On January 13, 1733, the ship Ann (sometimes spelled “Anne”) sailed into Charles Town harbor and was met by South Carolina Governor Robert Johnson and the Speaker of the Commons House of Assembly. Aboard the ship were James Oglethorpe and the first 114 colonists of what would become Georgia. Later that year they would land at a high bluff on the Savannah River and found the city of Savannah.
On January 12, 1775, St. Andrews Parish on the Georgia coast passed a series of resolutions that included approving the actions of patriots in Massachusetts, three resolutions critical of British government actions, and a renunciation of slavery. The resolutions also appointed delegates to a provincial legislature at Savannah and urging that Georgia send two delegates to the Continental Congress to be held in Philadelphia the next year.
On January 12, 1872, Benjamin Conley stepped down as Governor of Georgia, the first Republican to hold the office and the last until January 13, 2003, when Sonny Perdue was sworn in.
He joined the Republican Party and became president of the state Senate after the Civil War. That was the office he held in October 1871 when Gov. Rufus Bullock, also an Augusta Republican, left the state under pressure from state Democrats. According to the Georgia Constitution, Conley became governor, holding the job until a replacement could be elected and take office two months later.
On January 12, 1906, the American Intercollegiate Football Rules Committee legalized the forward pass. Some credit Georgia Tech coach John Heisman as having popularized the idea of making the forward pass legal after seeing it in a game between Georgia and North Carolina.
Kenesaw Mountain Landis was elected the first Commissioner of Baseball on January 12, 1921. Judge Landis was named after the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, where his father was wounded fighting for the Union.
On January 13, 1959, Ernest Vandiver was inaugurated as Governor of Georgia.
On January 13, 1966, President Lyndon Baines Johnson appointed Robert C. Weaver head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), making Weaver the first African-American cabinet secretary in U.S. History.
Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as Governor of Georgia on January 12, 1971.
On January 13, 1982, Hank Aaron was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
January 13, 1987 saw the inauguration of Governor Joe Frank Harris to his second term in office.
On January 13, 1998, Governor Zell Miller presented his $12.5 billion FY1999 budget to the Georgia General Assembly, including $105,000 to provide CDs of classical music for every baby born in the state. According to the New York Times,
“No one questions that listening to music at a very early age affects the spatial, temporal reasoning that underlies math and engineering and even chess,” the Governor said[]. “Having that infant listen to soothing music helps those trillions of brain connections to develop.”
Mr. Miller said he became intrigued by the connection between music and child development at a series of recent seminars sponsored by the Education Commission of the States. As a great-grandfather and the author of “They Hear Georgia Singing” (Mercer University Press, 1983), an encyclopedia of the state’s musical history, Mr. Miller said his fascination came naturally.
He said that he had a stack of research on the subject, but also that his experiences growing up in the mountains of north Georgia had proved convincing.
“Musicians were folks that not only could play a fiddle but they also were good mechanics,” he said. “They could fix your car.”
Legislators, as is their wont, have ideas of their own.
“I asked about the possibility of some Charlie Daniels or something like that,” said Representative Homer M. (Buddy) DeLoach, a Republican from Hinesville, “but they said they thought the classical music has a greater positive impact.”
“Having never studied those impacts too much,” Mr. DeLoach added, “I guess I’ll just have to take their word for that at the moment.”
In 2003, on January 13 at the Georgia Dome, Sonny Perdue took the oath of office as Georgia’s second Republican Governor, the first since Reconstruction.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
10 AM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD2) House Chamber
10 AM Senate Floor Session (LD 2) Senate Chamber
2 PM Cancelled – Senate Ethics Committee 307 CLOB
The General Assembly is scheduled to be in Session today through Friday, January 16, 2025 (LD 5).
Yesterday kicked off the 2026 Legislative Session. From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News:
Lawmakers, lobbyists and protesters swarmed to the Georgia Capitol on Monday, the first day of the annual legislative session in a crucial election year.
