On July 24, 1778, Georgia ratified the Articles of Confederation.
Georgia’s John Walton was present on July 9, 1778, and signed the document then. Georgia’s other two delegates – Edward Telfair and Edward Langworthy – did not sign until July 24, 1778, which is the date most often used for Georgia’s ratification of the Articles.
An interesting sidenote is that John Walton‘s brother, George Walton, signed the Declaration of Independence on Georgia’s behalf.
At 12:51 EDT, we mark the safe return from the moon of Apollo 11 on July 24, 1969.
On July 25, 1972, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
On July 25, 1974, the United States Supreme Court ruled in the case of United States v. Nixon that executive privilege did not allow the White House to refuse to turn over audio recordings that had been subpoenaed by a special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal.
On July 24, 2000, former Georgia Governor Zell Miller was appointed to the United States Senate to serve in the seat vacated on the death of Senator Paul Coverdell.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Point of Personal Privilege: The Georgia River Network is holding a series of online meetings to discuss the economic development effects of free public access to state rivers, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Summertime is ripe for enjoying Georgia’s rivers. Whether it’s the Chattahoochee, Altamaha, Ocmulgee, or any of the more than 70,000 river miles flowing through the state’s vast network of waterways, residents and visitors alike love fishing, floating, and paddling on them. So much so that according to a 2021 U.S. Bureau of Economics report, recreation on the state’s rivers accounts for at least $763 million of revenue each year.
Through a series of Facebook livestreams, Athens-based Georgia River Network explores the benefits of paddling and fishing on some of the Peach State’s beloved streams. Each installment is archived at the organization’s YouTube channel for streaming anytime.
“Freedom to Float” began the first Monday in July and continues each Monday until the end of August. So far, GRN has highlighted the whitewater section of the Chattahoochee River in Columbus as well as the Cartecay in the North Georgia mountains.
On Monday, July 29, the series features Ebenezer Creek with Brian Cohen of Backwater Expeditions along with representatives from Visit Savannah. The episode emphasizes recreation and tourism on the iconic 13-mile creek flowing into the Savannah River and home to the area’s oldest cypress trees.
All of this has risen to the fore because of two legislative pieces the Georgia General Assembly ended with in March. The first bill, H.B. 1172, restricts boating, fishing, and hunting to navigable waterways only, while the second bill, H.R. 1554, sets up a House study committee to determine which streams and rivers are navigable.
If a waterway is deemed non-navigable, then private property owners along a stream can assert their rights and effectively shut it down to the public.
Although a paddler’s paradise, Ebenezer Creek is not listed as navigable by state
And that’s what has Brian Cohen of Backwater Expeditions concerned. An entrepreneur and outdoorsman, Cohen has been an outfitter on Ebenezer Creek since 1996, and under the new legislation, his livelihood is potentially at risk.
“As of right now, Ebenezer Creek currently isn’t listed as navigable, and that means if a property owner has land on both sides of the creek, they could block people from being on the water. I run kayak tours and lead people from all over the country and world to paddle Ebenezer Creek for its beauty and large cypress and tupelo trees. This bill could limit or shutdown my business.”
In Georgia, anyone is free to fish or float on a river deemed navigable, a state-level legal determination dating back to 1863 when barge traffic and commodity shipping—commercial navigation—dictated waterway usage. But in the 160 years since that designation, a lot has changed in river usage. Currently, none of Georgia’s inland rivers support commercial navigation while only 18-and-a-half miles on the Savannah River from the Port to the Atlantic Ocean host viable commercial navigation.
Georgia’s streams and rivers are now revered more for the solitude and recreation opportunities they offer. Joe Cook, Paddle Georgia coordinator with Georgia River Network, points out that commercial activity today has much more to do with leisure than shipping.
“We have hundreds of thousands of people boating and fishing each year, and that translates into real economic impacts on communities along rivers,” said Cook. “Ebenezer Creek supports multiple outfitters, and though they aren’t transporting commodities, each of these small businesses depend on consistent, continued river access.”
Cook explains that under Georgia law, riparian landowners living along non-navigable rivers have property rights to the middle of the streambed, allowing them to determine who can access the waterway. Officially designating waterways non-navigable—paired with Georgia’s private property laws—would potentially grant landowners unprecedented power over small businesses and longtime entrepreneurs.
