Alexander Stephens, who was born in Crawfordville, Taliaferro County, Georgia, was inaugurated as Vice President of the Confederate States of America on February 18, 1861. Stephens graduated from Franklin College, later known as the University of Georgia, and served in the Georgia legislature. Stephens opposed Georgia’s secession. One year later, Georgia’s delegation to the Confederate Congress, numbering ten members, was sworn in.
Ina Dillard was born on February 18, 1868 in Oglethorpe County Georgia. She married Richard Russell, who served on the Georgia Court of Appeals and as Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. Their son, Richard B. Russell, Jr., would be elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, where he served as Speaker and became the youngest Governor of Georgia in the 20th Century. In 1932 he ran for United States Senate and was elected.
In 1936, Russell was elected to his first full term in the Senate over former Governor Eugene Talmadge. In 1952, Russell ran for the Democratic nomination for President and he was an early mentor for Lyndon B. Johnson, who later served as President. Russell served on the Warren Commission that investigated the assassination of President Kennedy.
Russell served as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee for many years. Russell was an acknowledged leader within the Senate, and especially among Southern members, and he led much of the opposition to civil rights legislation and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Someone might want to help the Savannah Morning News understand the difference between the United States Congress and the Georgia General Assembly. From the Athens Banner Herald:
A bill has been introduced in the state house that could eliminate school zone speed cameras in Georgia.
House Bill 225, sponsored by Savannah State Representative Ron Stephens, aims to repeal the 2018 legislation that allowed for the installation of these cameras.
The outcome of House Bill 225 remains to be seen. Here is the bill process.
How does a bill get approved?
According to the U.S. House of Representatives, here are the steps for how laws are made:
1.) A representative sponsors a bill.
2.) The bill is then assigned to a committee for study.
3.) If released by the committee, the bill is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated or amended.
4.) If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate.
5.) In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on.
6.) Again, a simple majority (51 of 100) passes the bill.
7.) Finally, a conference committee made of House and Senate members works out any differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.
8.) The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval.
9.) The Government Publishing Office prints the revised bill in a process called enrolling.
10.) The President has 10 days to sign or veto the enrolled bill.
Under the Gold Dome Today
TBD Senate Rules : Upon Adj 450 CAP
8:00 AM HOUSE Approp Sub Econ Dev 341 CAP
8:00 AM HOUSE MOTOR VEHICLES 606 CLOB
9:00 AM HOUSE Approp Sub Judicial 606 CLOB
9:00 AM HOUSE Ways & Means Sub Income Tax 406 CLOB
9:00 AM Senate Agriculture & Cons Aff 307 CLOB
9:30 AM HOUSE Ways & Means Sub Ad Valorem (Upon Adj Inc Tax) 406 CLOB
10:00 AM HOUSE Ways & Means Sub Sales Tax (Upon Adj Ad Val) 406 CLOB
10:00 AM Senate Insurance & Labor MEZZ 1
10:30 AM HOUSE Ways & Means Sub Pub Fin & Local Policy (Upon Adj Sales Tax) 406 CLOB
11:00 AM HOUSE Approp Sub Education 515 CLOB
11:00 AM HOUSE CREATIVE ARTS & ENTER 506 CLOB
11:00 AM HOUSE RULES 341 CAP
11:00 AM Senate Children & Families 307 CLOB
1:00 PM HOUSE Govtal Aff Sub State & Local (Upon Adj) 415 CLOB
1:00 PM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD18) House Chamber
1:00 PM Senate Floor Session (LD 18) Senate Chamber
2:00 PM HOUSE EDUCATION (Upon Adj) 341 CAP
2:00 PM HOUSE PUBLIC & COMM HEALTH 606 CLOB
2:00 PM HOUSE Reg Ind Sub Occup & Prof Lic 506 CLOB
2:00 PM HOUSE Govtal Aff Sub Elections (Upon Adj State & Local) 415 CLOB
2:00 PM HOUSE Approp Sub on Health (Upon Adj) 406 CLOB
2:30 PM HOUSE [MYSTERY COMMITTEE]
3:00 PM HOUSE DEFENSE & VETS AFF 515 CLOB
3:00 PM HOUSE ENERGY, UTILITIES & TELECOM 403 CAP
3:00 PM HOUSE Hong Sub Judiciary Non-Civil 132 CAP
3:00 PM HOUSE GAME, FISH & PARKS 506 CLOB
3:00 PM HOUSE STATE PROPERTIES 415 CLOB
3:00 PM Senate Higher Education 307 CLOB
3:00 PM Senate Banking & Financial Inst 450 CAP
4:00 PM HOUSE RETIREMENT 606 CLOB
4:00 PM Senate Regulated Ind & Utilities 450 CAP
5:00 PM Senate Education & Youth 450 CAP
Governor Brian Kemp discussed tariffs at the Munich Security Conference, according to Global Atlanta.
