Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for January 17, 2025

On January 17, 1733, Georgia’s Trustees in London voted to ban Jews from the colony.

On January 18, 1776, James Wright, Royal Governor of Georgia, was arrested by John Habersham, a member of the Provincial Congress.

On January 18, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson requested funding from Congress for the Lewis & Clark expedition.

Robert E. Lee was born on January 19, 1807 at his family home, Stratford Hall, Virginia.

Delegates to the Secession Convention in Milledgeville voted 208-89 in favor of seceding from the United States on January 19, 1861.

On January 19, 1871, Savannah, Georgia became the first city to recognize Robert E. Lee’s Birthday as a public holiday.

L.Q.C. Lamar, born near Eatonton, Georgia, was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court on January 18, 1888.

Martin Luther King, Jr. began the Chicago civil rights campaign on January 17, 1966.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Allman Brothers

The Gibson SG played by Duane Allman returned to the public eye in Athens last night, according to the AJC.

Cherry red and black, made of mahogany and rosewood, it rests between a bar with craft beer and vodka cocktails and a pizza stand at the recently opened Akins Ford Arena.

It’s Duane Allman’s Gibson SG, the slide guitar he used to create transformative sounds for the Allman Brothers Band just before he died.

It was purchased at auction by George Fontaine Sr. for $591,000 in 2019, at the time among the steepest prices ever paid for a guitar.

Fontaine saw Allman twice in concert in 1971.

“I was mesmerized,” he said. “Just devastated when he passed away,” from a motorcycle accident later that year in Macon. Allman was 24.

Fontaine lent the guitar to join an exhibit at the arena showcasing items from the University of Georgia’s Special Collections Libraries.

There’s a music stand used by R.E.M.‘s Michael Stipe. James Brown’s red velvet cape. Wigs and clothes worn by Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson of the B-52s. Some of the collection came from the Georgia Music of Fame, shipped to UGA after the Macon museum closed in 2011.

Ryan Lewis, UGA’s Georgia music exhibit coordinator, spent months selecting items to tell distinct stories about the state’s diverse musical heritage. There are drums played by Widespread Panic. Shirts sold at a Dolly Parton concert held in Athens in the late 1970s. Country music artists Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan are highlighted next to legendary hip-hop duo Big Boi and André 3000 of Outkast.

Akins Ford Arena, a $151 million, 8,500-capacity venue at the downtown Classic Center complex, opened in December.

Allman used the Gibson SG for songs on “At Fillmore East,” which Rolling Stone has called one of the greatest live albums of all time.

After his death, he allegedly was to be buried with the guitar. Instead, his brother Gregg gave it to Duane’s protégé, Gerry Groom. It was eventually purchased by Graham Nash, of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and then fetched nearly five times the opening bid of $125,000 at auction in 2019.

Later that year, a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop that Allman used to play on Derek and the Dominoes’ song “Layla” sold for $1 million.

“Anything associated with Duane Allman is going to be revered,” said Richard Brent, executive director of The Big House museum in Macon where the Allman Brothers Band members and friends lived. “There’s not a lot of stuff out there.”

Allman’s Gibson SG was previously displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Chattanooga’s Songbirds Museum. Fontaine, who has run numerous record labels, offers the guitar to artists to play while recording music.

“Some people could say that’s risky, but what better way to celebrate Duane Allman,” Brent said. “There’s nothing worse than something that still has so much life left sitting behind glass doing nothing.”

Surviving members of the Allman Brothers will honor the late Dickey Betts at a February concert in Macon, according to the Macon Telegraph.

Macon is gearing up to celebrate one of its best-known musical talents this February with a concert in memory of Dickey Betts, guitarist and singer with the Allman Brothers Band.

A native of Florida, Betts was a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, which recorded some of its biggest records in downtown Macon at Capricorn Studios. Betts is best known for writing and singing the band’s 1973 hit “Ramblin’ Man.”

The upcoming concert, titled “In Memory of Dickey Betts,” features a lineup of classic Southern rock acts, modern country and rock artists, according to the Allman Brothers Band Facebook page.

Former members of the band will also be there, including Jaimoe, Chuck Leavell and Warren Hayes. The concert will take place Feb. 28 at the Macon City Auditorium at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online, but they are selling fast at high prices. The lowest price available as of Tuesday morning was about $1,000.