He is also quick to point out that with GRN, the organization hosts events and annual fundraisers in which hundreds of people paddle on what would be considered non-navigable streams, yet since the organization’s founding in 1998, they’ve never had a problem. The goodwill of property owners has so far been in their favor.
As educational efforts to ensure as many rivers and streams as possible are designated navigable, GRN’s livestream series features waterways that have a history of being well-loved for their natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities but that are not currently listed as navigable.
“If any stream can float a boat of any size, then the public should have a right to float on the water and use that stream,” said cook. “I don’t have the right to get out of my boat and touch the streambed or venture to property on either side. Floating in a boat is not touching a streambed, and by allowing the public to float that wouldn’t deny the property rights of the owner. The freedom to float means no rights are being taken away.”
What: “Freedom to Float Livestream Series” with Georgia River Network
When: 6 p.m., Mondays, July 29–August 26
Where: Georgia River Network Facebook Page facebook.com/georgiarivernetwork
Archived on YouTube: youtube.com/@GARiverNetwork
Learn more about ways to get involved: garivers.org/protect-our-freedom-to-float-georgia-rivers/
Former President Jimmy Carter’s doctor said rumors of his demise were exaggerated the former President is still alive, according to WALB.
Following a false social media hoax claiming former president Jimmy Carter passed away, his doctor confirmed the rumors were false.
This morning, a false statement claiming that former President Jimmy Carter had passed was circulated on social media. The posts included a fabricated document that appeared to be an official statement.
WALB’s Lenah Allen independently confirmed this during an interview with Jimmy Carter’s doctor, Dr. Michael Raines.
Dr. Raines assures us that Carter is still alive.
“Well, I can confirm that the reports out there are not true. President Carter has not had any significant health issues in the last three or four weeks. Or since the last time I saw him, and I am on the way there today to reevaluate him and make my usual visit with him. He is doing as well as can be expected being in hospice, but he has not passed away.” [said] Dr. Michael Raines, the Carter Family Physician[.]
Dr. Raines says the Carter Center does plan to release a statement about the social media hoax later on Tuesday.
Governor Brian Kemp announced from Naples, Italy that S&P again rated Georgia’s General Obligation Bonds as AAA, according to a Press Release.
At the start of an international trip to promote the No. 1 state for business and further job creation in Georgia, Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that S&P Global Ratings reaffirmed its “AAA with a stable outlook” assessment for the state’s credit worthiness. Because the state did not issue new general obligation bonds for the current fiscal year, the other two main credit rating agencies — FitchRatings and Moody’s Investors Service — did not issue formal reports for Georgia’s bond ratings. The prior year, both agencies gave Georgia the highest possible ratings in their analyses of the state’s credit worthiness.
“Once again Georgia’s responsible, conservative approach to budgeting has allowed our state to receive affirmation of the highest possible bond rating,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “In the face of economic uncertainty on the national level due to bad policies coming out of Washington, D.C., I could not be more proud of our shared focus with the legislature on careful budgeting and maintaining a strong economic development pipeline that keeps Georgia a safe bet for any and all job creators.”
S&P cited the strength of Georgia’s economy with a positive employment trend, strong budgetary performance and high reserves levels, a demonstrated willingness to make politically difficult decisions, a balanced approach to primary revenue sources, and consistent funding of obligations as factors contributing to their rating scores.
[From S&P] The ‘AAA’ GO rating reflects our view of Georgia’s:
Very strong governmental framework, with the authority and a demonstrated willingness to make politically difficult decisions to align expenditures with revenue projections.
Very strong financial and budgetary management, with well embedded, and likely sustainable processes for monitoring performance and planning for future needs.
Large and diverse economic base, benefitting from favorable population growth trends that we expect will continue to outperform the nation, paired with robust private sector investments and large-scale infrastructure developments that we believe will position the state for future economic growth.
Generally strong budgetary performance and high reserves levels at its statutory limit as of June 30, 2023, and our expectation that the state will maintain reserves and liquidity to mitigate potential near-term budgetary pressures. Georgia has maintained a commitment to increasing reserves during good economic times and restoring reserves following draws to manage revenue shortfalls.
Adequate pension funding discipline and a 75.7% combined pension funding level, which we consider relatively low compared with peers, although this is partly offset by the state’s moderate-to-low debt burden. The state will use available cash to fund capital improvements for fiscal 2025, and when coupled with rapid debt amortization of existing debt, we believe this will likely support stability or modest improvement of the state’s debt metrics over the near-term.
