Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for June 17, 2019

On June 17, 1759, Sir Francis Drake claimed California for England.

On June 17, 1775, British forces under General William Howe engaged American colonists at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

On June 17, some 2,200 British forces under the command of Major General William Howe (1729-1814) and Brigadier General Robert Pigot (1720-96) landed on the Charlestown Peninsula then marched to Breed’s Hill. As the British advanced in columns against the Americans, Prescott, in an effort to conserve the Americans’ limited supply of ammunition, reportedly told his men, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” When the Redcoats were within several dozen yards, the Americans let loose with a lethal barrage of musket fire, throwing the British into retreat.

After re-forming their lines, the British attacked again, with much the same result. Prescott’s men were now low on ammunition, though, and when the Redcoats went up the hill for a third time, they reached the redoubts and engaged the Americans in hand-to-hand combat. The outnumbered Americans were forced to retreat. However, by the end of the engagement, the Patriots’ gunfire had cut down some 1,000 enemy troops, with more than 200 killed and more than 800 wounded. More than 100 Americans perished, while more than 300 others were wounded.

A distant ancestor of mine, John Logue, fought with the Americans at Bunker Hill, though he was not yet an enlisted soldier.

President Andrew Johnson appointed John Johnson (no relation) provisional Governor of Georgia after the Civil War on June 17, 1865; John Johnson had opposed secession.

France announced its intention to surrender to Germany on June 17, 1940.

Five men were arrested for burglary of the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate office and apartment complex in Washington, DC on June 17, 1972.

The affair began with the arrest of five men for breaking and entering into the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate complex on June 17, 1972. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) connected cash found on the burglars to a slush fund used by the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, the official organization of Nixon’s campaign.

In July 1973, as evidence mounted against the president’s staff, including testimony provided by former staff members in an investigation conducted by the Senate Watergate Committee, it was revealed that President Nixon had a tape-recording system in his offices and he had recorded many conversations.

After a protracted series of bitter court battles, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the president had to hand over the tapes to government investigators; he ultimately complied.

Recordings from these tapes implicated the president, revealing he had attempted to cover up the questionable goings-on that had taken place after the break-in.

Facing near-certain impeachment in the House of Representatives and equally certain conviction by the Senate, Nixon resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974. His successor, Gerald Ford, then issued a pardon to him on September 8, 1974.

Newton Leroy Gingrich was born on June 17, 1943 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Gingrich graduated from college at Emory University, where he founded the Emory College Republicans. Gingrich’s congressional papers are collected in the the Georgia’s Political Heritage Program at West Georgia College, where he taught before being elected to Congress. Also at West Georgia are the papers of former Congressmen Bob Barr, Mac Collins, and Pat Swindall, along with a near-perfect replica of Georgia Speaker Tom Murphy’s office.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

The AJC reports that the 2020 Presidential Preference Primary date has not yet been set because the state has not yet implemented new voting machines.

Georgia election officials won’t set the state’s presidential primary election date until new voting machines are in place.

The delay raised concerns from some county election directors who said they might have to move polling places if churches and other facilities get booked before an election date is announced.

The uncertain timing also creates the possibility that the presidential primary won’t take place until after many other states have already weighed in, potentially diminishing Georgia’s relevance in deciding each party’s candidate. The Georgia primary was held on Super Tuesday — the first Tuesday in March — in each of the past two presidential election years.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is holding off on deciding a date for the 2020 primary until the government completes its $150 million purchase of new statewide voting equipment, likely in July.

U.S. Representative Rob Woodall (R-Gwinnett) said he hasn’t read the Mueller Report, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

“I have not,” Woodall said. “I said when we started this conversation that I trusted Mr. Mueller. He took a lot of slings and arrows, but every U.S. attorney I knew said this is a man of great integrity … I have a concern when you put the entire power of the United State Justice Department behind anything. You can achieve an agenda. You can drive a message.”

“Volume II says after we’ve done 200 pages of research in Volume I, to say absolutely no conspiracy took place between the Trump administration and the Russian government, then Volume II goes to all the efforts they believe might have been involved to cover up the crime that never existed to begin with,” Woodall said.

The Association of County Commissioners of Georgia named Gwinnett County Commission Chair Charlotte Nash a County Leader of Distinction, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

The Rome News Tribune looks at some legislation that takes effect July 1, 2019.

Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome, sponsored the bill creating the Georgia Data Analytic Center. It will be a warehouse of information on people receiving state services.

Currently, the information is collected and housed separately by the various agencies. The GDAC will merge that data, which can be used to track trends, zero in on efficiencies and provide an overall picture to assist in policy-making.

Rep. Eddie Lumsden’s bill to extend the weapons permit renewal time for active duty military serving overseas becomes law July 1.

The Armuchee Republican also helped private nonprofit volunteer fire departments who are called to fires by people who don’t chip in for the service. They’ll be able to take out liens against non-subscribers to recoup their cost.

Brunswick and Glynn County elected officials will hear from a representative of the Census Bureau, according to The Brunswick News.

The Brunswick-Glynn County Joint Water and Sewer Commission and the Glynn County Elections Board are disupting a $35k bill for the 2016 runoff election, according to The Brunswick News.