9:00 AM FLOOR SESSION (LD5) (House) House Chamber

10:00 AM Floor Session (LD 5) (Senate) Senate Chamber

11:00 AM State and Local Govtal Ops (Senate) 450 CAP

Tuesday – January 21, 2025

9:00 AM JOINT APPROPRIATIONS 341 CAP

Wednesday – January 22, 2025

8:00 AM JOINT APPROPRIATIONS  341 CAP

Thursday – January 23, 2025

8:00 AM JOINT APPROPRIATIONS 341 CAP

1:00 PM Appropriations Sub Public Safety 506 CLOB

Tuesday – January 28, 2025

1:00 PM Appropriations Sub Education 415 CLOB

From the Associated Press via WSAV:

A Georgia state senator who was previously banned from the state House chamber was arrested Thursday when he tried to enter the chamber for the governor’s State of the State speech and got into a shoving match with House employees.

State Sen. Colton Moore, a Republican from Trenton, is among the chamber’s most right-wing members. He signaled Wednesday that he would seek a showdown when he called House Speaker Jon Burns, a fellow Republican, a “tyrant” on social media.

The arrest is one of several examples of state officials trying to restrain lawmakers or onlookers as legislative sessions begin in 2025.

Burns banned Moore from the House chamber last year after Moore denounced late House Speaker David Ralston on a day when Ralston was being honored and his relatives were watching. In a speech, Moore called Ralston “one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders we’ll ever see” over allegations that Ralston improperly delayed court cases he handled as a lawyer. Burns called Moore’s remarks “vile” when he announced the ban, saying it would remain until Moore apologized.

Before his arrest Thursday, Moore told reporters that Burns couldn’t legally prevent him from attending a joint House-Senate session to listen to Gov. Brian Kemp in the House chamber. He said he met with Burns on Wednesday but couldn’t work anything out.

“You cannot impede a General Assembly session,” Moore said as he tried to push his way past House staffers who were blocking the door. “I have a constitutional obligation to attend.”

Keith Williams, a lawyer for the speaker’s office, shoved Moore and the senator fell to the ground after one of Moore’s attempts to enter the chamber. Troopers handcuffed Moore and took him to the Fulton County jail. There, online jail records show Moore was booked on misdemeanor charges of willful obstruction of law enforcement officers.

Supporters said online that they were working to release Moore. Jail records said he needed to post $1,000 bail to be released.

Moore was kicked out of the Senate Republican caucus in September 2023 after launching attacks on fellow Republicans for refusing to agree to a special session to act against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for indicting former President Donald Trump. Kemp denounced the call as “ some grifter scam ” to raise campaign contributions for Moore.

In 2018, troopers arrested 15 people including Nikema Williams, then a Democratic state senator and now a member of Congress, for an election-related protest in the Georgia Capitol. Police arrested state Rep. Park Cannon in 2021 after she knocked on the door of the governor’s office as he broadcast a speech.

Charges were dropped both times.

From WRDW:

“The Georgia State Patrol arrested Sen. Colton Moore at the state capitol following a public disturbance prior to the State of the State address,” according to a statement from the Georgia Department of Public Safety. “Troopers stationed at the Capitol were forced to step in when Sen. Moore created a disruption outside the house chamber.

“Despite multiple verbal warnings and several attempts to de-escalate the situation, Sen. Moore persisted in his attempts to disrupt official proceedings inside the House Chamber,” the statement said. “The disturbance escalated further when Sen. Moore pushed into troopers multiple times.”

The department said Moore was arrested and taken to the Fulton County Jail. Moore has been charged with willful obstruction of law enforcement officers, a misdemeanor.

“Senator Colton Moore, who exposed and defeated corrupt Fani Willis last year, has been arrested by the Anti-Trump Speaker of the Georgia House,” said a statement from Moore’s office. “Colton is being held in the same Atlanta jail as President Trump. We are working to ensure his expedient release.”

In September 2023, after Moore called for a special session to review Willis following her indictment of Trump, he was suspended from his party’s caucus.

Georgia Senate Republicans announced Moore would not be allowed to participate in any future caucus, citing violations of caucus rules on multiple occasions during Moore’s push to investigate Willis.

From the AJC:

But Moore’s attempted defiance of the ban — and subsequent arrest — on Thursday as Gov. Brian Kemp prepared to deliver his State of the State address made him a cause célèbre to the far-right crowd and earned him surprising sympathy from across the aisle.

MAGA loyalists in Georgia and beyond echoed Moore’s slashing attacks against the “tyrant” Burns and promoted the mug shot of him taken at the Fulton County Jail where President-elect Donald Trump was booked on election interference charges in 2023.

Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon weighed in after he saw the video of Moore’s scuffle with House officials, which led him to be handcuffed by state troopers and slapped with misdemeanor obstruction charges.

“It was not only legally appropriate to admit him to today’s proceedings — it was simply the right thing to do,” McKoon said.

Remarkably, he was echoed by U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, who chairs the Democratic Party of Georgia. She was arrested in 2018, back when she was a state senator, during a protest at the Capitol.

“While Colton Moore and I don’t agree on much, the speaker nor the doorkeeper should be allowed to prevent him from representing the people of his district,” Williams told us.

