Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for June 28, 2017

On June 28, 1742, Spanish forces based in Florida invaded Georgia.

On June 28, 1776, Thomas Jefferson’s second draft of the Declaration of Independence was presented to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

On June 28, 1887, John Pemberton patented Coca-Cola Syrup and Extract.

Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia on June 28, 1914, sparking the First World War.

The first production Corvette was assembled on June 28, 1953 in Flint, Michigan.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

The latest video from the “Real Teachers Real Voices” campaign was released by Gov. Nathan Deal’s office yesterday and features Jennifer Ulbrich, an educator at Charles R. Drew Charter School in Atlanta.

“Today’s pace of change is unprecedented. Our students will graduate into a global and dynamic world filled with emojis, robotic arms and the internet,” said Ulbrich. “It is my job to prepare them for that diverse future. Every day, I share my passion for social studies with young people, as I encourage them to think critically about the society around them. I am a teacher for the 21st century.”

Gov. Deal announced that SILON will invest $20 million in Forsyth County and bring 20 new jobs.

“Georgia’s top-ranked business environment continues to attract international firms like SILON to our state,” said Deal. “In choosing Fayette County for this facility, SILON will find the logistics infrastructure and well-trained workforce necessary to support customers in a range of industries. I’m pleased to welcome SILON to the growing number of international companies creating jobs for Georgians and investing in our communities.”

The facility will be used for manufacturing, warehousing and storage purposes. The newly created jobs include positions in engineering, management and production.

If you say “SILON,” I assume you’re talking about these guys.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced it has identified two new Fentanyl analogues that can be absorbed through the skin and are considered highly dangerous.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab in Cleveland, GA has identified two new fentanyl analogues, acrylfentanyl and tetrahydrofuran fentanyl.

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic drug evidence containing these two drugs to the crime lab in March of this year.  Acrylfentanyl had been on the GBI’s watchlist for the past few months. Multiple reports in other states indicated that the opioid reversal drug, naloxone, may not be effective if someone overdosed after ingesting acrylfentanyl.

Legislation was introduced this year to outlaw acrylfentanyl in Georgia.  The law banning the substance went into effect after passage by the Georgia General Assembly and the Governor’s signature on April 17, 2017.  At this time, tetrahydrofuran fentanyl is not covered under GA law.

It is unknown how the human body will react to both drugs since they are not intended for human or veterinary use.

WSB-TV reports that some of the new Fentanyl variants appear to be resistant to Naloxone (aka Narcan), the widely used countermeasure for drug overdoses.

Channel 2’s Tom Regan was at Northside Hospital Forsyth where he’s told they been overwhelmed by drug overdose involving heroin and fentanyl.

In one weekend in April, there were four overdoses in the county, two fatal, and Channel 2 Action News is working to learn if they’re link to this new drug strain

“There are multiple reports showing that this drug is resistant to Naloxone,” Nelly Miles with the GBI said.

Senator Renee Unterman (R-Buford) and Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Kathy Schrader sent a letter to U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue.

State Sen. Renee Unterman, a Republican from Buford, sent a letter to the office of U.S. senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue telling them that cuts to Medicaid funding would impact county and private EMS, emergency rooms and opioid treatment programs.

“Opioid abuse and confronting the epidemic is an issue that crosses state lines, cultures, ages and social classes,” Unterman said. “We must work together with our colleagues on the federal level to ensure this health care crisis is addressed and necessary funding is not eliminated.

“Our goal is to mobilize state leaders in raising awareness, improving our existing therapeutic infrastructure, changing Georgia state law and appropriating matching state and federal dollars to lead the way in fighting the opioid epidemic.”

Unterman, who chairs the Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, has played an active role in efforts to mobilize metro Atlanta’s northern arc counties — Gwinnett, Cobb, Hall, Forsyth and Cherokee — to combat opioid addiction in the area.

She will be hosting a press conference, along with Superior Court Judge Kathryn Schrader, on Friday to further bring awareness to the opioid epidemic and discuss next steps in combating it.

In Albany, Phoebe Putney Hospital is partnering with local agencies to form a new task force to fight opioid abuse.

“I think we’re kind of being on the proactive side, because we’re combating something before it gradually attacks our community,” Albany Dougherty County Drug Unit Major, Prurince Dice said.

During their first meeting on Tuesday, Dice talked about just how deadly some opioids could be especially fentanyl. In fact, he said just a very small amount of fentanyl, like the size of this ball point pen, is enough to kill someone.

Phoebe Hospital has partnered with Albany law enforcement to tackle the drug epidemic and want to really start with prevention. Leaders want to halt all drugs, not just opioids.