Having campaigned on lowering costs for consumers, President Donald Trump should keep an eye on the potential effects of tariffs on inflation, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said during a visit to the Munich Security Conference.
“It’s not in anybody’s interest if we drive up cost,” Mr. Kemp said during an interview with Politico at the summit of mostly European leaders and policy makers.
Mr. Kemp wouldn’t speculate on Mr. Trump’s economic rationale for upending global trade other than to point to “imbalances” in some countries that should be “fair game” for rectification.
Voters, however, are highly sensitive to price hikes, and that Republicans at the national and state levels alike must make good on their promises to tackle what he called ”40-year high inflation” caused by the Biden-era policies Mr. Kemp was already railing against during his re-election campaign in 2022.
“I do think it’s something they should keep a watch on, and I think they understand that — you’ve got a lot of businesspeople that are in this administration,” he said.
One should also note, he said, that the president is “doing exactly what he said he would do” on a variety of fronts, from tariffs to energy, cost-cutting and deporting “criminal” immigrants.
And the president is moving with more urgency now that he has “a unique opportunity to reset what his political history, what his legacy, will be,” the governor said.
Mr. Kemp relates, noting that he came back from a statewide election loss earlier in his career with a resolve to get things done right out of the gate.
“I think that’s why he is moving so quickly,” Mr. Kemp said, noting that the Trump team 2.0 seems to have a better handle on the levers of government.
He advises his interlocutors to take a longer view, saying that his experience working with the Trump administration, both the first time and this time, has been productive. As current chair of the Republican Governors Association, he said he is “excited to work with this administration.”
“From our (persecutive), it’s not near as chaotic as people are making it out to be,” Mr. Kemp said, offering advice for foreign leaders: “I tell them, it has only been a few weeks — give it time to settle down, don’t overreact and hopefully that’s helping some.”
He also said that the pace of change could be designed to discombobulate Democrats, which he painted as a party in disarray.
“They’re so unprincipled in their party right now, they can’t understand what they are for in order to communicate that — because there is such a division in the party. And then the president and his team are putting so much out there that they are not sure which direction to go to.”
Noting that he is focused on passing what has become the defining issue of this year’s session — tort reform — he declined to give a timeline for declaring a run for Senate or other federal office.
He reiterated Georgia’s status as the No. 1 state for business, offering favorable infrastructure and two new nuclear reactors with ample clean power, an important consideration for some European manufacturers and tech firms.
Last week, Mr. Kemp announced that the state had achieved record exports, noting that 87 percent of Georgia exporters are small businesses.
On X, Mr. Kemp noted that he met with business leaders as well as Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, along with Argentine Secretary of International Affairs for Defense Juan Battaleme.
The Georgia Baptist Mission Board named State Senator Chuck Payne (R-Dalton) and State Rep. Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville) as their 2024 Legislators of the Year, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.