Burns and his allies are sticking to their stance. House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, R-Mulberry, lamented the “dangerous situation” that Moore provoked. And Burns said he was proud of the House for “holding the line” to honor Ralston’s legacy.

“As you saw today,” he said, “the integrity and decorum of this House are non-negotiable. Period.”

Governor Brian Kemp delivered his 2025 State of the State Address. Click here for the full text. Click here for the Governor’s AFY2025 and FY2026 Budget Reports.

From 13WMAZ:

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is still working to curb the effects of inflation. In his 2025 State of the State address, he announced plans to roll back Georgia’s income tax rate.

“Because, at the end of the day, that’s your money — not the government’s, and here in Georgia, we believe you should keep more of it,” Kemp said in reference to taxpayers when addressing legislators in Thursday’s joint session meeting.

He’s proposing a tax cut that will knock the rate down 20 basis points; a measure Kemp says will save Georgians billions over the next decade – $7.5 billion to be exact.

He said the state’s multi-billion budget surplus can absorb the cuts because he wants households to keep more of their money while his office finds ways to spend conservatively.

In October 2024, Kemp announced a $1 billion tax return, by means of a special tax refund. It would mirror previous rebates giving single filers $250, head-of-household filers $350 and $500 to married couples filing jointly. Marsh said while he doesn’t foresee a large refund, it would be nice to get something back.

In 2022, state lawmakers backed a plan to create a flat state income tax rate that is supposed to drop to 4.99% by 2029 or later; the current rate is 5.39% and Kemp is proposing a drop down to 5.19%.

Kemp’s tax plans need approval from the full Georgia Assembly during the current session.

From Atlanta News First via WTVM:

Tax cuts and tort lawsuits were among the biggest items in Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s annual State of the State address on Thursday.

From mourning Hurricane Helene’s victims to promoting Georgia’s healthcare coverage program, Kemp’s speech touched on multiple topics — but many of his points led back to strengthening Georgia’s businesses and economy.

Kemp said he plans to propose a 0.2% tax cut in 2025, bringing the income tax for individuals and businesses down to 5.19%. The move comes after he pushed for a 0.1% tax cut in 2024, the largest tax cut of its kind in Georgia history.

The governor said the cut will save Georgians $7.5 billion over the next 10 years.

Kemp also said he plans to introduce legislation to cut down on tort lawsuits, which seek compensation — usually monetary — for a person or company’s alleged wrongdoing. He argued that excessive lawsuits and high insurance premiums are sucking money away from companies that could be used to hire more employees or otherwise expand.

“The tort reform legislation my office will introduce in the coming days will be comprehensive, but fair. Because in Georgia, we believe those who do wrong should be held accountable,” he said.

“Small business owners reported insurance premiums up anywhere from 30 percent to over 100 percent over the last few years, costing them hundreds of thousands or millions more just to get basic coverage,” Kemp continued. “For too many of them, that meant holding back on hiring more employees, waiting to grow their business, or making difficult decisions about whether or not they could even keep the lights on.”

In 2024, Area Development Magazine dubbed Georgia the No. 1 state to do business for the 11th year in a row, largely thanks to the state’s pro-business initiatives.

Kemp also spoke on two concerns that will receive more state funding — school safety and human trafficking.

The governor said he has allocated an additional $159 million for school safety initiatives in the proposed state budget. He pointed toward the deadly Apalachee High School shooting, where two school resource officers captured the suspect within minutes.

Kemp also said he plans to give an additional $1.2 million to the state’s gang and human trafficking prosecution units, which launched in 2022.

One area that won’t receive more funding is Medicaid. While Georgia consistently ranks as one of the worst states for healthcare coverage, Kemp argued that Georgia Pathways, the state’s coverage program for low-income residents, covers more than 200,000 more Georgians than Medicaid expansion would.

“When you hear someone say that fully expanding traditional Medicaid is ‘fiscally responsible,’ know that they are selling you a bill of goods, because the numbers simply don’t match the rhetoric,” he said.

Democrats said Kemp’s speech was out of touch. Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II accused Kemp of putting corporations over working-class people.

“Republicans and the Governor fail to understand how to value people, not just profits. Georgians want a state where we are the number one state for public education, where we are the number one state for healthcare, the number one state to afford a home, and above all else, the number one state to raise a family,” he said in a statement.

From WTOC:

The Governor outlined his legislative priorities as well including insurance reform in the State and plans to increase the number of OBGYNs in Georgia.

From the Capitol Beat News Service:

Gov. Brian Kemp delivered a not-so-veiled threat to members of the General Assembly Thursday: Pass significant tort reform during the 2025 legislative session – or else.

