On June 14, 1736, James Oglethorpe ordered plans to be drawn for a new city to be called Augusta.
A “Liberty Tree” was planted in Savannah on June 13, 1775 to symbolize support for independence. The first liberty tree was an elm in Boston that became a meeting spot for patriots, but Savannah’s was actually a Liberty Pole. In 2006, a seedling grown from the last of the original Liberty Trees on the campus of St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland was planted in Dalton, Georgia.
The Marquis de Lafayette arrived in South Carolina to assist General George Washington on June 13, 1775.
Happy birthday to the United States Army, established on June 14, 1775.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution, “the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white” and that “the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” One hundred years later, on June 14, 1877, was the first observance of Flag Day.
On June 13, 1966, the United States Supreme Court released its decision in Miranda v. Arizona. In Miranda, the Court held that a confession obtained by police without informing the suspect of his rights against self-incrimination (Fifth Amendment) and to the service of a lawyer (Sixth Amendment) was inadmissible.
Thurgood Marshall was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Lyndon B. Johnson on June 13, 1967.
As the NAACP’s chief counsel from 1938 to 1961, he argued 32 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, successfully challenging racial segregation, most notably in public education. He won 29 of these cases, including a groundbreaking victory in 1954′s Brown v. Board of Education, in which the Supreme Court ruled that segregation violated the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and was thus illegal. The decision served as a great impetus for the African American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s and ultimately led to the abolishment of segregation in all public facilities and accommodations.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed Marshall to the U.S. Court of Appeals, but his nomination was opposed by many Southern senators, and he was not confirmed until the next year. In June 1967, President Johnson nominated him to the Supreme Court, and in late August he was confirmed. During his 24 years on the high court, Associate Justice Marshall consistently challenged discrimination based on race or sex, opposed the death penalty, and supported the rights of criminal defendants. He also defended affirmative action and women’s right to abortion. As appointments by a largely Republican White House changed the politics of the Court, Marshall found his liberal opinions increasingly in the minority. He retired in 1991, and two years later passed away.
The New York Times began publishing excerpts from the “Pentagon Papers” on June 13, 1971.
After failing to persuade the Times to voluntarily cease publication on June 14, Attorney General John N. Mitchell and Nixon obtained a federal court injunction forcing the Times to cease publication after three articles.Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger said:
Newspapers, as our editorial said this morning, we’re really a part of history that should have been made available, considerably longer ago. I just didn’t feel there was any breach of national security, in the sense that we were giving secrets to the enemy.
The newspaper appealed the injunction, and the case New York Times Co. v. United States (403 U.S. 713) quickly rose through the U.S. legal system to the Supreme Court.
On June 18, 1971, The Washington Post began publishing its own series of articles based upon the Pentagon Papers; Ellsberg gave portions to editor Ben Bradlee. That day, Assistant U.S. Attorney General William Rehnquist asked the Post to cease publication. After the paper refused, Rehnquist sought an injunction in U.S. district court. Judge Murray Gurfein declined to issue such an injunction, writing that “[t]he security of the Nation is not at the ramparts alone. Security also lies in the value of our free institutions. A cantankerous press, an obstinate press, a ubiquitous press must be suffered by those in authority in order to preserve the even greater values of freedom of expression and the right of the people to know.” The government appealed that decision, and on June 26 the Supreme Court agreed to hear it jointly with the New York Times case.Fifteen other newspapers received copies of the study and began publishing it.
On June 30, 1971, the Supreme Court decided, 6–3, that the government failed to meet the heavy burden of proof required for prior restraint injunction. The nine justices wrote nine opinions disagreeing on significant, substantive matters.
Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government. And paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and sending them off to distant lands to die of foreign fevers and foreign shot and shell.
—Justice Black
The National Park Service seeks comments on proposed changes to Fort Pulaski near Savannah, according to the Savannah Morning News.
A new “Development Concept Plan” is looking to ease car and parking related issues, move facilities on the site and more to ensure the historic monument can meet its popular demand and be resilient to natural forces.
NPS’s Development Concept Plan (DCP) for Fort Pulaski National Monument will provide comprehensive guidance for addressing the park’s facility and infrastructure needs and aims to tackle a few of the national monument’s biggest challenges.
NPS stated that storms and sea-level rise are also exacerbating the physical decline of some “important” park facilities.
