Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for July 17, 2023

On July 17, 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman set up headquarters in Fulton County on Powers Ferry Road near the Chattahoochee River. Late that night, Confederate General Joseph Johnston was replaced by newly-commissioned Gen. John Bell Hood.

For nearly three months, Johnston and Sherman had maneuvered around the rugged corridor from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Although there was constant skirmishing, there were few major battles; Sherman kept trying to outflank Johnston, but his advances were blocked. Though this kept losses to a minimum, there was also a limit to how long Johnston could maintain this strategy as each move brought the armies closer to Atlanta. By July 17, 1864, Johnston was backed into the outskirts of Atlanta. Johnston felt his strategy was the only way to preserve the Army of Tennessee, but Davis felt that he had given up too much territory.

Georgia-born Ty Cobb died on July 17, 1961.

The Beatles premiered The Yellow Submarine on July 17, 1968 in London.

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed by Congress on July 17, 1984. From the New York Times:

President Reagan, appealing for cooperation in ending the “’crazy quilt of different states’ drinking laws,” today signed legislation that would deny some Federal highway funds to states that keep their drinking age under 21.

“We know that drinking, plus driving, spell death and disaster,” Mr. Reagan told visitors on a sweltering afternoon. “We know that people in the 18-to-20 age group are more likely to be in alcohol-related accidents than those in any other age group.”

“’It’s a grave national problem, and it touches all our lives,” he added. “With the problem so clear-cut and the proven solution at hand, we have no misgiving about this judicious use of Federal power.”

Under the law Mr. Reagan signed today, the Secretary of Transportation is required to withhold 5 percent of Federal highway construction funds from those states that do not enact a minimum drinking age of 21 by Oct. 1, 1986. The Secretary is required to withhold 10 percent of the funds for states that do not act by Oct. 1, 1987.

The President said he was “convinced” that the legislation would “help persuade state legislators to act in the national interest to save our children’s lives, by raising the drinking age to 21 across the country.”

A senior White House official said after the ceremony that it was not clear that the new law would compel states to raise their drinking ages, even with its incentives and penalties.

He said some states, such as Florida, were proving resistant to the changes because people considered it unfair to allow residents to vote and serve in the armed services at the age of 18 but not to drink in public.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Someone alert Governor Kemp that kayak hooligans pose a grave threat to public safety. Some St Simons Island NIMBYs are concerned that a public kayak launch will draw bad seeds to their idyllic isle. From The Brunswick News:

Residents living near the proposed site of a kayak launch near Dunbar Creek on St. Simons Island are holding a meeting today to discuss their concerns.

The residents are concerned the demand to use the kayak launch will be high and that people will park their vehicles on neighborhood streets if the parking lot is filled to capacity.

“None of our neighbors want it. I just think someone is trying to slip one by,” said Karen Babson, one of the residents living near the proposed site.

“The main thing is to keep them out of the neighborhood,” he said. “There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood.”

The parking lot will have the capacity to hold 15 vehicles. If the lot is filled and a kayaker tries to park on the residential street, Fendig said they will be ticketed.

“The rules were enforced on the usage of the property,” he said of the boat ramp near German Village. “There have been no complaints with the usage of that property.”

The kayak launch will be for kayaks and canoes only, Fendig said.

Governor Brian Kemp named Chris Hosey as the next Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, according to a Press Release.

Governor Brian P. Kemp [] announced the appointment of Chris Hosey to serve as Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), following a unanimous vote by the Board of Public Safety to approve his nomination. Hosey’s appointment will take effect August 1.

“Chris has dedicated his career to protecting the people of our state as a proud member of law enforcement,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “With over 35 years of experience at the GBI, he brings a wealth of institutional knowledge and skill to this role. I’m confident he will bring the same level of commitment to the job that he has shown throughout his years of service.”

Governor and First Lady Kemp also expressed their appreciation to Mike Register for his service.

Christopher “Chris” Hosey currently serves as Assistant Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, overseeing the Investigative Division – the largest component of the agency. He began his career in 1987 as a Narcotics Agent with the Local Violators Squad and worked throughout the state in various positions as his career progressed.

