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 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 5, 1977, President Jimmy Carter held the first “Dial-A-President” radio broadcast in which he fielded questions from radio listeners.
On March 5, 2015, the State Senate passed the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Keep this in mind a few moments as you read about yesterday in the State Senate.
On March 5, 2016, then-State Rep. Joe Wilkinson (R-Sandy Springs) introduced House Bill 561 to name “The Adoptable Dog” as the Official State Dog of Georgia.
State Representative Joe Wilkinson (R-Atlanta), along with officials from the Atlanta Humane Society, FixGeorgiaPets.org, GaPundit.com, and Georgia English Bulldog Rescue, held a press conference on Wednesday, March 4, to discuss legislation that would designate the official state dog of Georgia. Rep. Wilkinson’s legislation, House Bill 561, was officially in the House on Thursday and names “the adoptable dog” as the official state dog of Georgia.
“Georgia was founded by James Oglethorpe and became a place where people could go for a second chance at life,” said Rep. Wilkinson. “So, it is fitting that we recognize the importance of giving homeless dogs a second chance at life in this state.”
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Early voting is still open in Tuesday’s Special Election for House District 94, according to the AJC.
Six candidates are running to replace state Rep. Lynn Heffner, who announced her resignation in January. Heffner said her home suffered damage during 2024’s Hurricane Helene and she could no longer meet the constitutional requirement to live in her district.
The district leans heavily Democrat. Heffner was first elected in 2022, winning with about 67% of the vote. In 2024, she ran unopposed.
Two Republicans and four Democrats are in the running. The eventual winner will immediately have to run in their party primary in May to have a shot at keeping the seat.
Candidates include Republicans David Carson and Thomas McAdams. The Democratic contenders are Sha’Qunta Calles, Karen Gordon, Sheila Clark Nelson and LaFawn Pinkney-Mealing.
Like many other Democrats running for statehouse in recent elections, most of the candidates have framed their platforms around the cost of living.
Friday is Crossover Day, the last day for legislation to pass one chamber of the General Assembly in order to be eligible for consideration in the other chamber. From Atlanta News First via WALB:
The Georgia State Capitol buzzed with anxiety Tuesday as lawmakers sprinted toward Friday’s Crossover Day deadline, the critical juncture when bills must pass their chamber of origin or face almost certain death for the year.
Crossover Day serves as a filter, eliminating roughly half of all proposed legislation each session. Bills that don’t “cross over” to the opposite chamber by Friday’s midnight deadline are generally considered dead, though some can be revived.
Press conferences erupted in chants. Passionate pleas echoed through packed corridors. Inside the House and Senate chambers, lawmakers jammed bills through one after another as the clock ticked down.
“I still have another page to read,” said State Sen. Clint Dixon. Lt. Governor Burt Jones laughed and said, “Goodbye, just go, go.”
The contrast between cooperation and conflict played out in real time on Tuesday.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed the amended fiscal 2026 budget ahead of the deadline, directing billions of dollars in surplus funds and new investments across the state.
The budget includes $1.17 billion in state surplus funds for a fourth one-time tax refund to Georgia taxpayers. The spending plan also allocates $1.68 billion to extend and expand the I-75 express lanes in Henry County, targeting one of the nation’s most congested corridors.
Education received a major boost with $325 million to launch the DREAMS Scholarship program, a first-of-its-kind needs-based aid initiative in Georgia. Teachers, state law enforcement officers, and other state employees will receive a one-time $2,000 pay supplement.
The Department of Corrections will get $173.12 million for additional officers and security upgrades as the state addresses critical bed space needs.
“This isn’t the government’s money. It is the people of Georgia’s money,” Kemp said to applause at the signing ceremony.
Not every piece of legislation moves as smoothly.
House Bill 942 sparked a fierce showdown Tuesday, with critics arguing the measure threatens Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s financial stability. Opponents say the bill could damage bond ratings, disrupt capital projects, and hurt small businesses.
“Vote no!” protesters chanted on the second-floor steps.
Amid the legislative chaos, ordinary people roamed the Capitol tracking bills and lobbying lawmakers.
Nicoal Campbell has pushed for service dog protection legislation for six years, ever since her previous service dog was blinded in an attack.
