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.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Former Georgia Congressman and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich says that reports of the GOP’s demise are greatly exaggerated.
Various leftwing writers (some of them nominally Republican) have been salivating over the prospects of a GOP civil war.
Nothing would make them happier than the Republicans tearing themselves apart in a fight over President Donald Trump and the future of the GOP.
However, it will not happen.
The gap between Washington’s left-wing delusional view of the world and reality was further emphasized in John Mclaughlin’s poll of voters in 17 swing states. Mclaughlin discovered that in these battleground states 80 percent of the Trump voters and 76 percent of all Republicans were less likely to vote for a congressional member who voted to impeach President Trump.
Despite the constant media attacks of the last two weeks, some 48 percent of all the voters said they were less likely to vote for a member of Congress who voted to impeach the president.
The left is using the attack on the Capitol (which I have consistently condemned and called for the perpetrators to be put in jail) as an excuse to try to destroy the conservative movement in America.
When Speaker Pelosi eliminated the House Republicans’ right to offer an amendment in the vote on House Rules – on the first day of the new Congress – every Republican understood it as a declaration of war on Kevin McCarthy and the leadership team that gained seats in 2020 when it was supposed to lose them. Pelosi and her leftwing allies know full well their power is tied to seven shaky seats. They also know that it is likely the Republicans will win the House in 2022. Their radical actions are in part a desperate effort to impose their ideology before they lose control.
When the House Democrats in their first vote on the House Rules eliminate mother, father, brother, sister and more than two dozen gender-specific words from the House Rules document, it is a sign of their commitment to a cultural radical left which does not represent most Americans.
The AJC looks at how Georgia Republicans may be forming a circular firing squad.
When President Donald Trump exits the White House this week, he will leave behind a Republican Party beset by internal conflict, with some Georgia factions hungry to punish state officials who have defied his calls to sabotage the state’s election while others pursue ways to disentangle his vicelike hold on the GOP.
Georgia Republicans open the Biden administration headed toward a 2022 reckoning one way or another, with far-right forces vowing to challenge Gov. Brian Kemp and others who refused Trump’s attempt to illegally overturn the election and objected to his false claims of a “rigged” vote.
Newly strengthened Democrats are eager to brand them all as enablers of Trump, who is on the cusp of a Senate-led trial on charges he incited an insurrection, proceedings made possible by the underdog victories this month of Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock that flipped control of the chamber.
Georgia Democrats led by Stacey Abrams, who is likely to mount a new bid for governor, aim to hold Warnock’s seat in 2022 and flip every statewide seat. Already, Democrat Charlie Bailey has announced a rematch attempt against Republican Attorney General Chris Carr, kicking off a new campaign season.
Kemp and Duncan, along with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, face mounting pushback from their own party’s rank and file. Some former allies have labeled the trio “RINOs” — Republicans in name only — or traitors to the GOP cause.
The Joint Appropriations Committee of the Georgia State Senate and House convened this morning for the first in a week’s worth of budget meetings. Representative Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus) opened with a prayer, and I could listen to him for hours.
Tuesday, 19 January 2021 at 9 AM Joint Appropriations
Wednesday, 20 January 2021 at 8 AM Joint Appropriations
Thursday, 21 January 2021 at 8 AM Joint Appropriations
Thursday, 21 January 2021 at 2 PM Joint Appropriations Health Subcommittee
Thursday, 21 January 2021 at 2:30 PM Joint Appropriations General Government Subcommittee
Thursday, 21 January 2021 at 2:30 PM Joint Appropriations Education Subcommittee
Thursday, 21 January 2021 at 3:00 PM Joint Appropriations Human Resources Subcommittee
Thursday, 21 January 2021 at 3:00 PM Joint Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee
Friday, 22 January 2021 at 9 AM Joint Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee
Friday, 22 January 2021 at 9 AM Joint Appropriations Human Resources Subcommittee
Friday, 22 January 2021 at 9 AM Joint Appropriations General Government Subcommittee
Friday, 22 January 2021 at 9 AM Joint Appropriations Economic Development Subcommittee
Friday, 22 January 2021 at 10 AM Joint Appropriations Public Safety Subcommittee
Governor Kemp gave his budget address via Zoom.
Today, look for Gov. Brian Kemp, Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey, and Ag Commissioner Gary Black, among others, all expected to focus on COVID-19 pandemic needs.
It’s the first full appropriations cycle for Senate Chairman Blake Tillery, the 37-year-old from Vidalia who took over the chairmanship after the late Chairman Jack Hill died unexpectedly last year.
Tillery is decades younger than many of his fellow senators, but he gets high marks from his colleagues who describe him as “solid” and “capable.”
Gov. Brian Kemp is proposing that Georgia borrow $883 million for construction projects and equipment next year, an amount likely to rise before lawmakers get done with the state budget.
Lawmakers authorized the borrowing of more than $1.1 billion for the current budget year.
The agency that forecasts Georgia’s borrowing said the state could authorize up to $1 billion in new borrowing the budget year that begins July 1.