In 2001, Hosey was promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge of a multijurisdictional drug task force. He also helped to create the GBI’s first state/local regional drug enforcement office. In 2012, Hosey was promoted to Inspector, overseeing drug operations, various general investigative offices, and the GBI’s Training Unit. In 2020, former GBI Director Vic Reynolds appointed him to the position of Deputy Director of Investigations.

Hosey received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Georgia Southwestern State University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbus State University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

The Georgia Supreme Court will not hear an appeal of a Court of Appeals decision that will allow the Rivian economic development deal to proceed, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.

The Georgia Supreme Court has cleared the way for automaker Rivian to build an electric vehicle manufacturing plant east of Atlanta.

The justices have declined to hear an appeal challenging the $5 billion project’s bond agreements with the state and the Joint Development Authority of Jasper, Morgan, Newton, and Walton counties (JDA). The plant will create 7,500 direct jobs, not counting the indirect jobs various suppliers will generate.

The state Court of Appeals had earlier dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of local residents accusing the state and development authority of bypassing local zoning regulations.

The Rivian project is surpassed in scope only by the huge EV plant Hyundai is building west of Savannah. The Hyundai project, the largest economic development undertaking in Georgia history, represents a $5.5 billion investment and 8,100 jobs.

A consent order between the State Elections Board and Fulton County finds that some errors occurred during the 2020 election, according to the AJC.

Vote counters made numerous mistakes during an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election in Fulton County, including double-counted and misallocated votes, according to a consent order recently approved by the State Election Board and the county.

State election investigators blamed “human error” for mistakes in a system that relied on sorting paper ballots by candidate, counting them by hand, writing totals on sheets of paper and then transcribing numbers into computers, according to the consent order and investigative files obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through the Georgia Open Records Act.

Double-counting likely occurred when election workers couldn’t tell whether auditing software had recorded their initial tally, leading them to enter numbers a second time. In several cases, they mistyped vote totals or allocated votes to the wrong candidate.

A rough estimate by the AJC indicates the errors identified by investigators amounted to about 3,000 too many absentee votes counted for Biden during the audit, which was not used as Georgia’s certified vote count. Despite inaccuracies in the ballot batches that were investigated, the overall count in the audit was close to the official machine results.

“The reported inconsistencies were the result of human error in entering the data, which were not discovered in time to make corrections due to time limitations in completing the risk-limiting audit and the sheer amount of ballots, and not due to intentional misconduct,” the consent order states. “The discovered errors were a fractional number of the total votes counted and did not affect the result of the 2020 general election.”

Former State Rep. Terry England (R-Auburn) will serve as Chief of Staff to House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Effingham County), according to a Press Release.

Speaker of the House Jon Burns (R-Newington) announced today he has appointed former state representative and longtime House Appropriations Chairman Terry England as his Chief of Staff. England will succeed Spiro Amburn who is retiring from state government after a distinguished career.

“We are fortunate to be welcoming Terry England back to the House as Chief of Staff,” said Speaker Burns. “Terry is a trusted leader who has earned the respect of both the members of the House and our staff, and I know he will continue to be an invaluable counselor in this new role.”

A native of Barrow County, England represented his neighbors as a state representative from 2005 until his retirement earlier this year. He served as one of the House’s most influential leaders as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee over the last twelve years of his tenure. A farmer and small business owner, England has a passion for agriculture – Georgia’s number one industry – and is a longtime supporter of youth leadership organizations like FFA and 4-H. He and his beloved wife, Cindy, reside on their family farm near Auburn, Ga.

“Speaker Burns and I have been close friends for many years, and I am proud to stand by his side as he continues to lead the House of Representatives and provides a clear, positive vision for Georgia’s future,” said Terry England. “Stewardship is what originally led me to seek public office many years ago, and it is that call to service that brings me back. I am excited about the work ahead and the opportunity to continue serving my fellow Georgians.”

“Spiro Amburn has been my friend for nearly 20 years,” added England. “He has set a high standard in the Chief of Staff’s role that will be hard to live up to, and I am keeping his phone number!”