“There is always room for compromise, but there will be no room for excuses, half-measures, or failure,” Kemp said during his annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Georgia House and Senate. “Whether it’s this legislative session, or perhaps a second one later this year, we will achieve meaningful, impactful tort reform.”

After punting on tort reform for years, lawmakers passed a bill last year directing the state insurance department to gather data on legal trends affecting insurance premiums and identify reforms that could stabilize costs.

During the months after the 2024 legislative session, Kemp hosted three roundtables across the state to hear from business owners saddled with soaring insurance premiums that threatened their ability to keep their doors open.

“Even though each person at those roundtables came from a different part of our state, represented a different industry or business, told a unique story or had a different perspective, the call for action was unanimous,” he said. “It’s abundantly clear that the status quo isn’t working.”

Legislative Democrats have blocked tort reform for decades amid concerns it could deprive Georgians injured in a car crash or by medical malpractice of their day in court.

On Thursday, Kemp asked Democrats to support tort reform this year and promised a balanced approach to the issue. He cited examples from the recent past where lawmakers from both parties worked together to enact important laws.

“Passing hate-crimes legislation, repealing the citizens arrest statute, and supporting the victims of human trafficking are all tough issues,” he said. “But Republicans and Democrats accomplished them together because it was right thing to do.”

In a 35-minute speech, Kemp also vowed to push legislation reducing the state income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19%, a move he said would save Georgia taxpayers $7.5 billion during the next 10 years.

The longest sustained applause during the governor’s address came when he recognized sitting in the gallery Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith and two school resource officers – Sgt. Chase Boyd and Deputy Brandon King – who quickly arrested the teenage gunman charged with shooting to death two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School last September.

Kemp said his spending proposals for this year will include an additional $159 million for school-safety grants on top of the $294 million the state allocated for that program in 2019 and 2023.

And the governor defended his limited expansion of Georgia’s Medicaid program against Democrats advocating a full Medicaid expansion as 39 states have done.

“We’re covering well over 200,000 more Georgians than traditional Medicaid expansion would cover,” Kemp said. “And those Georgians are on better plans that deliver better coverage, and lead to better health-care outcomes for them and their families.”

After Kemp’s address, Democrats pointed to Georgia’s dubious status as the state with the nation’s third highest rate of uninsured. While the Georgia-specific health-insurance exchange Kemp launched in November is showing early signs of success, the governor’s Georgia Pathways limited Medicaid expansion has only enrolled 8,385 Georgians since its launch in the summer of 2023.

“Georgia Democrats in the state legislature have outlined plans to … fully expand Medicaid to bring health coverage to nearly half a million Georgians,” according to a news release from the Democratic Party of Georgia.

In a sideshow to the main event, ultra-conservative state Sen. Colton Moore, R-Trenton, was arrested for trying to enter the House chambers for the State of the State address. House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, banned Moore from the House floor last year after the senator made derogatory remarks about the late Speaker David Ralston.

During his speech, Kemp also thanked the first-responders and community volunteers who stepped up during and after Hurricane Helene ravaged a large swath of the state in late September.

“We saw neighbors helping neighbors, lending a hand or a chainsaw, even when their own homes and farms were in need of attention,” he said. “We saw brand-new church outreach programs feeding whole towns, and we saw first responders who put the lives of others ahead of their own.”

From Georgia Recorder:

In a speech focused on resiliency, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp warned of dark clouds ahead for the state’s economy if the Legislature does not pass new limits on lawsuits – and signaled he might call a special session later this year if “meaningful, impactful” measures are not passed this winter.

Kemp did not outline specifics Wednesday but devoted a significant portion of his State of the State address emphasizing what he argues is the need for sweeping changes and how hard he plans to push for them.

The governor said his soon-to-be-unveiled proposal will be “comprehensive but fair.”

“Whether it’s this legislative session, or a second one later this year, we will achieve meaningful, impactful tort reform,” he added.

Shortly after Kemp finished speaking, proponents of a litigation overhaul released statements from industry groups backing the governor’s overarching call for changes. The Georgia Hospital Association said it hopes to see health care liability reform, and Georgia Retailers pointed to the state’s current premises liability laws as a problem.

The governor also appealed directly to Democrats in his speech, making the case for bipartisan support for an overhaul to the state’s litigation rules.

“Stabilizing the cost of car insurance and ensuring families have access to affordable housing is not partisan – it’s common sense,” he said. “And giving working people and small business owners a chance at the American Dream is about who we are as a state – not what political party we support.”

Kemp noted the complexity of the issue, but said “doing nothing is no longer an option.”

But Democrats from both chambers had the same reaction to the governor’s comments: Where is the bill spelling out specific proposed changes?

