Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for February 2, 2022

The first recorded reference to Groundhog Day was in 1841; the first Punxsutawney observance was in 1870.

Atlanta City Council met for the first time on February 2, 1848.

On February 2, 1870, the Georgia General Assembly ratified the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states, “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

On February 2, 1932, Al Capone was sent to federal prison in Atlanta.

On February 2, 1988, the Georgia Senate ratified the 22d Amendment to the United States Constitution, which provides that pay raises for Members of Congress shall not go into effect until the next term.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Under the Gold Dome Today

TBD – Senate Rules upon Adjournment – 450 CAP
8:00 AM HOUSE Appropriations General Government Sub Committee – 515 CLOB
8:00 AM HOUSE Life and Health Insurance Subcommittee – 606 CLOB HYBRID
8:00 AM – HOUSE BANKS AND BANKING – 506 CLOB HYBRID
8:00 AM – Senate Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee – 307 CLOB
8:00 AM – Senate Government Oversight – 450 CAP
9:00 AM – HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE – 341 CAP
10:00 AM – HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD 10) – House Chamber
10:00 AM – Senate Floor Session – Senate Chamber
1:00 PM – HOUSE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE – 606 CLOB HYBRID
1:00 PM – HOUSE Property & Casualty Insurance Subcommittee – 515 CLOB
~~1:00 PM – Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee canceled – 307 CLOB~~
1:00 PM – Senate Health and Human Services – 450 CAP
1:30 PM – HOUSE AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS COMMITTEE – 506 CLOB HYBRID
1:30 PM – HOUSE Judiciary Scoggins Subcommittee – 132 CAP HYBRID
2:00 PM – HOUSE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE – 406 CLOB HYBRID
2:00 PM – Senate Retirement Committee – 310 CLOB
2:00 PM – Senate Education and Youth Committee – 307 CLOB
3:00 PM – HOUSE INDUSTRY AND LABOR COMMITTEE – 506 CLOB HYBRID
3:00 PM – HOUSE CREATIVE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT COMMITTEE – 406 CLOB HYBRID
3:00 PM – Senate Finance Committee – 450 CAP
~~4:00 PM – Senate Transportation Committee- canceled – 450 CAP~~

Governor Brian Kemp yesterday announced the state will spend $408 million to bring better broadband internet access to 70 rural counties, according to a press release.

Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by members of the Broadband Infrastructure Committee and state leaders, [] announced almost $408 million in preliminary awards which will provide communities, households, and businesses in 70 Georgia counties access to faster and more reliable broadband. These 49 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant projects represent an investment of more than $738 million in Georgia when matching funds are contributed.

“I am very proud that Georgia is once-again leading the nation in developing collaborative, innovative, and fiscally conservative ways to leverage government funding to positively impact and serve as many Georgians as possible,” said Governor Brian P. Kemp. “I want to thank all of the members on the Broadband Infrastructure Committee as well as the grants team at the Office of Planning and Budget, and the broadband and special projects team at the Georgia Technology Authority for working together to score applications and recommend projects that reflect the greatest needs and interests of hardworking Georgians. We look forward to the positive impact these projects will have once completed. I ran on a promise to bring opportunity to rural Georgians. If you look at the map of Georgians who will now have access to rural broadband, you will see a promise kept.”

On June 29, 2021, Governor Kemp announced members of the Georgia Jobs and Infrastructure Committees. The bipartisan committees were responsible for receiving applications and making recommendations to the Governor regarding federal coronavirus relief funds allocated to Georgia through the American Rescue Plan. State government entities, units of local government, industries, and nonprofits were eligible to apply. Specifically, the Broadband Infrastructure Committee was responsible for making necessary investment recommendations to provide unserved or underserved locations with faster, more reliable broadband access.

