Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for February 21, 2020

The British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act on February 22, 1766.

Georgia’s first Governor Archibald Bulloch died mysteriously on February 22, 1777.

[Bulloch] became a leader in the state’s Liberty Party and was elected to the Commons House of Assembly in 1768, to the post of speaker of the Georgia Royal Assembly in 1772 and finally to the Continental Congress in 1775.

On June 20, 1776, Bulloch was elected the first president and commander in chief of Georgia’s temporary government, posts he held until February 5, 1777, when Georgia adopted its state constitution. Just over three weeks later, on February 22, 1777, Georgia faced a British invasion, and the state’s new government granted Bulloch executive power to head off the British forces. A few hours later, Bulloch was dead. The cause of his death remains unknown but unsubstantiated rumors of his poisoning persist.

[H]e is also known as the great-great-grandfather of America’s 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt.

The first Georgia state law allowing divorce was signed on February 22, 1850 by Governor George Towns.

President elect Abraham Lincoln arrived in Washington, DC on February 23, 1861.

The Washington Monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885.

The Cyclorama painting of the Battle of Atlanta went on display on Edgewood Avenue on February 22, 1892. The Atlanta History Center opened a new display of the Cyclorama on February 22, 2019.

Happy Birthday to Congressman John Lewis, who was born on this date in 1940 in Pike County Alabama. In 1963, Lewis became President of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, based in Atlanta. In 1981, Lewis was elected to an at-large seat on the Atlanta City Council, and in 1986, he was elected to Congress, defeating Julian Bond in the Democratic Primary.

On February 23, 1945, United States Marines raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi, the highest point on the Pacific island Iwo Jima.

This first flag-raising was photographed by Marine photographer Sgt. Louis R. Lowery. On Lowery’s way down Mt. Suribachi, he ran into AP photographer Joe Rosenthal and two other Marine photographers, PFC Bob Campbell and PFC Bill Genaust, who was shooting movies, informing them that the flag-raising they were looking for had already occurred, but encouraging them to check out the view from the top of the hill. The three men continued up the volcano.

Once atop Mt. Suribachi, Rosenthal attempted but was unable to find the soldiers involved in the first flag-raising, deciding instead to photograph the second flag-raising, which featured a much bigger and more photogenic Stars and Stripes. Lowery’s film was sent back to military headquarters for processing via ordinary army post–and took a month to arrive. Rosenthal’s film was sent by seaplane to Guam, and sent from there via radio-photo to the United States. The photograph so impressed President Roosevelt that he ordered the men pictured in it to return home for a publicity tour. Rosenthal later won a Pulitzer Prize for the photo, but for years was forced to deny erroneous reports that he personally staged the second flag-raising and attempted to pass it off as the original.

Although the famous photograph has long led people to believe that the flag-raising was a turning point in the fight for Iwo Jima, vicious fighting to control the island actually continued for 31 more days.

Today, the first and second flags flown atop Mt. Suribachi are held at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia.

On February 23, 1954, the first children in the U.S. were inoculated against polio using a vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk.

On February 21, 1958, Governor Marvin Griffin signed legislation creating the Stone Mountain Memorial Association to oversee construction and operation of a Confederate memorial and public park at the site.

On February 22, 1976, a series of U.S. Postage stamps commemorating the Bicentennial was issued, featuring the state flags.

On February 21, 1998, Julian Bond was selected as Chairman of the NAACP. Bond was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1965, but the House initially refused to seat him due to his opposition to the war in Vietnam. The United States Supreme Court eventually ruled against the House and Bond was sworn in on January 9, 1967, serving there until his election to the Georgia State Senate. In 1986, Bond left the Senate to run for Congress.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

President Donald Trump floated the idea of appoint Rep. Doug Collins (R-Gainesville) as Director of National Intelligence, according to the AJC.

The Gainesville Republican said although it was “humbling” that Trump floated his name Thursday for the coveted job, he is determined to continue his challenge against Loeffler, a wealthy business executive tapped to the position in December.

“This is not a job that’s of interest to me at this time, and it’s not one that I’d accept,” he said in a morning appearance on Fox Business, before questioning Loeffler’s loyalty to Trump.