“I became terrified to go in public once again after spending seven years of my livelihood terrified to go in public due to assault,” Campbell said. “So if this legislation passes, I know she has the protections she needs.”
Campbell, accompanied by her current service dog Karma, said existing Georgia law only protects three types of service dogs — those for deaf, blind or mobility-impaired individuals. Dogs trained for PTSD, neurological conditions or diabetes lack the same legal protections.
Marcus Gillam came to the Capitol on Tuesday, hoping lawmakers would expand state scholarship eligibility to people with past arrests.
“Creating more opportunities also creates an opportunity for a better and brighter future, which affects us all,” Gillam said.
Both Gillam and Campbell said they are hopeful for swift action.
Lawmakers say they expect marathon voting sessions leading up to Friday’s midnight deadline.
Bills that survive will move to the opposite chamber for debate and potential amendments. The remaining legislative days of the session will be devoted to working through that crossover legislation.
Under the Gold Dome Today & Tomorrow
8 AM HOUSE JUDICIARY 132 CAP
8 AM CANCELED: HOUSE WAYS & MEANS 406 CLOB
8 AM HOUSE MOTOR VEHICLES 506 CLOB
8 AM Cancelled – Senate Transportation 450 CAP
9 AM HOUSE RULES 341 CAP
10 AM HOUSE FLOOR SESSION (LD27) House Chamber
10 AM Senate Floor Session (LD 27) Senate Chamber
1 PM HOUSE PUB SAFETY & HOMELAND SEC (Upon Adj) 506 CLOB
1 PM HOUSE JUDICIARY JUVENILE 403 CAP
1 PM HOUSE HIGHER EDUCATION 606 CLOB
1 PM Cancelled – Senate Public Safety 450 CAP
2 PM HOUSE TECH & INFRA 406 CLOB
2 PM Cancelled – Senate Ag & Cons Aff 307 CLOB
3 PM HOUSE GOVTAL AFFAIRS 606 CLOB
3 PM HOUSE RETIREMENT 506 CLOB
3 PM Cancelled – Senate Finance MEZZ 1
Thursday – March 5, 2026
9 AM Senate Finance MEZZ 1
10 AM Senate Rules 450 CAP
10:30 AM HOUSE REGULATED IND 515 CLOB
1 PM HOUSE EDUCATION 506 CLOB
1 PM Senate Education & Youth 307 CLOB
2 PM HOUSE JUDICIARY 132 CAP
2 PM HOUSE ENERGY, UTIL & TELECOM 406 CLOB
2 PM Senate Judiciary 307 CLOB
3 PM HOUSE PUBLIC & COMM HEALTH 606 CLOB
3 PM Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities 450 CAP
4 PM Senate Insurance & Labor MEZZ 1
Governor Brian Kemp signed the FY 2026 Amended Budget, according to a Press Release.
Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Lt. Governor Burt Jones, Speaker Jon Burns, House and Senate Appropriations Chairmen Tillery and Hatchett, constitutional officers, and members of the Georgia General Assembly, today signed HB 973, the Amended Budget for Fiscal Year 2026.
An excerpt of Governor Kemp’s remarks, statements from Lt. Governor Burt Jones and Speaker Jon Burns, and highlights of the AFY 2026 budget are below.
Excerpt of Governor Kemp’s Remarks
Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us to help provide more tax relief to hardworking Georgians today, among other great measures included in this budget.
I’m proud to be here today with the nation’s best First Lady, Marty Kemp!
And we’re both grateful for the people beside and behind me who overwhelmingly supported the passage of this budget.
Lt. Governor Burt Jones… Speaker Jon Burns… Chairmen Blake Tillery and Matt Hatchett… as well as all those on the steps behind us… thank you for the time and work that went into this budget that delivers for Georgia’s taxpayers.
We’re also glad to be joined by the Constitutional Officers here with us today…
And finally, I want to thank OPB Director Rick Dunn and his team, as well as my chief of staff Lauren Curry, for all the time and hard work they put into the budget process each year.
OPB and my team put in literally months of careful work, attention, and consideration into every line of our budgets… and the discussions and negotiations that lead up to this moment involve countless hours over long weekends and late nights.
…
The amended budget I’ll sign today delivers meaningful relief to the people of Georgia while also making key investments that will drive our state’s success for years to come.
