Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for January 25, 2021

On January 25, 1915, a charter was issued in DeKalb County Superior Court to Emory University.

On January 25, 1943, Georgia Gov. Ellis Arnall signed legislation eliminating the governor as an ex officio member of the State Board of Education, State Board of Regents, Department of Public Safety, and State Housing Authority, as part of a proposal to reduce the Governor’s power over education.

On January 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy held the first live televised press conference.

https://youtu.be/lFde6u-OPj8

The Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth seeks to raise $1 million dollars over the next five years to fund expansion, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

The goal is to develop classrooms to host school groups, as well as improve and expand the museum’s exhibits, including their collection of historic railway locomotives and cars. According to the AJC, they will also use the funds to develop a new master site plan to better portray the impact of transportation on the nation and make the museum grounds more visitor-friendly while improving safety and security. Plans also include the recruitment of a full-time professional Executive Director to implement the Fast Track to the Future program.

The Augusta Jewish Museum still plans to open July 1, 2021, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

Few museums in Georgia are devoted to Jewish history. The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum is in Atlanta, and in Marietta, Kennesaw State University houses a Museum of History and Holocaust Education.

“We’ve had a long history, but one of the things I was raised with was ‘Never again.’ That was the rallying cry after the Holocaust,” Jolles said. “We had to preserve those stories. And it’s incumbent on us to carry that message to our children and those in the next generation, so it’s not repeated.”

Holocaust remembrance is one of the four “pillars” of historical presentation for the Augusta museum, Weinstein said. The other three will deal with Jewish heritage and traditions, the nation of Israel and Jewish contributions to the Augusta area.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Georgians with disabilities are asking for higher prioritization in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine due to increased susceptibility, according to the Dalton Daily News Citizen.

Georgians with intellectual and developmental disabilities make up two of the three groups at highest risk of death if they contract COVID-19; cancer patients are the third.

Advocates and family members of Georgians with special health care needs are pushing the state to prioritize individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers in an earlier phase of the approved COVID-19 vaccinations.

At the end of last month — nearly a year into the pandemic — the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (CDC) added individuals with Down syndrome to the list of medical conditions that are at higher risk for severe complications.

At the same time, new research from Johns Hopkins University showed people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are in the highest risk groups for death.

Kemp addressed calls for expanded vaccine eligibility during a press conference on Jan. 12 — the state simply doesn’t have enough vaccine for everyone, he said.

“We continue to hear concerns of additional populations, eager to receive the vaccines — educators, those with underlying conditions, disabilities, as well as their caregivers,” he said. “Please know that we are working tirelessly to get our limited supply of the vaccine to those who need it. And to whom it will do the most good.”

Governor Brian Kemp announced on Friday that the state’s unemployment rate is down for December.

Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that Georgia’s unemployment rate fell to 5.6 percent in the month of December. Additionally, the state added 44,700 jobs in December, while job numbers across the United States trended downward.

“We continue to see encouraging signs of economic recovery here in the Peach State, maintaining an unemployment rate that is below the national average and outpacing the country in job growth,” said Governor Kemp. “Because we took early, decisive action, more Georgians are back on the payroll, and we continue to announce more jobs and investment coming to Georgia on a weekly basis.”

“There are still challenges ahead – a vaccine to distribute and a virus to beat – but we will keep working diligently to protect the lives and livelihoods of our people. I am still asking all Georgians to wear a mask, wash their hands, practice social distancing, and follow public health guidance to stop the spread of COVID-19. Working together, we can return to normal quickly and safely, and ensure Georgia’s best days lie ahead.”

Georgia’s economic development numbers continue to break records. Last week the Georgia Department of Economic Development announced that, during the first half of FY21, the state supported the creation of more than 16,000 jobs and nearly $6 billion in new investment in communities throughout the Peach State. Those numbers represent a 40% increase in new jobs created and a 47% increase in investment compared to the first six months of the previous fiscal year.

Governor Kemp also published an Op-Ed on “Here’s how we kept Georgia open for business,” on CNBC.

One year ago, none of us could have imagined the challenges we would face as a nation. Here in Georgia — similar to the rest of the country — our economy was growing at a rapid pace, unemployment was at its lowest in state history, and more Georgians were finding high-quality, sustainable jobs.

We had no clue that a worldwide pandemic would soon shutter businesses, cause jobless claims to skyrocket, and uproot our lives and livelihoods.

