On January 28, 1733, Georgia’s first colonists celebrated a day of thanksgiving for their safe arrival in Savannah and Chief Tomochichi’s granting them permission to settle on the Yamacraw Bluff.
On January 29, 1779, British forces captured Augusta, Georgia.
On January 27, 1785, a charter was approved by the Georgia legislature for the first publicly-supported state university in America.
The Supreme Court of Georgia held its first meeting on January 26, 1846 at Talbotton, Georgia.
Walter F. George was born on January 29, 1878 in Preston, the county seat for Webster County, Georgia. Ron Daniels has a brief bio of the United States Senator who gave his name to a Law School, a courthouse, and a lake. The photo above is a bust in the town square of Vienna, Georgia, in Dooly County, where George made his home.
On January 29, 1892, the Coca Cola Company was incorporated in Georgia in Fulton County Superior Court.
John Sammons Bell was born on January 26, 1914 in Macon, Georgia. He would go on to serve as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia, as a Judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals, and as chief judge of the appellate court. He is today best known as the designer of the state flag featuring the Confederate battle flag, which was adopted by the General Assembly in 1956.
On January 27, 1941, Delta Air Lines announced it would move its headquarters from Monroe, Louisiana to Atlanta, Georgia. It was an interesting case of public-money-fueled economic development.
In 1940, the city of Atlanta and Delta had signed an agreement whereby the city agreed to contribute $50,000 for construction of a new hanger and office building for Delta if it would move its headquarters to Atlanta. In turn, Delta agreed to pay the remaining construction costs and then assume a 20-year lease for the new facilities. On Jan. 16, 1941, Delta had secured a $500,000 loan from Atlanta’s Trust Company of Georgia, thus allowing it to make a public announcement of the move.
On January 28, 1943, Governor Ellis Arnall signed a joint resolution of the Georgia House and Senate amending the Georgia Constitution to make the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia a constitutional board and reduce the power of the Governor over the Regents.
The movement to a constitutional board came after the loss of accreditation of all Georgia state higher education institutions for white people. The previous Governor, Eugene Talmadge, had engineered the firing of UGA’s Dean of the College of Education; after the Board of Regents initially refused to fire the Dean, Talmadge dismissed three members, and replaced them with new appointees who voted for the firing. Talmadge lost the 1942 election to Arnall.
On January 29, 1955, Georgia Governor Marvin Griffin signed legislation granting the power to take land needed for the Stone Mountain Park through condemnation if negotiations to buy it fell through.
On January 30, 1956, six members of the Georgia State House of Representatives introduced House Bill 98 to replace the red and white stripes on Georgia’s flag (above) with a Confederate battle flag (below). That same day, a bomb was thrown at the Birmingham, AL home of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Elvis Presley made his first appearance on television on January 28, 1956 on the Stage Show on CBS.
On January 27, 1965, the Shelby GT 350 was unveiled.
Otis Redding’s “Dock of the Bay” was released on January 27, 1965, seven weeks after his death.
On January 29, 1977, Congressman Andrew Young resigned his seat to accept the nomination by President Carter as United States Ambassador to the United Nations.
On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff as many Americans watched on live television. President Ronald Reagan addressed the loss of seven astronauts.
Reagan had originally been scheduled to give his State of the Union that evening, but cancelled the speech. His address on the Challenger disaster was written by Peggy Noonan. The speech written by Noonan and delivered by Reagan is ranked as one of the top ten political speeches of the 20th Century.
On January 29, 1998, a bomb exploded in a Birmingham, Alabama abortion clinic, killing a police officer. Eric Rudolph would later admit to setting that bomb, along with the Centennial Park bombing in 1996, and the bombing of a Sandy Springs abortion clinic and an Atlanta bar in 1997.
On January 26, 2001 a new state flag, first designed by Atlanta architect Cecil Alexander, passed out of committee in the General Assembly by a 4-3 vote and would be voted on later that week. Click here to view the floor debate from 2001.
On January 29, 2020, Georgia Congressman Doug Collins announced he would run against Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed to the United States Senate by Gov. Brian Kemp.
“We’re in for the Georgia Senate race down here. I’ve still got a lot of work left to do to help this president finish this impeachment out, and we’re going to make a bigger announcement down here in Georgia,” he told the “Fox & Friends” hosts.
