Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for February 4, 2022

John and Charles Wesley arrived at Tybee Roads, at the mouth of the Savannah River on February 5, 1736, along with James Oglethorpe and 254 other colonists.

On February 5, 1777, Georgia’s first Constitution was adopted in Savannah, creating the first eight counties. Happy birthday to Wilkes, Richmond, Burke, Effingham, Chatham, Liberty, Glynn, and Camden counties.

The 1777 Constitution was progressive for the time, outlawing primogeniture and entail, English common law doctrines that controlled inheritance of land.

Primogeniture ensured that the eldest son in a family inherited the largest portion of his father’s property upon the father’s death. The practice of entail, guaranteeing that a landed estate remain in the hands of only one male heir, was frequently practiced in conjunction with primogeniture. (Virginia abolished entail in 1776, but permitted primogeniture to persist until 1785.)

Georgians restructured inheritance laws in Article LI of the state’s constitution by abolishing entail in all forms and proclaiming that any person who died without a will would have his or her estate divided equally among their children; the widow shall have a child’s share, or her dower at her option.

The House of Assembly, Georgia’s legislative body, held its second meeting after statehood on February 6, 1788 in Savannah.

On February 4, 1789, George Washington was unanimously elected by the Electoral College as the first President of the United States; Washington’s runner-up John Adams served as Vice President. Washington would repeat the feat four years later on February 4, 1793.

On February 4, 1801, John Marshall took office as Chief Justice of the United States. Marshall continued to hold the post of Secretary of State until March 4th. In one of American history’s rich ironies, Marshall, who served at the same time in the judicial and legislative branches of the federal government, would write the Court’s opinion in Marbury v. Madison, establishing the supremacy of the Supreme Court in matters of applying the Constitution through judicial review and establishing the doctrine of separation of powers. Marshall would serve during the terms of six Presidents.

On February 4, 1861, the Provisional Confederate Congress convened in Montgomery, Alabama, where it would draft a Constitution for the Confederate States of America, beginning with a near-verbatim copy of the United States Constitution.

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. In 1980, Reagan would be elected President of the United States, beating incumbent Jimmy Carter. When he was born, his father said, “he looks like a fat little Dutchman.  But who knows, he might grow up to be president some day.”

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced his “court packing” plan on February 5, 1937. After the United States Supreme Court found some of his “New Deal” legislation unconstitutional, Roosevelt’s proposal would have encouraged the retirement of justices older than 70 and for those who did not retire, appoint an assistant Justice with full voting rights on decisions by the Court.

On February 5, 1945, Governor Ellis Arnall signed legislation abolishing the poll tax, making Georgia the first Southern state to do so.

Georgia’s 1877 constitution authorized the tax, which limited voter participation among both poor blacks and whites. But most whites got around the provision through exemptions for those whose ancestors fought in the Civil War or who could vote before the war.

In 1937, the U.S. Supreme court upheld Georgia’s poll tax as constitutional. But in 1942, Georgia voters chose Ellis Arnall for governor and the progressive Arnall ushered in a wave of reforms, including abolishing Georgia’s poll tax.

Nigel Tufnel, of the band Spinal Tap, was born on February 5, 1948.

On February 6, 1952, Governor Herman Talmadge signed resolutions of the General Assembly that included:

A resolution calling on Congress to call a convention to propose a constitutional amendment to repeal the Sixteenth Amendment and instead allow a maximum rate of 25 percent on any federal income, transfer, gift, or inheritance tax.

A resolution urging U.S. Senator Richard B. Russell to run for the presidency.

On February 6, 1952, King George VI died and Elizabeth became Queen.

King George VI, the second son of King George V, ascended to the throne in 1936 after his older brother, King Edward VIII, voluntarily abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

On February 6, 1956, Governor Marvin Griffin addressed a joint session of  the Georgia General Assembly, asking their support for House Resolution 1185, which introduced the idea of “interposition,” in which the State of Georgia would declare the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 and 1955 Brown v. Board of Education decisions “null and void” in Georgia. That day Griffin also signed a raft of legislation for his “massive resistance” agenda against integration of state schools.

On February 5, 1974, “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe,” by Barry White reached #1 on the charts.

