On February 29, 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts, arrest warrants were issued for Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, accusing the three women of witchcraft.
On February 28, 1784, John Wesley executed a document titled “The Rev. John Wesley’s Declaration and Establishment of the Conference of the People called Methodists.”
On February 28, 1827, the first American railroad organized to transport people and freight commercially, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, was chartered. At the time, Baltimore was the second largest city in the nation.
On February 28, 1854, 30 anti-slavery opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which would repeal the 1820 Missouri Compromise, met in Ripon, Wisconsin and called for the creation of the Republican Party.
On February 28, 1885, the American Telephone and Telegraph company was incorporated, though some accounts says March 3d.
On February 29, 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed the first Panama Canal Commission.
On February 29, 1936, a board appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt recommended constructing a dam on the Savannah River at Clarks Hill, north of Augusta.
On February 29, 1940, Gone With the Wind received eight Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Hattie Mcdaniel, the first African-American winner.
On February 28, 1991, the First Gulf War ended, as President George H.W. Bush declared a ceasefire and that Kuwait was liberated.
Two years ago, Georgia Department of Public Health officials warned of the likelihood of a coronavirus outbreak.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
This makes an old-fashioned “shotgun wedding” sound quaint: a Florida couple were married at a gun store, with the bride carrying a bouquet AR-15. From the Macon Telegraph:
It happened Tuesday — 2-22-22 on the calendar — at Mad Dog Armory in Tampa, and photos show a lot of people came armed, including the reverend who performed the wedding.
Bride-to-be Jennifer Hahn wore a pink veil, matching sleeveless gown and carried a bouquet of flowers fixed to the barrel of a Diamondback AR-15 with Holosun optic and magnifier.
The groom, Jason Hahn, dressed comfortably in jeans and a flannel shirt, and carried a 30-year-old custom Springfield 1911 pistol with several upgrades.
The two divorcees met six years ago through a dating app and slowly bonded over an interest in target shooting, he said. He symbolically popped the question using a ring he made from a shotgun shell.
It’s pollen political sign season in Georgia, with political pitches sprouting up everywhere you look. And that means it’s also the season for sign theft complaints. From WRDW:
Garnett Johnson is running for mayor, and a man is stealing his campaign signs.
The guy is biking off with the signs across Broad Street. This happened a few days ago, and the campaign and deputies are trying to figure out who is responsible.
“These campaigns are serious. It’s a lot of money to one, offer yourself up for service, and two, make the sacrifice to become a candidate. Unfortunately, we have individuals that are removing signs, and I’m hearing from other candidates that it’s happening,” said Johnson.
It’s been happening for years. Back in 2016, David Llewellyn served time after stealing more than a hundred signs from Mark Newton’s campaign, amounting to over $3,000.
For these two signs, when they catch the guy, it could be a $200 misdemeanor.
