Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for March 1, 2018

On March 1, 1778, the Georgia legislature confiscated property owned by 117 people after labeling them traitors.

The Articles of Confederation were ratified on March 1, 1781.

The nation was guided by the Articles of Confederation until the implementation of the current U.S. Constitution in 1789.

The critical distinction between the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution —the primacy of the states under the Articles—is best understood by comparing the following lines.

The Articles of Confederation begin:

“To all to whom these Present shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of the States”

By contrast, the Constitution begins:

“We the People of the United States do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

On March 1, 1875, Governor James Smith signed legislation making cruelty to animals a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $50.

Paul Broun, Sr. was born on March 1, 1916, in Shellman, Georgia, and served 38 years in the Georgia legislature.

Broun was first elected to the state senate in 1962 in a historic election that took place after the federal courts struck down Georgia’s long-established county unit election system. Broun was one of several new senators elected in a class that included Jimmy Carter, the future president of the United States; Leroy Johnson, the first black legislator elected in Georgia since Reconstruction; and politicians like Hugh Gillis, Culver Kidd, and Bobby Rowan, who would have a lasting impact on legislative politics.

Broun was elected to nineteen consecutive terms in the senate, where he served as the chairman of the Appropriations Committee and the University System Committee.

Dorothy Felton was born on March 1, 1929, and served as the first Republican woman elected to the Georgia legislature.

Dorothy Felton was the first Republican woman elected to the Georgia General Assembly and eventually became the longest-serving Republican and the longest-serving woman of either party in the state legislature. She also worked for more than a quarter of a century for the right of the Sandy Springs community of Fulton County to incorporate as a municipality, a goal that was not achieved until four years after she retired from elective office.

Felton was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 1974 from a district in Sandy Springs.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Deal yesterday held a press conference to discuss the Delta Airlines issue.

“In the world of politics… in this diverse state of more than 10.4 million people… in the halls of this historic building, there are many different and passionate voices. We are currently in a time of heated debate about a very emotionally-charged issue, one that people feel very intensely about. I certainly would never discount those strongly-held beliefs, but we should be mindful of what they do to a debate like this and how easily one’s temper can flair into one’s words and actions.”

“It is amidst such an environment that we are called upon to do what is right by all Georgians. It is in such circumstances that we are tasked with making the hard decisions in service to the people of this state, not ourselves. It is in such conditions that we must listen to all voices, all concerns, and do our best to craft policy which simultaneously lives up to our principles and positions Georgia for the bright future of which its people are worthy.”

“Today, an amended version of HB 918 – which includes the 2017 and 2018 Internal Revenue Code updates – passed out of a Senate committee. When it has passed both chambers, I will sign it into law, because it is what is right for our citizens… because it will save them in upwards of $5 billion in tax savings over the next five years… and because it is far too important to the well-being of our state to forfeit amid unbecoming squabbling.”

“This legislation – put at risk by the types of antics that tend to plague election years – serves as one of the single-largest income tax reforms in our state’s history, and I think Georgia’s families and businesses deserve to benefit fully from these significant tax cuts.”

“So as we call an end to the discord, let us refocus our attention on what is truly important in this debate. The real story is on the unprecedented $5 billion tax cut for Georgians.

“The real story is what it has always been: what is in the best interests of the people of Georgia.”

“But even as we find our composure and respect for one another again, we must remember that there is still more work to be done. The legislation we’re talking about today will not fix our compliance issue. We will still be in violation of federal statute. Therefore, I am committed to finding a pathway forward for the elimination of sales tax on jet fuel, which is non-negotiable. Finding a solution to that problem will require further discussion, so I am continuing an open dialogue with all stakeholders in the process, including Georgia’s largest private employer – Delta Air Lines.”

“If we truly wish to remain the No. 1 state in which to do business… if we want to attract more companies to our communities and more jobs for our growing populace… if we want to remain a truly competitive hub for global commerce and not be overshadowed by neighboring states, then we need to address the concerns of all in a dignified manner and with a maturity that our people deserve.”

“Ours is a welcoming state – the epitome of “Southern Hospitality.” We were not elected to give the late night talk show hosts fodder for their monologues or to act with the type of immaturity that has caused so many in our society to have a cynical view of politics.”

“We can sometimes ardently disagree with one another, but Georgia is a state of respect where we value and appreciate those who contribute to our communities and give jobs to the fathers and mothers of our children, not just today, but in the many years to come as we attract the jobs of the future.”

