor, told members of the Senate Education and Youth Committee Thursday.

“Time equals life,” added Lori Alhadeff, the mother of Alyssa Alhadeff and founder of the nonprofit Make Our Schools Safe. “We need to get our kids and teachers to safety quicker and reduce the response time for first responders.”

The committee approved Anavitarte’s bill, and it appears headed toward passing the full Senate. Legislation backed by Senate Democrats, however, likely faces tougher sledding.

The main difference between the approach Republicans and Democrats are taking on gun safety is that Democrats want to require firearm owners to store their weapons safely, while GOP lawmakers favor offering tax incentives to encourage gun owners to voluntarily take steps to secure their firearms.

Senate Bill 49, introduced by Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, criminalizes making a firearm accessible to anyone younger than 17 without adult supervision or leaving an unsecured firearm in a place where children are likely to gain access to it.

Parent criticized Republicans for merely encouraging gun owners to store their weapons safety rather than mandating safe storage.

“If you as an adult have a gun in an unsafe location and children can gain access to it, or if you give a child a gun, the message they’re sending is, ‘Please don’t do that,’ ” she said. “The message should be stronger.”

Georgia Rep. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek, has introduced similar legislation in the House providing criminal penalties for adults who allow children access to firearms. She held a news conference on her bill recently with Apalachee High School students and their families.

“The families were appreciative of Speaker Burns and his attention to the issue of school safety but, like many, feel it does not go far enough to address the gun violence at the heart of the problem,” Au wrote in an update on the legislative session to her constituents.

Burns said he supports the Republicans’ voluntary approach to gun safety rather than a mandate to protect Georgia gun owners’ Second Amendment rights.

Two state bills – House Bill 205 and Senate Bill 64 – would reduce the state’s use of some drones, according to Atlanta News First via WALB.

Both HB205 and SB64 take aim at drone vendors with ties to foreign adversaries like China and Russia. Many of the most popular brands of commercial drones – like DJI and Autel – have locations in or ownership ties to foreign countries considered adversaries.

Lawmakers fear those countries may be able to gain access to the data and footage captured by drones used at many of Georgia’s local police and fire departments, as well as the litany of other local agencies that utilize drones for their work.

Both bills suggest banning certain drone vendors from purchase by local entities and gives local governments three years to come into compliance.

But for local entities that use drones, it’s a concern. Brookhaven has been using drones for nearly five years and their city manager told Atlanta News First the technology is an “invaluable tool” for the city and its residents.

“It keeps our officers safe, it keeps our communities safe,” said Brookhaven city manager Christian Sigman. “And that’s not just police, that’s police, fire, EMS, emergency management, Georgia Power, the sewer district.”

Brookhaven and many other localities use drones for building and construction surveying, road work planning and even finding lost people, as Brookhaven’s drones did when a child went missing at last year’s busy cherry blossom festival.

Sigman is worried they could lose the security and convenience the drones provide, as well as the money they paid to get them.

“It would make a multi-hundred-thousand dollar plus investment just null and void,” Sigman said. “If the state government wants to provide the hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace these drones, no problem at all. But it’s just not there.”

The ban would only apply to state and local government entities, not to private citizens. HB205 cleared a crucial committee vote on Wednesday and is now on its way to the full floor for a vote. It would require Georgia Emergency Management to compile a list for local government entities to reference.

Georgia craft brewers are again asking for changes to the state’s alcohol distribution system, according to Atlanta News First via WRDW.

“We’ve put everything that we had, me and my partner, we have put all of our savings, all of our income, into making this successful,” [brewery owner Thomas Monti] said.   Some of the rules governing beer distribution in Georgia are nearly 100 years old, created after Prohibition.

Right now, breweries can’t sell directly to restaurants, liquor stores and other shops – even if that shop is around the corner.

It has to go to their disributor an hour away  before it can be sold.

A bipartisan bill in the Georgia Legislature would allow craft brewers to self-distribute up to 3,000 barrels of beer — avoiding costs from wholesalers.

The bill also would allow them to donate to charities and eliminate a cap on to-go sales.

“Being able to increase our margins just by 5 and 6%. That is the difference between keeping the lights on, making sure your employees are paid, and closing our doors,” Monti said.   Wholesalers say the system protects consumers and the industry.

“Delivering for Georgia,” a wholesaler lobbying group, said in a statement:

“We are sympathetic to craft brewers, but we cannot pass new legislation each time a brewery closes.”

Joseph Cortes with the Georgia Craft Brewers Association calls the statement tone-deaf.

“Forty states including the District of Columbia, for example, have allowed for self-distribution,” he said. “Distributors are doing just fine in those states. Regulation is still strong.”

