On January 3, 1766, after passage of the “stamp act,” the Royal Stamp Master arrived at Tybee Island and was taken to the Governor’s Mansion. On that day, Georgia became the first and only colony in which the stamp tax was actually collected.
Delaware, technically at the time a slave state, rejected a proposal to secede from the United States on January 3, 1861.
On January 3, 1973, Andrew Young was sworn in as the first African-American Congressman from Georgia since 1871.
The sarcophagus containing the mummy of King Tatankhamen was discovered on January 3, 1925.
On January 3, 1990, Panamanian General Manuel Antonio Noriega surrendered to American forces in Panama.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
The Georgia State Capitol was closed for a period today after a bomb threat was made, according to AccessWDUN.
The Georgia State Patrol said a hoax email was sent to an employee containing a bomb threat at the capitol.
“A search was conducted, and an all-clear was given,” the Georgia State Patrol said in a statement. “The Capitol has been reopened.”
State Senator Mike Dugan (R-Carrollton) announced he will run for the Third Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, according to the AJC.
State Sen. Mike Dugan, once one of the most powerful Republicans in the Legislature, on Wednesday joined what’s expected to be a crowded race in an open and deeply conservative U.S. House district in west Georgia.
Dugan said he will step down from his Carrollton-based Georgia Senate seat on Thursday to compete to succeed U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, who announced last month that he was retiring from the 3rd Congressional District after four terms.
“I look forward to putting my experience to work on a larger scale for Georgia in the U.S. Congress,” Dugan said.
He is one of the first in what’s likely to be a crowded field of Republicans competing for the seat, which stretches from Atlanta’s southwest suburbs to the Georgia-Alabama line.
State Rep. David Jenkins, a combat veteran and farmer, entered the race shortly after Ferguson announced he wouldn’t seek a fifth term.
And former state Rep. Philip Singleton plans to enter the race this month. Drawn out of his district two years ago by top Georgia House Republicans, Singleton is now the chief aide to U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick.
Senate Bill 332 by State Senator Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) is the first bill pre-filed for the 2024 Session and addresses issues in the previously passed legislation creating the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
The bill comes after the Georgia Supreme Court’s November ruling that approving the standards of conduct for the PAQC — as required by its 2023 enabling legislation (SB 92) — is outside the Court’s authority.
“We have seen theatrics take hold in Georgia over the safety and welfare of our communities as some prosecutors promise ‘reform’ and then deliver nothing but ineffectiveness and blatant disregard of the law,” Republican Sen. Randy Robertson of Cataula, sponsor of SB 92, said. “Most of the state’s prosecutors follow the law, adhere to their duties, and their communities remain safe and prosperous, and those individuals should be celebrated. On the other hand, you have a few rogue prosecutors that refuse to prosecute violent criminals, lead defunct and understaffed offices, and impose blanket policies for non-prosecution of crimes.”
Macon Republican Sen. John F. Kennedy co-signed on the pre-filed legislation.
Kennedy, president pro-tem of the Senate, said some prosecutors have created unmanageable backlogs in the court system, delayed justice for victims, mismanagement of criminal records, and a perversion of the doctrine of “prosecutorial discretion.”
“We recognize the important role that prosecutors play in our communities and, by pre-filing this bill, affirm our intent to hold rogue prosecutors accountable,” Kennedy said. “We believe this bill reinforces the need for Georgia prosecutors to focus on achieving results in the courtroom, not legislating from the desk to appease fringe constituencies.”`
SB 92 authorizes the Republican-appointed PAQC to investigate and remove local prosecutors from office.
The commission has been unable to move on complaints until its rules and procedures are approved by the Georgia Supreme Court. The court expressed concerns about its constitutional authority to regulate the general conduct of district attorneys and solicitors general by approving the PAQC’s draft rules and standards.
“If district attorneys exercise judicial power, our regulation of the exercise of that power may well be within our inherent power as the head of the judicial branch,” the Court said. “But if district attorneys exercise only executive power, our regulation of the exercise of that power would likely be beyond the scope of our judicial power.”