“Democrats are not the problem here. Democrats are waiting to be engaged on this issue, but what I really would like to see the Republicans talk about is not just the trial lawyers, but the insurance companies,” said Rep. Tanya Miller, an Atlanta Democrat who is the House minority caucus chair. “It is not, I think, accurate to say that jury verdicts are the sole reason for why insurance rates are rising.

“I think the tort reform debate needs to be expanded, and it needs to be expanded to include an assessment of whether or not insurance companies are being transparent and are being held accountable to our citizens,” Miller also said.

Some Democrats signaled that there may be room for common ground on an issue affecting all Georgians but said the details matter.

“Nobody likes insurance companies and nobody likes lawyers, so at the end of the day, we’ve got to look at the details and keep in mind what’s in the best interest of the citizens in Georgia,” said House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley, a Columbus Democrat.

On the state budget, from the Capitol Beat News Service:

With tax relief, disaster assistance, infrastructure investments and prison upgrades on his agenda, Gov. Brian Kemp Thursday proposed major budget increases, particularly in the spending plan covering the rest of this fiscal year.

Kemp’s $40.5 billion fiscal 2025 mid-year budget, $4.4 billion above the spending plan the General Assembly adopted last spring, dips into the state’s healthy surplus to bankroll a $1 billion one-time tax rebate, $615 million storm recovery package for victims of Hurricane Helene, and $1.7 billion for transportation and water projects.

A $603 million allocation for improvements to Georgia’s prison system is spread out over both the mid-year budget and the governor’s more modest $37.7 billion fiscal 2026 spending plan. The 2026 budget, which takes effect July 1, also includes most of the funding for a $1 billion rollback of the state’s income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19%.

“At the end of the day, that’s your money – not the government’s,” Kemp said Thursday during his annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Georgia House and Senate. “We believe you should keep more of it.”

Kemp first responded to Hurricane Helene by repurposing $100 million to the Georgia Development Authority last November to provide direct financial support for farmers and timber producers who suffered losses from the massive storm.

The $615 million relief package the governor requested Thursday includes $200 million to cover cleanup costs already incurred by the Georgia Department of Transportation, $150 million to help both the state and local governments match federal disaster assistance, $100 million to the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission to offset the agency’s disaster relief costs, $50 million to the state Department of Administrative Services to cover storm-related damage to state properties, and $15.7 million for the Georgia Forestry Commission.

The $1.7 billion infrastructure package includes $530 million for the DOT for highway projects critical to statewide economic development and $250 million in grants to local governments for road projects.

Another $502 million would be used to build surface water-supply projects in Coastal Georgia as an alternative to dipping into environmentally fragile groundwater to supply the huge Hyundai electric-vehicle manufacturing plant now under construction west of Savannah. A new water intake on the Savannah River is expected to deliver 20 million gallons a day by 2030.

Another $250 million would go to support water and sewer projects across the state through low-interest loans to local communities.

The prison package follows release of a Justice Department audit last fall that accused the Georgia prison system of violating inmates’ constitutional rights by failing to protect them from widespread violence. It includes 4% pay raises for correctional officers, 8% increases for mental health professionals working in state prisons, and funds to hire an additional 330 guards.

Another $371.7 million in the mid-year budget and $68.2 million in the fiscal 2026 spending plan would go toward infrastructure upgrades, while $97 million would be used to improve inmate health care.

The two budgets also fully fund Georgia’s Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula for students in grades K-12, something the state has only been able to do in recent years after building up a $16 billion surplus.

The new private-school vouchers program will be funded in fiscal 2026 for the first time at $141 million, equivalent to 1% of the QBE, a limit set by legislation the Republican-controlled General Assembly passed last year establishing the program.

For the second year in a row, the state can afford to fund building projects with cash rather than borrowing. The $1.5 billion capital projects budget would be split between this year and next.

The House and Senate Appropriations committees will conduct three days of joint hearings on the spending proposals next week during the legislature’s annual budget recess.

From the Savannah Morning News on the local impact of the proposed state budget:

The budget must ultimately be passed by the state legislature, but with Republican control of both the legislative and executive branches of Georgia’s state government, his recommendations are likely a bellwether for the finalized version. Passing the state budget is the only thing the general assembly is constitutionally required to accomplish during the legislative session.

Kemp’s recommendations for the amended fiscal year 2025 fiscal year 2026 budgets include big-ticket proposals as well as several locally-targeted investments in communities across the state. Here’s what his budget recommendations have in store this year for Athens, Augusta and Savannah.

Expanding higher education throughout the state of Georgia continues to be top of mind for the governor. Kemp’s amended fiscal year 2025 budget proposal outlines nearly $100 million for the design and construction of a new medical research building at Augusta University. It also sets aside $3 million towards law school programs at both the University of Georgia and Georgia State University.

