Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for March 16, 2020

James Madison, drafter of the Constitution and fourth President of the United States, was born on March 16, 1751.

The United States Military Academy was established at West Point, New York on March 16, 1802.

On March 16, 1861, delegates in Savannah unanimously ratified the Confederate Constitution and voted to have a new state constitution drafted.

On March 16, 1976, former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter won the Illinois Democratic Primary. His spiritual successor President Barack Obama, from Illinois, would visit Carter’s home state of Georgia on March 16, 2012.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Brian Kemp on Saturday issued Executive Orders declaring a Public Health State of Emergency and authorizing the call of the Georgia National Guard to Active Duty.

Click here for Speaker David Ralston’s message on the Special Session.

Click here to watch the House Special Session Livestream.

Click here to watch the Senate Special Session Livestream.

This morning at 8 AM, the General Assembly will gavel in for a Special Session. From the AJC:

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will declare a public health emergency Saturday and call for a special legislative session to help marshal the state’s response to a coronavirus outbreak that has sickened dozens of residents and killed one.

Kemp’s office said the declaration will be Georgia’s first ever public health emergency and would require lawmakers to return to the Capitol on Monday – days after they suspended the 40-day session indefinitely on Friday amid the growing pandemic.

“This declaration will greatly assist health and emergency management officials across Georgia by deploying all available resources for the mitigation and treatment of COVID-19,” Kemp said Friday, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus.

House Speaker David Ralston quickly endorsed the executive actions, calling them “proactive steps to protect the health and safety of our citizens.” And Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan said he has faith in the “state’s leadership to navigate this unprecedented territory successfully.”

Some Democrats also backed the resolution, which is set for a vote on Monday at 8 a.m.

“We’re in uncharted territory. The COVID-19 is an unfolding situation and the response to it is rapidly evolving,” said House Minority Leader Bob Trammell, the top Democrat in the chamber. “The declaration of a public health emergency certainly seems prudent.”

The calling of a Special Session is pursuant to Georgia Code § 38-3-51:

(a) In the event of actual or impending emergency or disaster of natural or human origin, or pandemic influenza emergency, or impending or actual enemy attack, or a public health emergency, within or affecting this state or against the United States, the Governor may declare that a state of emergency or disaster exists.

As a condition precedent to declaring that a state of emergency or disaster exists as a result of a public health emergency, the Governor shall issue a call for a special session of the General Assembly pursuant to Article V, Section II, Paragraph VII of the Constitution of Georgia, which session shall convene at 8:00 A.M. on the second day following the date of such declaration for the purpose of concurring with or terminating the public health emergency.

The state of emergency or disaster shall continue until the Governor finds that the threat or danger has passed or the emergency or disaster has been dealt with, to the extent that emergency or disaster conditions no longer exist, and terminates the state of emergency or disaster.

No state of emergency or disaster may continue for longer than 30 days unless renewed by the Governor.  The General Assembly by concurrent resolution may terminate a state of emergency or disaster at any time. Thereupon, the Governor shall by appropriate action end the state of emergency or disaster.

I’ve added some line spaces to that section of code for readability. It’s worth reading the rest of that section to learn what emergency powers are and are not limited, but I don’t want to write a textbook here.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced he is postponing the March 24 Presidential Preference Primary. From the press release:

In light of the public health emergency posed by COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, in-person voting presents increased risk to voters and poll workers.  Governor Kemp has declared a public health emergency.  President Trump has declared a national emergency, said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “Events are moving rapidly and my highest priority is protecting the health of our poll workers, their families, and the community at large.”

Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives David Ralston agreed.

“I support Secretary Raffensperger’s decision to delay the presidential preference primary and other March elections until May,” he said. “This will ensure an orderly and safe elections process and is in the best interest of Georgia’s citizens.”

The Democratic Party of Georgia is also in accordance.

“Our priority is to protect the health and safety of all Georgians and to ensure that as many Georgians as possible have an opportunity to vote,” said State Senator Nikema Williams, the Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Georgia.  “Continued in-person voting could compromise both goals.  Georgians who have already cast their vote in person or by mail for the March 24 primary will be able to vote again in the May 19 primary for the elections already scheduled for that date.  If Georgians who have already cast their vote for the March 24 primary do not vote again in the May 19 primary, their votes for the presidential preference primary will still count.”

“Secretary Raffensperger has represented that all votes already cast in person and all absentee ballots will be counted and every Georgia voter that has not yet had a chance to cast a ballot in the March 24 elections will be able to do so on May 19, along with the elections already scheduled for that date.”

“Given these circumstances, I believe it is necessary and prudent to suspend in-person voting in the Presidential Preference Primary, and the local elections associated with them, and resume in-person voting for those elections as part of the already scheduled May 19 General Primary.”

The CDC recommends those, including seniors, who are at greater risk from COVID-19 limit their exposure to the virus by keeping space between themselves and others, avoiding crowds, and staying at home during outbreaks in their community. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has likewise identified individuals 65-years-old and older as facing increased risk from COVID-19. He explained that older Americans infected with COVID-19 stand a greater risk of serious difficulty and even death from the virus.  All individuals should practice social distancing and minimize contact with others to minimize the risk to them and others.

With this decision, Secretary Raffensperger looks to confront the public health threat to our state, and the health of Georgians, while also maintaining an avenue for the people of Georgia to exercise their fundamental democratic right to vote. In the midst of a public health emergency like the one facing our state, taking strong action to protect all Georgians, including its dedicated poll workers, is paramount.

Georgia Governor Resident Stacey Abrams is on the short list for Vice President on the Joe Biden ticket, according to a list presumptuously helpfully compiled by the Washington Post.

The Georgia Democrat was one of the party’s stars during the 2018 midterm election, coming close to winning Georgia’s governor mansion. She has since dedicated herself to voting rights causes and delivered one of the Democrats’ responses to Trump’s State of the Union address. She is also from a state that Democrats would like to make competitive regularly, including a Senate race in November that could be key to which party holds the majority. The potential downside: Her highest office so far has been as a state lawmaker.