Today’s announcement represents the initial phase of the rollout. The state is now in a due diligence posture, collecting tangible information and working with grantees to maximize our ability to serve the most Georgians in the highest-need areas. As the due diligence phase wraps up based on final ARPA guidance from the United States Treasury and project awards are finalized, there is potential opportunity to repurpose or leverage other federal funds to address areas that may not have been addressed with these awards.

“The volume of applications from all corners of the state proved what we thought we know: citizens need better broadband options for work, school, and play,” said Senator Blake Tillery. “The communities and providers who did the detail work of separating out RDOF areas, avoiding overbuild in already served communities, and calculating local and applicant matches to stretch state dollars to more citizens earned these grants. These awards are a giant step toward resolving the technological divide between our urban and rural communities.”

Due to the hard work and forward thinking of the legislature, the Department of Community Affairs, and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the Georgia Broadband Availability Map is a wonderful resource that helped the state identify the necessity of these projects. Leveraging this map, focus was placed on selecting projects that will help maintain a level playing field for private sector competition, also taking into respect parallel funding streams available for broadband access or expansion – like the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). Geography was also considered in order to disperse funds in an equitable manner.

“I am excited to see the impact these grants will have in connecting more Georgians to high-speed broadband and to watch the improvement in educational and business access they will create,” said Representative Terry England.

Based on data from the Georgia Broadband Availability Map, 482,374 locations in Georgia are currently unserved as of July 2021. The projects targeted with these awards could serve 183,615 locations – representing both homes and businesses – with faster and more reliable broadband. 132,050 of these locations are currently unserved based on state data.

In addition to this historic investment in broadband expansion in Georgia, the FCC’s RDOF program has awarded $326 million in funding that will also bring service to almost 180,000 unserved locations over the next several years. Due to proximity and connection to the Broadband Infrastructure Committee awards, many of those project timelines are expected to accelerate.

From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Augusta Chronicle:

Including matching funds, the $738 million in total investment will pay for 49 projects in parts of rural Georgia most lacking in broadband connectivity, Gov. Brian Kemp announced during a ceremony at the state Capitol.

“In Georgia, we are getting very close to closing the gap between the served and unserved,” Kemp said. “We wanted to reach as many Georgians as possible.”

“Broadband has truly turned into another piece of infrastructure just as important as roads, water and sewer and electricity,” said Georgia House Appropriations Committee Chairman Terry England, R-Auburn, who participated in the committee selections.

“I’m thankful for the impact these grants will make.”

On the campaign side, Gov. Kemp announced his reelection committee has raised more than $7.4 in the last seven months and has $12.7 million in cash on hand, according to the Associated Press via 41NBC.

From AccessWDUN:

Kemp has yet to file a full report with state officials, but his cash on hand rose by $3.5 million, showing he’s spending substantially in advance of the May 25 Republican primary. Kemp campaign manager Bobby Saparow said the numbers prove the incumbent “has the resources to win.”

In Gwinnett County’s 7th Congressional District, where 6th District Democratic incumbent Lucy McBath has jumped in to challenge 7th District Democratic incumbent Carolyn Bourdeaux, McBath raised $746,000 to Bourdeaux’s $431,000. McBath has nearly $2.5 million in cash, while Bourdeaux has $2 million, promising what could be a very expensive Democratic primary.

In suburban Atlanta’s 6th Congressional District, recent entrant Rich McCormick raised $772,000, including a $400,000 loan to himself. The Republican McCormick switched from the 7th to the 6th after the 6th was redrawn to favor the GOP. Recent Republican primary entrant Mallory Staples raised $346,000, including a $250,000 loan to herself. Jake Evans raised almost $250,000 but has more than $1 million in cash, close to McCormick’s cash total of $1.15 million.

The 10th District Republican primary, with a broad field seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, saw multiple candidates self-funding their campaigns to stay competitive. Patrick Witt raised $177,000, including a $50,000 loan; Mike Collins raised $153,000, including a $65,000 loan. State Rep. Timothy Barr raised $119,000 without any self-funding. Collins finished the period with $750,000 in cash, far more than any other candidate.

