Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for February 28, 2024

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 28, 1991, the First Gulf War ended, as President George H.W. Bush declared a ceasefire and that Kuwait was liberated.

Four years ago, Georgia Department of Public Health officials warned of the likelihood of a coronavirus outbreak.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Under the Gold Dome Today – Committee Work Day

8:00 AM HOUSE SPECIAL RULES – 506 CLOB
8:00 AM HOUSE AGRICULTURE & CONS AFF – 606 CLOB
8:00 AM Cancelled- Senate Nat Res & Envt – 450 CAP
9:00 AM HOUSE STATE PROPERTIES – 403 CAP
9:00 AM HOUSE Education Policy Sub – 406 CLOB
9:30 AM HOUSE Education Curriculum Sub – 406 CLOB
10:00 AM HOUSE EDUCATION – 406 CLOB
10:00 AM HOUSE SMALL BUSINESS DEV – 506 CLOB
10:00 AM Senate Rules – 450 CAP
11:00 AM HOUSE RULES – 341 CAP
1:00 PM HOUSE PUBLIC SAFETY & HS – 506 CLOB
1:00 PM CANCELED- HOUSE HIGHER ED – 606 CLOB
1:00 PM HOUSE Judy NC Leverett Sub – 132 CAP
1:00 PM HOUSE Nat Res & Envt Envtal Quality Sub – 515 CLOB
1:00 PM CANCELED – HOUSE GOVTAL AFF – 406 CLOB
1:00 PM Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities – 450 CAP
1:00 PM Cancelled- Senate Public Safety – 450 CAP
2:00 PM HOUSE RETIREMENT – 406 CLOB
2:00 PM Cancelled – Senate Higher Education – 307 CLOB
2:00 PM Cancelled – Senate Insurance & Labor – Mezz 1 CAP
2:30 PM HOUSE JUDY NC UPON ADJ LEVERETT SUB-– 132 CAP
3:00 PM HOUSE REGULATED INDUSTRIES – 506 CLOB
3:00 PM Cancelled – Senate Finance – Mezz 1 CAP
3:00 PM Cancelled – Senate Health & HS – 450 CAP

 

Western Circuit District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez announced she appointed Sheila Ross to handle the case against the accused killer of Laken Riley, according to the Athens Banner Herald via the Savannah Morning News.

Western Circuit District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez announced late Monday that she has engaged the services of Sheila Ross, a veteran lawyer with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council (PAC).

Ross is now expected to handle legal matters involving the murder charge against Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant living in Athens. He is charged in the Feb. 22 slaying of Laken Hope Riley, 22, who he allegedly killed as she jogged at the UGA intramural fields off College Station Road.

Ibarra currently is in the Athens-Clarke County jail, where he is being held without bond. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have also filed a detainer on Ibarra, who is charged with entering the U.S. unlawfully.

In 2021, Ross prosecuted three men charged with felony murder in the July 16, 2019, slaying of 19-year-old Joey Jackson in Oconee County. All three were convicted in jury trials.

Oconee County Sheriff James Hale said Tuesday that he was impressed with Ross’ abilities.

“I would say she is one of the best homicide prosecutors I’ve ever worked with on a case. She is very thorough and she went through the Joey Jackson case with a fine-tooth comb. She did everything we could imagine with that case,” the sheriff said. “If I can say anything good about Deborah Gonzalez, that was probably a smart decision to ask PAC to let Shelia do the case.”

Gonzalez, the district attorney who came under criticism this week by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, issued a statement Monday regarding the case.

“We will not allow this or any other case to be used for political gain,” Gonzalez noted.

The University of Georgia announced it will spend $7.3 million dollars on security upgrades after Ms. Riley’s death, according to the Athens Banner Herald via the Savannah Morning News.

The 22-year-old on Thursday was running on a trail at UGA’s intramural fields off College Station Road when police said she was attacked and killed by Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant living in Athens.

UGA President Jere Morehead announced the new measures that came after a meeting with UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark and other campus safety officials.

“This morning I met with campus law enforcement officials to learn their recommendations for further enhancements. Every one of their recommendations was approved,” Morehead said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The measures include a 20% increase in the police department’s budget to recruit and retain officers through more competitive pay.

More security cameras and additional lighting are included in the package along with license plate readers and the installation of a blue light call system. The RideSmart program, which provides a 50% discount on Lyft rides for UGA students, will be extended to the hours of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day, according to the release.

The blue light call boxes will be positioned at strategic sites across the 760-acre campus. UGA officials noted that based on research, these call boxes alone do not “inherently contribute to a safer environment,” so the boxes will utilize security cameras and additional lighting.

Officials also noted the UGA Safe App, which is able to call police and share the user’s location in real time, has a feature that can share a student’s location with select friends, and a chat feature that allows a student to immediately report a concern to police.

In the last eight years, UGA already has spent nearly $16 million to improve campus security, according to UGA Today, an online news outlet for the university.