I want to stress that while the document on that table amounts to a large sum… much of those funds are one-time spends and do not add long-term liabilities to the state that our children and grandchildren would have to pay back.
In fact, Georgia now has the lowest debt-to-revenue ratio since the state began issuing bonds in the 1970s… and enough money in our rainy day fund to keep state government working for nearly three months without any additional funds.
We’re able to make wise use of these funds today and make generational investments in our state because of our conservative approach to budgeting…
And because of the belief that guides us in crafting and negotiating these budgets: this isn’t the government’s money… it belongs to the people of Georgia!
You can watch Governor Kemp’s full remarks and the signing of the budget here.
“I want to thank Governor Kemp for his leadership and steadfast commitment to ensuring Georgia remains fiscally sound,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “Because of his leadership, along with the work of Chairman Blake Tillery, the subcommittee Chairs, and all members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, this budget includes critical investments in middle-class families, mental health services, healthcare workforce development, transportation and Georgia’s Veterans community. This budget furthers our commitment to putting more than $2 billion in tax dollars back in Georgians’ pockets and investing in our education system, namely by increasing resources and pay for our school personnel. Our support for our law enforcement heroes remains unwavering and support for mental health services historic. I want to thank everyone for their work to ensure that Georgia remains the best place to live, work and raise a family.”
“This budget is more than just numbers on a page. It is a direct reflection of this General Assembly’s commitment to each of our neighbors in every corner of our great state,” said Speaker Jon Burns. “From returning nearly $2 billion directly back to hardworking taxpayers and homeowners and providing $2,000 pay supplements to state employees, to investing in healthcare, education, public safety and infrastructure—every Georgian can be proud of the investments we’re making today to create a better, brighter future for our state.”
The amended budget includes $2 billion in income and property tax relief for hardworking Georgians, as well as other key investments in education, workforce, public safety, and infrastructure. Specifically, that includes:
• Education and Workforce Development: $325 million to endow the DREAMS Scholarship program – the first-of-its-kind needs-based scholarship in Georgia history, $6 million for the Career Navigator tool to connect workers with quality job opportunities, and funding for new and enhanced programs at USG and TCSG institutions.
• Public Safety: An additional $150 million for the Department of Corrections to address critical bed space needs, over $9.7 million for additional Corrections Officers, $15 million for a new K-9 training facility at the Georgia Department of Public Safety Headquarters, and $50 million to assist communities in meaningfully addressing homelessness across Georgia and amongst the veteran community.
• Mental Healthcare: $409 million for the design and construction of a new Georgia Regional Hospital to significantly expand state mental health bed capacity.
• Transportation Infrastructure: Over $1.6 billion for the extension and bi-directional expansion of the I-75 express lanes in Henry County, $185 million for interchange conversions on SR 316 (University Parkway), $100 million for rehabilitation and replacement of rural bridges, and $250 million for local maintenance and improvement grants (LMIG).
• Rural Georgia: $15 million for rural site development grants, $35 million for a first-of-its-kind natural gas infrastructure program within the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, and $8.9 million for the Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative to support Georgia’s timber industry.
From Atlanta News First via WALB:
Gov. Brian Kemp signed his last budget as Georgia’s 83rd chief executive on Tuesday.
Last week, Kemp’s amended fiscal year 2026 budget, HB 973, cleared the Georgia General Assembly. It includes $2 billion in income and property tax relief, Kemp said, and also paves the way for the “first state needs-based scholarship of its kind, make historic investments in transportation, and much more,” he said.
The budget includes funding for several key measures championed by the governor and legislative partners, including income tax and property tax relief, an endowment for the Georgia DREAMS Scholarship program, historic transportation investments, and more.
Kemp’s final budget includes:
• $1.17 billion in prior year undesignated state surplus funds for a fourth, one-time additional tax refund.
• $850 million for the Homeowner Tax Relief Grant program.
• $173.12 million for additional correctional officer positions, drone detection systems, and bed space within the Department of Corrections.
• $15 million for a new K-9 unit training facility at the Department of Public Safety Headquarters.
• $409 million to design and construct the new Georgia Regional Hospital in Atlanta and significantly expand state mental health bed capacity.