“The shortsightedness in this decision is stunning,” NRSC Executive Director Kevin McLaughlin said in a statement. “Doug Collins’ selfishness will hurt David Perdue, Kelly Loeffler, and President Trump. Not to mention the people of Georgia who stand to bear the burden of it for years to come. All he has done is put two senate seats, multiple house seats, and Georgia’s 16 electoral votes in play. The NRSC stands firmly behind Sen. Kelly Loeffler and urges anyone who wants to re-elect President Trump, hold the GOP senate majority, and stop socialism to do the same.”
Collins’ entrance into the race makes a runoff far more likely, which could potentially decide the balance of the Senate in a vote held in January, a month when most people are not accustomed to going to the polls.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #01.26.23.01, authorizing the callup of up to 1000 members of the Georgia National Guard and declaring:
That because of unlawful assemblage, violence, overt threats of violence, disruption of the peace and tranquility of this state and danger existing to persons and property, a State of Emergency is declared in the State of Georgia.
From the Associated Press via the Valdosta Daily Times:
The declaration allows the Republican governor to call up to 1,000 Guard members over the next 15 days to help “subdue riot and unlawful assembly.” A Kemp spokesperson said later that there has been no mobilization so far and the order is a precautionary measure that gives the governor the ability to act if necessary.
Protesters set a police cruiser on fire Saturday night and threw rocks and lit fireworks in front of a skyscraper that houses the Atlanta Police Foundation. Officials have said no citizens or responding officers were injured, but the windows of three businesses were damaged.
In his State of the State address on Wednesday, Kemp decried the protesters as “out-of-state rioters” who “tried to bring violence to the streets of our capital city.” He said it was “just the latest example of why here in Georgia, we’ll always back the blue.”
Kemp called out the National Guard to guard the state Capitol, the governor’s mansion and other public facilities during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and kept them mobilized and providing security at the Capitol well into 2021.
“Georgians respect peaceful protests, but do not tolerate acts of violence against persons or property,” Kemp wrote in the order, which expires Feb. 9.
The governor’s aides described it as a precautionary measure as authorities also monitor the threat of protests over the beating death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old motorist who was killed earlier this month in Memphis after being pulled over by police.
“We understand the executive order is purely precautionary based on possible unrest following the release of the videos from Memphis,” said an official with direct knowledge of the situation but was unauthorized to speak publicly. “There are no immediate intentions to deploy the Guard.”
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission adopted rules for the production and sale of low-THC oil, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
“We’re all proud to have some rules in place,” Sid Johnson, chairman of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, said following the unanimous vote. “It is a milestone on the way to achieving our goal of providing a quality product to patients.”
The commission was created by a law the General Assembly passed in 2019 to move Georgia from simply legalizing possession of cannabis oil to allowing marijuana to be grown in the state under close supervision and converted into a product that could be sold to patients enrolled in a state registry.
Patients eligible to receive cannabis oil include those suffering from seizure disorders, Parkinson’s disease, terminal cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder and sickle-cell anemia.
The rules will govern various aspects of the program including the facilities that will produce the oil, the dispensaries where the oil will be sold, and the independent laboratories that will test the product.
[Commission Executive Director Andrew] Turnage said the two Class 1 licensees could be in operation by this spring, with dispensaries to follow in six to eight months.
Also included in the list of eligible conditions is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, which is the disease that killed the late Mrs. GaPundit. The original act allowing some Georgians to use the cannabis oil passed in 2015 and was signed into law on April 16, 2015. No Georgia patient has yet legally bought the oil in what is approaching eight years. Just remember that when people talk about urgency and government.
From the Associated Press via AccessWDUN:
It’s been legal for people in Georgia to use low-THC cannabis oil to treat a variety of diseases since 2015, but a rollout of legal sales has been delayed for years by regulatory challenges. More than 25,000 Georgians have registered to use the oil.
The commission has licensed Trulieve Georgia and Botanical Sciences to grow marijuana and process it for use. Trulieve Georgia plans to operate in Adel, while Botanical Sciences will be located in Glennville.
The companies could each open up to six locations statewide to sell the product as early as this spring.
“It is a milestone in reaching the ultimate goal of providing quality products to our patients across this great state of Georgia who have waited a long time to get the medical relief they need,” said Sid Johnson, the commission’s chairman. “We’re very excited about getting these rules passed.”
Governor Kemp discussed legislative priorities in his State of the State address, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Albany Herald.
