Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for January 7, 2025

Georgia voted for George Washington for President on January 7, 1789. Technically, they elected Presidential Electors who would later meet in Augusta and cast their ballots for Washington.

On January 7, 1795, Georgia Governor George Matthews signed the Yazoo Act, passed after four land companies bribed members of the General Assembly to vote for legislation selling more than 35 million acres of land for less than 2 cents per acre.

Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich (R) was re-elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on January 7, 1997. In the election for a second term, nine Republicans voted against the incumbent Speaker.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

President Joe Biden signed legislation renaming Plains, Georgia’s Post Office after former President and First Lady Carter, according to WTVM.

In a tribute to the Carters’ legacy, President Joe Biden has signed legislation to rename the post office in Plains as the “Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Post Office.”

H.R. 9600 designates the facility at 119 Main Street with this new name, honoring the Carters’ lifelong dedication to public service and their deep roots in the Plains community.

Representative Sanford Bishop, who championed the bill, praised the recognition of the Carters’ contributions.

“From the Plains Peanut Festival to the Governor’s Mansion, to the White House – and to communities around the globe – they remained grounded and humble, and Plains always remained home in their hearts,” Bishop said.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president, died on Dec. 29 at age 100, while the former first lady died on November 19, 2023, at 96.

The late former President was also an advocate for rivers and river recreation, according to Georgia Recorder.

Jimmy Carter’s legacy includes working to eradicate tropical diseases in Africa, South America and Asia and to end conflicts in places like Syria, Israel and Sudan. But the late former president’s efforts also live on in the wild places of his native Georgia that he worked as governor and president to protect.

“My motivation I think was trying to preserve as much as I could of the beauty of God’s world. Based on my early religious feelings and the heritage that I got from my father and others who would try and do the same thing from a sportsman’s point of view,” Carter said in an interview with American Rivers, a nonprofit environmental organization, ahead of a 2016 film on Carter.

Carter grew up a bona fide country boy – his childhood home in Plains had no electricity or running water – but he would tell interviewers over the years that life on the farm taught him to respect nature and the resources it provides, especially when it comes to rivers.

“He was not just an advocate for our rivers, he was a paddler and an angler who had intimate relationships with the state’s rivers,” said Rena Ann Peck, executive director of Georgia Rivers, formerly known as the Georgia River Network. “It’s because of that intimate relationship that he was such a strong advocate for our rivers. Through his leadership, he changed how we viewed rivers. They were just a resource to dam, ditch and pump. As a sportsman he recognized our rivers’ other values and forced us all to consider those values before approving projects that would irrevocably change our rivers.”

No dam way
As governor, Carter vetoed construction of a dam on the Flint River in 1974 supported by the Army Corps of Engineers.

By the time he was elected governor in 1970, Carter knew a thing or two about engineering. The former farm boy attended Georgia Tech and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946, and served through 1953, including as an engineering officer on a submarine and later assisting in designing nuclear propulsion systems for naval vessels.

In an interview published in a 1976 issue of Field and Stream magazine ahead of his 1977 inauguration, Carter said he used his engineering skills to show the Corps erred or misrepresented in their calculations showing the supposed benefits of the dam.

“The Corps exaggerated the benefits and underestimated the costs,” Carter said. “When I, as an engineer, got my slide rule and tried to confirm their figures, there was no way to confirm them because they were not accurate. Subsequent to my analysis, the Government Accounting Office confirmed that I was right, and the Corps was wrong.”

After Gov. Carter made it clear he did not want the dam built, members of the state House, led by supporters of the dam who believed it would improve the economy, passed a resolution backing the dam in the hopes that it would allow the Corps to build it anyway. The state Senate, where Carter served before becoming governor, narrowly voted the measure down.

Executive director of the Flint Riverkeeper Gordon Rogers said opposing the Army Corps of Engineers and business interests was no easy pull, but he thinks Carter was proven right.

“We knew we had a special bass there in that area back in the ‘70s, but we didn’t know it was a separate species and that it was endemic,” he said. “We have the shoal lilies there and a super high diversity of plants and other animals. So it’s this really special area that people had kind of an inkling of back in the day, but we didn’t know all of the details back then because more research has happened since then.”