On February 4, 1976, the Georgia Senate approved a resolution previously passed by the State House proposing a Constitutional Amendment to allow Governors of Georgia to serve two consecutive terms and voters approved in November 1976. Then-Governor George Busbee won reelection in November 1978, and since then Democrat Roy Barnes is the only Georgia Governor to not win reelection.

On February 7, 1980, Pink Floyd opened “The Wall” tour in Los Angeles.

Def Leppard’s “Pyromania” began a 92-week run on the best-seller charts on February 5, 1983. Rock on.

On February 6, 1985, Reagan gave the State of the Union. During the speech he announced what would be known as the “Reagan Doctrine.”

On February 7, 1990, the Communist Party Central Committee of the Soviet Union agreed to a proposal by Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev that is should give up its political monopoly.

The response from the United States was surprise and cautious optimism. One State Department official commented that, “The whole Soviet world is going down the drainpipe with astonishing speed. It’s mind-boggling.” Former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger indicated that he was “personally gratified and astonished that anyone would have the chance to say such things in Moscow without being shot.” President George Bush was more circumspect, merely congratulating President Gorbachev for his “restraint and finesse.”

Ironically, the fact that the Communist Party was willing to accept political challenges to its authority indicated how desperately it was trying to maintain its weakening power over the country. The measures were little help, however–President Gorbachev resigned on December 25, 1991 and the Soviet Union officially ceased to exist on December 31, 1991.

On Sunday, more than 100 historic sites in Georgia will offer free admission for Super Museum Sunday, according to WSAV.

On Sunday, over 100 sites statewide will open their doors free of charge.

Attendees can experience Georgia’s history and culture in-person and online at historic sites, house museums, art museums and other points of interest throughout the state foregoing ticket prices.

The Georgia History Festival is the signature K-12 educational program of the Georgia Historical Society. It concludes with the Georgia Day Parade on Feb. 11 in Savannah.

Click here for a county-by-county list of sites offering free admission for Super Museum Sunday. Click here to view an interactive map of the same sites.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Flags on Georgia state buildings and properties fly at half-staff today in honor of Lance Corporal Jonathan Gierke.

The above ad from the Georgians First Leadership Committee hits back at former United States Senator David Perdue. From FoxNews:

An outside group aligned with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia is using former President Trump’s own words in a new TV ad to take aim at former Sen. David Perdue, the Trump-backed candidate who is primary challenging the conservative governor.

“President Trump worked hard, putting America first,” the narrator in a TV commercial by Georgians Leadership Fund says.

The spot includes a clip from Trump from a 2016 GOP presidential primary debate saying, “I’m going to bring jobs back from China” before the narrator charges that “David Perdue sent American jobs to China, over and over again, by the thousands, and made millions.”

The ad, which was shared first nationally with Fox News, ends with the narrator claiming that Perdue is “putting himself first and America last.”

Georgians Leadership Fund told Fox News it’s spending in the low six figures to run the commercial on statewide TV and on digital starting this weekend.

Perdue was first elected to the Senate in 2014 but was defeated in his bid for a second term by a razor-thin margin by Democrat Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s twin Jan. 5, 2021, runoff elections. Democrat Raphael Warnock edged Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler in the other contest, handing the Democrats the Senate majority

From the AJC:

About halfway through the 30-second spot, a hashtag appears for a split-second with the hashtag “#BeijingDave,” previewing a new line of attack for Kemp.

“That’s David Perdue,” the ad closes. “Putting himself first, and America last.”

Georgia Democrats criticized Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker, according to WSAV.

State Rep. Teri Anulewicz, a Democrat representing Cobb County, appeared with two business owners Tuesday in Atlanta to rail against Walker about the Paycheck Protection Program. She said the pandemic provided incredible hardships for workers and business owners trying to stay afloat. Anulewicz talked about criticism Walker had leveled against businesses for taking PPP money.

“Walker lectured businesses for taking part in the Paycheck Protection Program while he was earning money sitting on the board of a company that collected nearly $10 million in PPP loans before laying off 90 percent of their employees,” said Anulewicz.

“Yet he had the nerve to try to shame other businesses,” she said. “If Walker wants us to judge his potential as a senator on his decisions as a businessman, he falls way short.”