Kemp spent some time early in a 30-minute speech highlighting his administration’s accomplishments during the last four years, including a $5,000 pay raise for Georgia teachers and more than 20,000 new jobs primarily in rural communities generated in part by four of the largest economic development projects in the state’s history.
To build on those accomplishments, Kemp is asking the General Assembly to approve another $2,000 teacher raise that would lift salaries more than $7,000 above the Southeast regional average. And to give the workers filling those new jobs somewhere to live, he is proposing the creation of a Rural Workforce Housing Fund enabling the state to partner directly with local governments to develop sites for workforce housing.
With the state sitting atop a $6.6 billion surplus, Kemp urged legislative budget writers to add $1.9 billion in education spending, enabling full funding of the state’s K-12 student funding formula. In the higher education arena, the governor is proposing full funding of the HOPE Scholarships program for the first time in more than a decade.
While touting his administration’s accomplishments to improve public safety, Kemp asked lawmakers to crack down on no-cash bail.
“We can and we must do something about the revolving door of criminal justice, and I look forward to working with this legislature to get it done,” he said.
Kemp also asked for legislation increasing penalties for gang members who recruit children as young as elementary school students.
The governor also proposed legislation allowing pregnant women who qualify to obtain monthly cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Under current law, TANF aid goes only to eligible women after they have given birth.
From the Associated Press via AccessWDUN:
The Republican, triumphantly sworn in for a second term, devoted a significant portion of his annual address to lawmakers to public safety, promising to make it harder for some criminals to get bail, enhance penalties for recruiting children into gangs and raise penalties for failing to report human trafficking.
“We will also continue to take violent offenders out of our communities,” Kemp said. “For far too many Georgians, the safety of their families and homes is put at risk by the unchecked crimes of street gangs.”
Democrats countered Wednesday with an agenda that calls for a $15 state minimum wage, much larger pay increases for public employees, more education spending on poor students, a tightening of state gun laws, an expansion of abortion rights and an expansion of Medicaid health insurance to cover all adults. They argue that Kemp’s proposal to leave much of Georgia’s $6.6 billion in surplus cash untouched is starving the state of needed investment.
“This administration refuses to spend on critically needed services for Georgians,” said Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler, a Stone Mountain Democrat. “Depriving Georgians by purposely starving state agencies hurts working people. It stagnates consumer investment in Georgia’s economy, and ensures that Georgia’s prosperity is felt only among those who already have it.”
“Gov. Kemp talks about the crime and violence on our streets, but let’s be honest about what’s really going on,” Sen. Elena Parent, an Atlanta Democrat, said in a televised response to the speech. “Georgians can now carry a gun without a permit because of a bill the Republican majority passed. We need policies and laws that require common sense use of these weapons.”
Democrats said they want to give all public employees additional $10,000 raises, not Kemp’s proposed $2,000, a move that would cost at least $2.8 billion.
Kemp also wants to end the two-tier system of HOPE Scholarships starting next fall, paying full college tuition for every high school graduate with a B average for the first time since 2011. Now, regular HOPE recipients get 90% of tuition. Kemp has said restoring full eligibility would cost $61 million more in lottery proceeds.
The Georgia Senate Republican Caucus unveiled their legislative agenda for this Session, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Dalton Daily Citizen News.
Like the governor, the Senate Republican Caucus will focus on the economy, education, health care and public safety, Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, told reporters at a news conference inside the Georgia Capitol.
The caucus endorsed Kemp’s push for additional tax rebates to state income tax and local property taxpayers, with the added twist of a thorough review of the more than 200 tax credits on the books.
Another Senate Republican initiative will focus on improving literacy in Georgia. Not a single school district in Georgia has an acceptable percentage of third-grade students reading on level, said Sen. Billy Hickman, R-Statesboro, who will spearhead the effort.
The Senate GOP caucus also is backing Kemp’s proposal to earmark $25 million for “learning loss” grants to help schools overcome the impact of students being forced to take online instruction during the pandemic.
Republican senators are lining up behind the governor’s public safety plans, including $50,000 school safety grants for every school in the state and legislation stiffening penalties for recruiting minors to gangs.
The GOP caucus’ health agenda includes expanding telehealth services for rural and underserved communities across Georgia.
“Access to quality health care should not be diminished by your zip code,” Gooch said.
After a few years of tension between the GOP Caucus and the former lieutenant governor, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones joined most of the chamber’s 32 Republicans for the press conference.
