Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for June 5, 2018

According to “This Day in Georgia History, on June 5, 1775, the first Liberty Pole in Georgia was raised in Augusta, Georgia. Another account holds that the first Liberty Pole in Georgia was raised June 4, 1775 at Tondee’s Tavern in Savannah. Those who fly the “Appeal to Heaven” flag should know that it has some common history with Liberty Poles.

Light Horse Harry Lee, later the father of Robert E. Lee, led a group of Continental soldiers, South Carolina and Georgia militia as the British surrendered Augusta on June 5, 1781. The capture of Augusta led to Georgia’s inclusion in the United States, though it had previously been so divided between Patriots and Loyalists that Georgia was the only American colony to not participate in the First Continental Congress.

The Republican National Convention met in Philadelphia on June 5, 1872, nominating Ulysses S. Grant for President the next day. Twelve years later, on June 5, 1884, William T. Sherman refused the Republican nomination for President, saying, “I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected.”

Republican candidate for Governor A. Ed Smith died in a car accident on June 5, 1962.

Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot after winning the California Primary on June 5, 1968 and died the next day.

President Ronald Reagan died on June 5, 2004.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Nathan Deal announced state appropriations of $28 million for local governments.

Following guidance from the Department of Revenue (DOR), which Friday, June 1, announced it will suspend collection of local jet fuel sales tax in order to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, Gov. Nathan Deal today announced $28 million will be made available to 48 communities with airports. The funding, included in the amended FY2018 budget, will be provided to local government airport sponsors through a Department of Community Affairs (DCA) grant.

“Today, Georgia has taken critical action to ensure our federal funding is not jeopardized and local governments that rely upon local jet fuel sales tax are made whole,” said Deal. “In light of DOR’s announcement, which brings Georgia into compliance with the federal government, I’ve allocated $28 million to assist the 48 local governments affected by suspension of the local sales tax. The grants, based on the remaining time and monthly average of each community’s Special Local Option Sales Tax, will be disbursed by DCA by the end of this fiscal year.”

Today’s announcement by DOR brings Georgia into compliance with the 2014 FAA rule on taxation of aviation fuel. This FAA rule affects local sales taxes authorized and collected after 1987 on the purchase of jet fuel. Read the DOR bulletin here.

The AJC reports that Georgia’s economy is ranked the ninth-best in the nation by WalletHub.

During the past year, Georgia’s economy has added 67,100 jobs, growth of 1.5 percent.

Georgia’s unemployment rate is currently 4.3 percent, down from 4.9 percent a year ago and 10.6 percent in 2011.

Education is not a strong suit: Georgia ranks 40th among states in the share of adults who have at least a high school diplomas, according to the Census Bureau.

But when averaged out, Georgia had enough strengths to rank as the ninth-best economy, ahead of all other states in the Southeast. Georgia ranked three notches ahead of North Carolina.

Nick Bowman of the Gainesville Times writes about Casey Cagle’s campaign opening a Hall County headquarters.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle will officially open his Hall County campaign headquarters on Saturday in Gainesville.

“As a seventh-generation Hall county native, I’m excited to open up our new Hall County office,” Cagle said in a Monday, June 4, announcement. “Our momentum continues to build across the state, and I know the work done from our Hall County office will only reinforce that support. Nita and I look forward to meeting with voters on Saturday.”

Cagle will open the new office during the event, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

He’s also set to speak at the Hall County Republican Party monthly forum at 9 a.m. Saturday at 715 Queen City Parkway.

This is important, because in the 2010 Gubernatorial primary runoff election, Nathan Deal beat Karen Handel by 2,519 votes statewide while increasing his vote total from Hall County by 4007 ballots. Thus, Hall County, home of Deal and of Cagle, provided the decisive margin in the last Republican Primary Runoff for Governor.

Bowman also writes about competing polls released by Cagle and his Republican rival, Brian Kemp.

On Monday, June 4, Cagle released an internal poll (meaning his campaign paid for it) showing he’s ahead 52-42 against Kemp, with only 5 percent of voters undecided — well below the 30 percent or more undecided voters registered in most of the polls before the May 22 primary.

Cagle’s poll, from McLaughlin & Associates of Alexandria, Virginia, is a survey of 500 voters likely to cast a ballot in the runoff. The poll reports that 71 percent have a positive opinion of Cagle while 64 percent have a positive opinion of Kemp.

The internal poll from Cagle suggests voters think the lieutenant governor is in a better position to beat Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams in November. Voters surveyed said 57 percent to 28 percent that Cagle has a betters shot against in the fall against Abrams, who has been endorsed by Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and just about every other Democrat with a national profile.

Cagle’s poll also shows tremendous approval ratings for Republican leaders at the state and national level. More than 75 percent of Republican voters approve of Gov. Nathan Deal, while only 13 percent have an unfavorable opinion — while 8 percent have no opinion.

The numbers are even greater for President Donald Trump, who is apparently a titan among likely Republican primary runoff voters. Some 91 percent of voters approve of him, while only 8 percent disapprove.