Walker campaign spokesman Mallory Blount told WSAV News 3 that, “sadly, the restaurant and hospitality industries were among the hardest hit by COVID and government mandates. In many cases, they were forced to shut down through no fault of their own.”

Her email went on to say: “Like thousands of other small businesses, Renaissance Man Food Services took PPP funding to keep staff on payroll. Herschel’s tweet was referring to multi-billion dollar corporations that took multi-million dollar loans, which were clearly meant to keep small businesses afloat.”

The AJC looks at changes to Georgia’s electorate and speculates about the effect they may have on this year’s elections.

Both political parties acknowledge these demographic trends generally favor Democrats in a closely divided state, where Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential race by less than 12,000 votes after Republican Brian Kemp prevailed in the 2018 gubernatorial contest by 55,000 votes.

But Republicans see vast room for gains as Biden’s approval ratings slump, disillusioned conservative voters return to the fold and the GOP tries to appeal to people of color.

There are now nearly 7.7 million registered voters in Georgia, a sharp increase from 6.9 million voters before the 2018 election for governor, when Kemp defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams by 1.4 percentage points.

Over the past four years, the percentage of white voters in Georgia has declined from 54% to 52% of the electorate. The share of Black voters has held steady at 30%. Most white and rural voters favor Republican candidates, while Black and urban voters tend to vote for Democrats. Biden received about nine-tenths of the Black vote in 2020, according to the AP VoteCast survey.

The biggest increases in voters were among those who identified themselves as Hispanic, Asian or other when registering to vote, which combined represent 8% of Georgia’s registered voters.

Governor Brian Kemp announced a program to expand broadband availability in Jackson, Banks, and Madison Counties, according to the Albany Herald.

Gov. Brian Kemp lauded the news of Jackson Electric Membership Corp. and TruVista announcing an agreement to deliver fiber broadband to 8,000 homes and businesses in three counties in Jackson EMC’s service area: Jackson, Banks and Madison. The collaboration means TruVista will install hundreds of miles of fiber-optic cable in Jackson EMC’s service area.

“This announcement is the latest in a long line of successful partnerships between EMCs across Georgia and private providers to increase internet access for our rural communities,” Kemp said in a news release. “When I signed Senate Bill 2 in 2019, it opened the door for partnerships like this to provide broadband service. Now, 19 projects involving EMCs have led to 244,000 Georgians receiving broadband access, opening doors for all to pursue new economic, educational and social opportunities.”

The Georgia Senate Regulated Industries Committee heard about a bill to allow recreational use of marijuana, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Albany Herald.

Sen. Sheikh Rahman, D-Lawrenceville, has introduced a constitutional amendment calling for a statewide referendum asking voters to decide whether to legalize the production and sale of marijuana in Georgia for the recreational use of adults ages 21 and older.

Tax revenue from marijuana sales would be dedicated to education and transportation infrastructure.

An accompanying bill would spell out how the production and sale of marijuana would be regulated in Georgia, including the licensing process that would govern the industry.

A third bill pertains only to the existing medical marijuana program the General Assembly authorized in 2019. It would broaden the current program by authorizing more dispensaries to sell low-THC cannabis oil and for the first time allow qualifying adult patients in Georgia to receive up to 2 ounces of leafy marijuana along with low-THC oil.

Studies in the 18 states that have legalized recreational use of marijuana have found it has not led to increased use of other drugs, including opioids, Rahman told committee members.

Jeff Breedlove, chief of communications and policy with the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, cited a report from the Colorado Health Institute showing opioid abuse rose in that state after recreational use of marijuana was legalized.

Sen. Frank Ginn, R-Danielsville, said legalizing marijuana also would wreak havoc with commercial trucking in Georgia because of the length of time marijuana stays in a person’s system after using the drug.

“There’s no field sobriety test like there is for alcohol,” he said.

Senate Resolution 165 sets up a Constitutional Amendment granting the General Assembly power to legalize and regulate marijuana and would require passage of a statewide referendum. Senate Bill 263 would legalize and regulate marijuana under the proposed Constitutional Amendment. Senate Bill 264 would repeal the existing Low THC Oil Patient Registry and in its place create a new program for medicinal marijuana.