“Joint water and sewer had an existing legislation on how they appoint members to the board. You have members appointed and elected positions. Initially, the (races for) elected positions were to be held in November elections,” former Elections and Registration Supervisor Tina Edwards said. “When state legislation pushed (non-partisan races) to the primary, JWSC submitted a new bill to mirror the state legislation.”

After the bill’s passage, the JWSC would hold its elections during primaries instead of general elections, and its runoffs would coincide with local primary runoffs, which the county pays for.

However, then-Gov. Nathan Deal didn’t sign the bill until nearly a day before the deadline to get new candidates on the primary ballot, Brunson said.

As a result, the utility held its 2016 race during the general election that year. Because no other local races went to a runoff, the utility’s race was the only one on the ballot. Because of that, the JWSC received a $35,000 bill to pay for poll worker labor, absentee ballot postage and rental fees, security and office supplies for polling places, among other things.

Bulloch County Commissioners are expected to adopt a FY 2020 budget, according to the Statesboro Herald.

Bulloch County commissioners are preparing to approve the fiscal year 2020 budget following a second public hearing during the upcoming commission meeting on Tuesday.

While the general millage rate will remain unchanged, the county will discuss a proposal to raise the millage rate for the rural fire district, which excludes the city of Statesboro and its surrounding five-mile district, which are taxed separately.

The Bulloch County Board of Education‘s new sex ed curriculum will discuss gender identity, according to the Statesboro Herald.

Bulloch County’s school system is rolling out a sex education curriculum that – in its second year, 2020-21 – will include gender identity and sexual orientation among lessons for ninth grade and in 2021-22 expand this to seventh and eighth grades.

The annual 10-day units of lessons during health and physical education classes in middle and high schools will address topics from the facts of the female and male reproductive systems in sixth and seventh grades to birth control methods in eighth and ninth grades. But abstinence is to be emphasized at every grade level, and sexual assault and violence prevention lessons are part of the curriculum for grades 7, 8 and 9.

“Because our teachers are new to teaching sex ed – not all of them but mainly our middle-grades teachers are new to teaching sex ed – we wanted to roll out the sex ed curriculum without gender identity and sexual orientation lessons the first year, because we felt like we wanted them to get comfortable with teaching the material,” Sarratt said.

Some Bulloch County seniors are asking for a property tax exemption, according to the Statesboro Herald.

A group of concerned senior citizens seeking exemption from local school taxes plan to attend Tuesday’s Bulloch County Commission meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the Bulloch County Annex.

Sen. Jack Hill, who said he was invited by area residents, also plans to attend the meeting and “listen to what my constituents have to say.”

A percentage of county taxes paid by property owners goes to the local school board. Some senior citizens are asking to be exempt from paying those taxes, as they do not have children in the school system.

And, in order to accomplish such an exemption, a local governing body would have to request it by resolution, and a state representative would have to introduce a bill in the state legislature, Scott said.

“The citizens would have to talk to the school board,” who would have to make the request to the legislature, he said. Then if it is approved by the school board, it would go to the governor to be signed, and returned back to the county for a referendum for voters to decide.

Bibb County and Houston County Boards of Education were recognized as 2019 Exemplary Boards by the Georgia School Board Association, according to the Macon Telegraph.

Savannah will unveil a new zoning ordinance this week, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The first public hearing on Savannah’s long-awaited new zoning ordinance will be held at the 2 p.m. June 20 city council meeting.

“Our zoning ordinance has never been overhauled to reflect the numerous changes that have occurred in the last 50 years,” said Bridget Lidy, director of Planning and Urban Design. “This proposal will simplify our zoning code and provide much needed updates to parcels of land that have seen their use change as Savannah has grown.”

Flowery Branch voters will choose a new City Council member on Tuesday, according to the Gainesville Times.

Voting will take place 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at City Hall, 5410 W. Pine St. Early voting ended Friday, June 14.

Ed Asbridge, Missy Brooks and Chip McCallum are vying for the office vacated in December 2019 by Mary Jones, who died May 2.

The winner will serve out Jones’ term, which ends Dec. 31.

Kesha Gibson Carter announced she will run for an at-large Board of Aldermen seat, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will hold hearings on regulations governing live-aboard vessels, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The new regulations are required after state lawmakers passed House Bill 201 regarding so called “live-aboards,” vessels on which boaters stay overnight or longer. The law authorizes the Board of Natural Resources to establish an anchorage permit and to establish where vessels can anchor.

Boaters and people who live along estuaries may want to weigh in, said Karl Burgess, assistant director of the DNR’s Coastal Resources Division. Comments can be made at a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. June 17 in Brunswick or in writing.

“The first thing the department will have to determine is where anchorage areas can be or maybe where they shouldn’t be,” he said. Burgess predicted that the likely outcome will be exclusion zones that prohibit anchoring within a certain distance of features such as docks or developed shorelines.

While the legislation was supported by the Georgia Wildlife Federation and Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Marine Boaters Association has concerns it outlined in a two-page statement it prepared to submit to the DNR.

It suggests that attended boats anchoring for less than 60 days shouldn’t be required to get a permit. GAMBA also “would not object” to a monthly anchorage fee of $40 or less with a 50 percent discount for seniors, military and veterans. The association requests that all coastal waterways be open to anchoring with specific restrictions it lists, including shellfish beds, navigation channels, and within 150 feet of marine infrastructure, including marinas, permanent moorings, boat yards, or other vessel launching or loading facilities.