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
Murray County voters will decide a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Education (E-SPLOST) today, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.
Murray County Schools is seeking voter approval today for a five-year Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) with a maximum collection of $25.5 million. Should the ESPLOST pass, the main project will be an extensive renovation of Murray County High School, officials have said.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The ESPLOST would begin as soon as the existing ESPLOST lapses in the summer of 2022, so there would be no gap in collections. A SPLOST is a 1% sales tax on most goods sold in a county. School systems typically use their version to finance work like renovating current schools and building new ones.
School systems can borrow money during an ESPLOST, and knowing another ESPLOST has been approved helps school board members with planning for the future, according to Citigroup’s Bryce Holcomb, who has assisted Murray County Schools since its initial ESPLOST.
Whitfield County will elect a new District 3 Commissioner and decide whether to allow Commissioners to form Tax Allocation Districts (TADs), according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.
Voters in District 3, which is basically the northern part of the county, will decide who will fill the unexpired term of the late Roger Crossen on the Board of Commissioners. That term runs through the end of 2022.
The race is nonpartisan, but candidates can choose to list their party affiliation. Bagley, Day, Thomas and Young declared themselves Republican.
If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held April 13.
All county voters will decide whether to give commissioners the power to create TADs.
The ballot measure reads: “Shall the act be approved which authorizes Whitfield County, Georgia, to exercise all redevelopment powers allowed under the Redevelopment Powers Law, as it may be amended from time to time?”
Whitfield County voters rejected TADs in 2014 by 8,554 votes to 6,299 (57.59% to 42.41%).
Augusta-Richmond County voters will decide today on whether to renew an existing Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), according to the Augusta Chronicle.
All Richmond County polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday for voters to decide whether to renew the 1% sales tax for capital projects it has used for three decades to pay for construction and other capital projects.
A 70% chance of rain is in the Augusta forecast for the single-issue election.
“We realize turnout is going to be a little low, but there are lots of good reasons to vote for SPLOST 8,” said Sue Parr, the president of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce.
The small but vocal group of opponents on the Defeat SPLOST 2021 Facebook page, meanwhile, might have suffered a blow as its stated founder, a member called Edward Fowler, saw his Facebook account recently suspended.
Under the Gold Dome Today – Legislative Day 33
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS
TBD Senate Rules Upon Adjournment – 450 CAP
7:30 AM Senate Appropriations- Compensation Sub – 450 CAP
8:00 AM Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Sub – 328 CLOB
8:00 AM Senate Finance – Mezz 1
8:00 AM Senate Government Oversight – 450 CAP
8:00 AM HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT – 341 CAP
8:00 AM HOUSE MOTOR VEHICLES – 606 CLOB
8:00 AM HOUSE Governmental Affairs General Government Sub – 406 CLOB
8:00 AM HOUSE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – 506 CLOB
9:00 AM HOUSE RULES – 341 CAP
10:00 AM Senate Floor Session – Senate Chamber
10:00 AM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD33) – Chamber
11:00 AM HOUSE EDUCATION – 606 CLOB
11:00 AM HOUSE STATE OF THE JUDICIARY – Chamber
1:00 PM Senate Insurance and Labor – Mezz 1
1:00 PM Senate Higher Education – 450 CAP
1:30 PM HOUSE INTRAGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION – 403 CAP
2:00 PM HOUSE RETIREMENT – 406 CLOB
2:15 PM Senate Special Judiciary – 307 CLOB
2:15 PM Senate Health and Human Services – 450 CAP
2:15 PM Senate Public Safety – Mezz 1
3:00 PM HOUSE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES – 606 CLOB
3:00 PM HOUSE Insurance Life and Health Sub – 341 CAP
3:30 PM Senate Regulated Industries – 450 CAP
4:45 PM Senate Ethics – 307 CLOB
HOUSE RULES CALENDAR
Modified Structured Rule
SB 46 – Health; certain medical personnel to administer vaccines during public health emergencies under certain conditions; authorize (Substitute)(H&HS-Cooper-43rd) Burke-11th
Governor Brian Kemp yesterday announced that $277 million in federal CARES Act funding will be used for GDOT projects. From a Press Release:
Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the availability of $277 million in Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act 2021 (CRRSAA) funds to the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) to fill in projected revenue gaps caused by the impacts of COVID-19. The CRRSAA was passed by Congress in December 2020.