“Spiro Amburn has admirably served the citizens of our state for decades, and we are grateful for his example of servant-leadership,” said Speaker Burns. “He has been a trusted advisor to Speaker Ralston, Speaker Jones and me throughout his tenure as Chief of Staff. Moreover, he has worked day after day to provide assistance to all the members of the House and leadership to our staff members. He is a dear friend and will always be a member of our House family.”

An experienced administrator and proven leader in state government, Amburn served as Chief of Staff for the last 14 years. He was first appointed by Speaker David Ralston and continued to serve in that capacity under Speaker Jan Jones and Speaker Jon Burns. In that role, he has served as the principal advisor to the Speaker of the House and supervised the House’s staff and its $24 million operating budget. After retiring from state government, Amburn will take a position in the private sector which will be announced in the near future.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to have served in this position, and I am grateful to have been entrusted with this tremendous opportunity to work with the staff and members of the Georgia House of Representatives,” said Spiro Amburn. “I have been fortunate to serve great leaders – and my mentor, Speaker David Ralston, deserves special mention in this regard. He showed me what it meant to put others first, and I am still humbled that he appointed me as his only Chief of Staff throughout his thirteen years of service as Speaker of the House. I am also honored by the opportunity to serve under a new leadership team during this time of transition. I know the House is in capable hands under Speaker Burns and with Terry England succeeding me as Chief of Staff.”

England will begin service on August 1 and officially succeed Amburn when he retires on September 1, ensuring a smooth transition of leadership for the Speaker’s Office.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson writes about Electric Vehicle policy, in an Op-Ed for the Savannah Morning News.

Nearly two in three Georgians agree we must do more to address climate change. In the last decade, our state has experienced 48 extreme weather events, with a total price tag of nearly $14 billion in damages. These extreme weather events often disproportionately affect historically underserved communities. And in the coming decades, these types of events will only become more frequent, not less.

Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last summer, our state has seen 14 new clean energy projects totaling $13.34 billion in investments and 12,888 new jobs, mostly related to electric vehicles.

Nearly two in three Georgians agree we must do more to address climate change. In the last decade, our state has experienced 48 extreme weather events, with a total price tag of nearly $14 billion in damages. These extreme weather events often disproportionately affect historically underserved communities. And in the coming decades, these types of events will only become more frequent, not less.

It’s time for our state to fully embrace the clean energy transition and take advantage of one of the biggest economic opportunities of our generation.

Georgia has already made significant strides in this direction. In 2021, Georgia was home to 75,211 clean energy workers, including 7,633 electric vehicle workers. Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last summer, our state has seen 14 new clean energy projects totaling $13.34 billion in investments and 12,888 new jobs, mostly related to electric vehicles.

Worker training programs will be an important part of this transition. Hyundai and Savannah Technical College recently announced an innovative partnership that will create a new Electric Vehicle Professional certificate at Savannah Technical College. This certificate will teach workers about safety in automotive shops, automotive electrical principles, and how to operate and service electric vehicles. Those who receive this certificate will be trained to build components in sub-assembly shops or manufacture electric vehicles from these components at production facilities.

Demand will only keep growing as electric vehicles become cheaper and more pervasive. Millions of people in Georgia are eligible for discounts on electric cars through the Inflation Reduction Act. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also funded networks of charging stations across the state, ensuring everyone can get where they need to go. Georgians have responded enthusiastically to electric vehicles: Our state currently ranks first for new electric vehicle registrations in the Southeast.

How someone could write that much about Georgia’s burgeoning Electric Vehicle industry without mentioning Governor Kemp or frankly even acknowledging anything other than the federal government is beyond me.

Lowndes County State Court Chief Judge John Kent Edwards Jr. was elected President of the Council of State Court Judges, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs gave Edwards the oath of office, council representatives said in a statement. As president, Edwards is a member of the Judicial Council which is the governing body of the state-wide Judicial Branch of Georgia.