State senators and representatives — several of whom are running for higher office — pitched ambitious agendas for tax cuts, a cellphone ban in high schools and affordability before voters weigh in during elections later this year.
By the end of the three-month legislative session, the General Assembly will have passed hundreds of bills, including the state’s next budget. Last year, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a $37.7 billion budget into law along with 350 bills.
“We’re going to focus on things that matter to hard-working Georgians, which is cost of living, public safety and education,” said new Senate President Pro Tempore Larry Walker III, a Republican from Perry.
Dueling tax cut plans could dominate much of lawmakers’ debate.Republicans in the Senate, led by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, are promoting efforts to eventually eliminate Georgia’s income tax, while Republican House Speaker Jon Burns and his allies prefer property tax relief.
Democrats said they’re focused on making Georgia a more affordable place to live.
“Everything we do, every bill that we endorse, is going to all fall back on affordability because we want Georgians to be able to thrive,” said Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley, a Democrat from Columbus. “My greatest hope is that we will pass a balanced budget and go home, but what I expect to happen is we’re going to have a lot of twists and turns in between.”
Besides taxes, legislators will also grapple with many other hot-button issues, including perennial efforts to legalize sports gambling, proposals to replace Georgia’s touchscreen voting machines and attempts to improve health care access in rural areas.
“I’m looking forward to this session. It’s going to be good. We’re going to get a lot done,” House Speaker Jon Burns, a Republican from Newington, said during a press conference last week.
Protestors showed up at the Capitol to wave signs and make their voices heard in support of civil rights, marijuana access and gun safety. Meanwhile, lobbyists packed the hallways inside to bend the ear of key legislators.
Republicans hold majorities in both the state House and Senate, but Democrats have narrowed the gap in recent years and won two seats on the five-member Public Service Commission in November.
In the House, Republicans control 99 of 180 seats, with vacancies in two Democratic-leaning districts that will be filled by special elections. The GOP has a 32-23 seat advantage in the Senate, with one Republican seat empty following the resignation of Sen. John F. Kennedy, who is running for lieutenant governor.
Which bills pass or fail won’t be known until lawmakers throw confetti to celebrate the end of the 40-business day legislative session when it concludes April 2.
Then Kemp will decide which bills to sign or veto ahead of primary elections in May and the general election in November, when every seat in the General Assembly and every statewide office is on the ballot.
Many organizations, residents and lobbyists showed up at the Georgia Capitol on Monday as lawmakers returned for 2026.
It’s the second year of the legislature’s biennial session, meaning bills that sat dormant for months since the end of the last session will immediately be ready to take up.
Organizations such as the ACLU of Georgia and the Indivisible Georgia Coalition encouraged Georgia residents to “Pack the Capitol” to speak directly with lawmakers.
Both Republicans and Democrats are expected to discuss issues central to their bases ahead of the critical 2026 midterm elections.
Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns said some of his top priorities include increasing the state’s literacy rate and bolstering the state’s health care workforce.
Lawmakers will also discuss eliminating the state income tax gradually over several years and lowering property taxes.
Meanwhile, the ACLU of Georgia and the Indivisible Georgia Coalition said they want the focus to be on bills that protect voting rights, DEI programs and affordable health care.
Members said it is important for lawmakers to hear from residents and for residents to know how to reach their representatives about the issues that matter most to them.
“You can’t just sit at home and hope that the bill gets created how you want and vote for it later, you have to tell them what you care about, how certain language will impact you or your neighbors or your friends,” Kristin Crowe of the Indivisible Georgia Coalition said.
“Even more importantly, we’re going to show up at the polls in November, so if they’re not doing what we want them to do here during the legislative session, we’ll let that be known in November,” Christopher Bruce, policy and advocacy director for the ACLU of Georgia, said.
Amo[ng] the bills that are ready to be taken up are a ban on cellphones in every Georgia high school and a bill that would allow for the use of automated detection cameras to reduce speeding in school zones.