“Enforcing the law or focusing more on the crime reduction part may not necessarily be 100 percent the best solution for this type of epidemic,” Dice said.

Hospital Manager of Security, Emergency and Preparedness Gary Rice wants the police and hospital to collaborate on issues like drug use.

“A lot of things that go on inside of our hospital we have to work with our law enforcement partners on the outside and the same thing. They’re seeing things on the outside that may influence the way we have to treat people on the inside,” Rice said.

Local law enforcement officers are taking precautions when dealing with potential drug caches.

“With fentanyl popping up around here, you have to vigilant,” [Senoia Police Officer Christopher Black] said. “When you get this far along into your career, sometimes you have a tendency to be less cautious around drugs because you’ve been around them for so long. But now it’s to the point where you’re always on edge and taking every precaution to protect yourself.”

[Senoia Lt. Jason] Ercole sent an internal memo to all officers at the Senoia Police Department, requiring gloves when dealing with all narcotics.

Anything suspicious is immediately sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab….

In an attempt to stay ahead of the curve with the current opioid crisis, Ercole also purchased 16 Narcan kits for $1,200 and hopes he can make room in the budget for more next year. Each officer will have two doses of the spray.

GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said the rise of synthetic drugs is one of the greatest dangers first responders are currently facing.

“So many situations involve fire departments and police departments, where every day they are doing opioid reversals thanks to Naloxone,” she said. “But they have to call in the fire department to decontaminate the area in the same fashion what would be required in a hazmat situation.”

“When it comes to these kinds of drugs, there’s no consistency how it can come or what it looks like,” the GBI’s Miles said. “Every case needs to be treated like it could be fentanyl.”

Congressman Rob Woodall (R-Gwinnett) and Rep. Jody Hice (R-10) lauded the EPA’s move to reverse its Waters of the United States rule.

The Obama Administration’s Waters of the U.S. rule attempted to replace the judgment of Forsyth and Gwinnett County government with a federal bureaucracy’s, and that misguided notion was always the problem,” [Woodall] said. “The issue is not whether we should protect our resources and be good stewards of the environment — we all agree we should — the issue is where that authority resides: Washington or here at home.

“No one cares more about water quality in our community than those of us who call it home, and the Administration’s decision today gives us the tools that we need here at home to protect it.”

Hice said on Facebook, “Ambiguous rules that regulate virtually every puddle and pool subject farmers and ranchers to undue burden. I applaud today’s action by the Trump Administration and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to rescind the #WOTUS rule.”

Congressman Rick Allen (R-Augusta) also issued a statement on the so-called “WOTUS Rule.”

“The WOTUS rule was flawed from the beginning, and I applaud EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s action to rescind this regulation. WOTUS was yet another attempt by the previous administration to undermine the rights of states, local governments and landowners by allowing the federal government to regulate backyard streams and puddles.

“Our farmers work each and every day to care for our land and preserve it for generations to come. I am happy to see the Trump Administration empowering America’s farmers and taking another step towards removing the overreaching hand of government from their everyday lives. In February, I introduced H.R. 1105, legislation to repeal the WOTUS rule and now that the EPA has rescinded the rule, Congress must codify this language to ensure WOTUS can never become a reality under any future administrations.”

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr also joined the press release party.

Attorney General Chris Carr today applauded the action of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in beginning to withdraw its 2015 rule defining “waters of the United States” (the WOTUS Rule).

“This is a significant step in addressing the WOTUS Rule’s sweeping assertion of authority, which unlawfully impinges on the State’s traditional role as the primary regulators of land and water resources,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “We look forward to EPA’s final action to withdraw the 2015 WOTUS Rule, providing relief for Georgia homeowners, farmers and other entities.”

Congressman Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) is working to increase funding for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project.

Led by U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, the entire bipartisan delegation urged the House Subcommittee on Energy and Water to give a special priority to the Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program, making additional funds available to keep the project on budget.

“The Army Corps of Engineers estimates that without annual funding of $80 million to $100 million, the project cannot be completed on time, with the resulting delays costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars,” Carter said.

The letter, signed by every member of the delegation, noted that the budget request, both for SHEP and the overall Army Corps Construction Account, “is well below the minimum required to facilitate the international trade and domestic job growth that is key to restoring fiscal and economic health to the nation.”

The Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission released short list of nominees for vacancies on the States Court of Bibb County and Clayton County.

Emory University has filed a petition to have its Druid Hills campus annexed into the City of Atlanta.

The university, including its health care facilities on the Druid Hills campus, will remain in DeKalb County, and upon approval of the petition, will also be part of the City of Atlanta.