The board recognized Payne for exemplary leadership, citing his 30-year career working with troubled youth at the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, his 28 years of volunteer service and his consistent leadership in the Senate. Payne also hosts the General Assembly’s weekly fellowship. The award was presented to Payne and Rep. Matthew Gambill, R-Cartersville, at the 11th Annual Georgia Baptist Pastors Day at the Capitol.
“I would like to thank the pastors and Public Affairs Committee of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board for naming me the Senate’s Legislator of the Year,” said Payne. “I give God all the glory for all that I’ve accomplished during my tenure thus far in the state Senate. I’m honored for the recognition of my service to the 11 million citizens who call Georgia home.”
The Georgia Baptist Mission Board seeks to serve more than 3,400 Georgia pastors, ministry leaders and churches through resources, encouragement and training. Each year, the board presents a member of each chamber of the Georgia General Assembly with this award, thanking them for their extraordinary service to Georgia and God’s earthly kingdom.
House Bill 92 by State Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire) would extend the deadline for local governments to opt-out of the HB 581 Homestead Exemption, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
Georgia cities, counties and school districts are scrambling to meet a March 1 deadline for deciding whether to opt out of offering a property tax break the state’s voters approved last fall in a constitutional amendment.
But legislation pending in the Georgia House of Representatives would extend that deadline by four years.
The constitutional amendment, which Georgians ratified with 63% of the vote, prohibits local governments from raising residential property assessments in a given year by more than the annual rate of inflation, even if a home’s market value has gone up more.
Last year’s legislation gave cities, counties and school districts until March 1 to opt out of the measure. To do so, they must file an opt-out resolution with the Georgia secretary of state’s office and hold at least three public hearings.
House Bill 92, which cleared the House Ways and Means Committee nearly two weeks ago, would extend that deadline to March 31, 2029.
Those additional four years could slow what has been a rush by local governments – particularly school districts – to opt out of the tax break in order to protect a key revenue source funding their operations, committee Chairman Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, the bill’s chief sponsor, told committee members before the Feb. 5 vote advancing the measure.
“Many of the conversations that I have had with local governments have indicated that if there was some sort of test period or trial period … they might be more inclined to try this out,” he said.
But Clint Mueller, executive director of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, said no trial period is going to sway a local government that has initially opted to offer the tax break to later opt out because to do so would in effect be lifting a cap on homeowners’ tax liability.
“Can you imagine the political fallout of opting out if you’ve already given something?” he said. “That would be political suicide.”
Mueller said local governments’ fears of a looming property tax relief measure depleting their coffers are overblown.
“They can still make up lost revenues through the millage setting process,” he said. “This whole the-sky-is-falling mentality doesn’t wash.”
Rep. Trey Kelley, R-Cedartown, a cosponsor of House Bill 92, called it the most “taxpayer-friendly” legislation he has seen in the last two years.
“I don’t understand how any elected official in the state of Georgia who care about taxpayers could opt out of this legislation,” he said.
The bill now heads to the House Rules Committee to schedule a floor vote.
House Bill 117 by State Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) would require disclosure by restaurants of the source of shrimp on the menu, according to The Brunswick News.
State Rep. Jesse Petrea, R-Savannah, is the author of House Bill 117. Reps. Buddy DeLoach, R-Townsend, Rick Townsend, R-St. Simons Island, Lehman Franklin, R-Statesboro, and Al Williams, D-Midway, co-signed the legislation.
The original measure required restaurants to disclose the origin of all seafood items on the menu. A substitute offered by the House Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs removed seafood from the legislation, narrowing the bill to include only shrimp.
The legislation comes at a time when the Georgia fishing fleet and the American shrimping industry, in general, are being critically battered by foreign competition. The U.S. industry claims foreign countries are dumping product on the states with the backing of their governments.
The amended Georgia code would read: “All commercial food service establishments in this state that serve imported shrimp shall conspicuously display on their menus a disclosure by each menu item containing shrimp stating ‘FOREIGN IMPORTED’ or display ‘FOREIGN IMPORTED SHRIMP’ on placards visible to the public.”