The past year brought unforeseen, unprecedented challenges to Georgia and our citizens. Faced with a deadly pandemic, my administration took decisive actions early to ensure our state had the resources necessary to combat Covid-19 and protect both lives and livelihoods.

Under the Gold Dome here in Atlanta, we have prioritized both the health and wellbeing of our people, and their paychecks.

I faced a lot of criticism – from all sides – when I chose to reopen Georgia informed by the advice of our Public Health Commissioner, Dr. Kathleen Toomey. Unlike other states, we trusted our business owners and entrepreneurs to use innovation and business acumen to implement new, Covid-safe protocols to reopen their stores, keep their customers safe, and retain staff on the payroll.

While some disagreed with me, I know our decision to reopen safely is the reason many Georgia businesses lived to fight another day. In fact, some of our larger companies, like Kia and Bridgestone, even expanded their footprint in the Peach State and enjoyed record-setting years.

In a year riddled with economic hardship from coast to coast, Vice President Mike Pence said it best: “Georgia helped lead the way back to a prosperous American economy.”

Thanks to our methodical approach and early, decisive actions, Georgia is open for business.

I can’t say how that will age as the state faces greater challenges from COVID-19 than we have before.

Gov. Kemp signed an Executive Order (# 01.22.21.07) easing restrictions on vaccine administration by some licensed professionals, according to WGXA.

According to a news release, licensed Professional Nurses (LPN), Medical Assistants (MA), and Physician Assistants (PA) were already permitted to administer the vaccine, but this Order eases supervision requirements.

Previously, the law specified that LPNs, MAs, and PAs could only administer the vaccine under direct supervision.

Now they are able to administer the vaccine while being supervised remotely upon completing a required training.

The Order also allows registered professional nurses who have a license that has lapsed or expired in the last five years to apply for a temporary permit to administer the vaccine.

“My administration is committed to getting the life-saving COVID-19 vaccine into as many arms as possible,” said Governor Kemp. “While we await increased supply from the federal government, we will keep working to accomplish this goal with the help of our trained medical professionals. This Executive Order will allow more of our frontline medical personnel to do their jobs. Thank you to all of our healthcare heroes, including LPNs, MAs, and PAs who are essential to our mission of keeping Georgians safe and healthy.”

Gov. Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp will announce new legislation aimed at combating human trafficking, according to NewsChannel9.

Gov. Kemp and the First Lady will be joined by members of the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion and Education (GRACE) Commission, Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, GBI Director Vic Reynolds, members of the special assembly and other special guests.

The announcement is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. from the North Wing of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta and will be live-streamed on the First Lady’s Facebook page.

Gov. Kemp’s proposed budget prioritizes economic development in rural Georgia, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.

Kemp’s new budget proposals are putting a major focus on rural Georgia, with nearly $40 million earmarked to establish a Rural Innovation Fund and $30 million to continue building high-speed broadband connectivity in rural areas.

“We know that we can land major investments and job creation in rural communities throughout Georgia,” the governor told a joint session of the General Assembly. “But we also know that will not happen if we don’t invest heavily in the infrastructure and resources necessary to encourage that growth.”

In an exclusive interview with Capitol Beat News Service, Kemp said the idea for a Rural Innovation Fund came during the past year as he and his advisors thought about ways to safely reopen Georgia’s economy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Having a pot of money separate from what the Department of Community Affairs normally does gives us some alternatives,” he said. “This will free up some money we can be flexible with.”

Kemp said the state tends to get involved with the larger economic development projects, while smaller businesses don’t get on its radar screen. He said the Rural Innovation Fund will look to help local governments make those smaller projects a reality.

Generating even a few jobs in a rural community can make a big difference, Kemp said.

“Five jobs here, 10 there, you do that multiple times … and the state has given hope and opportunity to a [rural] part of the state,” he said.

From the Associated Press via AccessWDUN:

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Terry England, an Auburn Republican, said during budget hearings Thursday that subcommittees are supposed to make recommendations by Tuesday for the 2021 budget, which runs through June 30. The aim is to get the revisions agreed to earlier than usual, in case the spread of COVID-19 forces an interruption in the legislative session, as it did last year.

But pressure is building to increase spending in the proposed $27.2 billion budget that begins July 1. Gov. Brian Kemp ordered most noneducation agencies to present budgets that propose the same funding as this year, when funding was slashed by an average of 10%.