Athens-Clarke County Commissioners finalized a project list ahead of a 2023 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Transporatation (T-SPLOST) referendum, according to the Athens Banner Herald.

The TSPLOST, or Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, is a one-cent sales tax collected to fund transportation projects. If voters decide to continue the tax, it will run for five years and could collect an estimated $144.5 million.

The final list of projects approved Tuesday by the commission in a unanimous vote totals $150 million for 32 projects, down from a previous total of 90 projects presented by a TSPLOST advisory committee made up of local residents. The final list approved Tuesday is from a proposal by Commissioner Carol Myers, also called a “commission defined option.”

If voters extend the TSPLOST, fare-free public transportation will continue in addition to expanded bus routes.

On Feb. 15, the commission will meet to vote on a resolution for the Board of Elections to call the TSPLOST referendum.

Georgia State Rep. David Clark (R-Buford) has been barred from the state capitol for a quarantine period after testing positive for COVID, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Clark said he tested positive for the disease, but he added that he has been tested five subsequent times and those came back with negative results. Still, Clark said that when he attempted to enter the House chamber on Wednesday, he was told he was not allowed back into the chamber for five days.

“I am fully vaccinated as required for my military service, have no symptoms, have five negative tests and I am denied access to the House so I cannot represent the people of my district,” Clark said in a statement on Facebook.

“Why does Speaker Ralston want to run our chamber like he’s Speaker Pelosi? This is not the first time that Speaker Ralston has tried to silence conservatives like myself, but this is a new low, even for him.”

Although he feels confident that does not pose a threat to other legislators, Clark said he will comply with the requirement that he stay home for five days, which would last through this weekend.

Clark also said he is not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19.

Clark is in his final legislative term. He announced last year that he would not seek re-election to the General Assembly.

The State House voted to pass a redistricting plan for Gwinnett County Commission districts, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

The House voted 96-70 on Thursday to approve a redistricting map introduced by state Rep. Bonnie Rich, R-Suwanee, earlier this week. The map replaces a proposal that the Democrat-controlled county commission put forward.

“The purpose of redistricting is to draw maps according to the population and the population shifts and that means reworking of the boundaries to ensure compliance with one person, one vote,” Rich said during a floor debate on the map. “And, that is exactly what the maps that are included in this House Bill 873 do.”

Democrats in Gwinnett’s legislative delegation vowed to continue fighting the Republican-produced map throughout the remainder of the legislative process and when it is being considered by Gov. Brian Kemp. The lawmakers said they expect the fight over the bill could head to the courts if the governor signs the map into law.

House Resolution 688 by State Rep. Sandra Scott (D-Rex) memorializes the life of Ahmaud Marquez Arbery and names February 23d as “The Ahmaud Arbery Day,” according to The Brunswick News.

State Rep. Don Hogan, R-St. Simons Island, was among the co-sponsors of the resolution, which passed Wednesday.

The observance date is significant because Feb. 23, 2020, is the day the 25-year-old Glynn County man was shot to death while jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood.

The resolution recognizes Arbery’s immediate family and notes that his death led to the overturning of Georgia’s citizen arrest law and the adoption of hate crimes legislation by the state General Assembly.

Three White men — Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan — were convicted of murdering Arbery, who is Black, in Glynn County Superior Court in November. The trio is still facing federal hate crime charges in U.S. District Court in Brunswick.

Savannah-Chatham County sent a delegation to Atlanta for Savannah Day, according to WTOC.

After taking a year off because of the pandemic, Savannah-Chatham Day is back in Atlanta.

Instead of meeting under this gold dome, Savannah City Council, along with city staff, met under the gold dome in Atlanta to meet with lobbyists and state elected leaders to highlight issues they believe are important for Savannah.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson says hotel/motel tax is yet again top of mind for city leaders, some of them advocating to hike the rate up from six to eight percent.

Another issue Mayor Johnson says they’re continuing to push at the capitol is for legislation to allow local municipalities to be able to destroy confiscated guns.

Right now, state law requires police departments to hold an auction for any guns from criminal cases that aren’t able to be returned to their original owner.

Local legislation will created a Wayne County Board of Elections, according to WTOC.