“That’s what he saved,” Rogers added. “And I know that he was proud of it because he told me so.”

Carter’s love for nature also shone through in less conspicuous ways. He sought to educate Georgians on native wildlife by sponsoring books with topics like quail hunting and bird dog training.

One such book, “Wildflowers of the Southeastern United States,” by Wilbur Duncan and Leonard Foote, was published in 1975 by the University of Georgia Press and sits at No. 4 on UGA Press’ all-time bestseller list. Carter told Field and Stream that he dipped into his emergency fund to pay for the book, which contains information on nearly 1,000 flowers across 14 states.

“It is safe to say that without the governor’s funding to cover the expensive color illustration printing of that original 1975 edition, the UGA Press might not have been able to afford to publish more vital non-specialist regional natural history books,” said UGA Press director Lisa Bayer.

Carter’s time in the governor’s mansion coincided with a surge in the popularity of the sport of whitewater rafting, and it was only natural that Carter would want to give it a go.

Georgia native Claude Terry, an Emory University biologist, co-founder of American Rivers and a passionate rafter, led a group of paddlers that helped introduce Carter to the sport and the Chattooga River in the early 1970s. Terry also has the distinction of working as actor Jon Voight’s stunt double in the 1972 movie Deliverance, which was filmed on the Chattooga.

In a 2019 issue of American Whitewater magazine, outdoorsman and photographer Doug Woodward remembered one excursion to a section of the Chattooga that ended with a vicious rapid known as Bull Sluice, which the boaters planned to skip.

Only when it came time to get out, Carter and Terry remained in their canoe. Woodward recalled Carter asking the odds of the two being seriously injured or killed if they attempted the run. Woodward told him he would likely capsize, but with proper safety equipment and the supervision of the other rafters, the odds of being seriously hurt were low.

Carter made the decision to go for it, and the rest of the boaters looked on as Carter, the sitting governor, and Terry became the first to pull off a descent down Bull Sluice in a tandem canoe.

“I’ve run that rapid hundreds of times. I’ve never run it where I didn’t have butterflies in my stomach. It’s an intimidating rapid,” said Buzz Williams, emeritus executive director of Chattooga Conservancy.

Carter would go on to tell American Rivers that it was a formative experience for him and his relationship with rivers.

“I think that the Chattooga was the first time I ever risked my life, I’d say, in going down a wild river,” he said. “And I think it gave me an element of both satisfaction and a sense of you might say heroism in confronting the awe-inspiring power of the Chattooga River when I had a major responsibility as a governor of a state.”

“It kind of opened my eyes to a relationship between a human being and a wild river that I had never contemplated before that,” he added.

Carter would go on to fight against damming the Chattooga as well as designating it for protection under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which seeks to protect it from damming and other actions that might harm its flow.

Way down yonder
During the same time frame, Alan Toney remembers another act of river-based derring-do that helped Carter prove his bona fides as an outdoorsman.

Toney, who is now chair of the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District, back in the ‘70s was a member of Friends of the River and a self-proclaimed “river rat,” part of a group dedicated to preserving the Chattahoochee River from excessive development.

“Claude took him down to Chattahoochee, and there’s a famous rock that people who were brave jump off of, about 30 feet over the river, and Carter jumped off. Claude goes, ‘He actually jumped off, this guy’s the real deal, this is not built up, this guy has a real environmentalist, he cares,’” Toney said.

Carter was happy to climb on board with the river rats and helped push through the 1972 Metropolitan River Protection Act – despite the wishes of former Gov. Lester Maddox, who was previously the state’s governor.

That act created a 2,000-foot buffer along a 48-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River between Buford Dam and Peachtree Creek along both of its banks. It was later amended to protect an additional 36 miles.

“He was a visionary back in the ‘70s to understand that Metro Atlanta was going to grow exponentially into the future and made a proactive effort to try to protect the Chattahoochee before those threats even existed,” said Jason Ulseth, executive director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. “And the Metropolitan River Protection Act, we still use it today on an almost daily, weekly basis when working on river plans and development that’s coming near the river. That act is still a very important tool.”