Savannah’s rapid expansion has led to an increased need for infrastructure projects in the area, particularly when it comes to housing and water supply. Under Kemp’s budget proposal, over $501 million would be allocated to fund the construction of surface water infrastructure throughout Coastal Georgia.

Law enforcement can also expect a boost in both the amended fiscal year 2025 budget and the fiscal year 2026 budget. Kemp’s recommendations include $187,000 in the amended 2025 budget and $748,000 in the 2026 budget to expand the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit to Macon and Augusta.

The Attorney General’s office will also receive n​​early $537,000 to expand its Gang Prosecution Unit to Savannah.

That’s an excellent article, and I’d like to see more about the local impact of the state budget from the media.

Former State Rep. (and Dean of the Legislature) Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus) will be honored with a portrait at the State Capitol, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

Retired state Rep. Calvin Smyre of Columbus, who was the longest-serving Georgia legislator when he completed his 48-year political career in 2022, will be given a rare honor.

His portrait will be hung in the Georgia Capitol. The ceremony, open to the public, will be conducted Jan. 23, starting at 12:30 p.m., in the Georgia House of Representatives Chamber.

There are 233 portraits, sculptures and other memorials celebrating notable Georgians at the capitol, but Smyre will be the first from Columbus and only the seventh African American with such a distinction – including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Smyre, 77, was the youngest member of the Georgia House at age 26 when he was first elected in 1974. Five years later, his colleagues elected him as chairman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, and he was elected president of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Official in 1982.

Smyre is credited with authoring historic legislation, such as making King Jr.’s birthday a state holiday and creating the Georgia Dome. He co-sponsored the bill that created a new state flag, eliminating the Confederate emblem. He also was instrumental in the passage of a new state hate crimes law in 2020.

State Rep. Carolyn Hugley of Columbus, who started her tenure as the Democratic leader in the Georgia House when the 2025 legislative session opened this week, told the Ledger-Enquirer this idea to honor Smyre originated two years ago, when members of the Columbus delegation approached then-Georgia House Speaker David Ralston.

Ralston got the request approved by the Capitol’s commission before he died in November 2022, but renovations to the building delayed the process.

“Now everything is settled back down, and we’re able to get this done,” Hugley said. “We’re so thankful to Speaker (Jon) Burns and his team for agreeing to move forward with the hanging of the portrait.”

State Rep. Mike Hodges (R-SSI) wants the legislature to discuss beach replenishment for St Simons Island, according to The Brunswick News.

While he doesn’t have any planned legislation, Hodges, R-St. Simons Island, said it’s been a long time since discussions were held about beach renourishment on the island.

“We’re going to have some conversations this legislative term,” he said. “We don’t have any legislation yet. It depends on the conversation.”

Hodges is aware of resistance to beach renourishment on St. Simons Island going back to the 1980s.

Any renourishment project would need support from the Glynn County Commission and the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau, he said.

“Beach renourishment is not the easiest thing to do,” Hodges said.

He concedes beach renourishment is expensive and has to be maintained, but there may be state and federal grants to help pay for it.

If nothing else, Hodges said he’d like to find ways to speed the process if beaches and dunes are damaged from storms.

“Anything you do on the beach requires DNR approval,” he said. “The higher the beach, the better protected the inlets. If nothing else, it will fill in the rivulets.”

The Stacey Abrams support group New Georgia Project agreed to pay a $300,000 fine to the Georgia State Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Athens Banner Herald.

A nonprofit voter registration organization founded by two-time Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has agreed to pay the largest fine ever assessed by the Georgia Ethics Commission.

The commission’s board voted Wednesday to approve a consent order calling for New Georgia Project and a separate fundraising arm to pay $300,000 for failing to disclose $4.2 million in contributions and $3.2 million in spending during the 2018 election cycle on behalf of Abrams’ unsuccessful bid for governor.

New Georgia Project’s activities included voter canvassing, campaign literature, social media engagement, and operations of field offices. Failing to disclose the contributions and spending listed in the consent order violated the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act.

“While this fine is significant in scale, it is also appropriate given the scope of which state law was violated in this case,” David Emadi, the commission’s executive secretary, told Politico Wednesday.

“This represents the largest and most significant instance of an organization illegally influencing our statewide elections in Georgia that we have ever discovered, and I believe this sends a clear message to both the public and potential bad actors moving forward that we will hold you accountable.”

New Georgia Project also admitted failing to report nearly $650,000 in donations and almost $175,000 in expenditures related to a 2019 transit referendum in Gwinnett County. Voters defeated the referendum, which called for Gwinnett to join MARTA.

Abrams, a Democrat, lost the 2018 governor’s race to Republican Brian Kemp, and was defeated again by Kemp in 2022.

The United States Department of Justice is suing Houston County alleging their at-large County Commission elections are discriminatory, according to 13WMAZ.