Some Georgia OB/GYNs say the state’s restrict abortion law is bad for the state, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Tifton Gazette.
Georgia’s law essentially banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy is forcing women to endure high-risk pregnancies and driving OBGYN doctors out of the state, two OBGYNs and an OBGYN resident said Tuesday.
“There are a lot of political voices weighing in on this issue,” U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said at the end of a field hearing of the Human Rights Subcommittee he chairs held at Decatur City Hall. “People need to hear from the doctors who are providing care every day, what this is really doing to pregnant women in Georgia.”
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp steered the “heartbeat bill” through the GOP-controlled General Assembly in 2019, prohibiting most abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, typically about six weeks into a pregnancy. There are exceptions for rape, incest, and medical emergencies.
Abortion is a key issue in this year’s presidential election, with Democrats accusing Republicans of seeking congressional passage of a nationwide abortion ban, while Republicans argue the issue should be left to the states to decide.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Georgia OBGYNs said patients experiencing high-risk pregnancies are being forced to either continue carrying fetuses that have little chance of survival yet threaten the mother’s lives or leave the state to obtain abortions.
“High-risk pregnancies are unexpected, life-threatening, emotionally traumatizing, and life-changing for all involved,” said Dr. Suchitra Chandrasakeran, an OBGYN in Atlanta. “The current abortion ban in Georgia limits our ability to provide a compassionate and full spectrum of reproductive counseling and choices to our patients and only continues to worsen the overall future health of pregnant persons in Georgia.”
Dr. Aisvarya Panakam, a first-year OBGYN resident and native Georgian, said she decided after treating pregnant patients from Georgia who had traveled to Massachusetts not to return to Georgia to practice because of the state’s abortion ban.
“I want to practice and learn in a state where I can offer patients a full section of options,” she said. “I don’t want may hands to be tied by a law, by legislators who have very little understanding of medicine. … People without knowledge are restraining out ability to provide evidence-based care. As a result, real people are affected, real people are getting sick and having unwanted pregnancies, real people are dying.”
Atlanta OBGYN Dr. Nisha Verma said terms in Georgia’s abortion law dealing with exceptions to the ban including “irreversible” and “medically futile” are vague.
“There is no way to create a law that takes every individual, every medical situation, every family into account,” she said. “The exceptions don’t solve the problem. They don’t make sense.”
Clark Atlanta University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy released an analysis of how legislation passed by the General Assembly affects African-Americans, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Staff at Clark Atlanta University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy released their Georgia Legislative Review Monday, analyzing some of the most important bills proposed and passed by the legislature each session and their impact on Black Georgians in areas such as voting districts, taxes and health care.
Voting rights
While state lawmakers had to reassess voting districts because a federal judge ruled that a prior voting map unlawfully discriminated against Black voters, the legislative review found that the state’s 2023 special session devoted to redistricting the state still negatively impacted Black voters.
The composition of the new map attained federal approval, but Nykia Greene-Young, the domestic policy coordinator for the Du Bois Center and co-editor of the Georgia Legislative Review, said it still left Black voters at a disadvantage.
“Georgia has been a hotbed for voter suppression and gerrymandering for a long time,” she said. “During the special session, while Blacks did gain a major victory in gaining a congressional district that is majority Black, the way that they were drawn, Blacks actually lost power.”
Health care
The review addressed five bills introduced to expand Medicaid and increase health care coverage for uninsured Georgians, all five of which failed to pass.
“Without Medicaid, we see hospitals closing. We see lack of access,” she said. “If we expand Medicaid, it will help address access to maternal health and reproductive health. That’s a huge issue in the quality of life of Black Georgians.”
Greene-Young said the legislature heard two bills designed to address the Black maternal mortality rate, which is more than double the non-Black maternal mortality rate. Neither of those passed either.
“There are so many health disparities when it comes to Black women in Georgia and across the country,” she said. “Black women are suffering. Black children are suffering. Black Georgians are suffering.”
Georgia State School Superintendent Richard Wood (R) will not recommend funding for Advanced Placement African-American studies classes, according to the Associated Press via WSAV.
“The fact that AP African American studies was removed from our schools is alarming and an injustice to our students who eagerly anticipated taking this course,” state Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Democrat from Lilburn, said in a statement. “Erasure of black history from our schools is not and never will be okay!”