On Wednesday, Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns (R- Newington) laid out his new priorities for his chamber, fresh off an $82 million renovation.
Foremost, Burns said, was tackling a literacy crisis that sees one in three Georgia students lack reading proficiency by the all-important third-grade benchmark. The husband of a retired educator, Burns said increasing literacy was his No. 1 priority and plans to achieve it by expanding testing for dyslexia and other learning disabilities and placing a reading coach inside every Georgia middle school.
Even before a single lawmaker set foot inside the Capitol, there was already a fight brewing over taxes. The Senate has shown a desire to eliminate Georgia’s income tax by phasing it out gradually over several years. The House, Burns said, wants to drastically lower property taxes, calling it “rent to the government.”
It would be nearly impossible to get both done without running a budget shortfall, so the dueling policies could cause immediate tension between the two chambers. Burns downplayed any of that on Thursday.
“We’re open to working with any plan that benefits Georgians when it comes to taking care of them, whether that’s reduction or elimination of the state income tax,” he said. “But we have to have the details, and it has to work.”
Additionally, Burns said he wants to bolster the state’s healthcare workforce, arguing more doctors, nurses and health professionals would bring down exorbitant costs for care. About 60% of medical professionals, Burns said, end up working where they do their residencies, so his plan is to expand Georgia’s offerings.
Georgia lawmakers have wrapped up day one of the state’s 40-day legislative session under the Gold Dome at the Georgia State Capitol.
The first day focused largely on administrative business, including finalizing the calendar for the 2026 session. Crossover Day is set for March 6, the deadline for bills to pass out of one chamber and move to the other.
Lawmakers are expected to introduce legislation on a wide range of issues in the coming weeks, with education and healthcare making up the bulk of state spending.
State Rep. Brian Prince (D–Augusta) said improving access to healthcare, particularly for those who cannot afford insurance, will be a key focus.
“A lot of the problem with healthcare is access,” Prince said. “Many people are going without insurance because premiums are too high. Maternal health is also a big focus. Georgia ranks poorly, so we’re looking at options to make improvements.”
Addressing maternal mortality and rural healthcare access is expected to be a major part of budget discussions this session.
Lawmakers are also likely to revisit tort reform, a top priority for Gov. Brian Kemp during last year’s session, along with proposals related to:
• School zone speed cameras
• Teacher pay
• Public infrastructure and safety
• Eliminating the state income taxState Sen. Ben Watson (R–Savannah) highlighted the state’s continued investment in school safety.
“The state puts about $30,000 a year into a school safety officer for every school in Georgia,” Watson said. “We’ll also continue to address mental health and other safety needs.”
The 2026 legislative session will run for 40 legislative days and is scheduled to wrap up on Thursday, April 2, when lawmakers must approve and ratify a state budget.
Later this week, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Eggs and Issues breakfast on Wednesday, bringing together lawmakers and business leaders. On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to deliver his final State of the State address, outlining his budget priorities for the year.
According to Northeast Georgia representatives, tax reform appears to be the lead issue heading into this year’s session. Georgia State House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry) told AccessWDUN that Republican lawmakers’ aim is to further lower the state income tax, although he added that many would like to see property taxes lowered as well.
“As property values have increased, the property taxes and the burden on homeowners has become really unbearable,” Efstration said. “I expect that there’s going to be real focus in that area.”
District 49 State Senator Drew Echols (R-Gainesville) agreed that economic issues will likely be top priorities heading into the session, saying he also supports a bill sponsored by Georgia Lt. Governor Burt Jones to roll back costs of permitting and licensing to try to lower housing costs.
He also spoke about the ongoing efforts to enhance Georgia tourism, which he said could help with lowering income and property taxes.
“I don’t want to be on the county commission, I don’t want to be on the city council there in Gainesville, but I do want us as a state, as a legislature, to give these communities some tools to get outside of the box, so to speak, to bring in toursim money and help drive down property taxes or help make up the difference in the income tax,” Echols said.