DeLoach said foreign countries flooded the market this past year with more shrimp than the nation could consume, inflicting serious consequences to the fishing industry in McIntosh County, his home district.
“Shrimpers tied their boats up at the dock at midseason,” DeLoach said, noting that what they were able to eke out failed to cover the cost of the diesel used.
DeLoach said consumers never know what they are eating or buying with foreign shrimp. Aquatic shrimp farmers, especially in Southeast Asia, use antibiotics to protect the crustaceans from bacteria in controlled environments. The practice is regulated in the U.S. because it can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
That is not an issue with Wild Georgia Shrimp from the Atlantic or with shrimp caught off the coastal waters of other American states.
“We’re just looking for a way that people know what they are buying,” DeLoach said, adding that diners would select Wild Grown Georgia Shrimp over their foreign counterparts if given the choice.
“We now have a method to test shrimp in restaurants and determine where they are from. That has been a problem in the past,” he said.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture would be responsible for testing shrimp to ensure it is properly labeled. DeLoach said it will require an adjustment in the department’s budget.
Sara Wells, marketing and communications director for the Georgia Restaurant Association, commented on HB 117.
“While we support transparency for consumers, we want to ensure we are not placing additional burdens on small businesses,” Wells said.
Restaurants and seafood processors in the past have said demand for shrimp is too high for American fleets to fill, forcing them to seek supplies elsewhere.
House Bill 225 by State Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon) has more than 100 legislative sponsors and would revise Georgia law on speed cameras, according to the AJC.
More than 100 Georgia lawmakers have cosigned a bill that would make automated speed detection cameras in school zones illegal.
Rep. Dale Washburn, R-Macon, filed House Bill 225 after seeing local news outlets report about the millions of dollars in fines that have been handed out since the automated devices became legal in 2018.
“It’s all about raking in money, and in the process, our citizens are being victimized,” Washburn told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Monroe County/Macon Reporter found that the 36 speed cameras in Macon-Bibb issued more than 73,000 citations in 2024 through November, according to records obtained by the newspaper. The citations carried $8.8 million in fines, but only $3.9 million were paid.
Atlanta News First reported that the cameras generated $112 million in revenue in 54 Georgia municipalities over about five years.
In Atlanta, 10 cameras yielded 41,700 citations in the three months after Sept. 18, the first day they were active. That’s $1.6 million in fines, the AJC reported. The cameras are used in the Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Clayton, Henry and Cherokee school districts.
The cameras have been allowed since 2018. The law states that drivers can be cited for speeding only on a school day and only within an hour before or after the start or end of the school day. When detectors notice someone is speeding, a camera captures images of the license plate. A law enforcement officer is supposed to review the footage to see if there was a violation. If a driver was going more than 10 mph over the speed limit, a ticket is mailed to the car’s registered owner.
“Do we want to keep kids safe? Absolutely,” said Barry Babb, the sheriff of Fayette County south of Atlanta, when the law was passed. “But you want to be careful it doesn’t become a revenue machine.”
That’s what Washburn says is happening. He’s heard from constituents who said tickets are being issued outside of the permissible locations or hours.
“I’m hearing from a lot of representatives and a lot of senators who are really angry about this,” Washburn said. “So I’m continuing to push forward and I believe a ban is the best solution.”
The Fulton County Board of Elections is resisting state law that requires them to make ballots publicly available, according to the AJC.
Fulton County is refusing to reveal ballots from the 2020 election even though a new Georgia law attempted to make them public.
The county’s decision to keep its ballots secret is the latest chapter in a four-year fight between right-wing skeptics who claim the 2020 election was stolen and the Democratic-run government they accuse of wrongdoing.
The new state law, which went into effect Jan. 1, was designed by Republican legislators to allow anyone to request high-resolution copies of ballots to review votes for themselves.