Under the Gold Dome Today – Legislative Day 21
9:00 AM HOUSE RULES COMITTEE 341 CAP
10:00 AM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD 21) House Chamber
10:00 AM Senate Floor Session LD 21 Senate Chamber
1:00 PM HOUSE Public Safety & Homeland Security Subcommittee A 406 CLOB HYBRID
1:00 PM Senate Science and Technology Committee 307 CLOB
1:00 PM Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee Mezz 1
1:00 PM Senate Finance Committee 450 CAP
2:00 PM HOUSE Governmental Affairs State & Local Government Subcommittee 506 CLOB HYBRID
2:00 PM HOUSE Regulated Industries Occupational / Professional Licensing Subcommittee 415 CLOB
2:00 PM HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE 132 CAP HYBRID
2:00 PM HOUSE Energy Utilities, & Telecommunications Energy Subcommittee 341 CAP
2:00 PM Senate Judiciary Committee 307 CLOB
3:00 PM HOUSE WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE 406 CLOB HYBRID
3:00 PM Senate Education and Youth Committee 307 CLOB
4:00 PM Senate Ethics Committee- canceled 307 CLOB
SB 479 – Firearms by Convicted Felons and First Offender Probationers; each firearm in the possession or attempted possession of certain offenders shall
be charged as a separate offense; specify (Substitute) (PUB SAF-50th)
SB 259 – Dangerous Instrumentalities and Practices; firearms and the carrying and possession of firearms and weapons; revise various laws (PUB SAF-53rd)
SB 319 – “Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2021”; enact (JUDY-31st)
Modified Structured Rule
HB 1056 Georgia Firefighters’ Pension Fund; authority to make alternative investments; repeal certain restrictions (Ret-Hill-3rd)
HB 1182 Local government; disposition of property acquired for lake projects do not apply if any portion of such lake was constructed; provide provisions
(GAff-Taylor-173rd)
HB 1219 Georgia Board of Dentistry; revise composition (Substitute) (H&HS-Houston-170th)
HB 1271 Property; covenants which infringe upon owners’ right to display United States and Georgia flags; prohibit (Substitute)(Judy-Burchett-176th)
HB 1274 State government; antisemitism; provide definition (Judy-Carson-46th)
HB 1288 State Employees’ Assurance Department; assignment of certain group term life insurance benefits; provide (Substitute)(Ins-Taylor-173rd)
HB 1294 Property; timing of sending notice when an abandoned mobile home has been determined to be derelict; provide (Judy-Corbett-174th)
HB 1308 Insurance; allow plan sponsor to consent on behalf of an enrollee to electronic delivery of all communication (Substitute)(Ins-Williams-148th)
HB 1346 Courts; clerks of superior courts; provide for construction (Substitute)(Judy-Ballinger-23rd)
Structured Rule
HB 1064 Income tax; certain retirement income for military service; provide exemption (W&M-Petrea-166th)
House Bill 1271, due to be voted on today, is interesting (click here for the Committee Substitute, the current working version). It (1) prohibits Homeowner Associations from adopting new rules against property owners flying a United States flag up to 4.5 by 6 feet from their building; and (2) prohibits future real estate covenants that prevent flying the U.S. Flag from buildings.
The original version of HB 1271 also protected the Georgia state flag and allowed for flag poles up to 20 feet.
From an 11Alive story dated 2017:
In 2006, Congress enacted the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, which prohibits homeowners associations, condominium associations and neighborhood associations from banning homeowners from displaying the American flag on their property.
According to the text of the law, “any reasonable restriction” may be placed on the time, place or manner of displaying the flag, provided it does not run afoul of the United States Flag Code, provided the restrictions are “necessary to protect a substantial interest of the condominium association, cooperative association or residential real estate management association.”
The matter became a hotbed of discussion after a homeowners association in Woodstock released new rules to residents placing stringent limits on when they were permitted to fly the American flag in their yards.
A Georgia man has won the right to fly the American flag outside his home after getting sued for failing to remove the 16-foot flagpole from his front lawn, MyFoxAtlanta.com reported.
The homeowners association, which claimed the flagpole was an “obstruction,” reportedly sued Tripodo for $25 each day the flag flew in his front yard — a charge that totaled $32,000.
A Cherokee County judge, however, dismissed the lawsuit this week, freeing Tripodo from having to pay any fines.
Tripodo said he believed the 2006 Freedom to Display the American Flag Act superseded any subdivision rules that prohibited the flagpole.
The Georgia State House is considering revisions to the Low-THC oil program, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Albany Herald.
In 2019, the General Assembly created a commission to launch a medical marijuana program in Georgia by awarding licenses to companies to grow the leaf crop and convert it into low-THC cannabis oil.
Three years later, not a single patient has received a single dose. Despite the tentative granting of six licenses last summer, the initiative is mired in legal protests filed by companies denied licenses claiming the selection process was flawed.
“It’s the most maddening process I’ve ever seen,” state Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, chairman of the House Regulated Industries Committee, said.
House Bill 1400 would increase the number of licenses the state awards from six to as many as 28. That would allow the 16 companies that have filed protests to reapply for a license rather than pursue their protest in court and cause further delays, Powell testified during two days of hearings on the bill.