A new Civil Rights Trail historical marker has been placed commemorating Richmond D. Hill, the first Black Mayor in Georgia history, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
“The Richmond D. Hill historical marker commemorates the election of the first African-American mayor in Georgia,” GHS Marker Manager Elyse Butler said. “The marker illustrates the impact of the NAACP’s grassroots voter registration campaign, particularly in rural communities, in the 1973 election. We were pleased to add this historical marker to the growing GHS Georgia Civil Rights Trail.”
Following the federal passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, African Americans mobilized to increase African-American voter registration in rural communities. Hill, a local funeral director, entrepreneur, and activist, was among the founding members of the Meriwether County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Through the NAACP, Hill assisted the efforts to educate, organize, and register rural African-American voters.
In 1968, Hill was elected as councilman, becoming Meriwether County’s and Greenville’s first black councilman, a result that demonstrated the effects of the grassroots efforts. Hill’s successful mayoral campaign in 1973 made him the first African American to be elected mayor of a municipality in Georgia. A record number of elections across the country resulted in the appointments of black candidates that year, including two other trailblazing electoral wins in the state: Andrew Young, the first African-American U.S. Congressman since Reconstruction, and Maynard Jackson, the first African-American mayor of a major southern city in Atlanta. Hill served as mayor for nearly 10 years before retiring from public service.
The City of Richmond Hill is not named after the late Mayor Hill.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Governor Brian Kemp is leading a delegation to France and the country of Georgia, according to a Press Release.
On Tuesday, June 13, Governor Brian P. Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp will lead a delegation of state officials on an international mission, beginning in the Country of Georgia capital of Tbilisi and ending in Paris, France. This visit marks the first time a sitting U.S. governor has visited the Country of Georgia, as Governor Kemp demonstrates the state’s commitment to this ally. The overall mission will focus on reinforcing strategic partnerships while promoting economic development opportunities with industries in Europe.
“I’m looking forward to visiting the brave National Guardsmen stationed in the Country of Georgia as we meet with officials in that country to reinforce our commitment to our partnership with their military,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “That partnership has endured for over 28 years, as we remain a friend and ally to freedom-loving people around the world. I’m also eager to promote our No. 1 state for business to the job creators and major industry leaders we’ll meet during this busy trip. In all of the back-to-back conversations, we’ll be able to share why Georgia is the best state in which to invest and bring opportunity.”
The first leg of the foreign mission will include meetings with Country of Georgia Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Ms. Rian Harris, and Minister of Defence Juansher Burchuladze, among other dignitaries. While in the Country of Georgia, the state delegation will consist of Major General Tom Carden of the Georgia National Guard and Department of Defense, as well as representatives from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Governor Kemp and the delegation will conduct bilateral meetings with national officials, visit a humanitarian shelter built in partnership with the State of Georgia’s National Guard, meet with members of the Marietta Fire Department currently leading swift water rescue training exercises, and hold other meetings designed to strengthen the relationship between the state and the country.
“This historic visit reinforces the importance of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program,” said Major General Tom Carden, Adjutant General of the Georgia Department of Defense. “Our teammates from the Country of Georgia have fought shoulder to shoulder with us since 9/11. We are very excited about taking our partnership to the next level under Governor Kemp’s leadership.”
Governor Kemp and representatives from GDEcD will continue the mission with a second leg in Paris, France, to participate in the Paris Air Show. The delegation will meet with aerospace industry companies who have already invested in or are considering investing in the state. Through a packed schedule, the delegation will promote all the assets that set Georgia apart as the No. 1 state for business nine times over.
“Connectivity leads to business, and it starts with building relationships,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Missions reinforce these relationships and create new ones, opening the door for new opportunities. Georgia is a global logistics hub, with a diverse economy of global exporters. Leveraging our position in the international community bolsters our business ecosystems, drives trade, and fosters innovation.”
It’s the Republican’s third overseas trip since he won another term in office, and it comes as he seeks to raise his profile ahead of the 2024 race for president. Kemp in January participated in the elite Davos conference in Switzerland and recently returned from a trade mission to Israel.
Kemp’s office said his trip will be the first time a sitting U.S. governor has visited the nation of Georgia, a former Soviet republic in the Caucasus Mountains that’s in a perennial struggle with its giant Russian neighbor.
Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and holds military control of roughly one-fifth of its territory. But pro-U.S. sentiment is widespread in the urbane city of Tbilisi and much of the southern and eastern parts of the country, and the Georgian constitution makes clear its determination to join NATO. Pro-Ukrainian demonstrations have drawn thousands of Georgian demonstrators.
On the second leg of the trip, Kemp’s office said he has a “packed schedule” at the Paris Air Show, the biennial showcase that will draw the world’s biggest aviation companies. Delta Air Lines is among the state-based firms set to attend.