In northwest Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, the celebrity of Republican U.S. Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene continued to bring in big money for her and her challengers. Greene raised nearly $1.2 million, giving her more than $3.5 million in cash. Democratic challenger Marcus Flowers raised more than $1.3 million but spent most of it, raising his cash pile to $1.5 million. Democrat Holly McCormack raised $634,000 but spent an even larger share than Flowers, increasing her cash on hand to $178,000

Democrat Stacey Abrams has raised more than $9.2 million in her campaign for Governor, according to the AJC.

Stacey Abrams raised more than $9.2 million since entering the race for governor in December, setting a blistering fundraising pace that eclipsed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.

The Democrat will report about $7.2 million in cash on hand at the end of the financial quarter after collecting contributions from more than 100,000 donors in just two months, a campaign aide said Wednesday.

Abrams outpaced Kemp, who raised $7.4 million over the final six months of the year. He ended the year with about $12.7 million in the bank.

The race for governor is already on track to shatter the Georgia spending record established in 2018, when more than $100 million was spent on the contest that ended with Kemp’s win. In that race, Abrams shelled out $27.4 million while Kemp spent $21.4 million. Both could far surpass those sums this year.

Here’s how she’s spending some of that money: Google AdWords to show pro-Abrams ads as the very first result if you Google “Brian Kemp.”

FWIW, the money for that “68,000 Georgians’ Debt Cleared” did not come from her campaign, but from the Fair Fight Political Action Committee, according to ABC News.

Lauren Groh-Wargo CEO of allied group Fair Fight Action and senior adviser to the PAC said paying off medical debt is another facet of the group’s advocacy seeking expansion of Medicaid coverage in the 12 states that have refused to expand the health insurance to all poorer adults.

Fair Fight said letters will be sent to those whose debts have been absolved to notify them. The purchase will forgive the debt of nearly 69,000 people in Georgia, more than 27,000 people in Arizona, more than 8,000 people in Louisiana, and about 2,000 people apiece in Mississippi and Alabama.

The group has raised more than $100 million since Abrams founded it after her 2018 loss in the Georgia governor’s race. Fair Fight has been most noted for its advocacy of voting rights, but has also been pushing for broader health care. The group launched ads last week demanding that Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp add Medicaid expansion to the list of topics that Georgia lawmakers will consider in a special session starting next week to redraw electoral districts. Democrats are hoping Abrams will run against Kemp again in 2022. A narrow loss to Kemp in 2018 launched Abrams into political stardom.

Senate Bill 330, the “Giving the Gift of Life Act,” by Senator John Albers (R-North Fulton) passed the Georgia Senate yesterday, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Senate Bill 330 is sponsored by Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, who donated one of his kidneys last July to his son, who suffered renal failure and was forced to go on dialysis at the age of 24.

“This bill is going to save lives,” Albers told his Senate colleagues shortly before Tuesday’s unanimous vote. “My goal is to get the transplant [waiting] list down to zero.”

The legislation would expand an existing state income tax exemption for living organ donors from $10,000 to $25,000. Businesses would receive a state tax credit to help them cover the cost of up to six weeks paid time off for employees recovering from transplant surgery, whether they are donors or recipients.

The bill also would prohibit life insurance companies from canceling or denying coverage to living organ donors.

The tax breaks would cost the state an estimated $1.7 million a year. Albers said that pales in comparison to the tax dollars the state spends to maintain patients on dialysis.

Senate Bill 319, the “Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2021 passed out of the Senate Judiciary committee yesterday, according to WSAV.

The state Senate’s Judiciary committee passed the legislation at a hearing on Tuesday despite concerns from a Democrat that it would make it easier for criminals to get guns and increase violence.

The current license requirement includes a background check to keep guns from certain people, including convicted felons.

Republican State Sen. Jason Anavitarte said Tuesday gun purchases would still trigger background checks, and criminals were unlikely to go through the state’s permit process anyway.