From the Associated Press via AccessWDUN:
Gov. Brian Kemp announced Thursday in his State of the State speech that he would use $5 million in federal coronavirus relief that he controls to provide small grants to help students with unmet financial need pay their college bills.
“These hardworking Georgians have nearly crossed the finish line of their higher education journey, and I believe the least we can do is ensure financial hardship at the hands of COVID-19 does not stand in the way of achieving their dreams,” Kemp said in the speech, saying the money would provide a boost for up to 10,000 students.
Because it’s federal money, the Republican governor won’t need legislative approval to spend the money. Other details remain fuzzy. Kemp’s office didn’t answer questions on Friday about who exactly would be eligible, or for how much money.
Absentee voting changes will consume much of this session of the state legislature, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Athens Banner Herald.
Though no major election bills were introduced in the 2021 legislative session’s first week, state Republican leaders have placed Georgia voting laws in their crosshairs since the Nov. 3 presidential election, framing proposed changes as needed to boost election integrity following record-setting absentee voting.
Democratic state lawmakers are readying for a fight. Already, they have taken to podiums and news conferences at the Capitol to thrash proposed mail-in voting changes as modern-day voter suppression aimed at halting Democratic gains in recent election cycles.
In particular, Republicans in the Georgia Senate last month called for ending no-excuse absentee voting, which since 2005 has allowed registered Georgia voters to request and cast mail-in ballots for any reason and not just if they are out-of-state, elderly or disabled.
Legislation on mail-in voting might have to clear a new committee on election access and oversight being formed by Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, before passing the Legislature. Ralston has said he wants bills to address “perceived problems” many Georgians had with the 2020 elections.
“There’s a lot of trust issues and confidence issues we have to try to restore around the state,” said Georgia Senate Majority Whip Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega. “I do not want to suppress the vote. … But we want to make sure every legal vote is counted.”
Gooch and other members of the Senate Republican caucus have pledged to shrink who can request an absentee ballot, effectively overturning the state’s no-excuse absentee voting law that Republicans sponsored in 2005 under then-Gov. Sonny Perdue.
State Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) has introduced legislation to legalize some online gambling, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.
Under a bill sponsored by Rep. Ron Stephens, a longtime proponent of legalized gambling, at least six sports betting operators would be licensed by the Georgia Lottery Corp., paying application fees of $50,000 and annual licensing fees of $900,000.
The operators would pay a tax of 16% of their adjusted gross revenues. The money would go toward education, including the popular HOPE Scholarships program.
Supporters of legalizing gambling in Georgia argue the state is losing millions of dollars in potential tax revenue to illegal gambling.
“Georgia folks are doing it now,” said Stephens, R-Savannah. “All we’re going to do is capture the tax and put it in the HOPE Scholarship.”
But this year, sports betting is being introduced as a statute rather than a constitutional change. As such, passing it only requires simple majorities in each legislative chamber.
As a statute rather than a constitutional amendment, Stephens’ bill would have to go to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk rather than bypassing the governor and going straight to Georgia voters.
Kemp opposes legalized gambling and could veto the bill. However, sports betting enjoys bipartisan support in the General Assembly.
The measure’s cosponsors include three Republicans – Reps. Matt Dollar of Marietta, Lee Hawkins of Gainesville and Shelly Hutchinson of Snellville – and two Democrats, Reps. Billy Mitchell of Stone Mountain and Al Williams of Midway.
Supporters of sports betting have said the illegal sports betting market in Georgia is $1.5 billion, so it only makes sense for the state to regulate the system.
“It’s anticipated to bring upward of $100 million in tax revenue,” Stephens said. “In the big scheme of things, it’s not a lot, but its an additional game that the lottery would offer.”
Critics have said the possible state earnings from sports betting are exaggerated by supporters.
The legislation is backed by the Georgia Professional Sports Integrity Alliance, a coalition of four professional Atlanta sports franchises — the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta United.
“We’re putting the path of least resistance first,” Stephens said. “Then, hopefully, it would build the momentum to get the other ones through.”
United States Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Atlanta) donated her final government paycheck to the Capitol Police Memorial Fund, according to AccessWDUN.
Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler has donated her final Senate paycheck to the Capitol Police Memorial Fund in honor of fallen U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood. Both officers died following an attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Brian Sicknick died after a protester who illegally entered the Capitol building hit him in the head with a fire extinguisher. Howard Liebengood committed suicide days after the attack.
“Every Capitol Police Officer puts the safety and security of others before their own,” Loeffler said in a statement released by her office. “Officer Sicknick and Officer Liebengood exemplified the selfless service that is the hallmark of the USCP. The tragic loss of these officers reminds all of us of the bravery of the law enforcement officers who protect our nation’s Capitol, my colleagues, Congressional staff, visitors, the press corps and thousands of staff every day. I’m proud to donate my final Senate pay in honor of their lives and sacrifices. I thank the Capitol Police and all law enforcement officers for their dedicated service each and every day of the year.”
Twitter temporarily suspended the personal account of U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Extreme Northwest Georgia), according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Twitter on Sunday temporarily suspended the account of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for repeated violations of new rules the social media platform put in place following the violent US Capitol riot earlier this month, a company spokesperson told CNN.