“It’s time we do what’s necessary to fix a broken system,” he said.
“We’ve got children who are sick and hurting all over this state and need this to make a difference in their life,” Rep. Rick Williams, R-Milledgeville, said. “We need to make this happen.”
It’s more than maddening – it’s heart-breaking.
The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce visited the Georgia State Capitol for Albany Day, according to the Albany Herald.
The legislative event included meetings with the Office of Gov. Brian Kemp; Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan; the Georgia Chamber of Commerce; University System of Georgia; Technical College System of Georgia; Georgia Department of Agriculture; and members of the Albany Area Legislative Delegation, in which state leaders touted Albany-Dougherty County’s spirit of collaboration and its tenacity in facing challenges presented by the pandemic, having developed innovative solutions and partnerships in work force, health care and industry.
“Albany-Dougherty County is well-recognized as the hub of southwest Georgia and a statewide leader in exemplifying the power of partnership, which was demonstrated this week through the diverse delegation of local leaders engaged in discussions at the table,” Bárbara Rivera Holmes, president & CEO of the Albany Area Chamber, said in a news release. “The Albany Area Chamber is the region’s largest business advocacy organization, connecting and convening nearly 800 area businesses and community partners, and facilitating the representation of their legislative priorities on the local, state and federal levels. The Albany-Dougherty Day legislative event is our annual opportunity to present a collective front to state lawmakers and key influencers, demonstrating shared vision and community support on priorities most vital to the long-term success of Albany and its surrounding counties.”
The Albany Area Chamber’s 2022 pro-business legislative priorities include expansion of the health care professional pipeline to ensure Georgia has the work force to provide the care and services citizens need, and supporting telemedicine to increase access to care for rural Georgians; investing in rural broadband and rural innovation, which is critical to supporting educational attainment, economic growth and utilization of telehealth services; supporting incentives and initiatives that remove barriers for small businesses and expand access to resources; and increased investment in transportation infrastructure to support Georgia’s distribution and logistics industries.
Two bills on Electrical Vehicle charging are seeking assurances that the state’s regulated power company won’t give itself a dominant position in that market, according to AccessWDUN.
House Bill 1322 and Senate Bill 492 would require Georgia Power to create a subsidiary for charging stations that would buy electric at the same rate paid by private businesses such as convenience stores.
The Georgia Association of Convenience Stores supports the bills, saying its members already have the infrastructure to provide the charging stations, particularly as the number of electric vehicles is supposed to grow significantly over the next five years.
“There’s over 6,500 convenience stores in the state of Georgia,” said President Angela Holland. “That’s a store every nine square miles. And so we definitely have the infrastructure in our state. It’s the fifth most-saturated state in the nation with convenience stores.”
But Holland believes Georgia Power can provide electricity cheaper to itself to operate charging stations that it would to private businesses. She also believes the utility will simply raise rate to all customers to make up for any losses.
“We just need we need to be able to resell electricity on a level playing field,” she said. “And we need to know the rate at which we’re selling it.”
For its part, Georgia Power has said it doesn’t want to be in the electric vehicle charging station business. It operates 57 stations statewide, most in rural areas. And the utility provides financial incentives to private businesses to build more charging stations.
The Georgia State Senate approved GOP-drawn redistricting maps for the Cobb County Commission, according to the AJC.
Critics say the maps would tip the scales of future elections by diluting the voting power of racial minorities and creating overwhelmingly white districts that are more likely to elect conservative candidates.
An AJC analysis of the commission map found that the proposal would concentrate racial minorities into two districts currently held by Democrats. The changes would give conservatives an advantage in a competitive district held by District 3 Republican JoAnn Birrell by removing thousands of Black and Hispanic voters from her district, and moving them into an overwhelmingly Democratic District 2.
If recent voting trends continue, the map would likely maintain a 50-50 partisan split in the four commission districts of a county that voted for Democratic President Joe Biden by 14 percentage points in 2020.