The bill awaits a hearing in the Georgia Senate’s regulated industries and oversight committee.

House Bill 340, the “Distraction-Free Education Act” by State Rep. Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners) remains in the House Education Committee, according to the Rome News Tribune.

Marietta Schools Superintendent Grant Rivera spoke to the Senate Children and Families Committee last week about the success of his district’s test run. In August, they implemented Yondr pouches, which lock away phones during the school day, at their middle schools and are now considering expanding the ban to the high school.

The Distraction-Free Education Act, House Bill 340, sponsored by Rep. Scott Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners, would require public school districts to create a plan to secure kindergarten through eighth grade students’ phones while in school. It’s still pending in the House Education Committee but State School Superintendent Richard Wood has called its passage a priority.

In Rome and Floyd County schools, students are permitted to use their phones between classes and during free periods. Officials said it reduces altercations between students in the halls and, with the increase in school violence and shootings, this open communications with parents is important.

Rivera told the committee he considered his district’s total restriction “an absolute no brainer” in the middle grades. He’s had almost no pushback from parents, he said, although that wasn’t the case for Marietta High School, where parents are more accustomed to being digitally connected with their kids.

“That has been one of the most challenging experiences I’ve had in my eight years as superintendent,” he said.

Georgia State House Resolution 132 by State Rep. Martin Momtahan (R-Dallas) would create a new Joint Georgia-North Carolina and Georgia-Tennessee Boundary Line Commission to attempt to address border issues, according to the AJC.

House Resolution 132 would establish a nine-member commission to work with Congress “and any other interested party to establish, survey, and proclaim the true boundary lines.”

There’s more at stake than just state pride. Shifting the boundary would give Georgia access to the Tennessee River, a vital source of water that would be key to economic development efforts.

The Georgia Legislature passed a resolution in 2019 aiming to create an interstate compact with Tennessee and North Carolina. But Gov. Brian Kemp vetoed it after the two states showed no interest in participating.

“There is no incentive for them to lose their access to Georgia’s entitled resources,” said state Rep. Martin Momtahan, a Republican from Dallas and the author of the resolution. “We need to kind of elevate this and escalate it.”

The dispute stems from an 1818 survey that Georgia leaders say put the boundary about a mile south of where it should be.

The commission would include nine members: three each appointed by lieutenant governor and House speaker, and three appointed by the governor, including the chair. The commission would be allowed to hire consultants, with approval from legislative leaders.

Kemp’s office declined to comment on the resolution.

Two state House bills – House Bill 173 and HB 218 – would encourage vaccinations, according to the AJC.

House Bill 173, sponsored by state Rep. Darlene Taylor, would require the state Department of Education to provide middle school parents with information about meningococcal meningitis, human papillomavirus (HPV), and tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (TDAP).

“If you get these (vaccines), they will prevent diseases, and we want healthy Georgians,” said Taylor, who represents Thomasville, in a committee hearing last week.

One virus, however, was conspicuously missing. “Why not add COVID-19?” state Rep. Park Cannon, an Atlanta Democrat, asked.

Taylor said she limited the list to recommendations from the Department of Public Health, and COVID isn’t on the list.

The measure passed unanimously in the [House Public and Community Health] committee.

House Bill 218, sponsored by state Rep. Katie Dempsey, would allow hospitals to offer the flu and pneumonia vaccines to patients starting at age 18, lowered from 50, prior to their discharge.

Dempsey, R-Rome, said her bill is “not a mandate.”

“You don’t have to take it. You can say yes or no,” she said. And, because the vaccines would only be offered to adults, “it does not affect parental permission to do it. We’re not impacting that in any way.”

According to the CDC, just 36.9% of adults over 18 in Georgia have received the flu vaccine, making the state among the worst in the nation for vaccinations.

Her bill also passed [the House Health Committee] unanimously. Both bills now move for consideration before the entire House chamber.

Note that the House Health Committee and the House Public & Community Health Committee are separate committees.

A former Middle Georgia poll worker will be sentenced in federal court on charges relating to a bomb threat, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.

A former Macon area poll worker pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to mailing a bomb threat to a local elections office and admitted lying about it to the FBI.

Nicholas Wimbish, 25, of Milledgeville, pleaded guilty to conveying false information about a bomb threat and making hoaxes, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia. He faces up to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release plus a fine of up to a quarter million dollars.

Wimbish worked at the Jones County Elections Office in Gray. After a disagreement with a voter in October, he wrote and then mailed a bomb threat to the polling place pretending to be that voter, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said, adding that Wimbish admitted he intended the letter to appear as if it had come from the voter as a threat to himself and his fellow poll workers.