“I’m proud to stand before you with our Senate majority caucus here,” Jones said. “We are here to announce our priorities for the legislative session.”
Democrats on Wednesday unveiled their own priorities, which serve as a wish list for a future when they again hold a majority in the Legislature. Democrats said they will push measures to create a $15 state minimum wage, hike teacher pay by $10,000 annually — as opposed to the $2,000 boost Kemp is proposing this year — expand civil rights protections and repeal anti-abortion laws. All are unlikely to gain any traction.
State Rep. Shea Roberts (D-Atlanta) introduced House Bill 75, the Reproductive Freedom Act, to legalize abortion, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
The Reproductive Freedom Act would enshrine “protections for reproductive freedom and expand access to abortion” in Georgia, supporters said at a press conference after filing the bill.
“We are bringing this legislation only two days after what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. But even before it was overturned last year by the Dobbs decision, we knew Roe didn’t go far enough,” said the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Shea Roberts.
In addition to repealing HB 481, the Reproductive Freedom Act would also prevent people from being criminalized for pregnancy loss and protect them from potential aggressive state or local prosecution.
According to the bill’s sponsors, the act would also extend abortion care for those in rural areas by expanding the group of trained health care professionals who can provide abortion care, and by allowing more insurance plans to cover abortion care — like Affordable Care Act plans, state employee plans and Medicaid.
“Now under our current abortion ban, doctors are consulting with their attorneys before advising their patients,” Roberts said. “They are being forced to gauge when a pregnant patient is just close enough to death before administering life-saving care or being faced with potential prosecution. This is dangerous and it’s got to stop now. Abortion care is health care and it should be treated as such.”
Sen. Jason Esteves, who’s wife is a nurse practitioner and a board member of Planned Parenthood Southeast, said they’ve witnessed OBGYNs and family doctors leave the state for jobs elsewhere.
“They worry about things like how they can keep their job. How can they do their job? How can they receive the necessary training to save lives, if they are afraid that they might go to jail,” Esteves said.
Esteves said with health care providers leaving his metro Atlanta district (in Cobb County), it could have a larger impact impact on rural Georgia where hospitals have closed. He blamed such hospital closures on Republicans’ refusal to expand Medicaid.
“In fact, more than half of the counties here in Georgia are in need of OBGYNs,” said Esteves, who co-sponsored the act as one his first pieces of legislation as a newly-elected senator. “This is one of the reasons that we live in the state with the worst maternal mortality rate in the country. That’s why the reproductive freedom act is so important.”
But newly-elected Republican House Speaker Jon Burns said at a press conference Jan. 19 that he would not take up action on proposed abortion legislation in the House until the Georgia Supreme Court has decided on a lawsuit that is challenging that the state’s abortion law violates the Georgia Constitution. In his role as House speaker, Burns has the authority to assign new legislation to committees and call bills for a vote.
The Supreme Court is expected to arguments in the case March 28. The session ends March 30.
From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Statesboro Herald:
Polls have shown that most Georgians support safe and legal abortions, said state Sen. Sally Harrell, D-Atlanta, chief sponsor of Senate Bill 15.
“It is not the state’s job to determine if a woman intentionally caused her miscarriage, or to investigate a doctor who may have performed an abortion to save a mother’s life, or to force people to subscribe to one particular religious view on when life begins,” Harrell said. “It is the government’s job to protect Georgians’ rights to privacy, dignity, and personal belief.”
“Health-care workers around the state have seen the harmful effects of HB 481,” added Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta. “They fear a lack of comprehensive training in reproductive health care and possible jail time if they provide potentially life-saving care.”
But the Reproductive Freedom Act stands no chance of passing the Senate, where Republicans hold 33 of the 56 seats. All five of the bill’s cosponsors are Democrats.
State Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville) introduced House Bill 71, the Okefenokee Protection Act, to protect the swamp from nearby mining, according to the Associated Press via WTOC.
Rep. Darlene Taylor of Thomasville and five fellow Republicans in the state House introduced a bill Tuesday that would prohibit the state from granting mining permits along Trail Ridge on the swamp’s eastern boundary. But it would only block permit applications submitted after June 30.
The state’s environmental agency last week released a draft mining plan for Alabama-based Twin Pines Minerals to mine titanium dioxide on the ridge, moving the project a big step closer to winning approval.