The State Board of Education, appointed by the governor, must approve a class for it to be eligible for state funding, which helps pay for a teacher’s salary and class materials. Superintendent Richard Woods decided he won’t recommend approval of the class to the board, but didn’t say why.
“Superintendent Woods has opted not to recommend this course for state approval at this time,” Meghan Frick, a spokesperson for the state Department of Education, wrote in an emailed statement.
Local districts can still pay for the AP course out of their own funds, Frick said. The state isn’t denying credit toward high school graduation if they do. Frick also noted that Georgia funds a state-designed African American Studies course approved in 2020. That course doesn’t qualify for AP credit.
Voting legislation passed by the General Assembly may have led to more challenges to voter eligibility, according to USA Today via the Augusta Chronicle.
Citizen voter challenges, once an obscure practice, have transformed into a mass movement in Georgia, with conservative activists challenging hundreds of thousands of voter registrations in the last several years. Often, the waves of voter challenges coincide with competitive, high-profile elections, with election conspiracy theorists using complaints of rampant voter fraud to cast doubt on election results. Voters of color — and Black voters in particular — have been disproportionately impacted by these vast disenfranchisement campaigns.
And voting rights experts say a newly-passed election law, known as SB 189, is likely to make the problem worse.
Challenging a voter’s registration is nothing new. Almost every state in the country has laws allowing residents to notify local election boards if a resident is found to be voting improperly. In Georgia, citizen campaigns to challenge election registration date back to the 1940s, when white supremacists mobilized to prevent Black voters from accessing the polls. In modern times, however, these laws had not posed any widespread barriers to voters until recently.
“Voter challenge laws were originally intended for a bit of a different era,” said Andrew Garber, a lawyer at the Brennan Center for Justice who has been tracking mass voter challenges since 2021. “It was a way for one person to be able to say, ‘I have personal knowledge that someone is presenting to vote who is no longer eligible.’”
But in recent years, state legislators have passed sweeping election law changes, giving election conspiracy theorists greater power to challenge their fellow voters. SB 202, a 2021 election bill, codified the ability for any one person to challenge an unlimited number of voter registrations. Voting rights organizations have largely considered mass challenges to be voter intimidation tactic.
Oftentimes, she added, administrative errors interfere with a voter’s ability to cast a ballot. If the county fails to include a resident’s apartment number in their voter registration, for instance, they may be targeted by activists who accuse the resident of having duplicate voter registrations.
“This whole idea of challenges takes what may have been a government mistake and puts the burden back on the citizen who has done their duty and registered to vote,” Young said.
Though only a small number of people are routinely filing voter challenges, the open-ended nature of voter challenge laws has allowed these activists to cast a wide net. A 2023 ProPublica investigation found that nearly 90% of voter challenges filed since the passage of SB 202 — encompassing 89,000 voters — were submitted by just six people.
State Rep. Chas Cannon (R- Moultrie) will co-chair the Georgia Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, according to the Moultrie Observer.
Cannon will co-chair the caucus alongside State Representative Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville). Reps. Cannon and Dubnik have assumed the roles of caucus co-chairs following the announcement of State Representative David Knight’s (R-Griffin) retirement, marking the end of his 19-year legislative career. State Senator Russ Goodman (R-Cogdell) will continue to serve as the caucus co-chair in the Senate.
“As a lifelong hunter and lover of the outdoors, it is truly an honor to serve alongside Rep. Dubnik and Sen. Goodman as co-chairs of the Georgia Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus,” said Cannon. “As far back as I can remember, some of my most cherished memories are with my dad in an early morning duck blind, on a late afternoon dove field or in the clear and cold piney quail woods. Hunting and shooting have been, and continue to be, a significant part of my family’s tradition. I think it is vitally important for the sportsmen in our state to have legislators under the Gold Dome who are familiar with the outdoor pursuits of hunting, fishing, shooting and trapping. It’s equally important to have legislators who understand the policy issues surrounding those sporting activities. Georgia is home to some outstanding outdoor traditions, and I hope to continue protecting and promoting those. I want to thank Rep. Knight for his past leadership of the caucus, and I look forward to serving with Rep. Dubnik and Sen. Goodman in being a voice for Georgia’s sportsmen and women. Together, we will work to enhance sporting conservation policy and safeguard Georgia’s rich sporting heritage by ensuring the interests of hunters, anglers, recreational shooters and trappers are well-represented by pro-sportsmen legislators in the Georgia General Assembly.”