Gov. Kemp’s office also announced that the state retained the highest bond ratings for its General Obligation (GO) Bonds, according to a press release.
While beginning an international trip to promote Georgia as the No. 1 state for business, Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that the state has again secured the highest ratings of AAA with a stable outlook from each of the three main credit rating agencies: FitchRatings, Moody’s Investors Service, and S&P Global Ratings. Of the states that issue general obligation bonds, only ten currently meet this standard.
“I am proud Georgia’s responsible, conservative approach to budgeting has again allowed our state to secure the highest possible bond rating,” said Governor Kemp. “In the face of economic uncertainty on the national level due to bad policies coming out of Washington, D.C., our shared focus with the legislature on careful budgeting and strong economic development pipeline means Georgia will be a safe bet for job creators for years to come. These ratings enable us to save taxpayers millions of dollars each year with low interest rates for borrowing and they highlight the strength of our workforce and stability of our state economy. They also serve as the latest reminder of the results we are delivering every day to hardworking Georgians.”
Georgia’s upcoming sale of general obligation bonds will fund $671 million in capital projects and, if interest rates permit, also refund outstanding bonds to achieve debt service savings on a portion of the state’s outstanding debt. The majority of the bond proceeds will fund K-12 education, higher education, public safety, and economic development projects. The Peach State’s AAA ratings will enable the state to sell its bonds at the lowest possible interest costs when it takes bids for those bonds on June 27. The credit rating agencies’ individual ratings, which are AAA, Aaa, and AAA, respectively, are the highest ratings possible, and indicative of sound fiscal management.
Fitch, Moody’s, and S&P cited the strength of Georgia’s economy with a positive employment trend, full funding for the state’s rainy day fund, a balanced approach to primary revenue sources, and consistent funding of obligations as factors contributing to their rating scores.
United States Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Atlanta) wants to stop SkyNet before it starts rein in Artificial Intelligence, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Rome News Tribune.
Jennifer DeStefano of Scottsdale, Arizona, described the harrowing experience of getting a phone call from her daughter saying she had been kidnapped, only to discover later that her daughter was safe at home and she had been listening to an AI-generated “deepfake” of her daughter’s voice.
“I will never be able to shake that voice and the desperate cry for help from my mind,” DeStefano told the Senate Human Rights Subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. “There’s no limit to the evil AI can bring. If left uncontrolled and unregulated, it will rewrite the concept of what is real and what is not.”
In DeStefano’s case, police were unable to prosecute because she discovered the scam before any ransom was paid to the fake kidnappers. Thus, no crime was committed.
“This conduct should be criminal and severely punished,” Ossoff said after DeStefano’s presentation.
Ossoff described the growth of artificial intelligence technology as an “existential threat” on multiple fronts. It can be used to invade Americans’ privacy, disrupt labor markets by replacing jobs now being done by humans, influence the future of warfare, destabilize politics, and threaten the nation’s cybersecurity, he said.
Alexandra Reeve Givens, CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology, said AI technology is also being used in this country to violate human rights. She said Florida and Maryland have used it to identify protesters, while a Georgia man was held in a local jail for days due to a false AI identification.
Bulloch County Commissioners will consider an FY 2024 budget with higher revenues and a tax rate hike, according to the Statesboro Herald.
The Bulloch County government’s proposed fiscal year 2024 budget heads to a 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, public hearing with a projected increase in general fund revenue of $10.9 million, or 22%, including a suggested 1.75-mill increase in the property tax millage rate.
The proposed general fund budget projects $59.9 million in revenue, an increase of $10.9 million from the slightly more than $49 million originally budgeted for the current fiscal year. Meanwhile, expenditures are also projected to rise by about $10 million, to $60.9 million in fiscal 2024. The $1 million difference between projected revenues and spending reflects the assignment of $1 million of previously accumulated fund balance toward acquiring land for future county facilities, such as EMS and fire stations or a recreation building.
The overall budget includes an 8% across-the-board raise for most county employees, estimated to cost a little over $1.9 million. The exceptions are part-time seasonal employees, who got an increase last year. Within the general fund –the part of the budget supplied in part from property taxes – the county department heads and staff have budgeted to hire 31 full-time and three part-time employees to newly created positions at a cost of $2 million.
“Right now we feel like we are trying to catch up before we can grow,” the county’s Chief Financial Officer Kristie King said in an interview this week. “The two departments that are getting the most new employees are public safety – the sheriff and EMS.”