According to Emory President Claire E. Sterk, annexation into Atlanta will complement the university’s commitment to local, and thereby global, engagement, while continuing to contribute to both jurisdictions.

“We are enriched by our relationships with the county and the city as well as the larger region and the state and look forward to building upon our commitment to community involvement, academic excellence, innovation and entrepreneurship,” says Sterk.

Next steps in the process include the city’s regular public meeting process for annexations. It is expected that the annexation will be effective in the fall of this year.

From the AJC:

The news comes as city and MARTA officials prepare discussions on the millions in transportation spending expected to be come as a result of last year’s approval of an almost penny sales tax increase for roads, sidewalks and public transportation improvements.

Light rail connectivity from MARTA’s Lindbergh Station to Emory’s Clifton Road corridor and nearby Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been discussed as a top spending priority.

“As an Emory graduate, I would be delighted if the annexation process is completed and they are a part of Atlanta,” said City Councilwoman Mary Norwood. “That is good news for them and good news for Atlanta.”

DeKalb Commissioner Jeff Rader expressed concern that others could follow Emory’s lead and potentially “destabilize” the region. He wants Atlanta to agree not to allow piecemeal annexations of neighborhoods or shopping centers, and worries that Emory’s decision could impact future transportation agreements.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has been recognized in the U.S. News ranking of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is nationally ranked in 10 pediatric specialties. The facility ranked highest, No. 6 in nephrology, along with No. 11 in gastroenteroloy, No. 13 in cancer treatment, and No. 15 in neonatology.

Glynn County beachgoers are being warned to stay out of the water in some areas.

The Glynn County Board of Education adopted a FY 2018 budget that includes raises for teachers.

The Glynn County Health Department issued advisories for East Beach at the old Coast Guard station (from Tenth Street to Driftwood Drive) and Massengale Park Beach (from Driftwood Drive to Cedar Street) on St. Simons Island.

The advisories do not impact any other beaches on the island and do not mean the beaches are closed.

Officials said there is no way of knowing if going into water that is under an advisory will result in illness; but, the beach water advisory is issued to alert the public of a possible risk of illness associated with water contact.

The Glynn County Health Department recommends beachgoers not swim or wade in the water in the areas under advisory.

Fish and other seafood caught from the areaa should be thoroughly washed with fresh water and thoroughly cooked before eating, as should fish or seafood caught from any waters.

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge swamp fire was extinguished by heavy rain.

A wildfire that consumed more than 152,000 acres in and around the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has been extinguished thanks to more than 10 inches of rain the past two weeks.

At its peak, more than 1,000 wildfire firefighters from across the country battled to contain the flames within the boundaries of the wildlife refuge and adjoining forests in North Florida.

Scott Cordero, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, said anywhere from 12 to 17 inches of rain have fallen on the swamp the past 30 days.

Clermont and Lula will not levy property taxes in the coming year.

With expenditures of $434,600 in its recently approved fiscal 2017-18 budget, Clermont balanced its budget through sales and use taxes or fees — without a property tax.

Clermont Mayor James Nix said the town levied a property tax soon after it was established in 1913, but has done without it for many years.

“They had a property tax at one time in the early days, I know that,” Nix said. “They haven’t had one in the past 30-40 years. I haven’t looked at the records to see when it was they had one.”

Instead of property taxes, Nix said Clermont — with a population of less than 1,000 residents — gets it revenues from a local option sales tax ($137,500), franchise fees, insurance premium taxes and “odds ’n ends.”

Lula Mayor Milton Turner is proud that during his 16-year tenure in office the city has kept its tradition of doing without property taxes to balance the budget.

“That’s the great thing about being here (in Lula) where we’re able to do this and roll back our taxes to zero,” Turner said recently, after the city approved a budget that slightly went over $1 million.

Lula Mayor Pro Tem Marvin Moore said property taxes may be inevitable in the future as the city continues to offer more services.

“We’re going to hold to (no taxes) as long as we can,” Moore told The Times. “We’re hoping our growth will sustain us.”

Revenues from Lula’s local option sales tax (more than $400,000) anchor its general fund budget, which also pulls in from an assortment of selective sales, use taxes or fees.

Floyd County will receive $1.9 from the state for transportation infrastructure next year.

Columbus City Council is considering spending $1 million to provide larger employee bonuses.

Houston County Commissioners approved their FY 2018 budget, but has not yet set the property tax rate.

Local Electeds (Allegedly) Behaving Badly

Former DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson has been indicted for allegedly pocketing $3000 in advances from the county government.

A grand jury indicted former DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson with theft Tuesday after he receiving about $3,000 in advances for government trips that he never took.