Since 2019, Twin Pines of Birmingham, Alabama, has been seeking government permits to mine less than 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from the southeastern boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the largest U.S. refuge east of the Mississippi River.
While Taylor’s bill wouldn’t stop the permit applications Twin Pines already has pending to mine on 773 acres (312 hectares), the measure could keep the company’s operation from expanding if it becomes law.
Taylor filed a similar bill last year, but it languished in a House committee without coming up for a vote.
“The Okefenokee Swamp is a vital part of our state and is more than just of local significance – it is of equal importance to all our state’s citizens,” Taylor said. “As stewards of the state’s natural resources, our state legislature has a moral obligation to ensuring that the swamp is properly cared for and protected for many generations to come.”
“The Trail Ridge is a key element in the formation and continued existence of the swamp itself, and surface mining on the Trail Ridge threatens the entire area’s wetlands, air and water quality and the wildlife habitat,” she said. “Trail Ridge mining also impacts the cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples and local residents whose lives and heritage have been shaped by the swamp.”
Rena Peck, executive director of Georgia River Network, said the legislation is needed to protect the Okefenokee.
“As Rep. Taylor and countless scientists have noted, to protect the Okefenokee we must also protect Trail Ridge,” Peck said. “We shouldn’t allow strip mining next to the one-of-a-kind Okefenokee when these common minerals can be recovered more safely and in abundance elsewhere.”
“The swamp supports over 700 jobs and generates $65M in revenue annually,” [State Rep. Taylor] said. “I am certain that no mining venture can generate that sort of sustainable economic boost for local communities. The legislature wants to support the EPD and give it all the tools necessary to protect our natural treasure and economic engine.”
Newly-elected State Representative Karlton Howard fainted at the state capitol, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
“First, I want to thank everyone, especially my legislative colleagues, for checking on me yesterday and this morning,” Howard was quoted as saying in the statement on Thursday. “I also want to express my appreciation for the medical personnel at the State Capitol who immediately took care of me.”
At the state capitol on Wednesday, Howard fainted during a press conference. “He basically had a fainting spell,” said Rep. Brian Prince, a fellow Augusta Democrat who spoke to Howard afterwards.
Prince said Howard was a little dehydrated and had gone home for the day.
“He’s doing well,” Prince said on Wednesday, adding, “He’s home resting and he’ll be back in the morning.”
Karlton Howard won a special election for his brother’s seat [vacated by the late State Rep. Henry “Wayne” Howard] in December. After winning the special election, Howard said he is particularly interested in education and improving conditions for the elderly.
The University of Georgia’s Economic Outlook discussed the state’s economic challenges, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Benjamin Ayers, dean of the Terry College of Business, delivered the state’s forecast while Jerald Mitchell, president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, provided the forecast for the Columbus region.
Economists predict a short, mild recession because of the rapid shift of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy, energy prices and negative wealth effect or the decline in asset values such as stock prices.
The gross domestic product (GDP) in Georgia is not expected to decline as much as the nation’s, Ayers said.
Georgia’s GDP is expected to decline 0.2% this year, while the nation’s is expected to decline 0.7%.
“It’s not a guarantee (there will be a recession),” Ayers said. “But we do think there is a high likelihood of a recession beginning this year in the second quarter.”
The housing market went into a recession in mid-2022, Ayers said.
“High mortgage rates, run up in home prices and low confidence in the economic situation unfortunately will prolong and steepen the housing downturn that began to take hold in 2022,” he said.
Mitchell predicts that by the end of the 2023 recession, housing activity should recover quickly and contribute to overall economic growth in Columbus.
The recession should be short if the Federal Reserve slows raising interest rates once the inflation rate gets down to 3%, Ayers said. “If the Federal Reserve insists on a 2% inflation rate, then the recession will be more severe and last longer,” he said. “But that’s not our expectation.
According to the University of Georgia’s economic forecast, we are bracing for a recession this year in Georgia. But it’s likely going to be mild and short thanks to a strong labor market and a dual Federal Reserve Mandate.
Economists said that Albany will perform better in this mild recession than the nation. That’s because of economic development pipeline projects circulating throughout the state and Good Life City.
“Things that are happening globally are affecting the national economy more than they are affecting rural communities,” said Dr. Ngwafu Peter, Albany State University education and professional studies professor.