A newly filed lawsuit by the Department of Justice argues the way Houston County elects its county commission violates the U.S. Voting Rights Act of 1965, hurting Black voters’ ability to elect candidates of their choosing.

Since Reconstruction began in 1865, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division says that Houston County has only had one Black county commissioner. That is despite 31% of the county being Black as of the 2020 Census.

“The current method of election the Houston County Board of Commissioners dilutes the voting strength of Black citizens,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday, pushes for a judge to order the county to move to geographical political districts.
Currently, Houston County elects its county commission through at-large — or countywide — elections. But under that system, the DOJ argues that white voters overpower Black voters.

The product, they argue, is a county commission that is unrepresentative of the diverse Houston County community. The DOJ argues that geographic districts would fix that.

The lawsuit asks a judge to find the county’s at-large election scheme in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, that provision bans voting practices and procedures that discriminate on the basis of race.

“Houston County will always follow the law,“ Houston County’s Board of Commissioners said. “If we determine if we agree with DOJ regarding a possible violation of the Voting Rights Act after reviewing all of the documents and evidence, we will take appropriate action at that time.”

Houston County says the DOJ sent a letter to the county, requiring a full response in less than two weeks during the Christmas holiday. The county, however, says their priority is getting the facts right first.

“While DOJ felt the need to file its lawsuit prior to the change of administrations in Washington, we did not feel it would be prudent to respond in fewer than 30 days to a multi-year investigation, especially before we were able to obtain and review all of the relevant evidence,” Houston County said.

Houston County emphasizes that the DOJ lawsuit “does not contain any allegations of intentional racial discrimination in Houston County.”

Albany City Commissioners proposed a Special Election on March 18, 2025 to fill a seat representing Ward IV vacated by the death of Commissioner Demetrius Young, according to the Albany Herald.

Commissioners approved the March election date during a Tuesday special called meeting.

The city’s charter states that in the event of a seat being vacated, which includes the death of a commissioner in office, the commission is to call an election within 15 days in instances in which there are more than six months left in the term of office.

The first opportunity to hold an election in 2025, in accordance with dates approved by the state for holding special elections, is March 18. The next available opportunity for a special election would come in June.

The choice of holding the election at the earliest opportunity was based on ensuring that constituents in Ward VI have representation and is not intended to give the impression of disrespect, Mayor Bo Dorough said.

The Albany-Dougherty County Board of Registration and Elections has a meeting scheduled for next week during which it can give the go-ahead for holding the election on the suggested date, City Attorney Michael Custer told commissioners.

“Based on the guidelines, for the board of elections, they have a meeting on the 15th,” she said. “If the commission would like that election in March, then it needs to be on their agenda.”

In other business on Tuesday, the commission approved an ordinance to allow for the Sunday sale of package alcohol. Under the ordinance licensed establishments may sell alcoholic beverage from 12:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m.

Albany voters approved a referendum in favor of Sunday sales in November.

Calhoun County Commissioners voted to opt out of HB 581’s new property tax homestead exemption, according to the Albany Herald.

Calhoun County leaders voted to opt out of the exemption during a special called meeting. In order to opt out, cities, counties and school boards must advertise the intent to opt out one week in advance of hosting three required public hearings on the matter. This process had to begin Jan. 1 and must be completed by March 1, giving local governments a short window to make the decision.

The Floating Homestead Tax Exemption, created by House Bill 581 went into effect Jan. 1. It essentially places a “freeze” on a homestead’s valued assessment, leading to some tax relief for homeowners. However, it could create challenges in small, rural cities and counties with stagnant tax bases, forcing them to raise millage rates in order to offset revenue loss from the exemption.

Calhoun County Chief Appraiser Adriane Ashley said county residents have to look at the holistic impact of this exemption. She said that while it might help homeowners with their homesteads, it’ll hurt them elsewhere.

“If we have to go up on the millage rate, you’re going to hurt yourself on the other properties you can’t get an exemption on,” she said.

City and school board leaders from Calhoun agreed to opt out of HB 581, Tuesday. Morgan and Edison officials had already voted on the issue and were scheduled to advertise their three public hearings. Officials with Arlington, Leary and the Calhoun County School Board said they planned to opt out and had meetings to discuss the matter scheduled for this week.

Arlington already released its dates for public hearings. All hearings will be held at Jimmie C. Harpe Community Center at 31 Martin Luther King Dr.. The first will be Jan. 23 at 7:00 pm. The second will be Jan. 30 at 7:00 pm. The third will be Feb. 6 at 6:00 pm.

Residents of these municipalities who wish to know more about how this will affect them should keep an eye out for the public hearings schedule.

HB 581 appeared as Amendment 1, House Resolution No. 1022 on ballots in November.