State legislators may consider legalizing some additional forms of gambling, according to the Center Square via the Albany Herald.
A state senator is expected to introduce legislation allowing Georgians to decide on a constitutional amendment allowing casino gambling, sports betting, and pari-mutuel wagering.
State Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, plans to drop his legislation on the first day of the legislative session starting next month. He said the initiative could bring in $900 million per year to the state, and half of the money would go into a freight and logistics fund for road, bridge and rail projects. In contrast, the remaining money would go toward rural health care, mental healthcare, gambling addiction and historically Black colleges and universities.
Expanding gambling in some capacity is hardly new in Georgia; legislators have debated various proposals for years. It begs the question: Is 2024 the year?
United States District Judge Steve Jones (ND-GA) found in favor of a group that challenged some voter registrations, according to the Associated Press via AccessWDUN.
U.S. District Judge Steve Jones issued a 145-page decision in favor of Texas-based nonprofit True the Vote. Fair Fight, a group founded by former Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, had sued True the Vote and several individuals, alleging that their actions violated a section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that prohibits voter intimidation.
The evidence presented at trial did not show that the actions of True the Vote “caused (or attempted to cause) any voter to be intimidated, coerced, or threatened in voting,” Jones concluded. But he wrote that the list of voters to be challenged compiled by the group “utterly lacked reliability” and “verges on recklessness.”
True the Vote, which had aligned itself with Trump’s campaign and its multistate legal effort to overturn the general election results, announced the voter challenges just after early in-person voting began for that runoff. The group said it had good reason to believe the voters no longer lived in the districts where they were registered and were ineligible to vote there.
Jones wrote that to succeed in proving a violation of the Voting Rights Act, Fair Fight and the individual voters who sued along with it would have had to show that True the Vote’s actions caused or could have caused someone to be “intimidated, threatened, or coerced” from voting or trying to vote.
Two state legislators so far have opted out of running against colleagues under the federal court-approved redistricting maps, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.
The new House map the legislature’s Republican majorities approved last month put Rep. Gregg Kennard, D-Lawrenceville, in the same Gwinnett County district with House Minority Whip Sam Park, D-Lawrenceville. Rep. Doug Stoner, D-Smyrna, was drawn into a Cobb County district with Rep. Teri Anulewicz, D-Smyrna.
On Tuesday, Kennard and Stoner announced they will leave the legislature at the end of this year.
The new House map also pairs two other sets of incumbents: Democrats Becky Evans and Saira Draper in DeKalb County and Republicans Beth Camp and David Knight in a district that includes all of Pike County and parts of Spalding and Lamar counties.
On Tuesday, Smyrna Democratic state Rep. Doug Stoner announced he will step down at the end of the year rather than face fellow Smyrna Democratic Rep. Teri Anulewicz.
“I have known Rep. Anulewicz for over 20 years as we have served together in the legislature and on the Smyrna City Council,” Stoner said in a statement. “She will serve my former constituents in the new House District 42 well. I look forward to finding other opportunities to serve my community.”
Over in Gwinnett, Democratic Rep. Gregg Kennard has signaled he will not run against Democratic Rep. Sam Park, whose districts were combined in the new maps.
But not all paired-up lawmakers are stepping aside so easily. Atlanta Democratic Reps. Becky Evans and Saira Draper both said they are not done trying to represent parts of Atlanta and DeKalb County.
“It was never a question,” Draper said in a tweet on X Tuesday. “The bulk of #HD90 hasn’t changed. Voters elected me because they saw the value of a voting rights expert in the legislature- and the work isn’t done. Protecting democracy has never been more critical.”
“After a lot of thought and conversations with my husband, my family, my faith community and community leaders I know and admire, I know that my job here is not yet done,” Evans said in a Dec. 19 video announcement.
