Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for March 4, 2022

On March 5, 1735, James Oglethorpe presented a budget to the trustees of Georgia and proposed seeking an appropriation from Parliament, thus beginning the addiction of the Georgia government to Other People’s Money.

On March 4, 1762, legislation was passed by the Georgia General Assembly requiring church attendance on Sundays.

The first Session of the United States Congress was held on March 4, 1789 at Federal Hall in New York City. Congress would not have a quorum for another month.

On March 6, 1857, the United States Supreme Court published its opinion in Sanford v. Dred Scott.

the Court held that African Americans, whether slave or free, could not be American citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court,and that the federal government had no power to regulate slavery in the federal territories acquired after the creation of the United States. Dred Scott, an African American slave who had been taken by his owners to free states and territories, attempted to sue for his freedom. In a 7–2 decision written by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, the Court denied Scott’s request and in doing so, ruled an Act of Congress in this case—the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery north of the parallel 36°30′ north—to be unconstitutional for the second time in its history.

The decision would prove to be an indirect catalyst for the American Civil War and was functionally superseded by the post-war Reconstruction Amendments. It is now widely regarded as the worst decision ever made by the Supreme Court.

One member of the Court that decided Dred Scott was Associate Justice James M Wayne, who was born in Savannah and served in Congress from Georgia from 1829 to 1835.

On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as President of the United States.

In his inaugural address, Lincoln promised not to interfere with the institution of slavery where it existed, and pledged to suspend the activities of the federal government temporarily in areas of hostility. However, he also took a firm stance against secession and the seizure of federal property. The government, insisted Lincoln, would “hold, occupy, and possess” its property and collect its taxes. He closed his remarks with an eloquent reminder of the nation’s common heritage:

“In your hand, my fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect, and defend it… We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Also on March 4, 1861, the Confederate Congress adopted a first national flag.

This flag is depicted with varying numbers of stars – originally adopted with seven stars, by December 1861, a version with thirteen stars was flying.

On March 5, 1869, the United States Congress refused to seat Georgia’s elected members of the House and Senate.

Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis were married on March 4, 1952 in Los Angeles, California.

On March 6, 1946, the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals ruled in King v. Chapman that Georgia’s all white Democratic Primary violated the 14th, 15th, and 17th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Primus E. King of Columbus, Georgia brought the lawsuit against the Muscogee County Democratic Party Executive Committee Chair Joseph E. Chapman.

On March 5, 1977, President Jimmy Carter held the first “Dial-A-President” radio broadcast in which he fielded questions from radio listeners.

This weekend, some coastal Georgia communities will commemorate the anniversary of “The Weeping Time,” a massive sale of people who were enslaved, according to The Brunswick Times.

Amid the wails and lamentations from more than 400 enslaved people being torn apart from family and friends during a harrowing 1859 slave auction in Savannah, it is said that God also wept.

Like teardrops from heaven, rain fell continuously over Ten Broeck’s racehorse track — from the inhuman auction’s opening gavel on March 2 to the last cold-blooded transaction of humans selling humans on March 3. The auction that saw 429 men, women and children sold off from the Butler Plantation in McIntosh County and the Hampton Point Plantation on St. Simons Island has been imparted to us by history as The Weeping Time.

The events can be followed on Facebook Live by going to The Weeping Time’s Facebook page. These include a commemoration ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. The one-hour ceremony includes the reading of the names of those enslaved people who were sold. Additionally, there will be a libation ceremony, the traditional African observance that revers the ancestors. Shouter Griffin Lotson, local African American historian Amy Roberts and others will speak as well.

At 11 a.m. Sunday, the service from Solomon Temple Church of God in Christ in Savannah will be broadcast virtually on the Weeping Time’s Facebook page. The sermon and the service will be geared toward remembrance of The Weeping Time.

Additionally, at 5 p.m. Friday some 436 candles will be lit at the site of the Butler Plantation on Butler Island in McIntosh County.

Here is the Facebook link for one commemoration and another commemoration.

Apparently, we missed yesterday’s birthday of Herschel Walker, who was born March 3, 1962 in Augusta, Georgia.

Ron Daniels brings you more on the Presidential Q&A from 1977.

Regardless of Carter’s policy positions and his answers to questions, “Ask President Carter” was a truly historic broadcast. Never before had the President been accessible via telephone on a live radio broadcast. And the questions presented to the President weren’t confined to one or two issues that he had been prepared to handle. One can argue that the American people were also fascinated with the concept of calling and speaking directly to Carter; nine million people called into the broadcast trying to reach him.

The President seemed to enjoy the broadcast as well, remarking: “[t]he questions that come in from people all over the country are the kind that you would never get in a press conference. The news people would never raise them, like the Ottawa Indian question. And I think it’s very good for me to understand directly from the American people what they are concerned about and questions that have never been asked of me and reported through the news media.”