These additional funds allow Georgia DOT flexibility to advance several strategic transportation improvements in predominantly rural areas in Jefferson, Jasper, Putnam, Upson, and Barrow Counties. Most of these investments will be on the State’s freight network, which are corridors that play a vital role in moving agriculture commodities, manufacturing inputs, and consumer goods between production, distribution, and retail locations in all areas of Georgia. These projects were previously in Georgia DOT’s outer-year delivery plans but will begin construction a cumulative total of 13 years early, advancing the safety and freight reliability benefits they will provide.
“I am thankful for these one-time federal resources that will help keep Georgians working while also keeping our economy on the road to recovery,” said Governor Kemp. “Georgia DOT will be able to further enhance the state roadway network to increase safety for motorists and trucks by advancing critical projects throughout the state. These important roadway improvements will help Georgia continue to be the top state for business thanks to a world-class logistics infrastructure. Both the freight and logistics industry and Georgia residents benefit from this much-needed funding, particularly in light of the challenges of COVID-19.”
“Even during a global pandemic, Georgia DOT remains committed to delivering on our obligation to the citizens and businesses of Georgia,” said Mr. Rudy Bowen, Chair of the State Transportation Board. “The supplemental COVID response funds will help ensure our ability to maintain and grow the country’s tenth-largest transportation network. We are grateful to Governor Kemp and our nation’s leaders for helping ensure Georgia DOT has the resources it needs to deliver on our commitment.”
“The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners greatly appreciates Governor Kemp and the Georgia DOT for their continued support for transportation and economic improvements throughout our state,” said Jefferson County Commission Chair Mitchell McGraw. “The expansion of US 1 and State Route 4 make vital enhancements to the roadway network in Jefferson County. These modifications ensure that our safety measures and logistical needs are not only met but exceeded.”
“I appreciate Governor Kemp’s recognition for crucial transportation developments in Georgia,” said Representative Susan Holmes. “The bypass project alleviates growing traffic concerns throughout the city of Monticello and ensures that the distribution of consumer goods continues within our state.”
“As the city of Braselton continues to grow, the expansion of State Route 211 is crucial to our economic development,” said Representative Terry England. “I commend Governor Kemp and the Georgia DOT for recognizing our need and allocating the resources for these improvements.”
“I appreciate Governor Kemp for recognizing the need for changes in transportation safety and providing the proper funds needed to make these changes,” said Senator John Kennedy. “The funds provided to Upson County will help alleviate safety concerns and improve traffic flow in a highly congested area. It is clear that Governor Kemp continues to keep the safety and prosperity of Georgians at the forefront of his mind.”
Former Governor Sonny Perdue may be a leading candidate to lead the University System of Georgia, according to the AJC.
The Republican has not yet formally applied to lead the University System of Georgia, which oversees the state’s public colleges and universities, and officials say the national search will be an open and transparent process. Still, people involved in the search who spoke on condition of anonymity acknowledge the former two-term governor is a strong contender.
Perdue, 74, declined to comment through an aide. He recently finished a stint as President Donald Trump’s agriculture secretary, often referring to the sprawling government agency and its roughly $140 billion-a-year budget as a business. He was one of the few Cabinet secretaries and top aides who remained in their jobs throughout Trump’s term in the White House.
In 2010, Perdue picked Kemp to fill the open post of secretary of state, giving him a leg up over Republican rivals months before the election. And Trump credited Perdue with helping to talk him into endorsing Kemp during a bitter 2018 GOP runoff for governor, powering his runaway victory over Casey Cagle.
The final say for the decision belongs with the Board of Regents, whose members are appointed by governors to staggered six-year terms.
Restrictions on the use of federal COVID aid raise the question whether Georgia can now legally cut state income taxes, according to the AJC.
Earlier this month the state House overwhelming approved House Bill 593, which would would cut what filers pay by reducing the amount of income the state taxes. So the measure could be one vote away from heading to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for his signature.
Congress put a provision into the federal $1.9 billion COVID relief bill that passed last week saying money sent to states couldn’t be used for tax cuts, as some in Republican-led states had proposed.
It is unclear if that prohibition would apply to HB 593, but Kemp was angered by the provision and House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, wrote President Biden, the treasury secretary and Georgia’s congressional delegation asking the federal government not to stop the measure.
House Bill 713 by State Rep. Katie Dempsey addresses homeless campers, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Albany Herald.
Legislation sponsored by Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome, would send state dollars currently earmarked for building shelters and short-term housing to be used instead on so-called “structured camping facilities” for a city or county’s homeless population.