State Senator Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mtn) announced she will not run for reelection, according to the Associated Press via AccessWDUN.

“I’ve had an extraordinary journey at this Capitol,” Butler, 82, told senators. “I didn’t have a clue that I would stay longer than the designated 10 years I gave myself.”

Butler was first elected to the state Senate in 1998, and now represents a district that includes parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties in suburban Atlanta. In 2020, fellow Democrats elected her as the first Black woman to lead the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Butler said didn’t set out to be a role model for women “but it turns out that I will be.”

She’s one of only a few Democrats still serving from when the party was in the majority before Republicans took over in the Senate in 2002. Today, 23 of 56 senators are Democrats.

“You have to work harder, much harder when you are in the minority,” Butler said. “You have more things to do. You have to keep your eyes peeled on every single thing that’s going on.”

The Georgia Senate voted to pass Senate Resolution 579 by State Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens), which would place a Constitutional Amendment to legalize gambling on the November 2024 ballot, according to the Associated Press via WSAV.

But the measure still has a long way to go, and would require two-thirds approval in the state House before it would go to the ballot.

The Senate voted 41-12 for Senate Resolution 579. It would designate 80% of taxes from sports betting to prekindergarten programs, and then to college scholarships once prekindergarten programs are fully funded. Another 15% of proceeds would go to aiding people with gambling problems, while the remaining 5% would create a fund for Georgia to recruit and fund major sports events.

“I think it’s the politically appropriate thing to do when we make this type of major policy shift in our state,” Cowsert said. “This is to give voters the opportunity to speak on the issue.”

Sen. Marty Harbin, a Tyrone Republican, said it was a mistake to send sports gambling to the ballot, warning that it’s a ruinously addictive form of gambling.

“The people who vote for the constitutional amendment will not have the knowledge and information that you and I have,” Harbin said.

He said the more than $100 million a year in tax money that sports gambling might raise isn’t worth the problems it would cause, especially when Georgia’s budget is currently flush.

“We have the money,” Harbin said. “We have the No. 1 state to do business in. We have a state that is prosperous.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar delivered the State of the City address, according to WTOC.

On Tuesday night’s state of the city address Mayor Jonathan McCollar spoke about the highs and the lows that Statesboro has seen and his hopes for the city moving forward.

“Statesboro I am proud to bring to you tonight that the state of Statesboro is the strongest it’s ever been and the future is the brightest it’s ever been,” said McCollar.

“In the last six years, we have seen an uptick in three of the four categories of violent crime,” McCollar added.

The mayor says that those crimes have increased, he believes that the city’s investment into higher wages for police officers will soon begin to pay off.

“Because of our investments, we have been able to attract highly qualified individuals for our police and fire department staff,” he said.

Augusta District Attorney Jared T. Williams announced a “Checks Over Stripes” program to reduce recidivism among young offenders, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

The program, a collaborative effort between the Augusta District Attorney’s Office and local community partners, seeks to increase safety and promote better choices among first time entrants into the justice system.

Checks Over Stripes candidates must be 17 to 25 years old and eligible for First Offender Act sentencing, according to a news release from the DA’s office. The program requires heightened accountability and increased supervision to promote sustained employment and reduce recidivism.

“Many first-time offenders have no job, no diploma and no chance of being productive unless weintervene,” Williams said. “This program is the community standing up to prevent first-timers from becoming career criminals.”

Augusta Technical College will serve as educational partner under the leadership of President Dr. Jermaine Whirl, according to the release.

 

Columbia County Board of Education Chair David Dekle announced he is seeking reelection, according to WRDW.

Dekle has been a member of the Board of Education since January 2013.

When he started, he was District 1 representative, and then moved to county-wide chairman seven years ago.

“During my time on the board, our school district has flourished under the leadership of our former Superintendent Dr. Sandra Carraway, our current Superintendent Dr. Steven Flynt, and my fellow board members,” he said. “We have seen improvements in our graduation rates and overall student achievement while consistently maintaining or lowering our millage rate. With the addition of school resource officers in every school, a district wide police department, and heightened security measures in our buildings, we have made the safety of our students and staff a top priority.”

Two candidates have announced they are running for Augusta Commission District 1 against incumbent Jordan Johnson, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

Two people have recently begun a run at the office: Matt Aitken, a Sherman & Hemstreet real-estate agent and former Augusta commissioner; and, Kevin de l’Aigle, a community activist and leading figure of COMO Hotels and Resorts.

Aitken launched his campaign at a press conference from his downtown home on Tuesday, looking to reclaim the District 1 seat he held from 2010 to 2013.

De l’Aigle launched his campaign from the downtown Pinnacle Club over the weekend. While this is his first time running for office, he keeps himself busy and tries to help through projects like weekly neighborhood clean-ups and as a founder of the Coalition for Action in Downtown Augusta.

There are several more positions up for election across the Augusta area this year. There are a total of five seats available on the Augusta Commission and the Richmond County school board plus sheriff, tax commissioner, coroner and more.