It passed widely across Georgia’s 159 counties, 120 of them considered rural by a study from the University of Georgia. Calhoun County Vice Chairman and District 5 Commissioner Charlie Williams said he believes the text on the ballot was misleading for voters. He said the county and its cities will have to work together to communicate to residents that opting out will not hurt them but most likely be better for their wallets.

“We’re all in this boat together then,” Williams said upon the entire county’s leadership coming to an agreement.

Mark Strickland, a Calhoun County resident and the county’s former chief appraiser, said Calhoun County and its municipalities, like many smaller governments, have tight budgets and most of the areas where these types of exemptions work have other things – businesses, industries – to balance tax revenue.

“We don’t have any of that,” he said. “There is no such thing as property tax relief. There’s only a shifting of the burden. Who would we shift it to?”

Edison Councilman Curtis Adams said the city voted to opt out during its Monday night council meeting. The city has spent the last year recovering from upwards of a half-million dollars in debt since the summer of 2023. Part of the cause for debt was operating city utilities – water, sewage and garbage pick-up – at a deficit that wasn’t adjusted for inflation over the years.

“I think the last thing Edison wants is to see a decrease in taxes coming in – any kind of loss of revenue because they’re just now getting back on their feet,” Strickland said.

In order to recover from the debt and get the city’s finances back on track, Edison leaders had to raise the city’s millage rate. It’s the highest rate in the county. Adams said a large part of the city’s decision to opt out of HB 581 is because it has nowhere to shift the burden.

“We don’t have the room, nor do we have the inclination, to raise anything,” Adams said. “We’re already at the max of what we need to be collecting, both in services and with the mill rate.”

Arlington’s leaders attended a meeting about HB 581 hosted by the Georgia Municipal Association in Macon Monday. The city’s mayor, Jerome Brackins, said it is clear the best option for the city is to opt out. Arlington is one of three Georgia cities that is split between two counties – Early and Calhoun. Brackins said he’s had communication with Early, which also is opting out.

“Small counties are going to be the ones who will be hurt by this legislation,” Strickland said.

He talked during public comments about conversations he had with former Georgia Rep. Penny Houston, R-Nashville, about what she believed to be an underlying goal of this law: to shut down small counties because there are too many in the state. Georgia has the second-largest number of counties of any state in the U.S., behind only Texas.

“That was the viewpoint of many of the powers that be in our legislature,” he said.

One belief is that Georgia’s large number of counties makes it expensive to maintain government infrastructure. Consolidating might relieve some of those expenses and allow communities to run more efficiently.

Glynn County Commissioners voted to raise the hotel/motel bed tax, according to The Brunswick News.

The first increase in the county’s bed tax in nearly three decades was approved at Thursday’s Glynn County Commission meeting.

The increase from 5% to the new rate of 7% still has to be approved by the General Assembly through local legislation.

Before the vote, Scott McQuade, president and CEO of the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau, said an increase in the tax has been under consideration the past five years.

“This is an effort that takes a lot of work,” he said. “It’s time for the hospitality industry to increase this tax.”
McQuade said this increase is not a tax on local residents.

“It’s a tax on accommodations,” he said. “We look forward to many projects coming from this effort.”

Before the vote, commissioners approved a resolution establishing legislative priorities that included the bed tax increase, a board member appointment to the Golden Isles Development Authority and a pay adjustment for the salaries of county commissioners. There was no discussion about how much of a pay increase commissioners are seeking.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scuttled their proposal for lower speed limits on some coastal waters to prevent injuries to Right Whales, according to The Brunswick News.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has withdrawn the lower speed limit it was proposing for vessels 35 to 65 feet in length.

A slow speed limit of 11.5 mph was proposed over an expanded area of ocean as a protective measure for North Atlantic right whales.

The rule, which remains in effect for larger vessels, would have regulated the speed limit of the smaller vessels when right whales were present in the water.

NOAA was considering the rule, favored by environmental groups, to protect the threatened species from boat strikes. There are fewer than 360 of the species left and even fewer females that are capable of giving birth, it has been estimated.

To U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, the rule was a job killing proposal, dangerous to mariners and a potential problem for the ports, including the two deepwater ports, Brunswick and Savannah, in his own state.

“I am thrilled that NOAA made the right decision to protect harbor pilots, small business owners, and our coastal economy,” Carter said. “This proposed rule was burdensome, overreaching, and would have caused irreparable harm to the Atlantic Coast without providing any environmental benefits.

“Tracking technologies exist that would help prevent right whale vessel strikes, and I hope to see those more broadly used in the coming years.”

From the Savannah Morning News:

The whales, which give birth off Georgia’s coast in the winter, are nearing extinction: just 370 remain, and vessel strikes are one of their leading causes of death.