“Fulton obviously has something to hide,” said Garland Favorito, cofounder of the group VoterGA, who has sought access to Fulton’s ballots through two pending lawsuits. “This proves all along that we were right — there was something seriously wrong about the 2020 election in Fulton County.”
Under the new law, county election officials are required to make copies of ballots upon request at a resolution higher than ballot images available from the secretary of state.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution requested copies of all ballots cast in Fulton in the 2020 election, but the county said the law doesn’t apply to that election.
Fulton said in a statement from its elections office that the county won’t produce higher-resolution ballot images because the secretary of state’s website doesn’t display ballots from 2020. A ballot image website by the secretary of state’s office went online last year with images from seven elections in 2024.
“The superintendent is only required to produce higher resolution ballot images if said ballot images are available on the secretary of state’s platform,” according to Fulton’s statement. “As the secretary of state has no digital postings of the 2020 ballot images, the superintendent is not required to produce the ensuing scanned ballot images.”
State Sen. Max Burns, who was the chairman of the Senate committee that sought disclosure of ballot images in the new law, said it was “absolutely” meant to make all ballots public. Burns said he hoped counties complied with the law, Senate Bill 189, but it wasn’t clear whether they could be compelled to provide records from elections prior to the law’s passage.
“To not do it certainly raises questions,” said Burns, a Republican from Sylvania. “I’d like for all of our counties to follow Georgia law to provide the information to the public as SB 189 requires.”
Without the law, it will be up to the courts to decide whether to grant access to Fulton’s ballots.
The Georgia Court of Appeals revived one of Favorito’s court cases in 2023, and he brought another lawsuit last year seeking high-resolution copies of ballots. But those cases have stalled since then, without any recent filings by the plaintiffs, the defense or the judges.
Some Georgia parents criticize State Attorney General Chris Carr’s decision to join a lawsuit, according to the AJC.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is facing mounting criticism from parents of children with disabilities after he joined a multistate lawsuit challenging a federal rule that added “gender dysphoria” to a list of conditions protected from discrimination.
The parents launched a campaign warning that Georgia’s involvement in the litigation could undermine Section 504 which, for more than a half-century, has guaranteed access to education and services for people with disabilities.
Carr, a Republican candidate for governor, has tried to tamp down the pushback by saying his litigation isn’t aimed at dismantling the law, rather at blocking a narrow change enacted during President Joe Biden’s administration.
“We are fighting one woke policy added by Biden for virtue signaling,” said Carr spokeswoman Kara Murray, who added that the challenge may be moot now that Donald Trump is back in the White House.
That hasn’t stopped the scathing backlash. Parents have inundated Carr’s office with calls and emails, pointing to language in the lawsuit questions whether Section 504 is unconstitutional because it “forces an impossible choice on the states” by requiring them to implement the act or risk crucial federal funding.
On Monday, Democrats and disability advocates rallied outside a Gwinnett County high school to demand Carr remove Georgia from the complaint.
“The Attorney General realizes that he has stepped in it,” said Democratic state Sen. Josh McLaurin. “He has signed a lawsuit he should not have, and what families need right now is answers and honesty. And they need a guarantee that he’s going to dismiss this lawsuit.”
Bryan County Board of Education members vote tonight on whether to opt out of the HB 581 Homestead Exemption, according to WSAV.
Bryan County Schools will make a major decision today that could impact property taxes for thousands of homeowners. The Board of Education is set to vote on whether to opt out of the homestead exemption – a move that could raise taxes to fund the growing school district.
However, not everyone is on board – with some residents voicing strong opposition.
This decision has been stirring up debate across Bryan County. The School Board says opting out is necessary to fund new schools and teachers. In recent meetings, many residents have worried that raising property taxes is not the way to go.
Later this morning, the Bryan County Board of Education will vote on opting out of the Homestead Exemption under House Bill 581. If approved, homeowners could see an increase in property taxes – with additional revenue going toward the rapidly growing school district.