Former Floyd County Republican Party Chair Andy Garner denounced U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s appearance before a group accused of white nationalism, according to the Rome News Tribune.
“I spent 10 years building our Republican Party here in Rome — three of those years as county chair,” Andy Garner said in a statement Sunday. “I care deeply about our party and my community. This is not who we are. It’s time to stand up to Mrs. Greene.”
In coverage of the America First Political Action Conference, the Orlando Sentinel called it “a secret white nationalist conference.” Garner was more direct.
“She accepted an invitation and spoke to a group of known white supremacists who cheered Russia and chanted ‘Putin, Putin’ BEFORE she spoke. She spoke anyway,” he said. “Ukraine is burning and our European allies fear what Putin will do next.”
“I am not going to play the guilt by association game in which you demand every conservative should justify anything ever said by anyone they’ve ever shared a room with,” [Rep. Greene] tweeted.
The Rome News Tribune looks at local GOP primary challenges.
Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit Juvenile Court Judge Laura Lundy Wheale has resigned, according to the Polk Standard Journal.
In a resignation letter provided to media on Wednesday, Feb. 23, Wheale wrote to Tallapoosa Superior Court Chief Judge Meng Lim to inform him she would be stepping down from her post as the judicial circuit’s juvenile court judge effective March 8, exactly three years since she was sworn in after being appointed by Lim.
Wheale filed a lawsuit against Polk and Haralson counties soon after her appointment to the bench and later added the state. It accused the governments of discrimination because her pay was set lower than that of her male predecessor.
The suit was dismissed by a federal district court judge in September, but Wheale pledged to appeal the ruling.
In her letter to Lim, dated Feb. 7, Wheale referred to her “pending litigation” and cited the problems listed in her lawsuit as the reason for her resignation.
Appointed in March 2019 to serve as the head of Polk and Haralson counties’ juvenile courts, Wheale had no previous experience as a judge but had been practicing law for several years. She was appointed following Judge Mark Murphy’s appointment to Tallapoosa Superior Court judge after he had served as the circuit’s juvenile court judge for over 20 years.
Mike Hodges announced he will run for the State Senate District 3 seat being vacated by Sen. Sheila McNeill, according to The Brunswick News.
Hodges, who is running as a Republican, will have to contend with fellow GOP member Jeff Jones in a primary for the party nomination.
Early voting in the primary will begin May 2.
“I am not a politician, but I have spent a lifetime building relationships and trying my best to make this area a better place to live, work and raise a family,” Hodges said. “As a volunteer on many local boards, my priorities have been expanding health care services, improving education and boosting economic development. I would like to use my experience to make a difference in the General Assembly. I will be ready and able to serve my constituents and senate district on day one.”
Georgia Senate District 3 includes the counties of Glynn, Camden, McIntosh, Brantley and Charlton counties, along with a portion of Ware County beginning next year.
The Athens Banner Herald profiles local candidates on the May 24 ballot.
Hall County Commissioner Kathy Cooper announced she will run for reelection to the District 1 seat she occupies, according to AccessWDUN.
Cooper, a Republican from Chestnut Mountain, was first elected to the Hall County Commission in 2014. A press release about the announcement described Cooper as a farmer and businesswoman.
The release said Cooper has focused on public safety initiatives while in office through the funding of equipment and compensation adjustments for first responders.
“While some communities work to defund and disable the police, Hall County has stood with our first responders because we appreciate their daily sacrifices,” Cooper said in a prepared statement.
Glynn County is beginning to interview candidates to be the new County Manager, according to The Brunswick News.
Macon-Bibb County’s Planning and Zoning commission will consider whether to allow a microdistillery, according to 13WMAZ.
The first phase of the project will include distilling whiskey, gun, vodka and rum on-site. Mash from two local breweries will be used to make the liquors.
Phase Two will include placing a 500-gallon stripping still in the facility, which would allow the company to create a signature whiskey that will be barreled and stored on-site.
Cordele is moving forward to remove a Confederate memorial, according to the Albany Herald.
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