• $20.74 million for a new 40-bed forensic restoration facility at East Central Regional Hospital.
• $35 million to establish a natural gas infrastructure loan program for rural communities.
• $15 million for rural site development to assist local governments in attracting businesses with shovel-ready sites.
• $8.9 million to establish the Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative in partnership with Georgia Tech to support expansion into emerging markets for Georgia’s timber industry.
• $250 million in additional funding for LMIG for city and county transportation projects.
• $1.68 billion for the extension and bi-directional expansion of I-75 express lanes in Henry County.
• $185 million for interchange conversions on SR 316.
• Provide a one-time $2,000 pay supplement for teachers, state law enforcement, and other state employees.
• $325 million to establish an endowment and provide seed funding for the DREAMS Scholarship program, the first-of-its-kind needs-based scholarship in Georgia history.
• $6 million to create a Career Navigator tool for Georgia students and workers.The fiscal year for the state started on July 1, 2025, and ends on June 30, 2026.
The amended fiscal plan represents a 12-percent increase from the original budget and focuses on education support, expanded mental health care services, infrastructure improvements, and tax relief for Georgia residents.
One of the largest investments includes more than $400 million for a new regional mental health hospital in Atlanta. The budget also provides a one-time $2,000 stipend for teachers, law enforcement officers, and state employees.
Lawmakers approved $850 million for the Homeowner Tax Relief Grant Program to help reduce property taxes. Additionally, more than $1 billion will be returned to taxpayers through one-time refunds due to a state surplus. Eligible single filers will receive $250, while married couples filing jointly will receive $500.
Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones highlighted continued tax reductions during the legislative session.
“Four years in a row now we’ve lowered our state income tax, which is something I’m very proud of,” Jones said.
Governor Kemp also emphasized Georgia’s economic standing and fiscal approach.
“This is still the number one state for business,” Kemp said. “People have a lot of complaints when new taxes come along.”
The amended budget further allocates $325 million for the Georgia DREAMS Scholarship, the state’s first needs-based financial aid program. An additional $6 million will go toward creating a career navigator tool designed to help Georgia students and workers connect with education and workforce opportunities.
Kemp said the state is also investing in prison improvements and transportation projects statewide.
Before the end of the 40-day legislative session, lawmakers are expected to finalize and ratify a new state budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The Georgia House of Representatives declined to pass House Resolution 1114, property tax relief legislation, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
The Georgia House of Representatives rejected a proposal to nearly eliminate homeowner property taxes.
The Republican-driven measure would have put a constitutional amendment to voters. To get on the ballot, it required support from some Democrats to win the necessary two-thirds majority.
Only one Democrat backed the resolution when it came to a vote Tuesday night.
Republicans said Georgia needs to redesign its tax system because property taxes are too high. Democrats countered that renters would suffer if the tax were nearly eliminated, and they observed that everyone would pay more for groceries and other essentials, since the proposal would have made up for lost revenue in part by raising sales taxes.
Rep. Sam Park, D-Lawrenceville, said the change would have opened a $5 billion hole in local government budgets. Cities and counties use property taxes to pay for basic services including police, roads and schools.
“If you care about public education, vote no,” Park said.
Republicans said homeowners need tax relief.
Rep. Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, the lead author of the legislation, read a letter from a Georgia man whose adult daughter was stricken by illness.
The family ran though their savings after his wife quit working to care for her, and they decided not to pay their property taxes in case they needed the money for a funeral.
The daughter survived, but Blackmon used the story to illustrate the urgency.
“We can’t put property tax relief on hold for people like this,” he said.
The proposal had gone through many re-designs since lawmakers arrived in January, and it was still being amended this week, the deadline for the House to send bills to the Senate and vice versa.
It called for gradual reduction in the proportion of a primary residence’s value that is subject to property tax. Currently, 40% is taxable, but Blackmon proposed reducing that to 10% over a decade. His plan would have forced cities and counties to levy new sales taxes and assessments if they wanted to recoup enough revenue to preserve services.
Rep. Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, said the proposal was a political stunt that was never meant to pass.
House Resolution 1114 failed by a vote of 99-73.
“What we are seeing here today is an exercise in cold hard politics,” said Hugley, the House minority leader. “It’s simply about what voters do you want to drive out to the polls.”
