Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for February 5, 2020

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 Southern Pacific Railroad completed its “Sunset Route” from New Orleans to California on February 5, 1883, giving the SP a dominant position in transcontinental railroading.

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

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

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Under the Gold Dome – LD 12

8:00 AM HOUSE INSURANCE 606 CLOB

8:00 AM SENATE INSURANCE & LABOR 310 CLOB

8:30 AM HOUSE Transportation State Highways Subcommittee 415 CLOB

9:00 AM HOUSE RULES 341 CAP

10:00 AM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD 12) House Chamber

TBD SENATE RULES UPON ADJOURNMENT 450 CAP

1:00 PM SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY MEZZ 1

1:00 PM SENATE URBAN AFFAIRS 450 CAP

1:00 PM HOUSE HIGHER EDUCATION 606 CLOB

1:00 PM HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS HEALTH 341 CAP

1:30 PM HOUSE Reeves Sub of Judiciary Non-Civil 132 CAP

2:00 PM SENATE EDUCATION & YOUTH – CANCELED 307 CLOB

2:00 PM HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 415 CLOB

2:00 PM HOUSE STATE PROPERTIES 403 CAP

2:00 PM HOUSE Ways and Means Sales Tax Subcommittee 133 CAP

2:30 PM HOUSE Setzler Sub of Judiciary Non Civil 132 CAP

2:30 PM HOUSE Ways and Means Income Tax Subcommittee 133 CAP

3:00 PM SENATE HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES 450 CAP

3:00 PM SENATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM 125 CAP

3:00 PM HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS GENERAL GOVERNMENT 341 CAP

3:00 PM HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS PUBLIC SAFETY 606 CLOB

3:00 PM HOUSE WORKING GROUP ON CREATIVE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 403 CAP

3:00 PM HOUSE INDUSTRY AND LABOR 506 CLOB

3:00 PM HOUSE Ways and Means Ad Valorem Tax Subcommittee 133 CAP

4:00 PM SENATE RETIREMENT – CANCELED MEZZ 1

4:00 PM SENATE JUDICIARY307 CLOB

4:00 PM HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS EDUCATION 415 CLOB

4:00 PM HOUSE AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS 403 CAP

SENATE RULES CALENDAR

SB 289 – Ad Valorem Taxation of Property; mobile homes procure permits and procure and display decals; remove the requirement (FIN-53rd)
SB 26 – Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia; prior service as a member of Georgia Defined Contribution Plan; creditable service; provide (RET-3rd)
SB 47 – Retirement Benefits; creditable service for certain military service; provide (RET-8th)
SB 262 – Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia; eligibility of beneficiary to make new retirement election; provide (Substitute) (RET-15th)

HOUSE RULES CALENDAR

Modified Open Rule
HR 326 – Roger C. Dill Transportation Center; Tift County; dedicate (Substitute)(SProp-Houston-170th)
HR 935 – Georgia Commission on Freight and Logistics; create (Trans-Tanner-9th)

Modified Structured Rule
HB 663 – Georgia Judicial Retirement System; membership for certain persons employed in certain full time positions requiring admission to the State Bar of Georgia as a condition of employment; require (Substitute) (Ret-Efstration-104th)

Twin bills to address surprise healthcare billing will be dropped in the House and Senate as a compromise measure, according to the Rome News Tribune.

Two identical bills are expected to drop in the House and Senate today, backed by lawmakers who have been at odds in past sessions. And they’re co-signed in each chamber by the floor leaders for Gov. Brian Kemp, who’s been involved in the process.

“Whichever one makes it through first is the one we’ll go with,” said Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, sponsor of the new Senate bill.

The Finance Committee chairman’s counterpart in the House, Rep. Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville, is sponsoring the bill in that chamber.

A major sticking point has been the formula that would be used to determine a fair price for a service.

Hufstetler said they lit on a different system with help from three professors from Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, which researches and analyses policies in use across the nation.

“It sets up a method of prompt payment based on the negotiated rates. Then, if either side doesn’t agree with (the price), they can arbitrate it through the (Georgia) Department of Insurance,” Hufstetler said.

Senate Bill 303 by Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah) attempts to increase price transparency in healthcare, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Senate Bill 303 is part of a general legislative push for greater transparency in medical prices.

The transparency effort includes proposals on what’s known as surprise billing, when a patient receives care from a network hospital but gets an unexpected bill from a non-network provider involved in the care. A bill addressing surprise billing was approved by a House panel Monday.