The typewritten letter contained phrases such as “young liberal woke idiot” and “woke liberal fraudsters,” saying the author knew where the poll workers lived and that the men would get a “beatdown” and a “firing squad” in a fight while the women would be subjected to “rage rape,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Wimbish handwrote a note at the bottom that said a “boom toy” was in an early voting place and later admitted that he knew the term was slang for a bomb, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

In addition to his own admissions, investigators found the letter on Wimbish’s computer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell and is scheduled for sentencing on May 13.

From the Macon Telegraph:

He sent the letter after arguing with a voter in October as early voting locations opened. He signed it as if the voter he argued with was the writer of the letter in an attempt to point the blame away from himself.

His mailing a bomb threat, mailing a threatening letter and making a false statement to law enforcement charges were dismissed as part of his plea agreement. Prosecutor William Keyes said Friday morning that he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, no more than three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to prosecutors, Wimbish was arrested the day before Election Day. However, he will remain free until his sentencing hearing on May 13 at 9:30 a.m.

“Bomb hoaxes and similar threats create grave and unnecessary disruptions in our communities, pulling vital law enforcement resources and terrifying people,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Our office and law enforcement partners take these types of threats seriously and will pursue federal prosecution when warranted.”

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr (R-Cobb County) joined other state AGs in defending the Trump Administration’s DOGE plans, according to WSAV.

Chris Carr’s office released a statement that said he was joining other attorney generals to defend [the] “Trump administration against politically motivated lawsuits aimed at blocking efforts to eliminate federal waste, fraud and abuse.”

The lawsuit challenging DOGE argued that President Trump violated the appointments clause of the Constitution by starting a federal department without congressional approval. Carr said that Article II of the Constitution gives President Trump the authority to direct executive branch agencies like DOGE.

“In 2024, Georgia sent a clear message by electing President Trump and his efforts to deliver on the America First agenda,” said Carr. “Taxpayers deserve transparency and accountability, and we stand ready to defend the administration’s work to cut waste and ensure their hard-earned dollars are spent responsibly.”

Attorney generals from these states have joined the filing defending DOGE: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.

Towaliga Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jonathan Adams’s office is investigating the Columbus Consolidated Government’s Finance Department, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

The district attorney’s office assigned to the case, which stems from concerns that Columbus could have suffered great financial loss due to unprocessed business and alcohol licenses, said the investigation is more focused on whether problems were covered up by city officials.

“It does not appear that there’s been any evidence or belief by the sheriff’s office of anyone taking or personally profiting from any of the checks in question,” Jonathan Adams, district attorney of the Towaliga Judicial Circuit, said in a voicemail to the Ledger-Enquirer while replying to a request for an update on the investigation.

Adams’ office was assigned the case after Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Don Kelly recused himself in July.

CCG’s internal auditor initially estimated the backlog in revenue collections cost the city up to $45.1 million. However, CCG finance director Angelica Alexander told the council the backlog totaled $2.5 million from about 500 delinquent accounts.

Although the criminal investigation is not about theft, Adams said that laws still might have been broken.

“It really just seems to boil down to checks that may not have been deposited correctly or at all,” he said.

His office is investigating whether there was a “cover-up,” or if officials lied about the checks not being deposited, Adams said.

Former Clinch County Sheriff Stephen Tinsley does not enjoy qualified immunity in an excessive force case, according to WALB.

A federal judge has rejected Clinch County Sheriff Stephen Tinsley’s request to have an $11 million excessive force lawsuit against him dismissed on the basis of qualified immunity. This lawsuit comes after he arrested and allegedly assaulted 37-year-old Black veteran Darius Rice in Henry County in April 2022.

Viral cell phone footage shows the moment Sheriff Tinsley put Rice in handcuffs after Tinsley’s wife accused him of groping her inside a Henry County convenience store.

The lawsuit alleged, “Sheriff Tinsley’s actions and use of force….were also malicious and/or involved reckless, callous, and deliberate indifference to Rice’s federally-protected rights.”

WALB obtained a copy of the lawsuit which accuses Tinsley of using an unreasonable amount of force and violating Rice’s Fourth Amendment rights.

In rejecting Tinsley’s attempt to dismiss the $11 million lawsuit, U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee stated, “At the motion to dismiss stage, the court finds that Rice has sufficiently alleged that Sheriff Tinsley acted with actual malice in body slamming him to the ground after he was already handcuffed.”

However, Sheriff Tinsley’s efforts to get the false arrest claim against him dismissed was granted because the court determined that Sheriff Tinsley had probable cause to arrest Rice.

Hall County Commissioners will consider opting out of HB 581’s Homestead Exemption, according to AccessWDUN.