“So I know people are going to be very unhappy that they’re having to pay more to address the growth, but it’s really not that,” she said. “It’s trying to catch up on things that we probably should have been doing and haven’t been doing.”
The proposed 1.75-mill increase in the property tax rate is less than county staff members first thought would be needed to fund all of the things in this budget, King said. Officials had hinted at the possibility of an increase as high as 3 mills.
But property valuations, adjusted each year by the county Board of Assessors staff based on sales of comparable real estate, came in about 13% higher on existing property than last year, Chief Tax Appraiser Ronny Newton said in a recent interview. Real growth from construction, renovations and land development added about 5%, making the total increase in the value of the digest about 18%, he estimated.
But King and the county budget team based their tax revenue projection on a conservative estimate of 15% growth in the digest, and the proposed millage rate increase would be on top of that.
A 1.75-mill increase on the county government’s current 11.35-mill general property tax levy would be 15.4% rate increase. But atop the 13% property value inflation, this would compound to a roughly 30% increase in tax. Offsetting this, only for homeowners for the houses they live in and perhaps for this year only, a special state-funded $18,000 (in assessed value) additional homestead exemption promises a reduction of about $388 per household in most of Bulloch County’s unincorporated area, and more where city taxes apply.
“We’ve really got five big, main cost drivers, and the first is the level of service, particularly personnel,” [County Manager Tom] Couch said. “We’ve had a longstanding problem where we’ve never really funded our levels of service in alignment with our existing growth rates before Hyundai, particularly for personnel, and particularly for public safety.”
Tuesday’s hearing will be the budget hearing, not a tax increase hearing. If the commissioners approve a budget requiring an increase in taxes, they will later have to hold a series of three tax increase hearings before setting the millage rate.
Marshallville City Council seeks to remove Mayor Al Lane, according to 13WMAZ.
The last order of business Tuesday was a 3-2 council vote to take Mayor Al Lane back to court. In March, a Macon County Superior Court judge ruled the mayor may not make a unilateral decision for a year.
That came after the mayor purchased a nearly $123,000 backhoe without the council’s approval. The mayor says the council didn’t show up to the first few meetings of 2022, so he decided to resolve it himself. Still, Judge Jimmie Brown ruled Lane violated his duties as mayor.
Now, the council wants to remove Lane from office. The motion and vote took less than a minute.
“He continues to ignore the city charter as if it does not exist at all,” said Council Member Betty Rackley.
It’s not clear when the next court date will be, but the mayor says until then, he’s going to keep serving the city. That includes coming up with a budget that works for everyone.
Blakely City Council is investigating an alleged loan of city funds by Mayor Travis Wimbush to a former city employee, according to WALB.
Subpoenas for information will be issued Tuesday as the Blakely City Council investigates a loan reportedly made by Mayor Travis Wimbush using city funds.
[Blakely City Attorney Tommy] Coleman said the city council recently voted to investigate the loan and issue the subpoenas.
Coleman said the issue is a $4,500 loan of city money the mayor reportedly made to a now former police officer on June 23, 2022. The police officer recently resigned.
Coleman said when his office has received all documents and information, he will submit it to the city council. The council is comprised of four council members and the mayor.
The Bibb County Board of Education voted to adopt an FY 2024 budget, according to 13WMAZ.
[Chief Financial Officer Sharon] Roberts told 13WMAZ the total general fund is $250 million. It is higher than last year and state requirements were the reason for the increases.
In April, Governor Brian Kemp signed the state budget that would give teachers a pay increase. It is required that teachers receive a $2,000 salary increase.
“We want to focus on student achievement. You’ll see in the budget we did add additional school-level positions,” Roberts said.
Roberts said 47 more teaching positions will be added. That includes full-time and part-time teaching positions.
“$2,000 for all our certified, 2% for our classified, $1,000 for our custodians, $5.1% for our bus drivers, bus monitors, school nutritionist assistants, and other school nutrition workers,” Roberts said.At this stage, the budget won’t determine how much in property taxes you pay and that decision comes after they hear the final tax digest number and set a millage rate next month.
The Hall County Board of Education is considering a proposed FY 2024 budget, according to AccessWDUN.
The revenue for Hall County Schools came in at a projected value of $336.4 million, which is approximately $46 million more than FY 2023. The jump is attributed to increases in state and local sources, as well as investment income, according to school officials.
Projected expenditures for the budget came in at $340.3 million, which was an overall increase of $33 million from FY 2023. That hike in spending is due to several factors, including raises for many Hall County Schools certified staff.