On the Republican side, Reps. Beth Camp and David Knight, the only GOP lawmakers to have been paired, have been resigned to a primary battle since before the proposed House map was passed, releasing a joint statement Nov. 28.
13WMAZ writes about their 2024 elections.
The election season starts on March 12th with Georgia’s Presidential Preference Primary.
That’s where you vote for the candidate you want to represent your party. Then you’ll vote for the next U.S. President on November 5th.
May 21st is the General Primary Election where folks in Bibb County vote on some major county races.
There are two categories in the general primary election: partisan and nonpartisan races.
The partisan election includes positions like the sheriff, district attorney, and tax commissioner, which are all up for grabs.
The second category are the non-partisan races, which includes elections for the mayor, four county commission seats, coroner, Macon Water Authority, and more.
Then there are the four county commission seats that will be open.
Commissioners Elaine Lucas, Al Tillman, Virgil Watkins, and Mallory Jones have each held their seats for three four-year terms and aren’t eligible for re-election anymore.
If those races aren’t decided on at the General Primary Election, they’ll be settled in a runoff election on June 18th.
Some Georgia politicos are campaigning in Iowa for Presidential candidates, according to the AJC.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones of Jackson and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Rome are among the Georgians who plan to stump for former President Donald Trump. U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick of Suwanee and state Rep. David Clark of Buford are headed to Iowa to boost Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
McCormick’s campaign team said that he aims to “reinforce why he believes a youthful and strong conservative with a history of growing the Republican Party is the right choice for America and the best contrast to the current Administration.”
Meanwhile, state Rep. Scott Hilton of Peachtree Corners is joining a group of Georgians fanning out across the Cedar Rapids area in eastern Iowa to encourage local Republicans to back former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s presidential bid.
Gwinnett County Commissioners adopted a $2.5 billion dollar budget, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Gwinnett County commissioners voted 4-1 to approve the county’s 2024 budget on Tuesday. Commissioner Matthew Holtkamp cast the lone dissenting vote.
The overall county budget includes the $1.97 billion operating budget and the $561 million capital budget.
“This year’s budget positions us well to address priorities like infrastructure, sustainability and a healthy community while maintaining continuity across our organization,” Commission Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson said.
Gwinnett Commissioners also voted for Commissioner Kirkland Carden to serve as Vice Chair, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
The vice chairman position is largely a formality, but it still provides an important function for the board. Carden’s appointment means he will serve as the second-in-command on the commission for the next 12 months.
Carden will be the person who presides over meetings when Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson is unavailable to do so.
Carden is running for re-election to a second term as the District 1 commissioner this year.
Savannah swore-in City Council members and the Mayor, according to WSAV.
Much of the council is staying the same except the post 1 at large seat. It was vacated by Kesha Gibson Carter when she ran for mayor. That seat is now filled by Carol Bell who previously served on council. The other seats will remain in the hands of incumbents. Mayor Johnson addressed a crowd in the Johnny Mercer Theatre.
From the Savannah Morning News:
“We return to the Savannah Civic Center precisely, exactly four years to the hour that we gathered in 2020, different than we were before, wiser than we were before, more resilient than we were before,” [Mayor Van] Johnson said, “but still unabashedly, unequivocally Savannah strong.”
In recent months Johnson has frequently referenced the new administration as a benchmark for top city projects, often saying there would be swift action on key decisions starting January 2024.
During the inaugural address, Johnson also made a few statements on policy positions. He charged the new council with unanimously passing a civility and ethics ordinance, which received a split vote by the previous administration.
Rincon City Council has three new members, according to WSAV.
Michelle Taylor has operated a dental practice in Rincon for over 26 years and begins her first full term on the council. Brandy Riley adds her experience as a business owner in Rincon as well. And finally, Mona Underwood has lived in Rincon for 46 years and has worked in the home-building industry.
Brunswick City Commissioners Elect Lance Sabbe and Gwen-Atkinson Williams will be seated today, according to The Brunswick News.