“Everybody knows I’m a supporter of the president, they know how much I supported him through sham impeachment and everything else,” he said. “But I’m running against a senator who was just newly appointed who decided to support the president three weeks before she got the appointment.”

Collins would also have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate for the national intelligence post and most other premier positions, an unlikely prospect given deep concerns by Democrats about elevating the congressman to a more prominent role.

Under the Gold Dome Today – Legislative Day 16

TBD SENATE RULES UPON ADJOURNMENT 450 CAP

7:30 AM SENATE Appropriations- Higher Education Subcommittee 450 CAP

8:00 AM SENATE Appropriations- Criminal Justice and Public Safety Subcommittee 307 CLOB

8:00 AM SENATE Appropriations- Economic Development Subcommittee 341 CAP

8:00 AM HOUSE JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL 132 CAP

8:00 AM HOUSE MOTOR VEHICLES 515 CLOB

8:30 AM SENATE Appropriations- Human Development Subcommittee 310 CLOB

9:00 AM HOUSE RULES 341 CAP

9:30 AM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD 16) House Chamber

1:00 PM SENATE Appropriations- Transportation Subcommittee 341 CAP

1:00 PM SENATE Veterans, Military and Homeland Security 310 CLOB

SENATE RULES CALENDAR

HB 545 – Nuisances; treatment of agricultural facilities and operations and forest land; provisions (Substitute) (AG&CA-50th) McCall-33rd

SB 315 – Mechanics and Materialmen; waiver and release of lien and bond rights/other remedies under the law; provide (JUDY-37th)

SB 322 – Development Impact Fees; exemption of development projects from funding such projects’ proportionate share of system improvement; authorize (Substitute) (ED&T-47th)

HOUSE RULES CALENDAR

Modified Open Rule
HB 780 – State Properties Commission; use an opinion of value in the valuation of state property where a conveyance of the property by the state is for the sole and direct benefit to the state; allow (SProp-Pirkle-155th)

Modified Structured Rule
HB 487 – Disaster Volunteer Relief Act; certain employees of state agencies to be granted leave from work with pay in order to participate in specialized disaster relief services; authorize (Substitute)(PS&HS-Bonner-72nd)

Legislation by State Senator Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) would limit interest rates on title pawns, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Auto title loans can provide quick cash for individuals who need emergency funds, but critics say triple-digit interest rates trap borrowers in a debt cycle — particularly minority and low-income communities.

Payday loans have been illegal in Georgia since 2004, but the state allows pawned items and therefore auto title loans to operate. Other small loan options exist in Georgia, but have a usury cap of no higher than 60% annually under state regulations.

When an individual agrees to an auto title loan, the borrower’s car title is used as collateral against the short-term loan. If they default on the loan, they can lose the car to the lender.

Legislation seeks to put an interest rate cap on collateralized vehicles at 36% annually. The bill would also set stricter terms for refinancing and how much a lender could collect — bringing title loans closer to compliance with small-loan industry standards.

Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula, who introduced the legislation, said this summer he was contacted by a constituent in Columbus who discovered her elderly stepfather had pawned his car for money for groceries and utilities. The interest rate on the loan was 176%.

State Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Cobb) introduced legislation to increase regulation of homes caring for Georgia seniors, according to the AJC.

State Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, announced her bill in a news conference at the Capitol with a group of legislators, advocates and family members standing behind her in support of the legislation. Cooper, chairwoman of the House Health and Human Services Committee, noted that along with being a lawmaker she is also a registered nurse. “So, the patient is always my priority,” she said.

She said that while many homes do a wonderful job caring for frail, elderly people, some are falling short.

“Unfortunately, the bad ones put everybody into a bad situation where we need to make corrections,” she said. “The bill is a beginning in making those.”

Cooper said she worked closely on the bill with state Rep. John LaHood, R-Valdosta, who owns and operates assisted living homes. LaHood was among those standing behind Cooper in support of the bill, which was drafted in response to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s investigative series last year that exposed widespread problems in the senior care industry. The proposal addresses many of the problems the AJC identified.

“I believe if you have adequate staffing and you have adequate procedures in place we can prevent a lot of the incidents that we have been reading about in the AJC,” Cooper said.