On other issues, State House District 30 Representative Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville) said he hopes to see further movement on literacy and early childhood education initiatives. He also said he would support a vote on legalizing sports betting.
“I’ve said publicly that I was behind that, that I would support that,” Dubnik said. “Especially for the revenue that could generate for both education and healthcare in the state.”
The 2026 session will span 40 working days starting Monday, Jan. 12, and ending with Sine Die on April 6.
The hallowed halls of Georgia’s state Capitol were abuzz Monday as lawmakers, lobbyists and everyday citizens flocked to the Gold Dome for the start of the 2026 legislative session.
For lawmakers in the state House and Senate, that means a 40-day countdown to introduce, deliberate and finalize laws for the upcoming year has officially begun. The calendar for this upcoming session, which also includes days off for holidays and committee meetings, will run from mid-January until early April. The 2026 session is also the second in a two-year cycle, meaning bills that didn’t make it across the finish line in 2025 could get a second chance this time around.
On the first day of the session, both chambers signed off on this year’s legislative schedule, but not without some debate. The House passed the schedule with a 150-to-27 vote after some lawmakers objected to the Legislature being in session on Eid al-Fitr, a major religious holiday in the Islamic faith that marks the end of Ramadan. There are at least four Muslim lawmakers currently serving in Georgia.
In the Senate, the resolution passed unanimously, but not without criticism from Sen. Nabilah Parkes, a Duluth Democrat who is Muslim.
“I am voting yes today for the good of the order, but moving forward, we should have an inclusive calendar,” she told the chamber.
Under the calendar adopted Monday, a key deadline for bills to clear at least one chamber is set for Friday, March 6, and the last day of the session will be Thursday, April 2.
New leadership in the Senate
The Senate kicked off the start of the 2026 legislative session by electing Sen. Larry Walker III, a Perry Republican to be the new president pro tem. Walker, who has served in the Legislature since 2015, is the son of former House majority leader Larry Walker Jr., who retired from the Legislature in 2005.
“My father taught me that while we sit on different sides of the aisle, or come from different areas of the state, or different perspectives, we are all bound by a common duty to leave Georgia better than we found it,” Walker said in a speech following his election.
The position of president pro tem, which is the second-highest in the chamber, was previously held by state Sen. John Kennedy, a Macon Republican who resigned from his seat in December to focus on his bid for lieutenant governor. A special election to fill Kennedy’s seat will be held on Jan. 20.
In the House, three new lawmakers made their debut: Two Democrats, Rep. Akbar Ali of Gwinnett County and Rep. Eric Gisler of Watkinsville, and one Republican, Rep. Bill Fincher of Canton. All three were elected through recent special elections.
The chamber also held a moment of silence for Fincher’s predecessor, Mandi Ballinger, who died last year after a long battle with cancer.
Two House seats are currently left vacant after Reps. Karen Bennett and Lynn Heffner announced their resignations last week. Bennett, a Stone Mountain Democrat, was indicted for unemployment fraud shortly after she stepped down, while Heffner, an Augusta Democrat cited damage to her home from Hurricane Helene as the reason she could no longer fulfill a state law requiring representatives to live in the districts they represent. Another House Democrat who was charged with unemployment fraud, Rep. Sharon Henderson of Covington, was present for the first day of the session Monday.
On the Senate side, two lawmakers — Democrat Jaha Howard of Smyrna and Republican Jason Dickerson of Canton — also made their first appearance as state senators.
In an interview with the Georgia Recorder, Dickerson described the experience of being a newly elected lawmaker as “surreal.”
“When you see your name up on the board for the first time, that’s when it really hits home,” he said.
But the new elected officials are not the only big change under the Gold Dome: Lawmakers returned Monday to a newly renovated state Capitol that has been restored to its original 19th century appearance, with some 21st century amenities – like a USB-C port – added to the desks.
“You probably noticed, this people’s house is looking a little bit brighter today in every essence of that word,” House Speaker Jon Burns said.