“When over 130 of your peers ask you to serve, it’s an honor,” Edwards said. “I deeply appreciate it and accept this honor on behalf of the people of Lowndes County. Without their faith and support, I would not have the opportunity to serve. I will continue to be an ambassador for my home county and to represent all state courts to the best of my ability.”

State courts have county-wide jurisdiction in 73 counties in Georgia.

“In the past three years, there were more than 2 million cases filed in all state courts, making them the busiest courts of record in Georgia,” council representatives said. “State courts have jurisdiction over misdemeanor criminal cases, including traffic cases and all civil cases, except domestic relations, real estate and equity cases.”

“Our biggest challenge will be to assist all of our state courts in working through the backlog of cases and jury trials that were placed on hold during the judicial emergency from the past three years,” Edwards said. “Although our state courts did not close, redesigning our courtrooms and monitoring public access during the pandemic caused a delay in handling certain types of court matters.”

Floyd County courts are seeing very low turnout for potential jurors summoned, according to the Rome News Tribune.

At each summons, Floyd County Superior Court Clerk Barbara Penson said only 35% to 40% of jurors are showing up to serve. They’ve attempted to adapt to the issue, she said, but it’s causing difficulties.

“We are having to summons an overabundance of jurors that are legally obligated to show up for jury duty,” Penson said. “People are just not coming and showing up.”

At each summons, Floyd County Superior Court Clerk Barbara Penson said only 35% to 40% of jurors are showing up to serve. They’ve attempted to adapt to the issue, she said, but it’s causing difficulties.
“We are having to summons an overabundance of jurors that are legally obligated to show up for jury duty,” Penson said. “People are just not coming and showing up.”

Three Albany-area state legislators received “A+” grades from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, according to the Albany Herald.

Republican state Reps. Mike Cheokas and Gerald Greene, and Democrat David Sampson, received those top marks for supporting eight pieces of legislation favored by the Chamber.

State Rep. Bill Yearta, a Sylvester Republican, and state Sen. Freddie Powell Sims, a Democrat from Dawson, each voted in opposition of the organization’s recommendations on one bill each, earning a “B” and “C+,” respectively.

“To be pro-business in our work is very important to show industry that wants to come to southwest Georgia that we support these measures,” said Greene, R-Cuthbert. “It’s not always that I get a perfect score. Sometimes I disagree with their stances, and we have conversations about it.”

Sims said it was somewhat confusing earning a “C+” for supporting seven of the eight bills. She said she is supportive of business and focuses on education and economic preparation as well as building partnerships to help grow the area’s economy.

“My 13 counties in southwest Georgia understand pretty clearly that I am an economic builder,” she said. “It is a top priority of mine. (I support) education because in order to have economic power, you’ve got to have education. That has always been a primary concern of mine for economic growth in southwest Georgia.”

Gwinnett County Public Schools employees will receive raises under the new budget, according to AccessWDUN.

According to a press release from the school system, the school board adopted a millage rate Wednesday to support the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. This follows the board’s adoption of the FY2024 budget at its June 15 meeting.

“The FY2024 budget will now include a $3,500 salary increase for teachers, a minimum 4.5% cost-of-living increase for classified staff, minimum wage increases to $15.00/hour across the board, and a longevity step for eligible employees,” the press release reads.

All eligible employees will also receive a one-time, $1,000 supplement to be paid out this fall.

The starting salary for a new GCPS teacher with a bachelor’s degree is now $55,146, up from $51,646.

“I believe our teachers and employees are the best in the business, and they have certainly earned this increase in compensation,” Superintendent Calvin Watts said. “Similar to last year, the district received information that the county-wide digest would be increasing, and our district has earmarked some of the funds to increase the teacher salary schedule to remain competitive with other districts while also maintaining our strong fiscal health. This will enable us to attract and retain superior educators and support staff while furthering the district’s commitment to improving student outcomes.”

Savannah’s Union Mission is opening cooling shelters, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The summertime heat continues to be a battle for those experiencing homelessness in Savannah, and the Union Mission is extending its services to help those without shelter to cool down.