But Rep. Trey Kelley, R-Cedartown, said Democrats were the ones playing politics by keeping the measure off the ballot.
“They want to deny your right to vote,” he said, “because they’re scared of the impact that it will have on the electoral turnout in November.”
House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, has said that property tax relief is a top priority during an election year when affordability is on voters’ minds. The Republican-led Senate has its own affordability strategy, having sent the House several bills that would sharply reduce income taxes.
Burns’ plan may not be dead yet. After HR 1114 failed, Blackmon moved for reconsideration. Burns said it would get another vote Wednesday.
The State House also voted against House Bill 717, to regulate ketamine clinics, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Tifton Gazette.
Georgia lawmakers declined to tighten regulations for clinics that administer Ketamine and other drugs used for psychedelic therapy, but the debate is not over yet.
The 73-88 vote against House Bill 717 on the House floor Tuesday was a rejection of a request by the Georgia Composite Medical Board to require that only specially trained physicians be allowed to have majority ownership of such clinics.
“Ketamine is a very, very dangerous drug. It is FDA-approved only to use as an anesthetic,” said Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, who introduced the bill.
In addition to ensuring safe use of Ketamine, said Cooper, a licensed nurse, her bill would prepare Georgia for the future, “because there are more psychedelic drugs coming that are under study now that are even more dangerous. How about Ecstasy? Or magic mushrooms?”
Two medical doctors who serve in the House also backed the measure.
Rep. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek, an anesthesiologist who said she has administered Ketamine, said the legislation was needed to increase safety.
So did Rep. Mark Newton, R-Augusta, an emergency physician.
“If your hip’s out of joint, if your child has a bad facial laceration, this is a great medicine,” he said, adding that he and Au were probably the only two representatives in the House “who’ve seen people stop breathing because of this medicine … and know how serious a drug this is.”
Critics saw HB 717 as an attempt by doctors to corner the market.
Rep. Lauren McDonald III, R-Cumming, said he supports regulating these clinics. “But House Bill 717 simply does not regulate clinics. It restructures ownership and clinical authority in a way that prioritizes title over training and control over competency,” he said, adding that the legislation would reduce growth in the sector and public access to such clinics.
Cooper could offer nothing when another lawmaker asked if she had data showing majority physician ownership was safer.
After the measure failed, a lawmaker motioned to reconsider, and Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, announced another vote on HB 717 would occur when the House meets again Wednesday.
In addition to the physician ownership mandate, the measure would require the Georgia Composite Medical Board to establish rules and regulations for safe clinic operations.
Senate Bill 443 by State Sen. Carden Summers (R-Cordele) passed the Senate and would increase fines related to protests, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
The Georgia Senate adopted legislation Tuesday that would increase the fine for protesting in streets.
Senate Bill 443 started as a measure that would have allowed felony charges against protesters who block roads.
But the author, Sen. Carden Summers, R-Cordele, agreed to amendments that reduced the significantly enhanced criminal charge he had proposed. Currently, the offense is a misdemeanor, but SB 443 would increase that to a high and aggravated misdemeanor.
Both could net the perpetrator up to a year in jail. But the maximum fine for a high and aggravated misdemeanor is $5,000 while the maximum fine for a misdemeanor is $1,000.
Summers said protesters who block roads are preventing the passage of ambulances, firetrucks and parents trying to get to their child’s school.
“It is a simple common-sense bill,” he said. “It is something that parents should have taught people a long time ago: Don’t block the streets.”
The measure passed 35-17 and now goes to the House.
Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Nels Peterson appealed to the legislature to fix rules governing conviction appeals, according to the AJC.
The way convicted criminals must bring claims of incompetence against their lawyers is “a mess” created by decades of Georgia Supreme Court rulings, its top judge says in urging state lawmakers to fix the problem.
Convictions can be, and often are, challenged on the grounds of attorney incompetence. Thousands of such claims are litigated in Georgia courts each year, Peterson said, adding that the federal government and most states have more efficient means of handling them.
He said Georgia’s “broken” system leads to lengthy case delays and wasted resources that can make retrial harder, if not impossible, or unfairly extend a defendant’s imprisonment.