The Georgia Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, established in 2004, in coordination with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, continues to work directly with CSF and is united with other state-level sportsmen’s caucuses through the CSF-administered National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses. Since its inception in 2004, NASC has expanded to all 50 states and now includes more than 2,400 pro-sportsmen legislators from across the country.
Founded in 1989, CSF is the informed authority on outdoor issues and serves as the primary conduit for influencing public policy. Working with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus and NASC, CSF gives a voice to hunters, anglers, recreational shooters and trappers on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. and throughout state capitols, advocating on outdoor issues that support the nation’s conservation efforts.
Columbus-area Democratic activists are supporting Vice President Kamala Harris for President, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Grassroots organizers and community advocates in Columbus say they are ready to coalesce behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee after President Joe Biden stepped down.
Harris has done a good job in her role as vice president, Columbus native and political consultant Dominick Perkins told the Ledger-Enquirer.
“I think she brings a wealth of experience,” he said. “But I think she also brings some excitement.”
But Perkins, who previously worked for the Biden campaign in Georgia in 2020, has complicated feelings about Biden ending his reelection campaign.
“I have a little mix of sadness,” he said. “But a mix of excitement as well.”
Community advocate Oz Roberts is excited by the prospect of Harris being the Democratic nominee. He feels Harris would provide a “stark contrast” to former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party on key issues including women’s health.
The Ledger-Enquirer also profiled Georgia delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
The Moultrie Observer spoke to Colquitt County Republican Party Chair Dennis Futch, who was a delegate to the Republican National Convention.
“The convention had more energy at it than any convention since Reagan,” Futch said. “It was much more unified, much more enthusiastic than 2016.”
He said that there were 59 Georgia delegates and 59 alternates, which grew to somewhere around 200 people when the delegates’ guests were included.
Media outlets state that there were approximately 50,000 people in attendance at the RNC and Futch said that they were not “country club Republicans” but rank and file Americans.
“This was not a convention of rich people. The vast majority were ordinary people that worked in factories and stores and have sales jobs and every sort of thing that you can imagine. It was not the party of the elite,” he said.
He said that the average delegate had to spend at least $5,000 out of their own pockets to attend the convention and stay for the week, also including airfare and hotel.
“So, it’s a real big deal for some people,” he said. “But they love America enough to sacrifice for America.”
Futch said that he thought that the prevailing theme of the entire convention, and many of the speakers reinforced it, was, ”Now, we are the party of the blue collar worker.”
“The speakers at the convention were meant to portray you and me … had a lot of ordinary people speak,” he said.
“One of my favorite parts of the whole thing was Kai Madison Trump speaking for her grandfather. She was talking a lot about the Donald Trump that I personally know,” he said.
Futch also recounted a moment, in 2016, at an NRA convention that he had attended, where former President Donald Trump was in attendance, too. He said that when he was asked why he wanted to be president, he said, “I’m gonna make America great again for my grandchildren.”
The Georgia delegation was seated to the far left side of the stage and, he said, “When Trump was speaking, I was about 100 feet from him.”
Probably the only time in my lifetime that the Georgia delegation was to the far left of anything. But, I guess, that would have meant they were on the far right from the state.
Some African-American voters have mixed feelings about the Harris campaign, according to the Associated Press via WRDW.
A key Democratic constituency, Black voters were among Biden’s most steadfast supporters, even as calls for him to quit grew. But as much pride as many Black Americans feel about the possibility of Harris, who is of Black and Indian descent, becoming president, the upending of the race has some voters feeling scared.
“I felt like we were doomed,” said Brianna Smith, a 24-year-old school counselor from Decatur, Georgia, recounting her reaction to Biden’s announcement. “I don’t see America actually accepting the fact that a Black woman is running for president.”
The apprehension of some Black voters was reminiscent of 2008, when Barack Obama sought the presidency alongside Biden, the vice presidential candidate. Millions of Black people were proud of Obama’s candidacy even as they feared he wouldn’t be accepted by Americans overall.
Biden’s support of Harris and the immediate coalescing of other party leaders around her makes her the prohibitive favorite to replace him at the top of the presidential ticket. But in interviews in Atlanta, where voters helped flip Georgia for Democrats four years ago, some Black voters were nervous.
“People really don’t like women, especially Black women,” said Mary Jameson, 46. “If a white woman can’t win, how can a Black woman win?”