Watson withdrew advance checks in January 2016 for conferences in Chicago and Savannah, but then he resigned from office in March 2016 to run for DeKalb Tax Commissioner.

“The state alleges the expense money w as then converted to personal use and not repaid until approximately one year later, well after Watson’s resignation,” according to a press release from [DeKalb County Solicitor General Sherry] Boston’s office. “County policy requires any funds advanced for travel but not actually used for said travel be returned to the county immediately.”

Varnell City Council member Sheldon Fowler was booked on charges of simple assault, simple battery against a law enforcement officer and disorderly conduct and has been released.

Fowler cursed Varnell Police Chief Lyle Grant and another city officer and poked them in the chest with his finger when they responded to a domestic incident at Fowler’s house on June 13, according to an incident report filed by Grant. In that report, Grant wrote that “officers were tolerant of his behavior because of his position on the Varnell City Council.”

Fowler was not arrested at the time.

From the Valdosta Daily-Times,

During the initial call to the Whitfield County 911 center, Sheldon Fowler’s wife described the scene Varnell Police Department officers would find when they arrived at the couple’s home around 12:45 a.m.

“My husband is drunk and half naked, will not leave my daughters alone, won’t go into his room and go to bed,” Stephanie Fowler said in the call. “I need someone to come assist.”

After giving her home address, she told the 911 operator her husband was on the Varnell City Council.

“He doesn’t deserve to be on the City Council,” she said. “It is ridiculous. But he shouldn’t be threatening people.”

“He is drunk, he has been half naked, he is falling in the floor, he’s knocked over chairs,” she said. “He won’t get out of my daughter’s room — either one of them. He won’t leave them alone so they can get a shower. He’s been calling her a fat retard, which she is special needs. He is calling names, and he just won’t go to bed. He is slurring his words, he won’t go to bed. And I can’t do anything with him.”

Henry County Commissioner Bruce Holmes allegedly flashed a badge during a confrontation over parking.

Forsyth County Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills is accused in an ethics complaint of failing to preserve text messages sent to her personal phone.

Forsyth County resident Rene Guidry filed the complaint against Mills claiming the commissioner “violated the Georgia [Open] Records Act on multiple occasions by deleting text messages between her, developers with pending zoning issues, other county commissioners and zoning attorneys.”

According to the county policy, messages documenting the formulation and adoption of policies and procedures and the management of agency programs or functions — for example case file management, constituent correspondence, periodic reports or budget documents — must be retained long term.

[Mills’s lawyer E. Logan Butler] maintained that Mills denies violating the Forsyth County Ethics Ordinance and the Georgia Open Records Act.

Mills spoke as a witness and said while she deleted every text message prior to the initial complaint filed in March, it was due to a limited amount of storage on her cell phone. She went on to say due to issues with her county-issued cellphone including spotty service, it was easier for her to give out her personal number to communicate with constituents.

She acknowledged that while she should have kept any substantial messages, she said she believes there weren’t any worth keeping.

Butler said that Guidry was unable to provide evidence that a violation occurred and the complaint was mostly speculative.

Ethics in Government

The Georgia State Ethics Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission upheld a decision finding that a conservative activist in Cherokee County violated campaign disclosure rules.

The five-member state ethics commission has upheld a decision by an administrative law judge ruling local tea party activist Carolyn Cosby committed multiple ethics violations as the head of several Cherokee County-based conservative political groups and ordering her to pay $30,000 in civil penalties.

However, Cosby said the commission’s decision not to change the judge’s decision “declares her guilty for election violations without ever having a final hearing,” leading her to file an appeal on Monday.

Cosby’s attorney Stephen Humphreys told the Tribune Tuesday that the ethics commission had 30 days from the judge’s ruling to hear the case and make the final decision, but on June 14 they ruled that 30 days had already passed and by law the judge’s decision would be upheld without further consideration.

Humphreys said the next step is appealing the commission’s decision to Fulton County Superior Court, which Cosby’s attorneys did on Monday.

The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled against former Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, who sought dismissal of campaign finance charges dating from the 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

A Superior Court judge last year rejected Oxendine’s bid seeking dismissal of the state ethics commission complaint and ruled that the ethics panel should decide the case.

The Georgia Court of Appeals has concurred with the court’s ruling that the ethics commission should get a shot at finally completing the case.

Oxendine’s attorney, Douglas Chalmers, said his client has filed notice that he will appeal the case to the Georgia Supreme Court.

Oxendine, a lawyer, has argued that delays in his case — which began in 2009 — have harmed his professional and personal reputation, and the courts, rather than the commission, should decide the case.