From the Associated Press via AccessWDUN:

Sen. Elena Parent, a Democrat who represents parts of DeKalb County, pressed Anavitarte about the loss of a background check, suggesting he was presenting a bill that would “remove one of the very small” ways of keeping guns from criminals and certain other people.

Other Democrats on the committee questioned whether the license presented a significant burden to 2nd Amendment rights and whether law enforcement groups had been consulted.

Georgia currently requires people to obtain a license to carry a loaded handgun outside their own homes, businesses or cars, although people can carry rifles and shotguns in many places without a permit and carry unloaded guns in cases.

To obtain a weapons license, state residents must submit an application and fee and undergo fingerprinting in addition to a background check. Convicted felons and people who have been hospitalized for mental health problems or received treatment for drugs or alcohol in the years preceding the application are not eligible.

From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Rome News Tribune:

So-called “constitutional carry” bills introduced in the Republican-controlled General Assembly going back to the middle of the last decade have failed to gain traction. But with Democrats making headway in the last couple of election cycles, Gov. Brian Kemp and GOP legislative leaders are backing a permit-less gun bill in this election year as part of a conservative agenda aimed at Republican base voters.

Adding a government-imposed barrier to the free possession of firearms only punishes law-abiding citizens without affecting those who break the law, Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R-Dallas, the bill’s chief sponsor, told committee members Tuesday.

“The requirement to have a permit does not deter the criminal. They’re going to carry one anyway,” he said. “This bill puts law-abiding gun owners on an even playing field with criminals.”

Two school voucher bills by State Rep. Wes Cantrell (R-Woodstock) moved forward yesterday, according to the AJC.

House Bill 60 and House Bill 999 would both give public school students a state subsidy of about $6,000 a year to help cover tuition if they move to a private school. Or the money could be used to help pay for tutors and other education-related expenses if they switch to home schooling.

The lead sponsor for both is Rep. Wes Cantrell, R-Woodstock, who used recent outrage over critical race theory, controversial books and school pandemic policies — online school, masks — to make his case.

“I submit to you today that if parents had a choice, that all of these issues would take care of themselves,” he said, “because schools would have to be more responsive to parents if they knew the parents could go to something else.”

HB 60 passed the House Education Committee, and HB 999 passed a subcommittee of that same committee.

Click here for HB 60. Click here for HB 999.

Major property owners in the Buckhead Business District penned a letter to legislators asking to either kill the Buckhead cityhood bill or exclude their properties, according to the AJC.

The letter from more than 30 businesses, including many of the marquee names in commercial and residential real estate, came as state legislators prepare to consider a Republican-backed measure to carve out a separate city of Buckhead from the existing Atlanta boundaries.

It represents the most significant corporate backlash to Buckhead cityhood since the effort to split Atlanta first emerged. The coalition owns a collective $4.7 billion in real estate value in Buckhead, and accounts for roughly $57 million in annual property taxes to the City of Atlanta.

“We respectfully request that the General Assembly table the proposed legislation to create Buckhead City. If the General Assembly is unwilling to do this, we request that the General Assembly exclude the commercial district of Buckhead from the proposed Buckhead City,” the letter says.

“Simply put, the risk to our companies, employees, residents, and customers is too great to bet our tax dollars on a start-up city with no experience.”

The companies that signed the letter spanned a cross-section of industries, including AMLI Residential, Banyan Street Capital, Cortland, Cousins Properties, Edens, Jamestown LP, Regency Centers, Selig Enterprises and The Loudermilk Companies.

Nationally-known hoteliers Grand Hyatt Buckhead and JW Marriott also signed the letter, as did the Atlanta Tech Village startup incubator and the Regency Centers retail developer.

“We are never surprised when corporate opponents throw up a Hail Mary just to make headlines in an attempt to slow our meteoric success,” said [Buckhead cityhood proponent Bill] White, adding that some of the corporations have worked to “undermine and suppress Buckhead’s right to vote on its own destiny.”