Gov. Brian Kemp later said that Cooper had also worked with his office and with the state oversight agency to craft solutions. “Georgia is a state that values life, and that means every senior citizen should be safe to age gracefully in their local community…,” he said. “I look forward to working with members of the General Assembly to pass this important legislation and continue to protect the elderly in Georgia.”

State Sen. Burt Jones (R-Jackson) introduced legislation to allow some online sports betting, according to the AJC.

A Republican senator filed legislation that would legalize online sports betting in Georgia, aiming to expand gambling through the state lottery system without requiring a constitutional amendment.

State Sen. Burt Jones, R-Jackson, filed a bill Thursday that aims to authorize the Georgia Lottery to manage an online sports wagering system that would benefit the state’s HOPE scholarship.

Jones said that since the illegal sports betting market in Georgia is estimated to be $1.5 billion, it makes sense for the state to regulate the system.

“It’s going on currently,” he said. “And so we feel like — much like the internet sales tax — that it’s just an opportunity for us to capitalize on an entity that’s already operating.”

Under Jones’ legislation, Senate Bill 403, sports betting companies would pay a 20% tax on their income, with almost all but 5% of the revenue going to the HOPE scholarship. The remainder would go to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to fund addiction treatment services.

Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Atlanta) has purchased a private plane for use in her campaign, according to the AJC.

When U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler traveled to a Middle Georgia hot dog shop to meet with local officials, she hopped on her newly purchased private jet for an 18-minute flight. A few hours later, the aircraft took her to Washington, where she touted a federal budget that included new money for Savannah’s port.

The luxury jet is an enviable tool on the campaign trail, helping the Republican senator zip from her Buckhead home to Macon campaign stops to votes in Washington in a span of hours as she tries to build her political brand ahead of a November race against several well-financed challengers.

It also fuels critics who are pushing to portray the former financial executive as an out-of-touch multimillionaire who whisks to meetings with Georgia farmers and small-town officials on her private jet.

Her office confirmed that Loeffler owns the aircraft when asked by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and that she paid for it out of her pocket. Her aides said it was purchased in December, shortly after she was appointed to the Senate by Gov. Brian Kemp, but they would not say how much Loeffler paid for the aircraft.

Her aides say she is complying with rules set forth by the U.S. Senate and the Federal Election Commission, and that the majority of her travel is to and from Washington. She also occasionally flies coach on commercial flights to Washington, an aide said.

Owning a private plane didn’t seem to hurt Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Democrat Ed Tarver entered the race for the Senate seat held by Sen. Kelly Loeffler, according to US News.

A former federal prosecutor appointed by President Barack Obama formally launched his campaign Thursday in the crowded race to take on Georgia’s newest U.S. senator.

Democrat Ed Tarver, 60, of Augusta is the third Democrat to officially announce he’s challenging newly appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who also has a GOP opponent in U.S. Rep. Doug Collins. All candidates will share the ballot in a free-for-all special election Nov. 3.

Tarver kicked off his Senate bid with an online video that emphasized his military service as an Army captain and featured photos of the candidate with Obama, who chose Tarver to become southern Georgia’s first African-American U.S. attorney. He pledged to work toward bipartisan solutions to improve access to health care and battle climate change.

“In the Army, we were never asked if we were conservatives or liberals,” Tarver said in a news release. “It was about serving one nation.”

 Chatham County Sheriff John Wilcher is asking for additional staff for the jail, according to the Savannah Morning News.

With renovations to the county jail’s Unit 5 now complete, Chatham commissioners will consider staffing the revamped portion of the Chatham County Detention Center at their Friday, Feb. 21, meeting.

The request to hire officers includes funding for 10 new employees and the promotion of four officers.

“Due to overcrowding, I am now under the threat of potential lawsuits from inmates as well as their families as I have been forced to make 200 two-man cells into three-man cells which these cells are not equipped for,” Wilcher stated in a Dec. 12 memo to Chatham Commission Chairman Al Scott. “I have assured many a mother that this issue with overcrowding would be alleviated once Unit 5 was completed.”

Wilcher is requesting the hire of 10 new civilian employees — two administrative assistants, one corrections counselor, one corrections transition specialist, one classification specialist, and five control-room operators — along with funding to promote four officers, which would provide sufficient manpower to reopen Unit 5, according to the agenda packet.