This weekend’s opening is an extension of the program’s usual weekday hours as the staff of the organization works to accommodate those who need shelter and food as temperatures remain in the upper 80s and 90s.

“Union Mission continues to provide a place to go for the homeless population during high temperatures. We are pleased to continue to offer this critical service to the homeless community,” Michael Traynor, president and CEO, said in a press release. “We are proud of our staff for rising to the occasion during this extreme heat.”

Florida wildlife officials announced a case of Chronic Wasting Disease in deer, according to The Brunswick News.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced last month that it detected chronic wasting disease, or CWD, in a road-killed deer in Holmes County, Florida, which borders Alabama and is less than 50 miles from the Georgia border. It was the first deer to test positive for the disease in Florida, a release from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said.

The disease hasn’t been confirmed in Georgia yet.

“The department is prepared and will work diligently to implement its CWD response protocol if the disease is ever detected in Georgia,” the release said.

The likelihood it makes its way here is high, said Charlie Killmaster, state deer biologist for DNR. That is in part because many of the deer carrying CWD aren’t showing symptoms.

If it is detected in Georgia, wildlife officials with DNR have a plan that will include intensive testing around where the positive deer was found or harvested, and in some cases limiting deer movement or removing potentially infected animals.

Killmaster said most deer that test positive will look healthy, which is why DNR is encouraging all hunters to get their meat tested before consuming it. To date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there have been no reported cases of infections in humans, but Killmaster said it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Hunters should be aware of the disease because many infected deer are in the early stages of CWD, so they look completely normal, Killmaster said. Over time, however, symptoms like dramatic weight loss, poor body condition, subtle head tremors, droopy ears and head, and in the final stages, excessive drooling, are visible.

The case in Florida made it the 30th state to have confirmed cases of CWD.

White-tailed deer are the most hunted animal in Georgia. The DNR numbers show more than 200,000 hunters killed nearly 260,000 deer in the state during the 2021-2022 hunting season.

Those hunters can help prevent the spread of CWD by following the laws that prohibit importation of any live deer species from other states and that do not allow bringing carcasses in from out of state, the release about CWD said.

So, we’re not even going to notice that the guy in charge of deer hunting is named “Killmaster”?

Calhoun County will take more responsibility for public safety as the Edison Police Department halved their staff, according to WALB.

“We’re going to do the best we can and do all we can to protect them and help them,” Calhoun County Sheriff Josh Hilton said.

Edison’s police force is down from four officers to two officers after budget cuts. Hilton now has to work extra to make sure every town is served.

“The way I’ve got it is one man working sometimes. He has no backup. I’ve got to send another person out there. Or it’s 3 o’clock in the morning and I have to go out there. It’s no problem, but it’s quicker when you already have somebody there,” Hilton said.

Ora B. Douglass announced she will run for Peachtree Corners City Council, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Ora B. Douglass announced plans to run for the City Council Post 5 seat that will be open this fall due to Councilwoman Lori Christopher’s decision to retire after her current term ends in December.

Douglass helped establish the Psi Omega Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and served as its president for more than four years, and helped establish he chapter’s fundraising arm, The Georgia Pearls of Service Foundation, of which she is currently serving as president. The chapter performs community service projects to help high school students, senior citizens and entrepreneurs as well as clean trash and debris along 1.6 miles of Peachtree Corners Circle. And, the foundation donates funds to community services organizations in the area and provides scholarships to high school students.

Douglass said, if elected, she would like to ensure diversity and inclusion are as important as technology and growth. Her campaign slogan is “Ora for One Peachtree Corners.”

Former United States Senate candidate Herschel Walker still holds more than $4 million dollars in his campaign account, according to the AJC.

More than seven months after losing his U.S. Senate bid, Republican Herschel Walker’s campaign still has nearly $4.5 million in its account. And some donors are pressing to get their contributions back.

The most recent financial report, filed Saturday, showed six donors received refunds totaling $15,600.

Walker’s account has grown slightly since the last filing in April, when he disclosed he donated more than $1 million of his campaign cash to charities and GOP groups. It increased mostly due to a $164,000 refund from a media buying firm for ads that never aired.