In 1978, then-president Carter would go on to establish the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area at a ceremony in the Rose Garden attended by river rats including Toney.

“It was pretty cool,” Toney said. “We were very appreciative to have him. But you know beyond that, the barrier islands on the coast of Georgia, Sprewell Bluff there on the Flint River, all those things happened because Carter was governor in Georgia, so his imprint on the environment was huge, both federally and in this state.”

Carter’s nationwide environmental legacy is best known through his decision to install solar panels on the White House, long before the technology was anywhere close to mainstream, to signal concern with reliance of fossil fuels for energy amid an unprecedented energy crisis. In 1977, Carter signed legislation creating the modern U.S. Department of Energy by consolidating tasks carried out by numerous disparate government agencies.

One of Carter’s greatest environmental achievements lies far to the north of his home state. In 1980, during the final days of his presidency, Carter signed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which set aside more than 157 million acres of land in Alaska for protection — more than four Georgias worth of land. The act more than doubled the size of the National Park System.

President Biden also signed legislation to keep the Augusta Lock & Dam in place, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

Under the new Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024, the 87-year-old lock and dam will be fully repaired to keep the pool level along Augusta’s riverfront at 114.5 feet.

“This is a historic day for the CSRA, residents of the 12th District, and all of east Georgia,” said U.S. Rep. Rick Allen in a statement Monday. Biden signed the water act Saturday.

“We faced many obstacles, tenuous legal battles and what seemed to be insurmountable roadblocks,” Allen said. “But one thing was clear from the beginning − any option that resulted in a significant drop in the water level was a non-starter for local businesses, homeowners and families. This was no small feat, but I could not be prouder that we persevered.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ previous plan was to tear down the lock and dam and replace it with a fixed rock weir that the Corps said would improve the spawning migration of the Atlantic shortnose sturgeon.

That, said U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, “would have been detrimental to the North Augusta community, irreversibly lowering the water levels in a manner that would negatively impact economic development, recreation and industry up and down the river.”`

Congress passes the development act every two years to set water management priorities for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Executive Committee of the Georgia Republican Party drummed out former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Valdosta Daily Times.

“By his pattern of conduct, Duncan has forfeited any claim to being even a nominal ‘Republican,’” the state GOP’s executive committee wrote in a resolution its members passed unanimously on Monday.

While the resolution doesn’t mention it, Duncan first fell into disfavor with Georgia Republicans by refusing to support former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. President Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential nominee to carry the Peach State since Bill Clinton in 1992.

Subsequently, Duncan endorsed Biden’s reelection bid, then supported Harris when Biden dropped out of the 2024 race.

Toward that end, he made numerous speeches on behalf of the Harris campaign and served as a political commentator on CNN during the months leading up to the November election.

The resolution also accused Duncan of working against the candidacies of Republicans Burt Jones for lieutenant governor and Herschel Walker for the U.S. Senate. Jones was elected lieutenant governor in 2022, while Walker lost to incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock.

Duncan responded Monday on social media, asserting Georgia Republicans should have more important concerns. “Hard to believe this is a good use of time for a party that’s only got a limited amount of time to figure out mass deportations, world peace and global tariffs,” he wrote.

“Learn how to take a victory lap not light another dumpster fire.” The resolution prohibits Duncan from qualifying to run in future races as a Republican. It also bans him from “all property owned or leased by the Georgia Republican Party and all events held by or under the authority of the Georgia Republican Party.”

After serving three terms in the state House of Representatives, Duncan was elected lieutenant governor in 2018. He opted not to seek a second term in 2022.

From WTOC:

The State Executive Committee voted unanimously to expel former Republican Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan from any further participation or future association with the party.

In a resolution released by the Georgia GOP, the party lists a host of accusations against Duncan including undermining Republican candidates, endorsing Democrats, and using his affiliation with the party for personal gain.

“Geoff Duncan is hereby expelled from the Georgia Republican Party…Geoff Duncan is hereby banned from qualifying as a candidate of the Georgia Republican Party,” the resolution notes, also stating that Duncan “is hereby banned from all property owned or leased by the Georgia Republican Party and all events held by or under the authority of the Georgia Republican Party”.