Carrington Jackson, a 23-year-old chiropractic student from Marietta, Georgia, said she immediately felt fearful when Biden dropped out. Though she believes Harris is a great candidate, she worries about her facing not only the popularity of the GOP nominee, former President Donald Trump, but the prejudices of the American public.
“With me being a Black woman, I understand that she’s at the intersection of sexism and racism,” Jackson said. “I think now that’s going to be a whole other battle, as well as competing against Donald Trump’s supporters.”
An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll fielded prior to Biden’s announcement Sunday found about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Harris would do well as president. More broadly, among all adults, the poll showed skepticism of Harris, with only 3 in 10 Americans saying she would do well as president.
But Black people were more likely to see Harris in a positive light.
In a show of enthusiasm about the vice president, more than 40,000 Black women participated in a Zoom meeting Sunday organized by a group called #WinWithBlackWomen. The call was held just hours after Biden’s announcement and participants raised more than $1.5 million for the Harris campaign.
McIntosh County is in court seeking to prevent a referendum on zoning changes that affect Sapelo Island, according to The Brunswick News.
McIntosh County asked a Superior Court Judge on Monday to stop the referendum process that began July 9 when a group of Sapelo Island residents petitioned the Probate Court seeking a vote that could repeal a Hog Hammock zoning ordinance.
Probate Court Judge Harold Webster, less than 36 hours after the county filed in Superior Court seeking a writ of prohibition, issued an order setting the countywide referendum for Oct. 1.
The referendum seeks to repeal a zoning ordinance passed by the McIntosh County Commission in September 2023 that allows homes built in Hog Hammock, also called Hogg Hummuck, to be as large as 3,000 square feet of interior space. That is more than twice the size of the previous ordinance, which allowed homes as large as 1,400 square feet of heated and cooled space, a rule the county commission said last year was unenforceable.
Webster is compelled by Georgia law to follow the referendum process under the Home Rule paragraph of the state’s constitution. It says that if 20% or more registered voters sign a petition seeking a countywide vote to amend or repeal local laws, the Probate Court judge must carry out the special election process.
But the county, which stated its views and opposition to the petition in a letter to Webster on July 15, says the petition and the referendum it prompted go against the allowable uses of the Home Rule paragraph because it seeks a vote on a zoning ordinance. The paragraph may not be used to overcome an act of the General Assembly, the filing says.
If the referendum petition were to be successful, the county argues, it would “substantially impair counties.”
“To interpret the petition and referendum process to allow for amendments or repeals of decisions pursuant to the zoning power, the Secretary of State would be required to publish every mundane zoning decision amended or repealed via the petition and referendum process,” the filing says. “That would be an absurdity. The Constitution of this State cannot be interpreted to result in absurdities.”
The referendum process, which was triggered when the petitioners filed July 9 with more than 2,300 signatures, will continue as a special election.
The question asked will be, “Shall the Action of the Board of Commissioners of McIntosh County, Georgia, amending the McIntosh County Code of Ordinances Appendix C Sec. 219 HH Hog Hammock District of the McIntosh County Zoning Ordinance be repealed?”
McIntosh County Probate Judge Harold Webster issued a scheduling order for a special election on October 1st regarding the most recent zoning decision.
Now, the McIntosh County Board of Elections has verified enough signatures on the petition to trigger a special election on October 1st.
I’m curious why the election wasn’t set for the same day as the November 5 General Election.
The Georgia Department of Transportation might acquire 21 homes and 44 business properties to add toll lanes to I-285, according to the AJC.
Toll lanes along the top end of the Perimeter and adjoining highways would displace 21 residences and 44 businesses, an environmental study has found.
The Georgia Department of Transportation also would acquire slivers of numerous other properties to build the toll lanes. And the project would increase noise in the area and have other adverse impacts, the study found, though GDOT would build noise barriers and take other steps to mitigate the effects.
The toll lanes along I-285 and portions of Ga. 400 and I-85 also would reduce travel times by 39% for motorists who paid to use them and 8% for those who drove in the “free” lanes, GDOT says. And the lanes would allow MARTA and other transit agencies to operate rapid bus lines on one of the busiest, most congested stretches of interstate highway in the country.
Construction of the project is years away, but GDOT has disclosed those and other details of the $9.5 billion project as it seeks public input and prepares to finalize the environmental study. The findings drew a mixed response from area residents who attended an open house on the project in Dunwoody last week.