Ask yourself how the leader of the cityhood movement will treat everyday residents when this is how he speaks to the major property owners of the business district. You want a mayor like that, you could have voted for Kasim Reed.

State Rep. Matt Dollar (R-Marietta) has resigned effective immediately to take a job with the Technical College System of Georgia, according to CBS46.

“Having been born and raised in Marietta, it has been the greatest honor of my life to serve the citizens of House District 45 in the Georgia House of Representatives,” said Rep. Dollar. “I want to thank the people of East Cobb for putting their trust in me, as well as Speaker David Ralston for the confidence he has shown in me during my time as a member of the Georgia House. I look forward to my new role at TCSG and to continue helping Georgia companies grow and succeed.”

According to the press release, Dollar served on several key House committees, including Appropriations, Economic Development, Transportation, Insurance, Motor Vehicles, Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Interstate Cooperation and others.

At the time of his resignation from the Georgia General Assembly, Dollar was serving as chairman of the House Creative Arts and Entertainment Committee, which focused on Georgia’s growing and robust film industry. In 2020, Rep. Dollar authored House Bill 1032, which updated and strengthened the state Film Tax Credit, helping to insure Georgia remained a leader in this industry that generates billions of dollars in economic impact to the state. Additionally, he was the youngest member of the Georgia legislature to serve as a committee chairman.

Dollar represented the citizens of District 45, which includes portions of Cobb and Fulton counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2002.

From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Gwinnett Daily Post:

“Some of my closest friends have been Democrats,” he said. “I don’t apologize for that. … This place has taught me that those who show the most respect are the most respected.”

The new House map drawn by the Republican-controlled General Assembly last fall put Dollar in the same House district as Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta. Dollar’s departure clears the way for her to seek reelection without a divisive primary against a fellow GOP incumbent.

At the technical college system, Dollar will be in charge of working on economic development issues.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Christopher Brasher’s resignation, effective December 2022, will give Gov. Brian Kemp the opportunity to appoint a successor who will not stand for reelection this year. As I said. From the Daily Report Online:

Brasher, 56, notified Kemp in a resignation letter dated Jan. 28. Brasher asked that his resignation be accepted immediately but made effective Dec. 1. Brasher’s current term ends this year, and he would have been up for re-election in the May primary. He told the Daily Report Tuesday that he expects the timing of his announcement so close to the judicial elections will give Kemp the opportunity to appoint his successor.

“I believe the effect is the election would go away and the governor would appoint a replacement,” Brasher said. ”My intention was to not surprise anyone.”

He added had has not heard of anyone planning to run, and he wanted to break the news before qualifying opens in March to avoid putting candidates in the position of raising money for an election that isn’t going to happen.

The situation brings to mind the controversy over the retirement of Georgia Supreme Court Justice Keith Blackwell, who resigned before he was up for election but stayed on the bench until after, allowing the governor to appoint a replacement. The maneuver was challenged for taking the decision out of the hands of the voters, but the lawsuit lost at the Georgia Supreme Court.

Election lawyers confirmed Brasher’s assessment.

“My recollection of the litigation and process on Justice Blackwell’s situation was that, as soon as a resignation was accepted, it can’t be revoked,” said Bryan Tyson of Taylor English Duma, an experienced election lawyer. “Judge Brasher’s resignation creates a vacancy before the end of the term, so the election that would otherwise be held this year is cancelled and the governor will appoint someone who will run at least two years in the future.”

Crawford County Chief Magistrate Cary Hays III will be suspended 30 days and receive an oral rebuke in open court after he assaulted a manacled defendant, according to the AJC.

A Crawford County judge will be suspended 30 days without pay for having a physical altercation with a shackled defendant in a courthouse hallway, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

“The proposed sanction is one of the most significant we have ever imposed, short of removal from office,” the Supreme Court said in an unsigned opinion. “ … It is a grave violation for a judge to use violence against any person appearing before him, except in self-defense or defense of others, which was not the situation here.”