The Georgia Republican Party also called on media organizations requesting that they refer to Duncan as “expelled Republican” in any future media appearances or references.

From State Affairs:

The State Executive Committee of the Georgia Republican Party voted unanimously Monday to expel Duncan from “any further participation or any future association with the party,” the organization said in a statement. Duncan has been a staunch critic of the GOP and President-elect Donald Trump.

Charles Bullock, a University of Georgia professor who has tracked Georgia politics for over 50 years, called the state Republican Party’s public rejection of Duncan “highly unusual.”

Unlike European parties, Bullock said American political parties are not dues-paying organizations and individuals can still run for office by paying filing fees. While the Republican party can express disapproval, it cannot prevent Duncan from running for future office, Bullock said.

Duncan, 49 and a Cumming resident, was one of the few Republicans who openly criticized Trump after the 2020 elections for falsely claiming the election was stolen. Duncan has since been at odds with the party as he tries to get it to return to its pre-Trump days, Bullock said.

“He’s been a longtime critic of the party and wanted to reform it and get it back on track to the pre-Trump days,” Bullock said.
The bad blood between Duncan and his state Republican peers had gotten so bad that the party set about trying to get him banned from the party last year. Last August, McKoon posted a letter on X to Duncan saying, “You are not, and never will be, considered a Republican ever again.”

The Duncan controversy isn’t the first time a politician has drawn criticism from his or her party.

In 2004, Democratic U.S. Sen. Zell Miller caught flak when he endorsed Republican President George W. Bush over Democratic nominee John Kerry.

“He didn’t get kicked out of the Democratic Party,” Bullock told State Affairs.

Macon-Bibb County Commissioners may consider changing term limits for the Mayor and Commissioners, according to 13WMAZ.

But this week, commissioners are set to reevaluate term limits to potentially prolong the mayor’s stay.

A resolution sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Seth Clark could amend previous legislation established in the Macon-Bibb County Charter when Macon-Bibb consolidated.

Since then, 9 District commissioners have been limited to serving three four-year terms. As for the mayor, he’s currently limited to two four-year terms.

If approved, the resolution will provide equal term limits for “all members of the governing authority,” that would include the mayor then being limited to serving “a total of no more than three four-year terms.”

Jones County Commissioners may take action to remove the county tax assessor, according to 13WMAZ.

On Tuesday, the Jones County commission could take a big step toward getting rid of the tax assessor and the tax assessor board.

County administrator Jason Rizner says the root of their decision is county commissioners’ unhappiness with chief tax assessor Tony George.

13WMAZ reported in September on Tony George and how he failed the tax audits from the annual sales ratio study conducted by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts.

On Jan. 7, the Jones County commission will hold an open meeting to discuss removing the board of tax assessors.

“For some time now, I think the board of commissioners has been concerned about some things with the tax assessor’s office and the board of tax assessors. Over a number of months they discussed that and and ultimately decided to initiate a process that allows them to remove the members,” Rizner said.

Commissioners can’t remove George, but they can remove the board members, so the new members can replace him, Rizner said. He says first they issued a letter stating why the change needs to happen.

Tuesday will be an open session for public comment followed by a vote on removal.

“The superior court judge would hear from the board of tax assessors’ members, from the board of commissioners and then make a recommendation back to the board of commissioners,” he says.

The board of commissioners would then take the recommendation and decide to still move forward with removal.

Central Georgia Boards of Education are considering whether to opt-out of the new homestead exemption created by House Bill 581, according to 13WMAZ.

School districts in Central Georgia are scheduling public hearings beginning next week to opt out of House Bill 581, also known as the Save Our Homes Act.

62.9% of voters across the state said ‘yes’ to the homestead exemption question on the ballot in November. That exemption would put a cap on tax hikes on residential homes. However, the law approved by voters gives local governments a one-time chance to opt-out, and Bibb County School District and Houston County School Districts say they want to take it.

For homeowners, House Bill 581 promises tax relief while maintaining the market value of their property. But Bibb County Superintendent Dan Sims said opting into the bill would cost the school system a lot.