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Under the Gold Dome Today – Legislative Day 24

8:00 AM HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE 341 CAP HYBRID

8:00 AM HOUSE Energy Utilities, & Telecommunications EV Charging Subcommittee 406 CLOB HYBRID

8:00 AM HOUSE CANCELED Natural Resources and Environment Resource Management Subcommittee 606 CLOB HYBRID

9:00 AM HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE 341 CAP

9:30 AM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD 24) House Chamber

10:00 AM Senate Floor Session LD 24 Senate Chamber

11:30 AM HOUSE Public Safety & Homeland Security Subcommittee B (Upon Adjournment) 406 CLOB HYBRID

12:00 PM HOUSE Regulated Industries Regulatory Subcommittee (Upon Adjournment) 506 CLOB HYBRID

1:00 PM Senate Finance Committee 450 CAP

2:00 PM HOUSE Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Solar Consumer Subcommittee 403 CAP HYBRID

Governor Brian Kemp’s campaign will spend at least $4.2 million in the May 24 Primary, according to WSAV.

Gov. Brian Kemp’s campaign says it will spend at least $4.2 million on TV ads until his May 24 GOP primary against former U.S. Senator David Perdue and others, bidding to leverage his financial advantage against his top challenger.

The announcement underlines how far ahead Kemp is in raising funds seeking to block Perdue from unseating him. The incumbent reported having $12.7 million in his main campaign account as of Jan. 31, while Perdue had less than $1 million in cash on hand.

“The polls, fundraising, and grassroots support all make it abundantly clear that Brian Kemp is the only Republican candidate for governor who can win in May and again this November,” Campaign Manager Bobby Saparow said in a statement.

He called the money to be spent now and until the primary an “initial” ad buy.

Randy Evans, an Atlanta lawyer and Trump’s former ambassador to Luxembourg, is backing Perdue. He argues that news coverage of Trump’s advocacy for Perdue can overcome any financial disadvantage.

“The earned media from Trump just changes the dynamic,” Evans said. “Earned media is just like gold.”

The State Senate passed their version of the amended budget for the current fiscal year, according to the Associated Press via AccessWDUN.

An amended Georgia budget that includes pay boosts for employees, more money for education and an earmark for tax refunds passed the state Senate on Thursday by a 52-0 vote, as it nears Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk.

While the bill has even larger raises than originally proposed for prison guards and school nurses, it strips out additional money that could have gone to elected officials and judges, which senators said would have been illegal.

The House must agree to the Senate changes in House Bill 910, covering the budget year ending in June, before the measure goes to Kemp. It spends $30 billion in state taxes and $54 billion overall.

The Senate plans also continue a trend that began in the House of spending cash on construction projects and equipment purchases that the state would normally finance through borrowing. The Senate would spend $20 million for rural downtown development grants and direct universities to spend $30 million of their own accumulated money on building projects instead of using state money.

“If we can take care of future liabilities right now, it puts us in a position to be nimble, to react to the needs of our citizens,” Tillery said.

From the Capitol Beat News Service:

Gov. Brian Kemp and lawmakers are giving most state workers a $5,000 increase, with the Senate putting up an additional $4,000 raise for adult and juvenile corrections officers to address high turnover.

Teachers are due to get a $2,000 raise, the last installment of a $5,000 increase Kemp promised during the 2018 campaign.

“Georgia’s economy has remained resilient despite challenges on many fronts,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, said Thursday. “We continue to add jobs. We continue to add businesses. … It’s reflected in the revenue numbers.”

Senators also supported Kemp’s proposal to take advantage of the influx of tax revenue by returning $1.6 billion in rebates to Georgia taxpayers.

The State Senate passed Senate Bill 403, the “Georgia Behavioral Health and Peace Officer Co-Responder Act,” according to WSAV.

Georgia mental health agencies would provide workers to help respond to police calls about people with mental health crises under a bill advancing in the Senate.

The measure would require the state’s 23 community service boards to provide co-responders to any local law enforcement agency that wants them. Police departments and sheriffs would not be required to use the service.

The measure would require the state’s 23 community service boards to provide co-responders to any local law enforcement agency that wants them. Police departments and sheriffs would not be required to use the service.

From 13WMAZ:

According to a release from Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan’s Office, SB 403, known as the “Georgia Behavioral Health and Peace Officer Co-Responder Act,” would provide a statewide framework for more co-responder teams.

“In my home county of Forsyth, I have seen firsthand the impact that behavioral health professionals can have on law enforcement response efforts,” Lt. Governor Duncan said. “Pairing law enforcement officers with professionals with specialized training to de-escalate a mental health-related emergency can yield long-term results that increase public safety and provide immediate access to mental health care for those in crises. I applaud my colleagues for prioritizing public safety with innovative and focused strategies.”