Kelly Farr, Kemp’s budget director, told lawmakers Thursday that proposed budget is as “flat as a crepe,” emphasizing he meant flatter than a pancake.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery said more spending is likely on mental health and children’s services. “Those have always been important items to the Senate and I think we’ll try to address them,” the Vidalia Republican said.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, a Rome Republican, on Friday told a Georgia Budget and Policy Institute forum that he will propose a two-year study of the state tax structure, including billions in tax breaks that Georgia grants to business.

Hufstetler said he wants to examine ”tax credits that just don’t make sense, but have been there, because, you know, there’s a lot of political pressure to keep them.”

The Gainesville Times has more on the state’s contract for access to drinking water from Lake Lanier.

Georgia and the Army Corps of Engineers have agreed to a $71 million water contract for permanent water storage at Lake Lanier.

“This achievement is the culmination of years of hard work on the part of governors Kemp and Deal, and our federal delegation … negotiating with members of multiple federal administrations,” Kemp’s press secretary, Mallory Blount, told The Times in an email Friday, Jan. 22. “The agreement will mean greater certainty of water supply for much of Georgia.”

Water storage talks between Georgia and the Corps began in 2017, after the Corps approved Georgia’s request to reallocate the storage space among Lanier’s water suppliers. The overall storage space is projected to meet projected municipal and industrial water supply through 2050, Richard Dunn, Environmental Protection Division director, has said.

The two sides signed a 10-page agreement effective Wednesday, Jan. 20, that requires payments over 30 years from the state to the Corps.

Water providers around the lake, including Gainesville Department of Water Services, will share in the costs based on pro rata usage, said Linda MacGregor, director of the Gainesville utility.

The Rome News Tribune spoke to local legislators about their priorities for this year’s legislative session.

The Georgia General Assembly reconvenes Tuesday, following a week of budget hearings that included joint House and Senate sessions and the start of subcommittee deliberations.

Lawmakers will first work on amendments to departmental budgets through the fiscal year that ends June 30, based on updated revenue projections. They’ll then turn to the “big budget” funding operations from July 1 through June 30, 2022.

“We’re going to play through this amended budget very very quickly,” said Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome, who convened on Friday the first meeting of the human resources subcommittee she chairs.

Tuesday will mark the point where lawmakers also can turn their attention to other types of legislation, and several of Floyd County’s delegates already have irons in the fire.

Rep. Eddie Lumsden, R-Armuchee, has not yet called a meeting of the Insurance Committee he chairs, but he dropped House Bill 98 on Jan. 14, during the first week of the session.

The measure would amend provisions for teleconference committee meetings with a requirement that they offer “full participation.” That means they would be conducted under the same rules for meetings where legislators are physically present, including an opportunity for public comment.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development seeks additional funding to work on restoring tourism industry setbacks due to COVID-19, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson told lawmakers Friday the state has lost billions of tourism dollars and has seen massive industry job loss because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding would be used for an advertising campaign and marketing grants for local development agencies. Both the state and local agencies have faced budget cuts during fiscal year 2021.

“What we are trying to do is position ourselves over the next year to capture the travel that is going to start back as people get vaccines, as we see the rollout happening across the state,” Wilson told the Appropriations Economic Development Subcommittee. “First of all, we want to make sure that Georgians explore Georgia. They stay at home and they go to their state parks.”

Gwinnett County Commission Chair Nicole Love Hendrickson signed an Executive Order requiring masks in all county government buildings, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Gwinnett County officials announced that face masks or face coverings will be required beginning Jan. 26 for all visitors and employees while inside county buildings and facilities, according to a Gwinnett County release.

On Tuesday, Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson signed the executive order, which requires a face mask covering the mouth and nose inside of County facilities. Those who do not comply may be denied entry or may be asked to leave.

Gwinnett County has the most cases in Georgia and is ranked third in deaths. As of Friday, Gwinnett County reported 68,603 cases and 643 deaths.

Tucker City Council member William “Bill” Rosenfeld died this weekend, according to the AJC.

“Bill will be remembered for much more than his role as a City Councilman,” the city’s statement said. “By the time he ran for office in 2016, his legacy as a pillar of the Tucker community was well-ingrained — a leader in the DeKalb County Fire Department, a champion for the business community, a volunteer giving of his time and treasure and a man of great faith.”

Rosenfeld, 77, represented east Tucker since the city was chartered in 2016. He won reelection in 2019 by receiving 77% of the vote.