“Disagreement on key issues of our time should not prevent Georgians from keeping more of their hard earned dollars, should not forfeit our state economic development opportunities, and should not stand in the way of providing the type of tax relief that we as Republicans believe in for all citizens and businesses, both big and small.”

“It is with that renewed determination to find a path forward for the elimination of sales tax on jet fuel and a true fix to our compliance issue that I will sign HB 918 into law in the near future, securing upwards of $5 billion in tax savings for our people over the next five years.”

Gov. Deal also announced that the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project remains on schedule.

“The completion of outer harbor dredging marks the midpoint for SHEP and represents a crucial milestone for the Savannah community, the State of Georgia and the nation as a whole,” said Deal. “The Port of Savannah is already the second busiest port in the nation for exports and the timely completion of this project will be a major step forward for our nation’s infrastructure. To ensure that SHEP remains on schedule, my FY 2018 budget proposal calls for $35 million in additional support for the project.

“Deepening the port, along with other investments to create the nation’s strongest statewide logistics network, will make American exports more competitive abroad and benefit businesses in every corner of the state. Georgia is currently investing $1 billion per year in transportation projects to widen interstates, add truck-only lanes and improve trucking routes between ports and interstates so that cargo may move across our state and the Southeast faster, without adding to traffic congestion. Just as we have been ranked the top state in which to do business for five consecutive years, Georgia will continue to make investments that will help us lead the way in transporting goods to the global marketplace.”

SHEP recently received $49 million in President Trump’s FY 2018 budget request to Congress. Georgia’s congressional delegation is working to increase funding to $100 million per year, the amount needed to complete the project in a timely manner.

Under the Gold Dome

The Georgia Senate convened for Legislative Day 29 at 10 AM this morning, and the House will convene at 1 PM.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

11:00 AM HOUSE RULES 341 CAP

Upon Adjournment SENATE RULES 450 CAP

1:30 PM HOUSE WAYS & MEANS 341 CAP

3:30 PM House Judy (Civil) Kelley Sub 132 CAP

SENATE RULES CALENDAR

HB 273 – Quality Basic Education Act; daily recess for students in kindergarten and grades one through five; provide (Substitute) (ED&Y-53rd) Douglas-78th
HB 918 – Revenue and taxation; Internal Revenue Code; provisions (Substitute) (RULES-9th) Efstration-104th
HB 287 – Special license plates; honoring service members killed in action; provide at no cost to eligible family members (VM&HS-32nd) Kirby-114th

HOUSE RULES CALENDAR

Modified Open Rule
HR 655 – Gold Star Father Day; November 9 annually in Georgia; recognize (D&VA-Burnough-77th)

Modified Structured Rule
SB 131– Juvenile Code; adoption proceedings be stayed while an appeal to terminate parental rights is pending; provide (Substitute)(JuvJ-Ballinger-23rd) Tillery-19th

Jill Nolin of CNHI covers legislators’ reactions to the Delta issue.

“They’ve stepped on the wrong toes,” said Rep. Jason Shaw, R-Lakeland. “We don’t need to be giving any kind of tax break to corporate citizens who don’t have any respect for our conservative values that the majority of Georgians share.”

Sen. Greg Kirk, R-Americus, said Delta should extend its decision to all groups.

“When you say everybody else can come but you can’t, that’s not neutral,” Kirk said, noting Delta’s opposition to a religious liberty proposal he sponsored in 2016 that was ultimately vetoed.

“Delta should not single out any group to discriminate against them,” Kirk said.

Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton, who sits on the Senate Finance Committee, said he is troubled by Delta’s decision, but he said that does not necessarily mean the tax break should be thrown out.

“Something greater than politics should win at the end of the day,” said Payne, who is an NRA member.

From the Associated Press:

Sen. Chuck Hufstetler of Rome said lawmakers felt Delta unfairly singled out the NRA while maintaining special agreements with “many other controversial organizations.”

“There’s work ongoing to try to fix this disagreement,” Hufstetler said. “… I think this additional issue where they were treating (the NRA) different from all the other organizations pushed a lot of the members over the edge.”

Senate Bill 418, which would have prevented cities and counties from outlawing retail sales of dogs and cats, failed in the Senate. From 11Alive:

To discourage puppy mills, cities like Sandy Springs and Woodstock have banned the retail sale of puppies. Those local laws encourage folks to adopt pets from animal shelters like the Atlanta Humane Society, which sends to homes some 10,000 animals per year.