The Senate Insurance and Labor Committee, at a separate hearing, did not take a vote on Senate Bill 303.

The “Georgia Right to Shop Act″ legislation, as it’s also known, would allow patients to query their insurance company, either online or on the phone, on what out-of-pocket costs they would face if they use a particular medical provider. Consumers would also get data on the quality record a doctor or hospital has in providing that medical service.

“Competition helps us all,″ said Republican Sen. Ben Watson, a Savannah physician who’s the bill’s lead sponsor. “We’re trying to make transparent what the cost is and what the quality is.″

The legislation drew some star power: Atlanta-based consumer advocate Clark Howard testified in favor of the bill.

House Bill 523, which would prevent local governments from regulating short term rentals, passed out of the House Regulated Industries Committee, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Georgia cities and counties would be prohibited from regulating short-term rental properties under legislation that cleared a state House committee Tuesday.

Cities and counties can address such issues through nuisance ordinances and occupancy limits without banning short-term rentals altogether, Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton, the bill’s chief sponsor, told members of the House Regulated Industries Committee.

“These bans and overregulation are an attack on private property rights,” he said.

Advocates for local governments oppose the bill as usurping their zoning powers under the Georgia Constitution.

Clint Mueller, legislative director for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, said the state’s one-size-fits-all approach toward short-term rentals won’t work in a state as diverse as Georgia.

“What St. Simons does may be different than what they do in North Fulton or in the mountains,” he said.

House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, R-Milton, one of three committee members who voted against the bill, said it offers no protection for homeowners who might move into a neighborhood expecting the quality of life that comes with living in a residential area only to find short-term rentals plopped into their midst.

“Are you concerned you’re changing the rules for millions of Georgians?” Jones asked Carpenter.

Republican Don Cole announced he will run for the Second Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Albany).

For the past two and a half years, I had the honor of serving as the Speechwriter for US Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue in President Trump’s administration. I have had the opportunity to learn and develop relationships with leaders and decision makers in Washington and here in Southwest Georgia.

I observed the disconnect between the winning policies of the Trump administration and the whining press releases of Democrats and Sanford Bishop. Sanford Bishop and Democrats steadfastly stand with Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff.

Two times Sanford voted to impeach President Trump. When, yet again, Sanford and Democrats turned their backs on us and cast those votes, I had an irrepressible conviction to put forth a clear and commanding choice for the people of Southwest Georgia.

Southwest Georgia does not have a representative. Sanford Bishop and Democrats have abandoned the people of Southwest Georgia. Sanford made the choice to align with Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, and the values of San Francisco and Hollywood.

Sanford Bishop and Democrats long ago abandoned pro-life to align with Planned Parenthood.

Sanford Bishop and Democrats abandoned God’s design for the family of one man and one woman. They aligned themselves with the very loud promoters of a radical Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender agenda.

President Trump’s conservative policies of opportunity and freedom improve lives for everyone. He has instituted these policies in spite of lies and an unprecedented assault by Democrats in Congress.

Our values go deeper than mere demographic make up. The people of the 2nd District are starving for someone to work for us. I promise that no one will work harder or be a bigger cheerleader for Southwest Georgia than I will.

Republican Will Wade announced he will run for the State House District 9 seat being vacated by State Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville), according to Fetch Your News.

“Today, I am announcing my campaign to represent the people of Dawson, Lumpkin, and Forsyth counties in the Georgia House of Representatives,” said Wade. “As a life-long resident of Dawson County, I will fight for our conservative, north Georgia values in the State House.

“I am 100% pro-life, and will stand with Governor Kemp and members of the General Assembly to support the heartbeat bill and legislation that strengthens protections for the innocent unborn.

“As a long time member of the NRA, I know our Second Amendment rights are under assault, and I will stand in the gap to protect the constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

“My top legislative priority as your State Representative will always be ensuring Georgia’s education system serves the needs of the Ninth District. As a family, our commitment to public education runs deep. Since 2004, I have been honored to serve on the Dawson County Board of Education as Chair and Vice Chair, and my wife, Jennifer, has devoted her life to educating Lumpkin County students since 2001. By reducing high-stakes testing, advocating for parents and teachers, championing local control, and eliminating Common Core, I will always put our students first.