Greg Bluestein of the AJC has more on the Cagle poll:

It’s the third set of internal polls released in a week by the three rival candidates.

Abrams released a poll last week indicating she’d pursue a general election message focused on the economy and healthcare. And a Kemp poll over the weekend showed a neck-and-neck race and highlighted support from voters who backed two also-rans in last month’s primary.

A separate poll conducted by Citizens for Georgia’s Future, a pro-Cagle outside group that can’t coordinate with his campaign, also released a poll Monday that showed Cagle with a 44-38 lead over Kemp.

“Casey has weathered the storm of attacks on him quite well,” said the group’s spokesman, Dan McLagan, who hinted at a coming barrage against Kemp.

“The storm of truth about Kemp’s lousy record is coming in on the radar as we speak.”

The Washington Post writes about Gainesville and its role in politics.

Republican candidates across the country have embraced President Trump’s hard-line views on immigration in this year’s midterm elections, talking about keeping out illegal immigrants and raising fears of gang-related crime. But in this city in northern Georgia, the issue often feels more complicated, more immediate and more personal.

Gainesville, about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, has long been a destination for immigrants seeking work at poultry processing plants, construction sites and factories. More than 40 percent of the city’s 40,000 residents are Hispanic, and one in four was born in another country, according to the latest U.S. Census estimates. Some of the immigrants who call Gainesville home are in the country illegally.

It’s an interesting article, worth reading in its entirety.

Jill Nolin with CNHI has reactions from the Gubernatorial candidates to the U.S. Supreme Court decision announced yesterday.

“The Supreme Court confirmed what we already knew: The Constitution protects religious exercise and expression,” Cagle said Monday. “There’s no clause that says ‘unless the left deems it offensive.’”

From Kemp: “As governor, I’ll stand up to the radical left and politically correct. We will never apologize for protecting religious liberty and living out our faith.”

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, has said she would veto measures that she says enshrine discrimination in state law.

“Under my leadership, every Georgian will know they can live and work in a state that will treat them with dignity, respect, and allow them to prosper, no matter who they are,” Abrams said Monday.

The AJC includes more reactions to the Supreme Court holding.

Brant Frost V, a Coweta County GOP chair and advocate for the legislation, said support for the measure has only ballooned as Republicans hash out their nominee for governor.

“This is an encouraging sign and we’re seeing a serious push by the left get thwarted,” said Frost. “Next year is the year. We have the best chance we’ve ever had, and this Supreme Court ruling didn’t do anything to dampen that.”

Congressman Jody Hice (R-Green County) endorsed Brian Kemp in the Republican Primary Runoff for Governor. From the Kemp campaign:

“Brian Kemp is a man of character, integrity, and unshakeable faith,” said Congressman Hice. “As Secretary of State, Kemp stood up for our conservative, Georgia values. He took on President Obama and the left. Kemp doesn’t back down or compromise his principles.”

“Brian has done a great job of supporting Nathan Deal’s efforts to make Georgia the number one state in which to do business. As Georgia’s next governor, Brian Kemp will continue to advance policies that strengthen our economy, protect our families, and ensure a bright future for our state.”

“Kemp will defend our rights, fight for life, and put hardworking Georgians first. I am proud to endorse Brian Kemp for governor and look forward to campaigning with him in the weeks and months ahead.”

Republican Senator David Shafer announced on Facebook that his campaign for Lt. Governor has been endorsed by Senate Majority Leader Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) and the Republican Senate Caucus.

Mark Niesse of the AJC writes that partisan control of most state legislative seats has already been decided in the Primary elections.

There will be 95 Democrat-versus-Republican races across the state in the Nov. 6 election for the Georgia General Assembly, according to a count by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The remaining 141 legislative seats aren’t contested in the general election.

Still, there’s certain to be some election-year turnover at the Georgia Capitol, where Republicans control almost two-thirds majorities in both the state House and Senate.

Twenty districts will have new representation because incumbents didn’t seek re-election or ran for higher office. Eight incumbents lost their re-election bids during the May 22 primary election to rivals within their own political parties.

In all, 132 of the 236 seats in the Georgia General Assembly were contested before last month’s primary election. The primary determined the outcome of 37 seats where the winner doesn’t face an opponent from the opposite party in November.

Eight legislative races are heading to primary runoffs July 24. All the winners of the runoffs will have competition in the general election.

The Henry County Board of Elections will meet Wednesday and decide early voting dates for the Primary Runoff Election, according to the Henry Herald.

On the local level, a seat on the Henry County State Court and the District 4 seat on the Henry County Board of Education are up for grabs.

The State Court seat will be contested between Chaundra Lewis and David Brown, the top two vote-getters in the May 22 election. Lewis ended the first round of elections with 41.82 percent of the vote, or 11,375 votes out of the 27,201 that were cast.

Brown finished the election with 22.57 percent of the vote, or 6,138 votes.

In the District 4 race, Donna McBride, the incumbent, will contest the race against Sophe Pope. The two were separated by a mere 64 votes out of the 5,860 that were cast.