The camps would have to provide water, electrical outlets and bathrooms and could only be used for up to six months by a homeless person, effectively reserving the facilities for Georgians who are motivated to find work and secure permanent housing.
Dempsey’s bill, which faces long odds of advancing in the last days of the 2021 legislative session, was hailed Monday by some advocates as an innovative way to address certain kinds of homelessness and slammed by others concerned about money being stripped from shelter-based programs.
Backers of Dempsey’s bill point to a legal camp that local officials set up in Douglas County three years ago to curb the area’s rising homeless population, called Shinnah Haven.
Located on county-owned property, the camp requires residents to keep out of fights, clean their appointed spots and provide official identification in return for a stable place to pitch a tent, access to social workers and electricity from a solar panel, said Douglas County Judge William “Beau” McClain.
“We need to start this in the state of Georgia before [unsheltered homelessness] gets out of hand,” McClain said. “It’s practical to not bring these people to the [emergency room and] to not house them in jail. It’s a practical solution to the problem.”
On top of the camps, Dempsey’s bill also proposes requiring cities with homeless populations larger than the state average to spend a chunk of state and federal grants to create outreach teams made up of police, social services workers and mental health professionals tasked with moving people from illegal street camps to sanctioned homelessness services.
House Bill 738 by State Rep. Pedro “Pete” Marin would deregulate the manufacture of some cannabis products, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
State Rep. Pedro Marin, D-Duluth, has introduced House Bill 738, which would make it legal to manufacture, produce and dispense medical marijuana to people who need it. Medical marijuana and low THC oil — which can already be used legally in Georgia by registered users under certain rules — can be used to ease the suffering people with health conditions such as end-stage cancer, Parkinson’s Disease or Crohn’s Disease face.
“Currently, Georgia law only provides for the prescription of a limited low THC oil for Georgians with severe medical conditions,” Marin said. “Legalizing medical marijuana, not just low THC oil, would benefit and help relieve pain that people living with serious medical conditions experience every day.”
Georgia’s move toward accepting medical marijuana has been gradual over several years. First, it became legal to prescribe the use of low level THC. Then CBD oil, which has less than 0.3% THC, became legal by registered users.
Marin said he plans to hold forums throughout the remainder of this year to talk about the proposed bill with supporters of legalizing medical marijuana as well as Georgians who have concerns about the move.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis says she’s in no hurry to investigate phone calls by former President Donald Trump, according to the Associated Press via AccessWDUN.
“I’m in no rush,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said this week in an interview with The Associated Press. “I think people think that I feel this immense pressure. I don’t.”
Willis, a Democrat elected in November, sent letters to state officials on Feb. 10 instructing them to preserve records related to the election, particularly those that may contain evidence of attempts to influence elections officials. But she said this week that she’s not sure where the investigation will go or how long it will take.
During the call with Raffensperger, Trump also appeared to suggest that Byung J. “BJay” Pak, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Atlanta, was a “never-Trumper” — a term often used for conservative critics of Trump. Pak abruptly announced his resignation the day after the call became public. He’s never publicly explained his departure.
“I find it particularly peculiar the way that he left and when he left,” Willis said of Pak. “It’s something that, to do my job correctly, I have to ask questions about. That’s just logical.”
Asked whether she is looking at debunked claims Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani made before Georgia legislative committees casting doubt on the legitimacy of the state’s election, Willis said, “We won’t overreach, but if those things do seem to be part of a plan to influence the election, they’ll become relevant.”
Atlanta City Council adopted an ordinance to regulate short term rentals, according to the AJC.
Atlanta’s short-term rental properties will soon be subject to $500 fines for loud parties or other violations, after the City Council voted Monday to regulate an industry that has drawn complaints from across the city.
The legislation was approved after Councilman Howard Shook initially proposed a ban on short-term rentals, which are reserved on websites like Airbnb. That legislation is currently pending in a council committee and it is unclear if it will ever be considered by the full council.
Homeowners can use websites such as Airbnb to rent rooms or entire houses for 30 days at most, which oftentimes created “party house” nuisance complaints citywide. The ordinance drafted by Councilman Andre Dickens requires homeowners to install a noise monitoring device and occupancies would be limited to two adults per bedroom.
The ordinance will also tax rentals at the same 8% rate as hotels. Homeowners will have to apply for a $150 certificate to operate rentals in the city.
The Georgia House recently passed a bill to impose state and local taxes on short term rentals. House Bill 317 is pending in the state Senate Finance Committee.
The ordinance will go into effect on Sept. 1.
HomeFirstGwinnett will open a homeless shelter in Gwinnett County, according to the AJC.