“My private sector career in community banking spans over twenty years serving the people of the Ninth District. Because of that experience, I know that small businesses are the backbone of our local economy. I look forward to working with Governor Kemp and members of the General Assembly to make Georgia the best state in the nation to start, operate, and grow a small business.

“Finally, if elected, I will never forget the people who send me down to Atlanta every January. The rural communities we call home are changing, and all too often they go ignored. I will continue Representative Kevin Tanner’s legacy as a rock-solid conservative fighter for our community and pick up right where he left off. I will work around the clock to bring good jobs to the Ninth District, expand access to high-speed internet, lower health care costs, and preserve our quality of life.

“With your help, we can continue to make our community and state an even better place to live, work, and raise our families. I am humbly asking for your prayers for Jennifer, the kids, and me as we begin this journey. I will work hard every day to earn your vote in the May 19 th Republican primary.”

Georgia Democrats are planning to flip control of the State House, according to 11Alive.

Sharon Cooper is a busy and respected member of the legislature. This is her 24th year here. It could also be her last.

When Cooper ran for re-election to her Marietta district in 2018, she barely beat a Democrat named Luisa Wakeman by a margin of 3.1 percent, or just 792 votes.

Two years earlier, no Democrat even tried to beat her.

“Our whole state is changing. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Cooper said. “Just like I’ve always done … when you’re elected, you represent everybody.”

Cooper is one of six Republicans in the House of Representatives who won election in 2018 by less than five percent. Setzler, Cheokas, Stephens, Rutledge, Silcox were the others.

This election year, Democrats will target those seats – and more.

In 2018, Republicans in six House seats won by less than five percentage points. So, they’re the most vulnerable this year.

There are six more House seats Republicans won by margins of less than nine percent. If Democrats could flip them, it would give them 12 new seats.

Catoosa County Republicans heard from candidates for the 14th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ranger), according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

At the local GOP meeting, Rep. Kevin Cooke, R-Carrollton, and Rome-based neurosurgeon John Cowan spoke to local leaders and other candidates for local races about their campaigns.

Cowan said as a political newcomer, it took him a long time to decide to run. Ultimately, he felt like he couldn’t stand on the sidelines any longer.

As a legislator in Washington, Cowan said he would have his constituents’ interests at the forefront. He also said his experience competing as a high school athlete in northwest Georgia will help him in the race.

“I know how fierce that competition is,” he said. “I know the flooring industry. I know the health care industry. All of these things are so important in our district and part of my DNA. And that’s why I feel at this moment in my life that I’m the right person to serve you in Congress.”

Cooke now serves in the state’s House of Representatives in District 18. He is the associate athletic director at Shorter University in Rome, as well as a farmer and small-business owner. Cooke was first elected to office in 2010.

Cooke said he will use his experience as a longtime lawmaker to make change on the national level on behalf of northwest Georgia. He said his road to making allies in the House has not always been easy.

“I learned very quickly that just because you’re a Republican, and just because you’re in a majority, doesn’t mean that your policies in Atlanta line up with what we say we believe here,” Cooke said.

The Floyd County Republican Womens’ Lunch heard from candidates for Superior Court Clerk, according to the Rome News Tribune.

The incumbent, Barbara Penson, has been at the post since 2008 and referred to herself as “not a politician but a public servant.”

Harbor House Executive Director Joe Costolnick spoke of his background in leadership and law enforcement. From 2001 to 2017, he worked for the Rome Police Department and rose to the rank of lieutenant and supervisor of the Criminal Investigation Division.

Murray County Commissioner Greg Hogan declared the county a Second Amendment Sanctuary, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

Sole Commissioner Greg Hogan approved a resolution Tuesday declaring that “the citizens of Murray County, Georgia, regard the right of people to keep and bear arms for defense of life, liberty and defense of property as an inalienable right.”

Hogan said it was important to take a stand in support of constitutional rights.

“I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and I intend to do that,” he said. “This may not be an issue in Georgia, but it’s an issue in Virginia. And that’s what scares me right now.”

In Georgia, Habersham, Rabun and Stephens counties have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, all within the past month.

Hogan said Murray County residents can’t be certain that state officials will always be as friendly to the Second Amendment as they are now.

Members of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners said at a work session last week that they expect to vote on a Second Amendment sanctuary resolution soon.

Spalding County Commissioner Donald Hawbaker was arrested after a standoff with law enforcement, according to the AJC.