“As more and more people across the country are learning the source of that cute little puppy in the window, they don’t want those kind of businesses in their community,” said Debra Berger, Georgia’s director of the Humane Society.

But two bills in the legislature would overturn local laws that ban the sale of puppies. SB 418 was rejected on Wednesday, while no action has yet been taken on the House version.

Senate Bill 335 by Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford) expands the statutory definition of sex trafficking to match federal language. From the Gainesville TImes.

“This year … is consistent with each year since I have been here in 2010 that we have continued to tighten up the laws surrounding sexual servitude, sex trafficking (and) sexual solicitation,” said Sen. Butch Miller, R-Gainesville.

Senate Bill 335 would add the word “patronize” to the bill, which Miller said would affect the person paying for sex.

Anyone convicted of soliciting or patronizing a person 16 years or older who is the “subject of sexual servitude” to “perform sexually explicit conduct” would face five to 20 years in prison.

The phrase “or older” was also added in the bill.

The State House and Senate both passed bills that would expand transit in Metro Atlanta. From the Gwinnett Daily Post:

Both pieces of legislation, House Bill 930 and Senate Bill 386, would create a regional transit body in metro Atlanta that would guide transit projects in 13 counties, including Gwinnett. The Senate bill would also allow 30-year transportation SPLOSTs, also known as T-SPLOSTs.

Gwinnett County leaders are expected to put forward a transit referendum to voters either in November of the this year or November 2020, when voter turnouts are expected to be at their highest levels. Gwinnett County Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said she and other county leaders will be closely watching how legislation fares going forward.

“I am pleased that both the Senate and the House passed their respective transit bills with very strong votes,” Nash said. “I appreciate the hard work by many different folks. (Senate Transportation Committee) Chairman Brandon Beach has been ringing the bell on regional transit for years.

A main part of both bills would be the creation of a 13-county metro Atlanta regional transit governance structure. In the House bill, it is called the Atlanta-region Transit Link, or the “ATL” for short. The Senate Bill refers to it as The ATL Commission.

Three Atlanta tax bills passed the State House yesterday. From Maggie Lee with the Saporta Report:

The first would set up an Atlanta referendum to limit rises in homesteaded property tax assessments to 2.6 percent a year. The cap would apply to only the city of Atlanta portion of property tax bills, not the Atlanta Public Schools part.

“Atlanta’s feeling one of the negative effects of great success, which is skyrocketing property values,” said state Rep. Beth Beskin, R-Atlanta, said presenting the amended version of her House Bill 820.

Muscogee County Sheriff Donna Tompkins suggested that City Council members are insufficiently committed to funding public safety. From the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer:

Sheriff Donna Tompkins questioned Columbus Council’s commitment to public safety Tuesday night while wrangling with some councilors over her request for employee pay increases.

“When I stood here two weeks ago, I had 24 openings plus six that I could not fund because the money had to be used to fund Rapid Resolution,” she said Tuesday. “Today we have more openings than that.”

When pressed by Councilor Bruce Huff about how she intended to fund the proposed pay reform in future years, Tompkins made it clear that councilors’ stance on the issue would reveal how serious they are about public safety.

“It’s little bit amazing to me that when the Columbus Police Department came in here for pay reform, nobody said, ‘Oh gee, we might have to take it back next year.’ I mean that’s just a fact, sir,” said Tompkins in exasperation. “And it’s amazing to me that my folks, we can’t even think about how we’re going to work through July going forward.”

Georgia Power announced that ratepayers will see lower costs associate with the construction of two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle. From the Augusta Chronicle:

Georgia Power customers will be charged less for two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle both this year and in the future, the company announced Wednesday. Construction is also ahead of schedule and the predicted dates of bringing the new Unit 3 and Unit 4 reactors online in 2021 and 2022 appear more certain, the company said.

In its latest construction monitoring report filed Wednesday with the Georgia Public Service Commission, covering the last six months of 2017, Georgia Power noted that customers will be charged less this year for a variety of reasons:

• Federal cuts to the corporate tax rate and the impact of a $3.6 billion payment from the parent company of its former main contractor mean customers will be charged $139 million less;

• As part of its decision to allow Georgia Power and its partners to proceed on Vogtle, the PSC required Georgia Power to offer its customers $75 in rebates spread over three months, which will be $188 million in total customer savings;

• Congress approving federal production tax credits for new nuclear projects will save about $1 billion once the units come online;

• The Department of Energy providing an anticipated $5 billion in loan guarantees will save about $500 million.