Lance Sabbe and Gwen-Atkinson Williams were elected in November to represent the South Ward and North Ward respectively. They will replace Commissioners Julie Martin and Johnny Cason, neither of whom sought reelection.
The commission will also determine which member will serve as the mayor pro tem, select the members of the city’s pension committee and appoint representatives on the Brunswick Glynn County Joint Water and Sewer Commission, the Glynn-Brunswick Land Bank Authority and Coastal Regional Commission.
City voters elected Sabbe and Atkinson-Williams to the City Commission in November.
Statesboro City Council members reelected Sheri Barr as Mayor Pro Tem, according to the Statesboro Herald.
Tuesday morning soon after Ginny Hendley was sworn in as the new Statesboro City Council member from District 3 and councilmembers Paulette Chavers and Shari Barr, of Districts 2 and 5, respectively, were sworn in for their second four-year terms, the three women together decided a momentary council divide over who would be mayor pro tem.
Barr, who has been mayor pro tempore the past two years, will continue in that role after a 4-0 vote that was counted as unanimous. The motion by Chavers to reappoint Barr followed a 3-2 vote against a motion by District 4’s John Riggs to make District 1’s Phil Boyum mayor pro tem, which Boyum seconded after no other council member did.
The councilmembers elected by and from the five districts select a pro tem every two years to lead meetings and fill in at events when the mayor cannot attend or has scheduling conflicts, as Barr did several times in 2023.
“I would like to see every council member have a chance to be the mayor pro tem, so I’m going to nominate Phil Boyum, who has never been mayor pro tem,” Riggs said.
“I nominate Shari Barr to continue in that role,” Chavers said.
The City of Valdosta hosted a legislative luncheon, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
The City of Valdosta hosted its Annual Legislative Luncheon on Dec. 20, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss strategic goals and legislative updates crucial for the local community. The luncheon served as a platform for meaningful conversations, fostering collaboration among attendees, including the mayor and council members, Georgia Municipal Association Executive Director Larry Hanson, city leadership, and John Crawford of Coleman Tally Strategies, LLC.
Mayor Scott James Matheson expressed enthusiasm for the collaborative spirit exhibited during the luncheon, stating, “The Annual Legislative Luncheon provides a crucial platform for us to align our goals with the legislative priorities at the state level. Through open dialogue and collaboration, we aim to address the needs of our community and contribute to positive legislative outcomes.”
Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson delivered his state of the city address, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
“So often we focus on the things that we want to see less of, the things that we think need to be removed or changed,” Johnson said. “But in the past year and moving forward, we want to take action to push for things that our citizens want to see more of.”
There were several highlights around housing, including millions of grant dollars through the Community Development Block Grant Program and more than 100 housing projects, including rehabilitation, demolition, construction and home buyer assistance.
Near the end, Johnson reminded viewers of one more goal he has: giving the mayor’s office an equal vote to the Augusta Commissioners during commission meeting. At the moment, he can only break a tie. This was an amendment to Augusta’s charter Johnson requested of the state last year. Kemp signed off on it last spring, but Augustans still need to vote on it in May. Johnson reiterated earlier comments that this is meant to improve efficiency and is not a power grab.
“I stated on the campaign trail that any changes to our charter should be decided by the voters of Augusta-Richmond County and I still stand strong in that,” he said. “I take it to you, Augusta.”
Macon-Bibb County Commissioner Al Tillman announced he will leave his seat before the end of the term, according to 13WMAZ.
The district 9 commission made that announcement during a taping of Central Georgia Focus at [the 13WMAZ] studios this morning with our Raymond Tubb.
Tillman is one of four commissioners that are prevented from running again because of term limits.
“I’ll make an announcement that I’ll probably be leaving the commission sooner than later,” Tillman said. “I don’t think I’ll stay around the entire year… I think I served my time.”
Tillman wouldn’t confirm if he plans to run for a different office in the upcoming election but he promises to share more about his future plans during a community event at the Macon Mall on January 14.
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