Deputies went to the Sun City Peachtree by Del Webb living community to serve a warrant to Commissioner Donald Hawbaker for simple assault and disorderly conduct, according to Spalding sheriff’s office spokesman Capt. Dwayne Jones.

While there, the deputies were met with gunfire from the home in the 1100 block of Satilla Court in Griffin, Jones said. No deputies were hit.

Hawbaker, 64, was eventually taken into custody, ending the standoff after more than two hours.

Voting Rights and Wrongs

Governor President Grand Moff Stacey Abrams is giving Iowa some side-eye, but stopped short of calling it “voter suppression.” From The Hill:

Abrams urged Democrats to consider opening the primary contest with states more “representative of the American people as a whole,” an apparent reference to Iowa’s largely white demographics. Iowa’s Democratic electorate was more than 90 percent white during the last presidential election cycle.

She argued that the party could give people of color a greater voice in the process by holding primaries in multiple states on the first day of voting.

“Demographically, it’s not reflective of the U.S. as a whole, certainly not reflective of the Democratic Party, and I believe other states should have their chance,” he said.

Abrams’s critique of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation status also extended to its voting system. Regardless of the tech issues, Abrams said that caucuses exclude people “who cannot participate because of work or family obligations.”

“The most democratic process invites all eligible voices, which is why early and mail-in voting and a full Election Day are essential,” she said. “Suppression exists when voices are intentionally silenced AND when no one is willing to admit or fix the problem.”

From the AJC:

“The Iowa Democratic Party has taken responsibility and corrective action, which is the first step to restoring trust,” said Abrams. “The next step is re-examining the caucus process.”

Gwinnett County Commissioners approved a schedule for early voting in the March 24 Presidential Preference Primary, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

The schedule adopted Tuesday lays out the schedule for early voting in Gwinnett and also addresses the hours for election day voting, which is more of a formality since the date and voting hours are mandated by state law.

“(This) represents a substantial expansion of early voting for presidential primaries for 2020 as compared to 2016,” Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash told her colleagues on the commission.

Under the schedule adopted this week, the first week of early voting will take place only at the county’s elections and voter registration office in Lawrenceville.

Early voting will expand to seven satellite voting sites during the second and third weeks of early voting.

In all, early voting will be available in Gwinnett County every day of the week — including Saturdays and Sundays — at at least one polling location for 19 consecutive days.

Cobb County announced it will change some voting precinct locations, according to the AJC.

Thousands of Cobb voters will cast ballots at new precincts or voting locations when Georgia holds its presidential primary March 24.

The county has split three precincts and moved polling locations for nine others from schools to churches and other buildings. Janine Eveler, Cobb County’s elections and registration director, said 50,063 voters have been affected by the changes.

Eveler said the county has sent certified letters to 40,514 people who will vote in new locations and to 9,549 assigned to new precincts. Voters will be sent new precinct cards, and residents are urged to verify their registration status and polling location before voting by visiting www.mvp.sos.ga.gov.

The county is moving polling locations because school security measures could affect voters on Election Day, Eveler said.

Gwinnett County opened the Beauty P. Baldwin building that houses the elections office, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Tuesday’s ribbon cutting at the Gwinnett County Voter Registration and Elections building is sort of a punctuation on a career in education and civil service that spans nearly 60 years. Baldwin was both the first black person and the first woman named superintendent in Georgia in 1984 when she was hired for the job at Buford City Schools. After her retirement from education, she was appointed to the Board of Elections in 1997 and has served there ever since.

Baldwin, who said she is eying retirement from the Gwinnett County Board of Elections after being a member for 23 years, said she gets fulfillment looking back at the work she and her fellow board members have done to make the democratic process work.

“We tried and make sure we get as much as possible, in accordance to the law, that they want,” Baldwin said. “I think that’s why we’re here.”

Board of Elections member Stephen Day was chairman of the Gwinnett County Democratic Party in 1997 when he appointed Baldwin to serve on the board. Five succeeding chairs thought that was a good idea and continued to appoint her to the board. Although she is an appointee from the Democratic Party, she has earned respect from both sides of the aisle.

During her time on the Board of Elections, Baldwin has helped issue voting policies and procedures that technologically modernize balloting. She’s promoted the development of bilingual voter education in the county and advocated for the establishment of automatic voter registration. It’s fitting the building that bears her name has been remodeled to also ease the democratic process, particularly during early voting.