McBride wound up with 38.11 percent of the vote, or 2,233 votes, while Pope ended up with 37.01 percent of the vote, or 2,169 votes.

The other local race in Henry County to go to a runoff will be the Democratic primary for the District 111 seat in the Georgia House of Representatives.

Greg Bluestein with the AJC looks at ballot questions placed by county political parties on primary election ballots last month, among the highlights:

•  In Harris and Pierce counties, about two-thirds of GOP voters want medical marijuana decriminalized. And roughly the same proportion oppose legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.

•  In Lumpkin County, a whopping 90 percent of Republicans support a border wall.

•  And in Pierce County, in southeast Georgia near Waycross, about one-quarter of Republicans want the counties south of Macon to join to “form the 51st state of South Georgia.”

WSB-TV reports that Attorney General Chris Carr’s office does not plan to charge the City of Atlanta for Open Records Act violations.

Chatham County notched more Bald Eagle nests than any other Georgia county, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Chatham County is number one in the state again for the number of bald eagle nests found countywide, with a tally of 27 nests this year. That’s up from 22 last year, also a state high. The next closest county surveyed was McIntosh with 13 nests.

Chatham’s total included a rare ground nest discovered among the wrack on Cabbage Island, southwest of Tybee Island. That was the first known ground nest of a bald eagle recorded in Georgia. It didn’t contribute to the fledgling totals, however. The nest failed sometime in late March.

Three to four other nests were either substantially damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Irma last fall. However, 11 new nests were found, including five on the coast.

DNR works with landowners to help protect bald eagle nests on private property. Although de-listed from the Endangered Species Act in 2007, eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and state law. In Georgia, the species is state-listed as threatened.

The Chatham County Board of Education is considering a property tax hike of more than 15 percent, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The increase of 2.558 mills equals a 15.67 percent jump in property taxes. A home with a fair market value of $187,500 with a homestead exemption will have to pay an additional $191.85. The increase will result in a total school board millage rate of 18.881.

The school board will hold a first vote on the budget at Wednesday’s regular meeting. Public hearings on the tax increases will also be held on June 13 at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. and again on June 20 at 6 p.m. The board meetings and public hearings will all be held in the board room at the Whitney Administrative Complex, located at 2 Laura Avenue in Savannah.

Developers say parking issues in downtown Augusta are preventing growth, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

Downtown developers approachied the Augusta Planning Commission on Monday seeking relief from parking requirements they say are stifling growth. Bryan Haltermann said the parking ordinance has kept him from developing his property at 9th and Broad streets for about six months.

Two developers seeking to create residential space downtown approached the Augusta Planning Commission on Monday seeking relief from the requirement to provide parking.

While Bryan Haltermann was able to compromise with staff on providing the parking nearby his building on Ninth and Broad streets, Joseph Smith said he could not do what staff had asked him in providing parking for his building on Eighth Street and insisted the commission give him a pass until the city works out its overall downtown parking plan. He got a continuance until next month’s meeting.

Gwinnett County Public Schools will offer free breakfast and lunch to school-age children at 58 locations this summer, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

The Dougherty County Commission is considering a $67.9 million dollar FY 2019 budget, while the Dougherty County Board of Education consider a $236.6 million dollar FY 2019 budget.

A black bear has been sighted waiting for a MARTA train at the College Park station and around the back of the Fulton County Jail, according to WSB.

A large black bear was tranquilized and is now heading to the North Georgia mountains after it was trapped at the College Park MARTA station on Monday.

The DNR said the bear will be safely released into the North Georgia mountains, so he will back in his natural habitat.

Pro-tip: a workable getaway plan from any jail does not include public transit.

The Chattahoochee Whitewater course in downtown Columbus claimed its first life on Saturday, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

Less than three hours later, Lino, a real estate investment analyst for a large national firm, became the first fatality on the Chattahoochee whitewater course, which opened in May 2013.

Lino was in a raft that capsized at the first rapid on the 2.5-mile course that runs into downtown Columbus. He was unresponsive when he was brought back into the raft, Whitewater Express owner Dan Gilbert said.

Less than three hours later, Lino, a real estate investment analyst for a large national firm, became the first fatality on the Chattahoochee whitewater course, which opened in May 2013.

Lino was in a raft that capsized at the first rapid on the 2.5-mile course that runs into downtown Columbus. He was unresponsive when he was brought back into the raft, Whitewater Express owner Dan Gilbert said.

Oconee County Sheriff’s Office continued searching for two teens presumed drowned in a local creek, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

Professional rescue units from more than a dozen agencies and citizen volunteers are involved in the search along the river corridor for the bodies of Cameron Smith, 18, of Comer, and Robert Bryant Wade, 18, of Oconee County. They disappeared in the rushing waters coming off the dam at the old Puritan Mill site on Friday afternoon, following days of often heavy rains in the Athens area.

Authorities also employed K-9 units and helicopters in the search, Berry said.