Details of the project come from a draft environmental study prepared by GDOT and the Federal Highway Administration. GDOT plans to build two toll lanes in each direction along 19 miles of I-285 between South Atlanta Road and Henderson Road. Barriers would separate the lanes from regular traffic.
The project also includes toll lanes along 3.5 miles of Ga. 400 from the Glenridge Connector to the North Springs MARTA station and along 1 mile of I-85 from the Perimeter to Pleasantdale Road.
Lawrenceville City Council members voted 3-2 in favor of a budget that include a partial rollback of the property tax millage rate, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
The City Council voted 3-2 to approve the 1.032-mill increase to Lawrenceville’s property tax rate on Monday night. Council members Marlene Taylor-Crawford and Austin Thompson cast the votes against raising the millage rate.
The move means Lawrenceville will now have a millage rate of 3.26 mills, which will be applied to residential and commercial property values when tax bills are determined and sent out later this year.
“Years ago, in 1990, we were actually at 5 (mills) and we’re sort of in this mess now because we’ve had councils after councils after councils since 1990 roll back because it makes everybody happy,” Mayor David Still said.
“Nobody wants to pay extra taxes. We all live here. We would have to pay extra taxes given the current budget and millage rate proposal, but the thing is we’ve gotten so behind that any small amount is a large amount because we’re so low right now.”
One key contention in the debate over the millage rate increase was the financial impact for property owners.
The owner of a home with a fair market value of $350,000 would see their tax bill increase by about $144 while the owner of a non-homestead exemption property with a market value of $600,000 would see their tax bill increase by about $289.
City leaders have couched the increase for the $350,000 home by saying it would equate to about $12 per month.
Thompson countered on Monday by saying families who are struggling financially to meet living and medical-related expenses couldn’t afford even a small increase.
Habersham County Commissioners voted for an FY 2025 budget that includes a full rollback of the propert tax millage rate, according to AccessWDUN.
The budget’s highlight is a full rollback of the millage rate, with it being set at 11.771 mills. The overall decrease for the county is 0.845 mills.
“We realize times are hard for many people right now, and we have worked to find ways to offer a full millage rollback,” Habersham County Commission Chairman Ty Akins said.
The Habersham County Board of Education voted to keep its millage rate the same, setting it at 10.354 mills, bringing the total county millage to 24.157, down from 25.002 mills last year.
Cobb County Commissioners voted for a partial rollback of the property tax millage rate, according to the AJC.
The Cobb County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday kept its property tax rate steady in lieu of a rollback, and approved a $1.28 billion budget for the next fiscal year in a party-line vote.
Keeping the tax rate the same will result in more revenue due to increases in home values. That will help cover a 6.3% spending increase from this year’s budget. The next fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
The budget increase will go toward full-time positions that had been vacant and are now filled, along with increased pay for police officers, sheriff’s deputies and firefighters. The county filled a net total of 76 full-time positions between April 2023 and April of this year, but still has considerable vacancies hampering public safety departments.
The Democratic majority on the board approved the budget and millage rate while Republicans signaled their disapproval with two votes against both items.
“We do need to work on our process to see what’s not efficient,” said Republican Commissioner JoAnn Birrell.
Valdosta’s Board of Ethics recommended a private reprimand for a city council member, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
Following last week’s investigation, the Ethics Board of Valdosta has reached a recommendation regarding the formal complaint filed against Councilwoman Vivian Miller-Cody by Anetra Riley, the Neighborhood Development and Community Protections Manager.
Led by attorney Roy Copeland, the Ethics Board convened in executive session Tuesday to analyze each incident brought forward by Riley. Following the executive session, the board deemed all but one of the complaints frivolous.
The board found nominal merit in Riley’s complaint concerning Miller-Cody’s accusation of fund misappropriation within Riley’s department. This allegation prompted the board to recommend a private reprimand for Miller-Cody.
The Ethics Board’s recommendation will now be forwarded to Mayor Scott James Matheson and the Valdosta City Council for further consideration and potential action.
“We found that it had nominal merit, I think nothing more than the proverbial slap on the wrist is all that should occur,” Roy Copeland, chair of the Ethics Review Committee, said.
“Ms. Riley was heard and that’s the most important aspect of it that employees are listened to,” Alvin Payton, Jr., a member of the Ethics Review Committee Member said.
The Ethics Review Committee recommended that the mayor and council meet with Miller-Cody privately to discuss disciplinary actions.