On the ballot in November, there were two homestead exemptions Hall County voters were able to decide on — a local and state bill.

Hall County is now looking to opt-out of the statewide homestead exemption, or HB581.

That statewide exemption would set the assessed value to their 2024 valuations and then goes up by the consumer price index.

The most recent average annual increase was 2.9-percent.

To do so, the county has to give three public notices and three public hearings.

“We would have to keep track of both of these exemptions under two different base years,” Hall County Administrator Zach Propes said. “Which is going to be administratively burdensome for the county.”

The local exemption, or HB1268, will set assessed values to their 2023 valuations and then go up by the new assessed value capped at a 3-percent annual increase.

If both exemptions were in place, the taxpayer would receive the most beneficial exemption in a given year. Due to the two having different base years, Propes said that the cost for the county would increase due to more administrative responsibility.

“Most of our homestead properties we’d be going back to 2023 anyway,” Propes said. “Not all parcels, but most of them.”

Hall County Commissioner for District 2 Billy Powell asked how much staff would have to be added if both were in place. Propes did not give a definite answer but said the tax commissioner’s office has talked about extra positions if both were in place.

District 3 Commissioner Gregg Poole also floated the idea of the confusion leading to wrong exemptions being given, which would lead to more paperwork and administrative burden.

The next public hearing is at the Hall County Board of Commissioners work session on Feb. 24 with the third and final hearing at the voting meeting on Feb. 27.

The Port of Brunswick was the number one port for automobiles in 2024, according to the Associate Press via the Statesboro Herald.

The Port of Brunswick rode double-digit growth to become the top U.S. seaport for automobiles last year, Georgia officials said Wednesday, surpassing the Port of Baltimore after it shut down for weeks following a deadly bridge collapse.

Georgia Ports Authority CEO Griff Lynch made the announcement during a luncheon speech in Brunswick, a small coastal city of 15,000 that state officials have turned into a leading gateway for automobile imports and exports as well as farm and construction equipment.

Brunswick’s port moved 841,000 cars and trucks across its docks in the 2024 calendar year. That’s an increase of more than 13% over the previous year. Lynch said the boom coincided with $262 million in improvements completed last fall that expanded Brunswick’s capacity for processing and storing autos.

The Port of Baltimore led the U.S. in automobile imports and exports for more than a decade. But its total dropped 11% last year to fewer than 750,000 autos, said Richard Scher, a spokesman for the Maryland Port Administration.

The steep drop followed the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge last March, which shut down Baltimore’s shipping channel for weeks. Trade was slowed as the waterway reopened in phases before being fully cleared in June.

The Port of Brunswick plans further upgrades in the coming years. A new berth built for docking larger car-carrying ships is being designed and should open in 2027, Lynch said. The port is also building a new railyard that will ultimately triple its capacity for using trains to deliver cars for export.

Meanwhile, Georgia port officials are looking to Washington to fund improvements to Brunswick’s shipping channel. The Army Corps of Engineers wants to widen portions of the waterway to give ships more room to turn after the South Korean freighter Golden Ray tipped over while leaving the port in 2019. Lynch said maintenance dredging is also needed to return the channel to its proper depth of up to 38 feet (11.5 meters).

From the Brunswick News:

The lack of progress on planned dredging work at the Brunswick Harbor by the Army Corps of Engineers is raising questions by U.S. Sens. Jon Offoff and Raphael Warnock, the state’s voices in the U.S. Senate.

The two Democrats have sent a letter to Corps leadership expressing “alarm over the Corps’ failure to dredge the Brunswick Harbor in a timely manner.”

“The Corps’ failure to execute a basic mission with ample funding provided by Congress raises serious concerns about the Corps’ ability to effectively execute such projects in future years,” according to the letter the senators wrote.

The state has allocated more than $6 million for special harbor improvements with the allocation going to the Army Corps of Engineers as Georgia’s share of the project costs, he said. The Corps’ plan includes a bend widener and expansion of the turning basin. An expanded vessel meeting area at St. Simons Sound will improve safety for vessels passing each other in two-way traffic.

Last year, Ossoff and Warnock helped procure $15 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation to help upgrade infrastructure at the Port of Brunswick — improving operations, creating economic opportunities, and strengthening Georgia’s supply chains.

In 2022, Sens. Ossoff and Warnock’s Port of Brunswick Navigation Channel Improvement Act was signed into law to help authorize upgrades to the port’s navigation channel.

“The Port of Brunswick is vital to Georgia’s economic growth and is poised to become the Nation’s busiest automotive port in the near future,” they wrote. “The sustained success and future expansion of port operations relies on timely and effective dredging of the harbor.”