Advocates raise their voices
Lawmakers weren’t the only ones gearing up for the beginning of the session. Several advocacy groups held press conferences to encourage civic engagement and draw lawmakers’ attention to policy issues.
The ACLU of Georgia held a “Pack the Capitol” event alongside organizations like Indivisible Georgia Coalition and ProGeorgia to kick off the beginning of the 2026 session.
“Every law passed under this gold dome impacts 11.2 million Georgians,” said ACLU of Georgia policy and advocacy director Christopher Bruce. “That’s why the legislators need to listen more to the people than the politics. They need to listen more to the Georgians than the lobbyists.”
The Poor People’s Campaign and Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center also held a press conference to advocate for the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to be fully funded. In the fall, Georgia’s SNAP administrators signaled they would need more than $60 million in additional state dollars to maintain their staffing levels amid federal cuts to the program. More than one in 10 Georgians use SNAP to buy groceries.
Wesley E. Myrick, executive director of the Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center, said that fully funding SNAP not only helps ensure that every Georgian has access to food, but also sustains the businesses in local communities.
“Making sure that seniors, disabled persons, students and families with children have access to fresh fruits, vegetables and proteins is a critical issue for our state,” Myrick said in an interview.
Republican lawmakers in both chambers are floating additional tax cuts this session amid growing concerns about affordability, with the House proposing cutting property taxes and the Senate vying to eliminate Georgia’s state income tax by 2032. Myrick argued that those tax cuts would only benefit a segment of the population, while fully funding SNAP would help the state overall.
“Not every Georgian is a homeowner, so they’re not going to benefit from tax credits,” he said. “But every single Georgian can benefit from the economic impact of SNAP on local businesses that employ people in every corner of our state.”
The Senate Special Committee on Eliminating George’s Income Tax recommended phasing out the state income tax, according to the Moultrie Observer.
The buzzword for the Georgia General Assembly this year is “affordability.” Rep. Chas Cannon used the term in a recent article when referencing issues the legislature would address. Sen. Nan Orrock used it in December in reference to a needs-based aid program for college students. Sen. Blake Tillery, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, has used it when speaking about eliminating income tax in Georgia.
“The issue of affordability has been a buzzword since probably June or July,” said Tillery in a recent meeting of the Special Committee on Eliminating Georgia’s Income Tax, which he chairs. “This is the first vote that we are going to get to take to address affordability.”
To that end, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones created the Senate Special Committee on Eliminating George’s Income Tax in July of last year.
“Eliminating the state income tax is a commitment I have made to the Georgia people, and the work of this committee is a vital step to ensure I deliver on this promise,” he said in a press release last year.
Last Wednesday, Jan. 7, the last meeting of the special committee took place to review and consider the committee’s findings, then vote on whether or not to approve the final report.
Chairman Tillery said, on opening the meeting, he thought the committee had developed a plan that helped address affordability and allowed all Georgia residents to receive an income tax break.
He said, the committee had developed a plan that took Georgia’s income tax rate to 0% over a six-year period. Instead of reducing the rate of the income tax, Tillery said, the plan calls for the exemption of the first $50,000 of income for individuals and $100,000 for families.
It would put more than $2,500 in the pocket of an individual making $50,000 and more than $5,190 in the pocket of a family making $100,000, filing jointly, he said.
“That is real tax relief and we can accomplish that in our first calendar year under the proposal,” Tillery said.
He also said the proposal had triggers in place that addressed revenue estimates and revenue coming in. This would make sure that things that were necessary like roads, bridges, infrastructure and safety would not be left unfunded, he said.
The biggest question, Tillery said, was how to pay for it. Currently, Georgia’s state funds budget is about $37.76 billion with approximately $16 billion in revenue coming from income tax collected at the 5.19% rate. Income tax is about 42.5% of Georgia’s state funds budget.
According the plan, Tillery said, the first year’s cost of putting the plan into effect would be $3 billion. He said, last year, there was an approximately $1.89 billion surplus.