HomeFirst Gwinnett, a homeless initiative under the nonprofit United Way of Greater Atlanta, will open its long-awaited Norcross shelter for homeless women and children in the next 30 to 60 days.
The shelter has taken longer than expected, facing several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will only hold 20 beds and allow three families to fill its rooms for the time being due to social distancing requirements, said Matt Elder, the organization’s director. The shelter will take both single women and single moms with children, letting them stay for up to 90 days while helping them find their next home.
The county has spent about $2.6 million over the past three years to help fund HomeFirst Gwinnett, covering some of the costs for both the upcoming shelter and its Norcross Assessment Center which opened last year. The organization, which requires $700,000 annually to operate with seven staff members, provides a one-stop service provider through its center for people experiencing housing insecurity.
Over the past 12 months, the center has matched more than 10,000 individuals with shelter and eviction prevention and gave 100 people a place to stay during the cold winter months with its warming shelter, Elder said.
Lowndes County Commissioners held a retreat at Jekyll Island, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
commissioners set goals involving:
– Completion of all SPLOST VIII projects within the prescribed budget and timelines.
– Opening three full-time staffed Lowndes County fire rescue stations in the next 18 months.
“SPLOST VIII projects will provide new facilities and facility upgrades that will address services, recreation, public safety, culture and the arts, all of which are priorities when considering quality of life,” county officials said. “The expansion of the fire department will have a positive impact on citizen safety, emergency health care response while creating more than 50 new jobs. Water/sewer, litter control, the (Unified Land Development Code) update and affordable housing will positively impact economic development which brings quality of life full circle.”
Affordable housing took priority during the retreat. It’s an important issue the community’s raised extensively, county officials said.
In general items, the county is looking to make affordable housing “a balance between density, government program funding, property values and competing programs.”
Floyd County and local municipalities will receive $30 million in COVID relief funding, according to the Rome News Tribune.
Rome, Floyd County and Cave Spring are expected to receive a $30 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The allocation is part of a stimulus package, similar to the CARES Act passed in March 2020, but with some significant changes. The first stimulus package only sent funds directly to some of Georgia’s most populous areas while others were distributed through the state.
In this case even municipalities with under 50,000 in population — for instance, Cave Spring — have been awarded funding.
In addition, this iteration of the stimulus gives recipients more flexibility, including the replacement of lost revenue stemming from the pandemic, according to an analysis by the National Association of Counties.
The Rome Alcohol Control Commission rejected a move to open local delivery of alcohol, according to the Rome News Tribune.
Rome’s Alcohol Control Commission is recommending that stores with permits be allowed to start package sales as early as 11 a.m. on Sundays.
The ACC rejected a proposed ordinance that would have permitted home delivery of alcoholic beverages, and another that would have required prospective sellers to resolve any debt to the city — from property taxes to parking fines — before a license could be issued.
The Federal Aviation Administration has delayed a decision on whether to approve a Spaceport in Camden County, according to The Brunswick News.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s decision was due this month, but it has been placed on hold while comments from the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation are completed.
The FAA has already completed its consultations with the Department of Transportation, the Endangered Species Act and Essential Fish Habitat.
The new date for the completion of the final Environmental Impact Statement is by April 20, with the Record of Decision issued separately by June 18, according to FAA officials.
A license would allow Camden County to offer commercial operators an opportunity to launch liquid-fueled, small orbital and suborbital vertical launch vehicles.
The first container vessel has called at the converted Ocean Terminal in Savannah, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Workers and staff of the Georgia Ports Authority welcomed the first container vessel to call at the recently converted Ocean Terminal on March 3.
The container vessel, the AS Savanna is owned by Miami, Florida, based, Seaboard Marine.
Georgia Ports Executive Director Griff Lynch said the new port service will be important to the getting chilled produce into the Southeast.
“… it greatly improves the speed and efficiency of perishable cargo handling,” Lynch said.
Ocean Terminal was previously used for wheeled-vehicles, called, RoRo for roll-on/roll-off cargo. With a partial conversion of the terminal recently completed for container work, the port has increased their capacity by 210,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units, known as TEUs.
GPA’s Chief Commercial Officer Cliff Pyron said the Georgia ports have the capability to meet the evolving needs of customers.
“Our terminals are expandable, and we are scaling up our capabilities right now through multiple projects,” Pyron said. “Adding more than 200,000 TEUs of new capacity at Ocean Terminal is just one part of an exciting evolution going on at the Port of Savannah.”
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