Hays, after being cursed at by a criminal defendant at the close of a hearing, followed the man out into the hallway and assaulted him in December 2020, according to a complaint filed against him by the state’s judicial watchdog agency. At the time, the defendant was handcuffed and shackled at his feet.

In its unanimous opinion, the state Supreme Court signed off on an agreement reached between Hays and the state Judicial Qualifications Commission.

Not good enough. You or I would spend time behind bars if we assaulted a handcuffed person in a courthouse hallway. “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Augusta City Administrator Odie Donald II resigned to take another job elsewhere, according to WRDW.

Lawrenceville Police Chief Tim Wallis has resigned after an investigation into the department’s work environment, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Dalton City Council wants changes to state law to allow them to lease some facilities for up to 25 years, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

The Dalton City Council has asked the local delegation to the state legislature to introduce a bill that would change the city charter to allow the city to enter into 25-year leases, with the possibility of a 10-year renewal, on five city-owned properties:

“We have potentially the need at some sites to go into longer lease terms (than allowed by law),” said City Administrator Andrew Parker at a recent City Council meeting. “Specifically, at the airport, where we have business owners that might want to enter into a long-term rental to construct facilities.”

City Attorney Terry Miller said other cities with airports have already gotten this change.

“No one is going to invest money (to build hangars and other facilities) for one five-year lease with one five-year renewal,” Miller said.

State Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton, said the legislature’s legislative counsel is now drafting a law to change the city charter to make the change the City Council wants and to allow longer leases.

Macon-Bibb Commissioners considered whether to pay hazard pay for some public employees, according to 13WMAZ.

Superior Court Clerk Erica Woodford said her staff never stopped working during the pandemic.

“Per the statute, the Georgia code, the clerk’s office is required to stay open,” she told commissioners.

At Tuesday’s commission meeting, she asked for $50,000 in hazard payments for her employees.

In the end, commissioners decided to table the vote to a later meeting.

“I think that generally, the commissioners want to do something to show our appreciation to our employees, but they want to make sure that nobody is left out,” [Commissioner Elaine] Lucas said.

Glynn County Commissioners touted the benefits of a new courthouse annex to be paid for by SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) funds, according to The Brunswick News.

Glynn County Clerk of Superior Court Ron Adams told the crowd of about 30 at Howard Coffin Park that the courthouse was filled to capacity the day it opened 30 years ago.

Adams said $14 million was budgeted for the courthouse back then, but the bids came in at $19 million. County officials ended up building a courthouse 40 percent smaller than initially planned, creating an ongoing problem.

Adams was asked why the court system couldn’t use county buildings such as the one occupied by the Glynn County Board of Elections when it moves.

“Security issues drive a lot of what we do,” Adams said.

A man in the audience told commissioners the defeat of the last proposed SPLOST in March 2021 “tells you something.”

“We don’t want more taxes,” he said. “Maybe we can pass a SPLOST if the programs were limited,” he said. “Whatever the number, it needs to be minimized. There’s a lot of dissatisfaction with taxes.”

Booker pointed out that a large portion of the 1-cent tax is paid by the more than three million visitors to the Golden Isles each year.

Statesboro City Council moved a step closer to agreement on liquor store rules, according to the Statesboro Herald.

The version on the agenda for the 9 a.m. Feb. 1 meeting calls for a minimum 1,000-yard spacing between any two liquor stores – which is double the minimum distance required under Georgia law – and a minimum 3,000 square feet of floor space in any one store, including product storage space as well as the showroom.

But this draft includes neither a specific limit on the number of stores, which Mayor Jonathan McCollar had long suggested, nor a minimum dollar value of liquor inventory, as had emerged from a discussion with his ad hoc community committee in December.

“And guess what. I’m good with that. …,” McCollar told the council Thursday. “I think this regulates to where we need to.”