“I believe it’s 50 years, like it is a long-term commitment, and the financial implications on the district are not good,” Sims said.

“Specifically, we already did research, and going back to 2018 to show if we were to have opted in to this kind of bill from 2018 to the present, it would have cost us an upwards of $3.7 million. That would have been less money towards our needs as a school district.”

Houston County School District said they can’t afford to opt in either because House Bill 581 will limit how much property owners are taxed but not the share the state collects from their millage rate revenue.

They sent 13WMAZ a statement that reads: “School districts are unique in that the value of our local property tax assessments directly affects the amount of funding that we receive from the State of Georgia. HB581 results in a floating homestead exemption that will limit the value for property owners but will not limit the value of the 5 mill share withheld from school districts by the state. Because the state withholds the equivalent of 5 mills of assessed property values, HB581 could both reduce the amount of funding we are able to collect, while at the same time, increase the amount the state withholds from our state funding. If the value of a mill increases in Houston County, our school district will be required to contribute more to the state than we would be allowed to collect because of the HB581 cap.”

The Houston School District said the financial consequences of opting into House Bill 581 could cause them to raise their millage rate in the future. They haven’t done that in 16 years.

Bibb County’s hearings will be at the Professional Learning Center on Riverside Drive on Jan. 14th at 6 p.m. Bibb’s second and third hearings will be in the 484 Mulberry Street board room on Jan. 21 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Houston County’s first public hearing will be at Langston Road Elementary School in Perry on Jan. 13th at 6:00 p.m. Houston’s second and third public hearings will be at the Houston County School District building on Main Street in Perry on Jan. 14th at 1 p.m. and Jan. 22 at 2 p.m.

Dublin City Schools also intents to opt out. Their first public hearing will be held a the Dublin High School Auditorium located at 1127 Hillcrest Parkway on Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. The other two hearings will be on Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. and Feb. 7 at 12 p.m., both in the DHS auditorium.

The Muscogee County Board of Education voted to opt out of HB 581, according to WTVM.

From the Muscogee County Board of Education:

The Muscogee County Board of Education intends to opt out of the statewide adjusted base year ad valorem homestead exemption for the Muscogee County School District. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this matter to be held at Public Education Center, 2960 Macon Road, Columbus, GA 31906, on January 13, 202,5 at 5:00 p.m. Times and places of additional public hearings on this matter are at Public Education Center 2960 Macon Road, Columbus, GA 31906 on January 21, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., and February 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

No Change to the Current Frozen Assessment Homestead

Among the reasons that the Board intends to opt out of the statewide adjusted base year ad valorem homestead exemption is that the Muscogee County School District is already impacted by a county-wide freeze on the assessed fair market values of homestead property and affirms that with the opt-out all existing local homestead exemptions, including the local Frozen Assessment Homestead, will remain unchanged. The intent to opt out follows a thorough review of the potential long-term impact on local taxpayers, school district revenues, and retention of local control and provides flexibility for the future that is not afforded by the state exemption. Details on current exemptions can be found at https://www.columbusga.gov/taxassessors/exemptions.htm

Augusta-Richmond County will swear in two Commissioners today, according to WRDW.

Commissioner Catherine Smith McKnight will be sworn in for a second term.

Shortly after, Commissioner-elect Tina Slendak will take the oath at her swearing-in ceremony for District 7.

In December, both Commissioner Francine Scott and Commissioner Don Clark were sworn in.

The District 9 Commissioner Scott was re-elected to the spot.

Clark’s ceremony came after Augusta Commissioner Jordan Johnson was sworn in for a second term at the May Park Community Center.

The Joint House-Senate Appropriations Public Safety Subcommittee meets today at 1 PM.

From the AJC:

Gov. Brian Kemp won’t reveal his budget for another week. But we’ll get a sneak peek at a big part of it today during a special meeting at the state Capitol.

Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver is set to present his troubled agency’s budget request today during a joint hearing of some House and Senate budget subcommittees.

This isn’t normal. Lawmakers usually don’t hold hearings like this until the week after the governor reveals his budget. But they’re getting a head start on the prison budget, in part, because its problems are much more difficult to solve.