“Georgia’s post-conviction litigation system is a mess,” Peterson wrote in an opinion supported by six of the court’s eight other judges. “It’s a mess in large part because of a series of well-meaning but shortsighted decisions this Court made over the course of several decades.”
Peterson said those rulings were meant to ensure that criminal defendants without the money for a lawyer can be represented by one when arguing their previous attorney was ineffective. But he said the court’s guidance has made things worse, not better.
Though the state Supreme Court can issue future decisions in certain circumstances to help, its intervention is somewhat meaningless without state law changes, Peterson said.
“In short, the system is broken,” he wrote. “We did a lot of the breaking. But it will require legislative action to fix it.”
“No rational person would have chosen the system we have today if presented with it as a whole,” he said. “But because this system evolved slowly over decades, we haven’t paused to consider the brokenness of the system. We should.”
Republican Ryan Millsap announced for the Tenth Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Mike Collins (R-JAckson), according to the AJC.
Republican Ryan Millsap entered the race for an open U.S. House seat in northeast Georgia on Wednesday, pledging to spend up to $4 million of his own fortune and bring what he called a “titanium backbone” to support President Donald Trump.
His late entry is a direct challenge to GOP state Rep. Houston Gaines, the early front-runner in the wide-open contest to succeed U.S. Rep. Mike Collins in the deep-red 10th Congressional District in east Georgia.
But Millsap, an Atlanta film studio executive and real estate investor, will face scrutiny over past criticism of Trump and Republican priorities, including Gov. Brian Kemp’s 2019 anti-abortion law that passed with Gaines’ support.
He also will confront questions about racist and antisemitic sentiments he shared in text messages that surfaced in court filings and a joint investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and ProPublica. Millsap has apologized for “any and all pain my words have caused.”
His campaign launch suggests he intends to confront his political vulnerabilities head-on. In a six-figure opening ad buy, Millsap is shown pulverizing a cinder block with a sledgehammer and shooting a semiautomatic rifle.
“I’m running to smash the status quo and fight back against the radical left and the RINOs,” he said in the ad. “I bought into their lies, too. But COVID and antifa made me realize they sold us out.”
“I’m running because we need someone with a titanium backbone who doesn’t care about climbing the political ladder,” Millsap said, “but is running to defeat the radical left once and for all and end the reign of radical lunatic liberals and impotent RINOs in Congress.”
State Senator Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia) qualified for reelection to Senate District 50, according to AccessWDUN.
State Senator Drew Echols (R-Gainesville) qualified for reelection to Senate District 49, according to AccessWDUN.
State Sen. Mike Hodges (R-SSI) qualified to seek reelection to a third term, according to The Brunswick News.
Gainesville Republican Cody Scott Ewing qualified for the House District 29 seat held by Rep. Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville), according to Access WDUN.
Ewing is a Lanier College and Career Academy graduate who says he gained real-world skills on how he would approach public policy, if elected.
Ewing is the son of a Gainesville Police Department detective and from a family that he says has a strong love for community from his faith and example set by his those in his life.
The newcomer to political campaigns says he is running to seek the elimination of property taxes to all owner-occupied primary residences, to have only safe, healthy food served in state facilities and schools, and to strengthen penalties for thefts and robberies-especially for repeat offenders-as a part of his platform.
Ewing is going to run against incumbent State Representative Matt Dubnik for the Republican primary election. Dubnik has been the 29th District representative for Gainesville and Oakwood since 2017.
Hall County Commissioner Kathy Cooper announced she will run for reelection from District 1, according to AccessWDUN.
Cooper, a Republican, will run in the May 19 primary election. She faces three opponents in that primary in Korey Anderson, Mark Turner and Mark Faul. No Democrat has qualified for the race as of Tuesday, Mar. 3.
Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes qualified to seek election to the seat she was appointed to, according to AccessWDUN.
Commissioner Holmes made history as Georgia’s first Latina constitutional officer when she was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp in March 2025. A first-generation American and veteran economic developer, Holmes transitioned from driving local investment in rural Georgia to overhauling the department with a relentless, bottom-line focus on serving Georgians and unlocking opportunity.