“The dynamics of the election cycles with early voting, and with the demands of laws changing has brought about the need in Wayne County to form an election board,” [Wayne County Administrator Ed] Jeffords said.

Currently, elections and voting registration are handled by a registrar and elections supervisor. The new election board would consist of seven members. Three from the two major political parties, with one non-partisan, independent chairperson. These board members would be appointed by the county commission. This would be in addition to an election supervisor and staff employed by the county.

“The board will be responsible for the election process and oversight of the election process. Any changes or any discrepancies over there will be their responsibility to correct it.”

It’s a collaboration between Wayne County commissioners and the state legislature. Once the plans are made by the county commission, it must go to the state legislature for approval.

A Columbus area gun store says sales are up amid crime concerns, according to WTVM.

At Shooters of Columbus, one of the owners says he first noticed the increased sales in 2020 when COVID hit. He says at that time, people were worried about being on lockdown, causing a 35 to 50 percent increase in purchases.

Jon McMullen says sales declined when products like ammunition and certain firearms were sold out. However, he now believes last year’s record high crime rate is causing numbers to increase once again.

“People don’t like it when there’s blood in the streets and they don’t want to have blood in their living rooms either,” McMullen said. “So they buy firearms.”

Bleckley County Sheriff Kristopher Coody is out-of-state after a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to 13WMAZ.

Cobb County Judge Janne McKamey signed a warrant for his arrest January 28th. Thursday, Coody’s chief deputy told 13WMAZ the sheriff is out of state on a church-sponsored mission trip.

“That has been scheduled for over a year,” said Chief Deputy Daniel Cape.

The warrant says Coody touched a woman’s breast at a hotel in January. It names the woman, who is a well-known Atlanta judge.

“Sheriff Coody has been a law enforcement officer for more than two decades and has tremendous respect for our court system,” Cape said.

Terry Norris with the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association says since Coody is charged with a misdemeanor, he may not be removed from office.

“The governor has the authority to empanel two sheriffs and the attorney general. The governor then has the authority to suspend that sheriff for 60 — up to 90 days,” Norris said.

Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick has suspended City Manager David Corbin, according to 13WMAZ.

Warner Robins’ mayor suspended the city administrator for allegedly signing a $347,000 contract without approval.

According to the council’s December 6th meeting minutes, Corbin was authorized to negotiate a contract to outsource the city’s payroll.

Patrick said, “He has no authority as a purchasing agent. The only purchasing agent for the city of Warner Robins is the mayor, which, at that point, I was the Mayor of Warner Robins and no one has authority over me to sign anything, purchasing anything; and I can’t sign anything, unless council tells me to.”

Councilman Charlie Bibb says he found out about Corbin’s suspension when Corbin did and he says he “totally disagrees.”

“He was just conducting business that the mayor and council in December instructed him to do, and the contract was time essence, which gives the city administrator according to our charter the lie way to do that; and we were all on board. I think the vote was unanimously to outsource our payroll,” Bibb said.

Patrick says Corbin is suspended for two weeks without pay.

From the Macon Telegraph:

“I have consistently pledged accountability and transparency in my administration and it starts at the top,” Patrick wrote in a press release. “As the CEO of Warner Robins, I take my responsibilities seriously. We have ordinances, policies, and procedures in place that direct our procurement activities, and all employees, including myself, are expected, and are obligated, to follow these ordinances.”

In a press release, Patrick noted that Corbin was suspended for two weeks, beginning Feb. 1.

“In accordance with our charter, the only individual with purchasing authority is the Mayor, and any actions to the contrary, absent proper approval, is absolutely prohibited,” Patrick wrote. “I stand firm on my decision to suspend the City Administrator within the sole authority of my position.”

Tallapoosa Circuit Superior Court Judge Meng Lim faces additional charges, according to the Rome News Tribune.

Amended charges against Tallapoosa Circuit Chief Judge Meng Lim add eight new counts of judicial misconduct to the state’s inquiry into the superior court judge’s behavior while on the bench.

The new charges, which were part of a filing by the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission on Jan. 28 to the state supreme court, brings to 24 the total number of counts against Lim. They’re primarily concerning complaints related to him not disclosing previous relationships with defendants or their families.

The Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit covers Polk and Haralson counties.

Augusta Commissioners discussed how to move forward after the resignation of their City Manager Odie Donald, II, according to WRDW.

After a little more than a year in Augusta, Odie Donald says he’s moving on. His last day is set for Feb. 25. With a letter, Donald announced he’s stepping down as city administrator.

“We’ve got ARP money out there; we’ve got more ARP money coming in. We’ve got several projects, huge projects, and multi-million-dollar projects that are on the table, and we can’t afford to let any of this drop,” said Alvin Mason.

Donald has two deputy administrators: Charles Jackson and Tanikia Jackson. Both who’ve worked alongside him while managing his programs. This includes the new housing loan program, the small business loan initiative, and the one billion dollar 2022 budget.

Donald’s contract says he had to give at least 45 days’ notice of resignation unless the commission agreed otherwise in writing. Mason says they didn’t.

“I have no problem with what he signed in terms of the length of time. What I do have some concerns about is the fact of him leaving earlier than that,” he said.

Whitfield County Commissioners will hold an informational meeting to discuss a Tax Allocation District (TAD), according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

“No action will be taken,” said board Chairman Jevin Jensen. “We scheduled a couple of speakers on TADs to present and answer questions. Although the TAD did not pass countywide, we still get requests from the cities of Whitfield to implement TADs inside their city limits. We want to have all the facts when entering into those agreements with each city.”

Whitfield County voters in March 2021 rejected a measure that would have given the commissioners the power to create tax allocation districts.

TADs freeze the value at which a property can be taxed for general revenue. Taxes collected on additional value created by improvements to the property are dedicated to pay for infrastructure, public artwork or other amenities to attract a developer or developers to that area.

Voters in 2014 gave the city councils of Cohutta, Dalton, Tunnel Hill and Varnell the authority to create TADs. County voters rejected TADs that year also. So far, the Dalton City Council has exercised those powers, creating four. Varnell has created one. Commissioners have the power to freeze county taxes in TADs created by the cities and dedicate the additional revenue to amenities in that district.

Glynn County Board of Education members are considering paying a retention stipend to some employees, according to The Brunswick News.

The proposal is intended to address hiring and retention challenges the school district is facing. The district is struggling to fill many job openings, including positions like teachers, bus drivers, bus aides, custodians, food service assistants and paraprofessionals.

If the school board approves the proposal, bus drivers, bus aides, custodians, food service workers and parapros will receive a monthly $200 retention stipend from February to July and a $500 retention stipend in August for returning next school year.

The stipend would be paid to employees who are actively working each month.

Teachers will receive a contract-signing retention stipend of $1,500 to be paid in August.

All other non-administrative employees, like clerical workers, food service managers, school resource officers, maintenance staff and others, will also be recognized with a $1,500 retention stipend in August.

The total cost of stipends will be about $2.7 million.

Liberty County is giving away trees to observe Arbor Day, according to WTOC.

The United States Navy will commission Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Savannah yesterday in Brunswick, according to The Brunswick News.

The Savannah is described as a fast, agile and focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments, yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats, such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.

Ray said the Savannah will be home ported in San Diego after it leaves Brunswick.

The 127-meter high-speed trimaran hull warship integrates new technology to support current and future mission capability from deep water to the littoral zone.

The boat also has a flight deck larger than those on Navy destroyers. There is room inside the ship to house a helicopter.

The original plan was for the commissioning ceremony to be held in the ship’s namesake city, but the Port of Savannah has a backlog of cargo ships so the ceremony was relocated to Brunswick. But that doesn’t mean the city is being ignored.

WTOC has a video tour of USS Savannah.

The primary role of the Savannah will be anti-submarine warfare.

One characteristic that set the Littoral Combat Ship apart from other ships is her maneuverability, made possible by high-powered water jets instead of traditional propellers and rudder.

“With this, with the water jets, we’re able to steer them and we can operate them all independently, together, and we can actually hover the ship in place…spin it in a complete circle in place. So that maneuverability alone sets the ship far apart from the others,” said Commanding Officer Kevin Ray.

The Savannah has a crew of 70. And while her home port will be San Diego, the Savannah can go wherever she’s needed.