The AJCs Carrie Teegardin and Danny Robbins have chronicled those issues in detail, including a record number of killings behind the bars and a U.S. Department of Justice investigation that said conditions inside the prisons were “unconstitutional.”

A big question heading into this session is how the Kemp administration would respond. We’ll get a better idea of that today.

“The governor is making an exceptional investment in the Department of Corrections,” said state Rep. Matt Hatchett, a Republican from Dublin and chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

We expect the hearing to last about three hours, which will include lots of questions and commentary from lawmakers. State Sen. Blake Tillery, a Republican from Vidalia and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, signaled he wants to focus on inmates smuggling cellphones behind bars.

“The public is tired of watching prisoners post dance videos on TikTok while serving time. Prisons are meant for rehabilitation and accountability, not for viral trends and social media stardom,” Tillery said. “We’re taking this seriously, and change is coming.”

Georgia State Senator Chuck Payne (R-Dalton) joined other elected officials visiting Georgia National Guard troops deployed at the Texas border, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

State Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton, says as a U.S. Army veteran he knows what it is like to spend Christmas away from home and family.

‘That’s why I was honored when Gov. Brian Kemp asked me to join him when visiting Georgia National Guard members serving at the U.S. border in Texas,” Payne, chairman of the Senate Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee, said.

Kemp, Payne and other Georgia leaders traveled to Texas the weekend before Christmas to visit with Georgia National Guard members who have been deployed there to help the Texas National Guard reduce human trafficking and stem the flow of drugs across the border.

Since 2019, members of the Georgia National Guard have been a presence on the nation’s southern border. Approximately 85 members are currently deployed to the border, helping Texas officials with construction and engineering projects related to border security as part of Operation Lone Star. In the past, they have operated drones and remote censors at the border. Georgia is one of at least 14 states with Guard members deployed to Texas.

“Border security is a national issue,” he said. “The drugs coming across the border affect every state, every community.”

Texas officials report that Operation Lone Star has seized more than 56,000 pounds of meth and more than 458 million doses of fentanyl.

“This is scary stuff,” Payne said. “We’ve seen here in Georgia and around the nation people overdosing on fentanyl and they didn’t even realize that was what they were taking. They thought they were taking something less powerful.”

“We are doing what we can here in Georgia to fight human trafficking, especially of minors,” Payne said. “I think it’s also important to help other states with this when we can.”

“It was a truly special experience to meet with the men and women who dedicate their lives to safeguarding our freedoms,” Payne said. “As someone who has experienced being away from family during the holidays during my own service in the Army, I understand the challenges these brave individuals face. Their willingness to be away from home during Christmas is a testament to their dedication to the 336 million Americans whose freedoms they protect.”

“It was an honor to spend time with each service member, hear their stories and thank them for their selflessness. These young men and women are the embodiment of sacrifice and service,” he said.

Previously passed state legislation will block some pornographic website from Georgia viewers, according to the Athens Banner Herald.

More than 10 billion people visit Porn Hub every month, according to Statista, and that’s not including all of the other pornography websites. But new legislation around the country is impacting the industry, and the “Protecting Georgia’s Children on Social Media Act of 2024” is next.

Here’s a closer look at the bill and what it will do:

What is Georgia Senate Bill 351?

Signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in April, Georgia Senate Bill 351 is also known as the “Protecting Georgia’s Children on Social Media Act.” Its overall goal is to promote “safe and appropriate” use of technology, especially to young people.

Here are a few things it requires:

The Department of Education will develop model programs for educating students regarding online safety while using the Internet.

Local school boards must implement programs in all grade levels discouraging bullying and promoting responsible digital citizenship.

No social media platform will permit minor users without a parent or guardian’s express consent.

Does SB 351 affect pornography?

One of the items of this bill requires public websites with “a substantial portion of material that is harmful to minors” to use an age verification system. The most common form of this would be the submission of a government ID (like a driver’s license).

The bill has some specific language defining “material that is harmful to minors.” It also has more broad language: “Any material that the average person, applying contemporary communitystandards, would find, taking the material as a whole and with respect to minors, isdesigned to appeal to, or is designed to pander to, prurient interest.”