In a press release Tuesday, Holmes said, “Georgia’s economy is hitting historic milestones, with more than 5.2 million Georgians employed and wage growth reaching a robust 4.3%. But for me, these aren’t just statistics; they represent families with greater security and communities with new opportunity. My mission is the essential work happening beneath those numbers: Fostering the partnership between our businesses and our workforce. I’m committed to ensuring our businesses have the talent they need to grow and that every Georgian has access to a quality, mortgage-paying career.”
Holmes’ filing comes one day after a Democratic candidate, Atlanta native Christian Wise Smith, also filed paperwork to run for the GDOL Commissioner seat in the May 19 Georgia primary election.
Suspended Camilla Mayor Kelvin Owens received a continuance in the case alleging interference with an election, according to the Albany Herald.
Camilla’s suspended mayor has requested, and received, a continuance in a legal case in which he is accused of attempting to interfere with a November 2024 election. Mayor Kelvin Owens, along with City Clerk Cheryl Ford and Election Supervisor Rhunette Williford, were indicted in May 2025 and accused of interference in a Nov. 4, 2024, special election for an unexpired Camilla City Council seat.
The special election initially was cancelled following the resignations of Ford and Williford on the day prior to the election, leaving no one to open the polling place in downtown Camilla. However, a judge appointed new election workers on Election Day, and the polls opened shortly before 4 p.m., remaining open for the required 12 hours.
In the first count of the indictment, Owens is charged with interference with elections.
Owens also is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud.
A senior judge was initially appointed to oversee the case after the judges in the South Georgia Judicial Circuit recused themselves from hearing the case. Senior Judge Howard E. McClain recused himself in July 2025 and has been replaced by Senior Judge C. Dane Perkins.
No trial date had been set for the case, but it could have been scheduled for the March calendar. That will not happen with the postponement being granted.
Bulloch County Commissioners are considering levying impact fees, according to WSAV.
The Bulloch County Board of Commissioners held its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening, including a public hearing about impact fees.
“Impact fees for Bulloch County will be a way that we supplement our budget to maintain service levels in the county,” [Bulloch County Planning and Development Director James] Pope said. “Essentially, over time, as impact fees are collected, our larger capital projects for these services will be paid for or partially paid for by the fees.”
Pope added, “An impact fee will be charged at the time of a building permit.”
Further discussion during Tuesday’s meeting revealed fees would be assessed to every new development, residential or commercial, built after any approval. Renovations or home expansions would not be charged.
Sallay Jusu was sworn-in as the new Dougherty County Magistrate Judge, according to the Albany Herald.
Sallay Jusu was sworn in on Monday as the newest Dougherty County Magistrate Court judge, replacing retiring Judge Michael Meyer von Bremen.
State Court Judge John Stephenson selected Jusu from a pool of applicants.
Prior to her appointment, she served as chief deputy district attorney in the Dougherty County District Attorney’s office. She initially worked in the State Court Division and later in the Felony Division.
“I want to be a God-fearing judge, a fair judge, an impartial judge, a judge of service.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plans to revise rules intended to protect endangered Right Whales, according to the Savannah Morning News.
At the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, a camera attached to the outside of the building tracks boat speeds emerging from the Atlantic Ocean’s horizon. Too fast, and the center sends a ping to the boat to slow down.
Since 2008, federal law has mandated that 65-foot vessels or longer cannot exceed 10 knots, or nautical miles per hour, in waters where North Atlantic Right Whales (NARWs) are calving and migrating along the East Coast. These waters were designated as Seasonal Management Areas (SMAs) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), typically in place until spring.
In 2022, NOAA had even proposed to expand the rule to all vessels 35 feet or longer, across greater area and seasonal boundaries.
Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published its intentions to roll back federal vessel-speed protections established nearly two decades ago to protect North Atlantic right whales, one of the world’s most endangered whale species.
The move is meant to “reduce unnecessary regulatory and economic burdens on the regulated community,” the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) wrote in its proposal. Instead of “static” SMAS, the NMFS intends to put into place more “dynamic” measurements based on real-time responses from acoustic signals and sightings, much of which is still in development or can produce lag time.
Vessel strikes, along with entanglements, are one of the primary drivers of mortality in a species of about 380 individuals, making them among the most endangered whale species in the world. Since 2017, vessel strikes have killed at least 15 NARWs, or those autopsied and recorded by NOAA.
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