“We are all hoping that the inflation is going down and it’s currently going down. Inflation is now at 6.5%. That is down from the 8.5% that we had at the beginning of the year,” Peter said.
Last year, economists said Albany lost almost one out of every five office government jobs but this year they expect increases in the overall job rate. While Albany won’t escape the recession, the city is expected to have a better turnaround in 2024.
The housing market is not going to be the center of this mild recession. Rent is still high but we are expected to have a 12% drop in home prices. However, in 2022, homes were up 46% compared to pre-pandemic prices.
A 12% decrease still leaves a 34% rise in home value. Unless you bought or built a home recently, the small, expected drop in prices will merely be a paper loss. Although there’s a threat of a short recession, Peter said there’s a new opportunity for Albany residents.
United States Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Atlanta) was reappointed to the Senate Agriculture Committee, according to WALB.
He will draft the 2023 Farm Bill, the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the federal government, authorizing a majority of the programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and national nutrition assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“Agriculture is central to Georgia’s economy, and with the Farm Bill up for reauthorization this year, I’m excited to champion the needs of Georgians while forging bipartisan consensus to help our farmers and producers thrive,” Warnock said.
Warnock was also re-appointed to the Senate Commerce Committee where he will help update the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorizing legislation that is set to expire this year. Long-term authorization bills provide the FAA with fiscal certainty and make possible the reliable, predictable funding the FAA needs to invest in critical priorities that ensure safe, efficient air travel.
“I’m excited to continue my work on the Commerce Committee and I plan to keep fighting to ensure Georgia’s consumers and businesses are set up for success,” Warnock said.
Congressman Sanford Bishop (D-Albany) spoke with Jim Wallace about how the federal government is working for agriculture producers, according to WALB.
“Well, first off, let me just say that COVID-19, the pandemic, affected people all over the country. Supply chain, all sectors of the economy, including our dairy producers. And of course in Georgia, middle and southwest Georgia particularly, we have dairy producers that really produce in excess of $134 million in sales every year,” Congressman Sanford Bishop said.
“The pandemic impacted that tremendously. And of course, it impacted the grocery stores, and the availability of food, particularly dairy products for the public.”
“So USDA responded very quickly. They purchased and distributed agricultural products through the Farmers Family Food Box Program. Of course, we were all very happy to see that. But that had an unexpected negative impact on our dairy producers. Because it was heavily weighted, the price of milk was heavily weighted toward cheese. Because cheese was easier to transport. So fluid milk sales, which really has a lot to do with the formula for milk pricing, suffered.”
“Just this week, the secretary (of agriculture) announced that they were going to have an additional program that would allow those producers between 5 million pounds and 9 million pounds to participate in the program. Which would be a big economic relief to them. Would ensure that our dairy farmers would be able to survive, and continue to produce some of the highest quality milk anywhere in the country. They’ve had tremendous skyrocketing of their input costs. Shrinking margins for the dairy producers, and this would be a big, big help for them. And I’m happy we’re in a position to work with the secretary to make it happen.”
Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller announced he will run for reelection in 2024, according to 13WMAZ.
According to a news release, Lester Miller launched his reelection campaign as Macon-Bibb County mayor Thursday night at the Hargray Capitol Theater.
More than 250 people gathered in support of Miller, raising over $300,000 for the campaign.
“Together we have fully funded law enforcement, enacted historic property tax relief and created a fiscally sound Macon-Bibb County that is focused on job creation and improving quality of life and opportunity for generations to come. We are creating a stronger, safer community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, and that work must continue,” said Miller.
Miller was elected Macon-Bibb County mayor in 2020, beating out his opponent, Macon businessman Cliffard Whitby, with 59.2% of the vote.
Macon-Bibb County will hold its elections for mayor and commission in the primary election of 2024.
The Gainesville Times profiles local elections in 2023.
Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson spoke about the city’s failure to sign an EMS contract, according to WRDW.
Augusta’s mayor spoke out Thursday, a day after the Augusta Commission approved a month-to-month contract with its current ambulance provider.
The temporary deal is meant to tide the city over until the state appoints a more long-term provider.
The commission earlier this week rejected a long-term contract with Gold Cross, which said it needed substantial subsidies from the city to continue operating here. After that contract failed, Gold Cross said it was pulling out.
“We owe it to our citizens to make sure that if they call 911, they get a timely response to make sure that we have accountability locally,” said Mayor Garnett Johnson.