“Prurient” is defined as “Having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters.”

According to cybernews.com, some pornographic sites have complied with the new law and added age verification systems. However, others have decided to block any users in the affected states from using their websites. The most high-profile one is likely PornHub.

Residents of 16 states with age verification laws who go to the site do not have access to any of its videos will only see a message read aloud by an adult entertainment actress. In short, PornHub said providing your ID every time is not the most effective solution for protecting users and will put children and users’ privacy at risk. They go on to encourage users to contact their representatives to demand device-based verification solutions.

When Georgia’s law takes effect in July, it’s likely this same message will be visible to those who try going to PornHub and similar sites.

Searches for VPN options have begun to trend in the affected states, and Georgia may see more users after July as well. A VPN allows the user to hide their computer’s address and route their connection through other locations, including other states or countries. This would allow someone in a blocked state to access PornHub.

Dalton City Council adopted a resolution asking the General Assembly for legislation permitting community improvement districts (CIDs) in the county and in the City of Dalton, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

CIDs allow local businesses to vote on whether to create a special tax district to fund improvements to infrastructure such as roads, sewers, street signs and stormwater control.

“This will give us another tool for economic development,” said council member Dennis Mock.

The districts would be limited to commercial property. They would be limited in length, with most lasting five to 10 years.

“Consent signatures must be obtained from a majority of commercial property owners representing at least 75% of the property value within the proposed boundaries (to create a CID),” said City Administrator Andrew Parker.

The districts can qualify for state and federal grants. The U.S. Federal Highway Administration reports there are currently at least 30 CIDs in the state. Most are in the metro Atlanta area.

“Believe Greater Dalton (a Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce initiative) will be working with a CID consultant on a feasibility study to determine the best geographical areas which would constitute the CID if approved through local legislation,” said Parker. “For the city, I think the areas that would be under consideration are those that were included in the Gateway Corridor Master Plan completed a few years ago (i.e., exit 333, West Walnut Avenue, and exit 336, Rocky Face). Those locations are most similar to the character and nature of the other CIDs across the state.”

The members of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners are expected to vote on a similar resolution at an upcoming meeting.

Board of Commissioners Chairman Jevin Jensen said the county is also working with Believe Greater Dalton to “identify a few underdeveloped areas, then we can discuss with those owners if they are interested in approving a CID.”

Jensen pointed out CIDs would create a new tax for “those businesses that vote to add it.”

The Ogeechee Riverkeeper will dismiss their challenge to permits for new water wells to serve the Hyundai Metaplant, according to the Statesboro Herald.

The Ogeechee Riverkeeper agreed to dismiss its challenge to the groundwater withdrawal permits issued to Bryan and Bulloch counties after reaching a settlement agreement Friday with the Savannah Harbor-Interstate 16 Corridor Joint Development Authority.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division approved Bulloch and Bryan counties’ permit applications on Oct. 6 for four big wells to supply water to the Metaplant in Ellabell. The Riverkeeper filed an administrative appeal in November to the EPD regarding the withdrawal permits.

A release from the Riverkeeper Monday afternoon stated that in the agreement, the Savannah JDA agreed to facilitate a reduction in a long-term surface water or alternative water solution for the Bryan County Industrial Megasite, which comprises the Metaplant and associated developments, from 25 years to 15 years and to provide for additional water quality sampling from the permitted groundwater wells.

The I-16 Joint Development Authority is made up of Bulloch, Effingham, Bryan and Chatham counties

“The Ogeechee Riverkeeper and the Savannah JDA remain committed to being responsible stewards of the region’s natural resources while ensuring industrial water needs are met to sustain southeast Georgia’s dynamic economic development climate,” the release stated.

From the Savannah Morning News:

According to the press release, the Savannah JDA has agreed to reduce its timeline of 25 years to 15 years for finding an alternative water solution for the Bryan County Industrial Megasite and to allow for water quality sampling from the permitted groundwater wells. Other terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

ORK Executive Director and Riverkeeper Damon Mullis said in the statement that the “agreement demonstrates that environmental protection and smart growth are not mutually exclusive.”