School officials say that opting out is essential to fund new schools and hire over 300 teachers needed by 2048. They also point to budget concerns, stating that if the exemption had been in place over the past five years the district would have lost over $4 million – enough to fund 40 teachers.
However, the decision sparked outrage among residents, and many worry of the financial burden on seniors and those on fixed incomes. At previous meetings, dozens of community members voiced opposition arguing the board should explore other funding options.
“We don’t have a money problem, I feel like we have a spending problem,” said a Bryan County resident at a public meeting.
“We will grow to about 16,000+ students. So, you ask yourself what could more than 6,000 news kids in Bryan County schools mean? It could mean 5 new schools,” said Dr. Paul Brooksher, the Bryan County Schools Superintendent.
State lawmakers have responded by introducing house bill 362 – which would nullify the school board’s decision to opt out – potentially giving residents the final say in November. Despite the backlash, the school board remains firm emphasizing the need for funding to maintain educational standards amid the county’s rapid growth.
Overview:
- A potential tax hike could lead to higher property taxes.
- School growth needs: funds needed for new schools and over 300 teachers by 2048.
- State legislation: House Bill 362 could allow residents to vote on the exemption in November.
The vote happening this morning is expected to draw a large crowd and could significantly impact homeowners across Bryan County. WSAV will be at the meeting this morning and will provide updates as soon as the board reaches a decision.`
House Bill 362 by State Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) would create a Homestead Exemption against school board property taxes for Bryan County if it passes the General Assembly and Bryan County voters approve it in a referendum.
United States Rep. Mike Collins (R-Jackson) visited the Port of Brunswick as Chair of the Water and Environmental Resources subcommittee, according to the Savannah Morning News.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins toured the port’s facilities with GPA officials on what he called a “fact-finding mission.” Collins is chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Water and Environmental Resources subcommittee, which deals with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs, such as dredging projects.
Collins said site visits like the one taken Monday are crucial to bringing first-hand experiences back to Washington, D.C.
“We just came in off of a boat ride where we went out and looked at the channel, and you can actually see the water breaking out there where they need to widen that bend,” Collins said. “So, when you can take those stories back with you to Washington, D.C., it has a much greater impact when you’re talking to your colleagues, or whether you’re discussing it in your committees.”
The visit comes as GPA officials are increasing awareness of the Brunswick Harbor’s needs, where at the recent State of the Ports event GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch addressed the issue.
The last dredging of Brunswick’s shipping channel occurred in 2007, and the passage has not been at its already-authorized depth of 38-feet since 2010. The lack of maintenance in the channel, which stretches just over 15 miles along the Brunswick River through St. Simons Sound, has led to build up of shoaling sand that prevents ships from operating at full capacity because the channel is not deep enough for certain ships to pass.
The harbor is designed to be 38-feet deep and 500-feet wide at mean low water, which is the average height of low tides over a period of time. The channel, however, measures less than 35-feet deep and 200-feet wide at average low water heights.
Funding for the dredging project requires authorization from Congress. Collins said he hopes to return to Coastal Georgia soon with updates on solutions to the dredging issue.
Collins serves as the chair of the Water Subcommittee of the Transportation Committee. When he took over the role this year, he resolved when he took over to visit the major facilities under his purview, among them being the Port of Brunswick, which recently took the lead as the busiest roll-on, roll-off port in the nation.
During his visit, he looked to find out the cause of a delay in the dredging project for which Congress issued authorization and funding in 2022. Democrat Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff sent a letter to the U.S. Corps of Engineers last week expressing “alarm over the Corps’ failure to dredge the Brunswick Harbor in a timely manner.”
“The last time this waterway was dredged out to the full depth was back in 2007. So we are down here trying to take a look and see what the problem is,” Collins said. “… One of the things we have to do is to keep this waterway dredged to the right depth, the right width, that way we can make sure that we are the most productive and efficient port when we can be.”