“The account referenced has been temporarily locked out for multiple violations of our civic integrity policy,” the spokesperson said. As a result, the congresswoman will be locked out of her account for 12 hours.
The Georgia Republican bemoaned her suspension in a statement Sunday calling on Congress to “act swiftly” to “protect free speech in America.”
“Conservative Americans shouldn’t be afraid to speak their mind. They shouldn’t have to fear being cancelled by American corporations where they work, do business, and use services,” she said. “They shouldn’t be scared into submission by Socialists who want to end their way of life.”
Greene’s suspension comes as the social media platform continues to crack down on misinformation in the wake of the US Capitol breach that left five dead, including a US Capitol Police officer. Earlier this month, Twitter banned President Donald Trump from the platform indefinitely, and later, suspended more than 70,000 accounts for promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory.
As of Jan. 12, Twitter had also suspended more than 70,000 accounts associated with QAnon as it attempted to rein in harmful activity ahead of the presidential inauguration. Twitter has said it is taking action against online behavior “that has the potential to lead to offline harm” after the mob of Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol building on Jan. 6.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Greene’s suspension.
“If a conservative dares to utter a political opinion that is deemed unapproved by the internet police they are now subject to false accusations of ‘inciting violence’ simply for having a conservative view,” Greene, a Republican from Rome, said in a statement.
Her campaign also used the incident to solicit money from supporters in a separate fundraising email. The temporary limitations did not affect her separate congressional account.
Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are expected to be sworn in to the United States Senate this week, according to the Macon Telegraph.
All Georgia counties certified their Jan. 5 election tallies by Friday night’s deadline. Warnock defeated Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler by 93,550 votes. Ossoff defeated former Republican Sen. David Perdue by 55,232. State officials have until Jan. 22 to certify the statewide results, but that could happen before the deadline.
Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s voting system implementation manager, wrote on Twitter last week that the Georgia Secretary of State’s office would review the final certifications a day before Biden’s inauguration. Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday.
After the state certifies the results, certificates of election with signatures from Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger must be presented to the Secretary of the U.S. Senate proving that Warnock and Ossoff won the January runoffs.
Sterling tweeted Thursday that Senate rules “requires a rep of the (governor) to physically hand docs into the Secretary of the Senate prior to swearing-in.” Questions to the Secretary of Senate’s office regarding how the certificates must be delivered were not returned before publication. The certificates make it official, allowing Ossoff and Warnock to take their oaths of office.
Democrats will effectively hold the majority once Ossoff and Warnock are sworn-in. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will cast tie-breaking votes if members vote along party lines.
A legislative proposal to split the Augusta Judicial Circuit continues to divide local politicians, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 last month to split from the three-county Augusta Circuit, a move Columbia said would cut costs and make use of the newly-acquired former TaxSlayer building.
The Columbia Judicial Circuit would become Georgia’s 50th, each a network of superior court judges, prosecutors, public defenders, juvenile services and supporting personnel.
The timing – three weeks after the Augusta Circuit elected its first Black district attorney and first Democrat in years – was considered suspect by some. But last week Augusta commissioners, resigned that the Republican-dominated Georgia General Assembly would gladly create a new circuit for Columbia, voted 10-0 to pass a resolution of support – under the condition the Augusta Circuit gets a fifth judge.
Columbia County Commission Chairman Doug Duncan said in a Friday video the bill appears headed to the governor’s desk.
“So far we’ve had good feedback,” Duncan said. “It’s a great path for Columbia County to be on. We expect it to pass.”
The financial impact on the counties – smaller Burke is tagged with Richmond – of the split remain unclear, but Augusta-Richmond County officials have estimated it will lose $1 million paying for resources formerly shared with Columbia County, even with a reduced caseload.
The Hall County Board of Elections certified the county’s votes in the January 5, 2021 runoff elections, according to the Gainesville Times.
Official results show that Republican incumbent David Perdue received 57,157 votes, or 72%, to Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff’s 21,883, or 28%; and Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler garnered 56,718, or 72%, to Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock’s 22,296, or 28%.
Also, in the Public Service Commission runoff, results showed Republican incumbent Lauren “Bubba” McDonald received 57,453 votes, or 73%, to Democratic challenger Daniel Blackman’s 20,791, or 27%.
Glynn County Commissioners continue working on a project list for a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), according to The Brunswick News.
Glynn County commissioners will discuss a proposed $68.5 million special purpose local option sales tax on two occasions this week.
Last week, the commission released a draft SPLOST 2021 outline that would see the county getting $37.5 million from the temporary 1 percent sales tax for infrastructure projects and public facilities. The city stands to gain $13.23 million, an amount based on the population of Brunswick, while the Brunswick-Glynn County Joint Water and Sewer Commission could get $15 million and the Jekyll Island Authority $2.75 million.
The sales tax must be approved by voters.
Most commissioners favor calling a special election in March to put the referendum before the registered electorate rather than waiting until the Brunswick municipal elections in November.
Comments ( 0 )