As described in Chapter 511-9 of Georgia’s Rules and Regulations, the state is broken up into several Emergency Medical Service Regions, which are broken up into Emergency Response Zones. These are identified and overseen by the Georgia Department of Public Health, who designates a specific company or organization to ensure emergency services are provided for that zone’s 911 calls.
Gold Cross has served as the zone provider for Richmond and Columbia counties as well as other zones in the area for many years. The company and the Augusta Fire Department became co-zone providers in 2006 when the city contracted Gold Cross, a unique situation in Georgia. However, it’s been a rocky relationship, and there has been a constant tug-of-war for total control of the zone. Gold Cross has been Augusta’s sole zone provider since 2014.
To date, the City of Augusta and Gold Cross have held a memorandum of understanding, which describes a broad outlining of an agreement between two parties. A copy of the most recent version of the MOU, which was approved on Nov. 18, 2020, stated Gold Cross would be paid $650,000 the first year and $600,000 for each of the next two years. These subsidies (government payments for necessary services) were paid in monthly installments.
In exchange, Augusta staffed eight ambulances dedicated to emergencies in Richmond County. Gold Cross would station them in specific locations decided by the city, dispatch the nearest one and provide additional ambulances when necessary.
Georgia Department of Public Health spokesperson Nancy Nydam confirmed that Gold Cross would cease being the zone provider as of Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 11:59 p.m. Under such circumstances, the state would normally help facilitate some temporary EMS service in order to ensure nonstop emergency services for residents. However, a more civil emergency meeting Wednesday with the Augusta Commission and Gold Cross EMS resulted in the company agreeing to a temporary deal.
Albany City Commissioners adopted pay raises for most law enforcement officers, according to the Albany Herald.
A pay raise for Albany Police Department officers won narrow approval on Tuesday on a 4-3 Albany City Commission vote to boost salaries by 5% for most personnel.
The pay raise will go into effect on Feb. 1 and will cover all Georgia POST (Peace Officer Standard and Training) Council-certified officers of ranks captain and below.
Commissioners Vilnis Gaines, Jalen Johnson, Bob Langstaff and Chad Warbington voted in favor of the resolution to amend the 2022-2023 budget to cover the pay raises.
The measure is intended to aid in recruiting new officers and keeping current officers working in the city.
“The only way we can do that is to pay them more,” Warbington said during a Wednesday phone interview. “I want our police department to be the highest-paid agency in southwest Georgia. That was the reason I initiated it.
“Public safety is the No. 1 thing, the No. 1 on phone calls I get. Public safety is the top issue.”
Albany Commissioners also adopted a redistricting map for their districts, according to WALB.
“It only happens every 10 years due to population changes. Unfortunately for the city of Albany, we lost about 10,000 or so people. That really affected certain wards and areas,” Jalen Johnson, city commissioner of Ward 2, said.
“And all of those wards have to be in parity so we can’t have 1,000 citizens in one ward than we have in another ward. So we just had to move the lines around and adjust it,” Demetrius Young, city commissioner for Ward 6, said.
Tybee Island City Council will discuss funding a study of workforce housing, according to WTOC.
The city said they applied for a grant through UGA to fund a study that would help them determine how they can provide more workforce housing, but they didn’t get the grant.
Tonight, [Council member Brian] West says they’re asking the city if they can fund it.
“We have a need for workforce housing down here, but the island’s full,” said Councilmember West.
“We have to build above the flood zone and below the building height and so there’s not space to add more houses. How do we go about converting existing homes or existing areas, lots whatever, into areas we can use for workforce housing and that’s where the study comes in,” said Councilmember West.
West says the study would bring in people who examine cities around the country. They look at things like the housing capacity and what the city can do to fix it.
He says at the council meeting they will be asking the city to fund the roughly $20,000 study that the grant would’ve funded.
“We already know, though, that we don’t have a lot of the services that young families or workforce families would need. There’s no childcare down here, there’s no daycare, there’s no preschool.”
The Habersham County Board of Elections reelected Paul Cordella as Chair and elected Robert Parker as Vice Chair, according to AccessWDUN.
The Habersham County Board of Elections and Registration is made up of five members, with two appointees each from the Habersham County Democratic Party and Habersham County Republican Party and one at-large appointment made by the county commission.
Other members of the board include Jannette Byrom, Kathy Osborne and Carolyn Steinhaus, who served as vice chairman in 2022.
Comments ( 0 )