Columbus City Council voted to approve the renaming of Carver Park to honor former City Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Evelyn Turner Pugh, according to WTVM.
The park will now be known as the “Honorable Evelyn Turner Pugh Park and Recreation Center.“ Pugh, who served on the Columbus City Council for over 30 years, was elected Mayor Pro Tem in 2007 and represented her community until her retirement in 2019.
This renaming request was submitted by her sorority, The Columbus, Georgia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.
Rincon City Manager Jonathan Lynn is taking voluntary leave, according to the Savannah Morning News.
The city of Rincon announced that City Manager Jonathan Lynn is taking a “temporary leave of absence from his position to focus on personal matters.” The announcement was made on the city’s Facebook page Friday, July 19.The post goes on to say, “During this period, Mr. Lynn will be taking necessary time off to prioritize his well-being. As the city wishes to respect Mr. Lynn’s privacy, no additional statements are intended to be made at this time regarding this matter.”Lynn has served as city manager since September 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile. Kevin Exley, Rincon’s Mayor Pro Tem, reassured residents that the city will continue to operate smoothly during Lynn’s absence.”We extend our full support to Jonathan during this time, and we wish him a swift and full recovery,” said Exley. “The City of Rincon assures residents and stakeholders that operations will continue uninterrupted. Regular updates will be provided, as necessary.”
Albany City Commissioners voted to name two finalists for City Manager, according to the Albany Herald.
In a unanimous vote, commissioners selected city CFO Derrick Brown, currently serving as interim city manager, and Terrell Jacobs, who was a finalist in 2015 when the commission ultimately selected former City Manager Sharon Subadan.
“I think both of them are real qualified,” Ward I Commissioner Jon Howard said of the picks.
Under state law, the commission must wait at least 14 days after selecting the finalists before taking a vote.
Gwinnett County’s District 3 Commissioner Jasper Watkins is hosting a forum to discuss fentanyl abuse, according to AccessWDUN.
Watkins will moderate the panel which will include Gwinnett Police Drug Unit Major Chris Marion, View Point Health Program Manager Amanda Moliterno, Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gaston and Community advocate Tasha Edwards, whose daughter lost her life to an accidental fentanyl overdose.
Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions. According to officials, subject matter experts from GNR Health, GUIDE, Inc. and Gwinnett Child Advocacy and Juvenile Services will be present in the audience.
The town hall will be held at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center Auditorium at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville.
Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz filed his petition contesting a recall effort too late, but the petition organizer must start again from scratch, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz’s petition for a court review of a recall effort targeting him has been dismissed on grounds that he did not file the petition in time to meet a deadline prescribed in state law.
Nonetheless, a 14-page final judgment filed Friday by Judge J. David Roper found that “Girtz filed his petition for review too late, and he is not entitled to relief on any theory presented” in his petition.
Under terms of Friday’s final judgment, the effort to seek a recall election can proceed. However, recall organizer James DePaola, a vocal Winterville conservative, must start from scratch with his effort to collect signatures on a petition for a recall election.
The mayor went on to say that regardless of whether Roper’s final judgment might have provided some reason to continue pursuing a challenge to the recall effort, he does not believe DePaola will be able to collect the thousands of signatures needed on his petition for a recall election.
Under state law, signatures from 30% of the voters registered at the time of the last election for the targeted official must be collected, and verified by local elections officials, before a recall election can be scheduled.
According to Athens-Clarke County Elections and Voter Registration Director Charlotte Sosebee, there were 71,350 registered voters in Athens-Clarke County at the time of the 2022 election that returned Girtz to office for a second term. To meet the 30% threshold, DePaola will have to collect 21,405 verified signatures within the 45-day limit prescribed in state law.
The final judgment in the case orders the local elections office to issue the recall petition forms to DePaola no later than July 31. DePaola said Monday that he plans to pick up the forms on July 30.
Given the number of signatures required, and the time constraint for collecting them, Girtz said Monday that he expects DePaola’s effort to fall short.
DePaola began his recall effort against Girtz following the Feb. 22 death of Laken Riley, an Athens nursing student, on a wooded trail near the University of Georgia’s Lake Herrick. An undocumented Venezuelan immigrant, 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra, is awaiting trial on murder and other charges in Riley’s death.
Personally, I think the required number of signatures is too high and should be set as a percentage of the number of voters who cast ballots in the most recent election for the individual against whom recall is sought.
Comments ( 0 )