Next, Tillery said, the second year of the plan required an additional $3 billion and, currently, there were approximately $30 billion in tax credits existing in the State of Georgia.
“If we are able to reduce or eliminate just 10% of these special interests credits, then we’re able to give every family in Georgia a tax break, and two-thirds of them in Georgia would see a tax elimination,” he said. “That’s a deal I’m willing to make and I think many of you on the committee feel the exact same way.”
Tillery also clarified to the committee that the plan would not raise sales tax, create a state property tax or put a tax on groceries. It was incremental, was tailored towards inflation and hit families who were feeling the affordability crunch the most, he said.
Sen. Sam Watson, R-Moultrie, who’s a member of the special committee, said after the meeting that he thought this was a good plan and had been a priority of Lt. Governor Jones.
“I think it’s going to be doable. We’ve been lowering the taxes now for several years,” he said. “This is a measured step-down. We’ve been on this path of lowering income tax.”
Voters in the City of Dalton District 2 will elect a member of City Council on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, the same day as the Special Election for the 14th Congressional District. From the Dalton Daily Citizen:
With a March 10 special election approaching, Whitfield County’s elections supervisor Shaynee Bryson is urging voters to prepare in advance, stressing that while federal and local races are drawing attention, the voting process itself remains straightforward.
Bryson said the most important thing voters can do to help the Elections Office is to understand what is on the ballot, when to vote and where to vote.
“Be prepared to know what you’re voting for, when you should vote and where,” Bryson said. “On Election Day, you must go to your assigned precinct, and you must have a government-issued photo ID.”
Bryson emphasized that voters do not need to bring a precinct card to vote. The only required document is a valid government-issued photo ID. Acceptable IDs include, among others, driver’s licenses, state-issued ID cards, gun permits, some teacher IDs, and student IDs from Georgia colleges, including Dalton State College.
Voters must be registered by Monday, Feb. 9, to participate in the March 10 election. Bryson said those without a driver’s license or state ID should register in person at the Elections Office, while voters with accepted ID can register online through the state’s MyVoter page at mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/.
Advance in-person voting will begin Monday, Feb. 16. In Whitfield County, early voting will take place at the Whitfield County Courthouse, which currently has construction underway at its main entrance to improve ADA accessibility.
Bryson said the building remains ADA accessible, with elevators and a temporary ramp in place. Voters should enter on the right side of the building when facing the courthouse. Security screening, including a metal detector, will be in place, with accommodations available for voters with medical devices.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, and Bryson reminded voters that anyone in line at 7 p.m. is legally entitled to vote.
Georgia remains a no-excuse absentee voting state, Bryson said, meaning voters do not need to provide a reason to request an absentee ballot. Requests may be made online, by mail or in person, and relatives may request an application on a voter’s behalf.
However, Bryson cautioned that absentee ballots must be requested separately for each election.
“This March special election and a potential April runoff are not part of the regular election cycle,” she said. “Voters must request ballots separately for both.”
Automatic absentee ballot distribution begins only after the May election and applies to voters who are elderly, disabled or covered under UOCAVA provisions.
“We expect results well before 11 p.m., barring unusually long lines,” she said.
Candidate qualifying for the 14th Congressional District has begun, according to Atlanta News First via WALB.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has set a March 10, 2026, special election date. The race’s crowded field will likely result in a runoff on April 8, 2026.
Here are the candidates who have put down the $5,220 qualifying fee so far:
Democrat
Shawn Harris
Republican
Brian Stover
Clayton McLean Fuller
James Edward Tully
Nicky Lama
Jennifer Jaye Turnipseed
Christian HurdGeorgia’s nationally watched 2026 primary is May 19, 2026, meaning whoever wins the upcoming special election — and likely runoff — may choose to run again in the primaries and, if victorious, run in November’s general election.
Qualifying continues today and tomorrow, according to Atlanta News First via WALB.
• Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.The qualifying fee has been set at $5,220. A special runoff election, if needed, has been set for April 7, 2026.
Former Macon-Bibb County District 5 commissioner Seth Clark announced he is running for Lieutenant Governor, according to the Macon Telegraph.
Clark resigned from his positions within the county government last Tuesday, prompting rumors that he may seek a statewide office during the midterms in November. His announcement confirms those suspicions.
In the release, Clark promised to lower Georgians’ cost of living, increase funding for public schools, expand access to affordable housing and reform Georgia’s tax system to benefit working and middle class families. Clark also emphasized a “compassion-driven” approach to state leadership.
“Too many families are still struggling,” Clark said. “Wages aren’t keeping up. Groceries and power bills rise every month. Health care, child care, housing and college are out of reach for too many people. That’s not the Georgia that raised me, and it’s not the Georgia we have to accept.”
The Democratic primary for lieutenant governor is scheduled for May 19, with the general election taking place on Nov. 6.
To win the nomination, Clark will have to beat out state Sen. Josh McLaurin, who represents portions of metro Atlanta in the state legislature. The deadline to file paperwork to run isn’t until March, meaning other Democrats could still declare their intentions to seek Georgia’s second-highest office.
Hall County Board of Education members approved a resolution to place a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Education (E-SPLOST) on the ballot, according to AccessWDUN.
The Hall County Board of Education approved a referendum resolution that would continue the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, which funds specific projects within the school district.
The one-cent tax was previously approved by voters in 2022, but will be required to be renewed in 2026. The resolution will allow the ESPLOST to be put before voters for approval in May.
Currently, the ESPLOST funds numerous facility updates in the school district, including the construction of Sandra Dunagan Deal and Everwood Elementary Schools, as well as updates to older facilities in the district.
“On June 9, 2020, the stakeholders of the Hall County School District voted to approve the extension of ESPLOST and the utilization of general obligation bonds,” the district’s website said. “Both sources now provide funding for the implementation of the district’s 10-Year Facility plan. We are grateful for the community’s trust, and we are excited about moving forward.”
Rome City Commissioners voted to name Jim Bojo as Mayor, according to WRGA News.
The Rome City Commission held its first meeting of 2026 on Monday, and the first order of business was to elect a new mayor.
The nod went to Jim Bojo.
“I want to thank each and every one of you for your support,” Bojo said. “We’ve had fun times over the past few years, and I hope we have more fun times ahead. I want to let all of the commissioners know that I’m just a phone call away, for every one of you. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ll get there.”
Bojo won with five votes. They were Craig McDaniel, Harry Brock, Wayne Robinson, Jill Fisher, and Bojo himself.
Elaina Beeman, Vic Hixon, Bill Collins, and March Cochran all cast their votes for Cochran for mayor.
Wayne Robinson was elected to serve as mayor pro tem.
He defeated Elaina Beeman by a 5-4 vote.
Sammy Rich was re-appointed as city manager.
Two candidates for Macon-Bibb County Board of Education are calling for transparency after the school system announced a $5 million dollar budget “discrepancy,” according to 13WMAZ.
More than $5 million in salaries were not included in the initial 2026 budget, according to a statement released by the district Friday afternoon. Superintendent Dan Sims has declined to discuss the issue beyond the written statement.
School board candidates Amy Morton and Kerry Hatcher say the district needs greater transparency and stronger processes to prevent similar problems in the future.
“We have to restore public trust in the process so that the public feels like the tax dollars, which is money that they pay, are being used appropriately,” Morton said.
The unaccounted salaries include $2.4 million for transportation workers, $458,000 for security staff, and $2.6 million for instructors and other school employees.
Hatcher echoed concerns about transparency, saying the district should have immediately publicized the problem rather than waiting for information to leak.
“The real problem here is the lack of transparency — that this wasn’t immediately publicized that hey, this happened but we’re working towards solutions,” Hatcher said. “It took a leak.”
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