Monday Collins took a tour of the Mayors Point Terminal with officials from the Georgia Ports Authority, the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the Brunswick Bar Pilots Association.
Collins said ships aren’t calling on Mayors Point at full capacity.
Port officials said ships often divert to other ports before stopping at Brunswick because the navigation channel approaching Brunswick isn’t deep enough to accommodate the large ro/ro cargo ships carrying a full load.
As such, ships will divert to other ports to offload cargo before stopping in Brunswick. Likewise, ships can’t take on a full complement of cargo in Brunswick and will stop at other ports to load up before heading overseas, creating unnecessary inefficiencies.
He said it was surprising how shallow the channel entering the Brunswick port had become. At some points the sand had piled up such that there was a beach alongside the river where ships traveled.
“If we don’t get this widened out if we don’t keep this thing at the right depth, then they’re not going to be able to utilize these facilities,” said Georgia Republican Congressman Mike Collins.
Brunswick is the busiest port for roll-on and roll-off cargo. The last deepening was done 18 years ago. Representative Collins visited the port to see it firsthand and address the changes he thinks need to be made.
“You can actually see the water breaking out there where they need to widen that bend. You know, it’s almost like a beach. So when you can take those stories back with you to Washington, D.C., it has a much greater impact,” said Rep. Collins.
Dredging is also a necessary maintenance step to address the natural process of shoaling sand.
“When you actually come out here and you visit and you see people and you eyeball the people that it’s impacting,” said Congressman Collins.
The next step is to go through the congressional budget process. This dredging was supposed to be completed prior to October and has yet to be completed this year because Congress has not yet agreed on a budget.
In the meantime, Representative Collins said it won’t be on the backs of taxpayers entirely.
“They pay every time they come into our ports. And that tax that they pay goes towards keeping the maintenance done on these channels. It’s not just taxpayers money that goes towards it,” said Rep. Collins.
A work plan will be implemented 60 days after the budget is approved. The Brunswick Port is hopeful the USACE and the federal government will set the correct budget to get to the designed depth there once again.
Bulloch County Commissioners will discuss an amended FY2025 budget that adds $16.8 million in spending, according to the Statesboro Herald.
Some smaller counties are struggling with the cost of hurricane cleanup, according to WRDW.
Counties like Burke, Jefferson and Glascock say the FEMA drop in reimbursement from 100% to 75% was definitely a time of uncertainty.
Even with temporary state funding to make up for the difference the clock is ticking to get as much done as possible before the rest falls on counties and their taxpayers.
Places like Jefferson County say clean-up would put their government in serious debt if the state didn’t pay the 25% FEMA left behind.
“The county could not afford to fund and throw in an astronomical amount of money to try to clean up,” says Jerry Coalson, Jefferson County administrator. “We just have to hit those priority areas, and the rest would have to remain.”
Coalson says they’re on the clock with the state to get what they can done by March 24.
He says the county is fortunate to have the finish line in sight with more than 90% of debris removed.
In even smaller counties, Glascock stopped operations until Monday to avoid potential debt and a severe burden on taxpayers.
“Our budget would not even stand 10% of what this cost to do this because with all this equipment running, I’m saying that we couldn’t even stand a week of having this equipment running,” says Coalson.
Burke County says it’s lucky to have funds set aside in reserves to pay for the million-dollar difference if the state does not step up with 25% funding.
The biggest concern isn’t finishing the cleanup, but what the cleanup would be like in the future if something like this happens again.
“These type of projects come along every, you know, 6 to 10 years or so, and, you know, you wonder what’s going to happen the next time, is there going to be a FEMA? Is it going to get funded, or is the state going to be left to pick up the tab?” Coalson says.
In Jefferson County, they say to meet the deadline they’ve already brought in more trucks to help with cleanup.
Burke, Glascock and Jefferson County all say they expect to finish debris removal in the next coming weeks.
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