The State House passed HB 1150, the “Freedom to Farm Act,” according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Rome News Tribune.

The Freedom to Farm Act, which passed 102-62 mostly along party lines, would replace a law the legislature enacted in 1989 governing nuisance suits against farm operations in areas zoned for agricultural use.

Under House Bill 1150, neighbors bothered by bad smells, dust, noise or water pollution emanating from a farm would have one year to file a nuisance suit. After that statute of limitations expires, the farm would be protected, House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee Chairman Robert Dickey, told his House colleagues.

But the bill’s opponents said the current law has worked for decades, so well that Georgia has not seen a flurry of nuisance suits against farmers.

“I can’t find a single record of a standalone nuisance lawsuit against a farmer in Georgia,” said Rep. Debbie Buckner, D-Junction City. “(The current law) is clear. It is concise. It is well defined.”

Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Atlanta, said the bill would take away protection from suits the current law provides to farmers whose operations existed before residential encroachment in their neighborhood.

“We’re infringing on private property rights,” she said. “This is no longer a matter of who was there first.”

Opponents also charged the bill’s real purpose is to pave the way for giant corporate chicken farms to move into Georgia.

It can be confusing when legislators discuss “nuisance lawsuit,” as the term can mean two different things. From Wikipedia, which does a decent job on this entry:

Nuisance lawsuit may refer to:

• A suit [alleging] the tort of nuisance, i.e. the plaintiff claims the defendant is causing a nuisance to the plaintiff
• A frivolous lawsuit, i.e. by bringing the suit, the plaintiff is causing a nuisance to the defendant

Georgia Code defines a “nuisance” in the traditional common law tort sense in §41-1-1 through §41-1-10.

A Glynn County Superior Court lawsuit seeks to set aside the Special Election currently underway, according to The Brunswick News.

Camden County Probate Judge Robert Sweatt Jr. defended his decision to certify the signatures on a petition and call for a special election to enable voters to decide the fate of Spaceport Camden.

He said there was no precedent or case law about citizens challenging the decision of county commissioners before he decided to schedule the special election.

A yes vote on the referendum will prevent the county from closing on a deal to buy a tract from Union Carbide that would be used as the launch site for the planned spaceport. The Federal Aviation Administration has granted Camden County a launch operator’s license under the condition that the county close on the deal to purchase the launch site.

[Camden County Attorney John] Myers asked Brunswick Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Stephen Scarlett to prohibit the special election from going forward.

After both sides presented their arguments, Scarlett said he understood the time constraints in the request before he closed the proceedings. It’s expected he will make a decision before the special election on Tuesday.

Nora Lott Haynes joins the field for the open seat representing Senate District 3, according to The Brunswick News.

[Incumbent Sheila] McNeill announced last month that she would not seek re-election. She will face fellow Republicans Jeff Jones and Mike Hodges in the May 24 primary for the party nomination.

A self-described conservative educator and mental health reform advocate, Haynes said in a press release she is running because “Senate District 3 deserves the very best — a strong conservative leader that will fight like hell to protect our values and preserve our way of life.”

“I am no stranger to politics and I have fought relentlessly for those who need a voice,” her statement continues. “As an educator, I taught students with physical and mental disabilities and worked with the Georgia Department of Education to improve special education programs throughout our state.”

In the release, she took a hard stance against “those who want to force their radical ideologies on our children, silence conservatives, defund the police, take our guns and make it easier to cheat in our elections.” Her statement also described her as a “proud product of District 3, born and raised in Ware County. She began her career in Ware County Schools as a special education teacher, administrator and a researcher where she oversaw several projects.”

Rick Townsend announced his candidacy for State House District 179, according to The Brunswick News.

He is the second Republican candidate to announce a campaign for the seat, along with fellow St. Simons Island resident, Bob Duncan. Duncan currently holds a seat on the Brunswick-Glynn County Joint Water and Sewer Commission.

Incumbent Rep. Don Hogan, also a Republican, announced late last year that he would not seek a fourth term in the office.

“(Townsend) is a conservative and small business owner and has a vast amount of experience in the education field,” According to a press release from Townsend’s campaign.

Democratic Gwinnett County Board of Education member Everton Blair withdrew from the race for State School Superintendent, according to the AJC.

[He] said Friday he would step aside to help Democrats “consolidate resources early rather than spend money against other qualified candidates.”

His withdrawal raises the likelihood that another high-profile Democrat could challenge incumbent Republican Richard Woods ahead of the qualifying period that begins next week.

Dr. Jaha Howard, a Democratic dentist who serves on Cobb County’s board of education, is also in the running. So is former state school superintendent John Barge, a Republican.

WALB speaks to Dougherty County Board of Election members who are seeking reelection.