Earlier this year, Gov. Brian Kemp proposed a $2,000 pay raise for teachers in the Peach State, which was passed by House leaders and takes effect July 1. That pay increase is impacting the pocketbook of Hall County Schools to the tune of $5.36 million, as presented in the FY 2024 budget proposal.
“Everything is costing more,” Hall County Superintendent Will Schofield said. “And I think any of us who have been to the grocery store or the gas station or had to pay rent already knew that. But just the increase in health insurance premiums alone will be $14 million this year. The $2,000 raise for certified employees, the $1,000 [raise] for our classified employees — and my goodness, how we know they need it.”
The Glynn County Commission Finance Committee considered changes to the short term rental ordinance, according to The Brunswick News.
The Glynn County Finance Committee will consider recommending changes to the short-term rental ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting.
Recommended changes include making the finance department the issuer of certificates instead of the community development department.
It is being amended to revise the definitions of “operator” and “occupancy” and to remove the use of a Certificate of Authority to revise the method of returning lodging taxes, to correct references to the county manager and for other purposes.
The changes make it broader, to include the owners of short-term rental homes.
The Georgia Department of Driver Services has issued more than 150,000 digital driver’s licenses, according to WRDW.
“Digital credentialing has quickly gained traction among our tech-savvy customers and has proven to be a game-changer in simplifying identification processes while increasing customer security,” agency chief Spencer R. Moore said.
Optional digital licenses and IDs are only accepted at select Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints, not by state troopers and local law enforcement officers. So you still need to carry your physical driver’s license.
Georgia residents must have a valid and easily readable Georgia driver’s license or ID card, as well as an iPhone 8 or later or Apple Watch 4 or later, with the latest version of iOS or watchOS. You must also have your device set to the United States.
A new state law requires wake-generating boats to maintain greater distance, according to the Gainesville Times.
[A] new Georgia law taking effect July 1 that requires operators of boats that create a wake capable of being surfed to be at least 200 feet from “virtually anything else,” Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokesman Mark McKinnon said.
It can’t be near “any moored vessel; any wharf, dock, pier, piling, or bridge structure or abutment; or any shoreline adjacent to a fulltime or part-time residence, public park, public beach, public swimming area, marina, restaurant, or other public use areas.”
The bill exempts intracoastal waterways, rivers or private lakes, as well as any regatta, boat race, marine parade, tournament or exhibition for which the DNR commissioner “has granted a marine event permit,” according to a May 24 press release on the National Marine Manufacturers Association website.
The sport “has become an issue for property owners and people who own and use docks,” said Rep. Victor Anderson, R-Cornelia, who introduced the legislation.
“We appreciate the leadership of Gov. Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly in passing this legislation,” said Ben Murray, manager of Southeast policy and engagement for the group. “This common sense legislation enhances safety and maintains the ability for every user group to share the states’ waterways while alleviating environmental impact concerns.”
Former Public Service Commissioner Stan Wise (R-Cobb County) was appointed to the Georgia State Ethics Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission by Gov. Kemp, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.
Wise, a Republican, was elected to the PSC in 1994 and served four consecutive six-year terms. Before that, he served on the Cobb County Commission.
Democrat Derrick Jackson is the apparent winner of yesterday’s runoff election for State House District 68, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
Mark Baker (D) 903 votes, 49.62%
Derrick Jackson (D) 917 votes, 50.38%
Cobb County Commission Chair Lisa Cupid (D) announced she will run for reelection, according to the AJC.
Cobb County’s first Black female commission chair announced this week she plans to run for reelection in 2024.
Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, the first Democrat to lead the county in decades, presides over the last of the major metro counties to shift to Democratic control in the midst of rapid political and demographic shifts in recent years.
At her annual state of the county address to the Cobb Chamber Monday, Cupid said she plans to run for reelection “even with some of the challenges that we’ve had.”
“I believe that I have the fortitude to be able to move our county forward and not shy away from having these hard conversations,” Cupid told business leaders at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre luncheon.
Cupid was first elected to the Board of Commissioners to represent South Cobb’s District 4 in 2012, where she served until she was elected countywide to be the board chair in 2020. That year, she defeated Republican Chairman Mike Boyce, marking the end of a Republican majority on the board.
Peachtree Corners Mayor Mike Mason will run for reelection, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
“Today I announce my reelection campaign as mayor of Peachtree Corners,” Mason said. “Serving as mayor has been an incredible honor, and I am committed to working diligently and earning the support of our city’s citizens for another four years as mayor.
“While significant progress has been made, more work remains to advance city-wide public safety, expand quality of life options for our citizens, and raise property values for homeowners.”
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