George Washington departed Waynesboro, Georgia on May 18, 1791, headed to Augusta. On May 19-20, 1791, George Washington spent his second and third days in Augusta, where he visited Richmond Academy. Washington left Georgia on May 21, 1791 to go to Columbia, South Carolina.
Abraham Lincoln was nominated for President by the Republican National Convention on May 18, 1860.
The United States Supreme Court handed down its decision in Plessy v. Ferguson on May 18, 1896.
The U.S. Supreme Court rule[d] seven to one that a Louisiana law providing for “equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races” on its railroad cars is constitutional. The high court held that as long as equal accommodations were provided, segregation was not discrimination and thus did not deprive African Americans of equal protection under the law as guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (R-Forsyth County) will not seek reelection in 2022, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Henry Herald.
Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan announced Monday he will not seek reelection to another term as Georgia’s second-highest state elected official, opening the door for a fierce 2022 campaign between Republicans and Democrats vying to replace him.
In a statement, Duncan – a Republican – said he plans to create a political organization called “GOP 2.0” aimed at “healing and rebuilding” the national Republican Party amid the fallout from former President Donald Trump’s continued claims of voter fraud in the 2020 elections.
“The national events of the last six months have deeply affected my family in ways I would have never imagined when I first asked for their support to run for lieutenant governor in 2017,” Duncan said Monday.
“Through all of the highs and lows of the last six months, they have never left my side and are once again united behind me in my pursuit of a better way forward for our conservative party – a GOP 2.0.”
Duncan’s absence from campaigning next year will likely prompt stiff competition among Republicans during the 2022 primary. Several Democratic contenders have already thrown their hats in the ring including state Reps. Erick Allen of Smyrna and Derrick Jackson of Tyrone.
From the Valdosta Daily Times:
“Today, I am announcing that I will not be seeking reelection for a second term as lieutenant governor,” he said in a statement. “It is truly an honor to serve as lieutenant governor and I have no intention of slowing down on my policy over politics platform.”
The Republican will still oversee the General Assembly’s special session for redistricting this fall and the 2022 legislative session. After the remaining time in his position, Duncan said he plans to transition his political energy helping build “GOP 2.0” at a national level.
“It always feels coldest right before the sun rises. I believe that is the exact moment in time the Republican Party is caught in right now, and I am committed to being a part of creating those better days ahead for our conservative party all across this country,” Duncan said in his announcement. “The national events of the last six months have deeply affected my family in ways I would have never imagined when I first asked for their support to run for lieutenant governor in 2017.”
Republican Jeanne Seaver of Savannah, a business owner and longtime GOP activist, previously announced she would challenge Duncan.
Duncan says GOP 2.0 will be focused on rebuilding a Republican party “that is damaged but not destroyed.”
“This effort will no doubt be challenging but well worth it because both this country and this Party deserve better,” Duncan says.
“We’re going to continue to fight as hard as we’ve ever fought for the conservative brand,” Duncan said on WDUN’s Newsroom. “One that I believe in, one that I trust in, one that I was raised in as a kid, and now one I’m raising my family in.”
GOP 2.0 aims to push the values of conservative values through empathy and respect. Duncan explained he wants republicans, even those who may not have voted for a Republican for president in the last election cycle, to have a place to call home.
“Those are the people we want to make sure have a place to hang their hat,” Duncan said. “I think by the time we get to 2024, we’re going to have an overwhelming majority of Americans who want to support a GOP 2.0.”
“You don’t even have to take my opinion. You can take the absolute mountains of information that proves that,” Duncan said. “Unfortunately, the guy I voted for didn’t win, but this is the most lopsided conversation in the history of mankind. There’s not one shred of evidence that points to legitimate, widespread, systemic fraud in the election cycle.”
While Duncan is passing on a second term in office, Senate Majority Leader Butch Miller of Gainesville is considering a run for the position.
Governor Brian Kemp is preparing for his 2022 reelection campaign, according to the AJC.
The Republican announced a network of grassroots supporters in all Georgia’s 159 counties and announced an initial campaign team of four staffers, part of a display of organizational might ahead of a tough reelection campaign.
He’s so far staved off a serious GOP threat, as former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins and other Trump favorites have declined a challenge. Instead, several longshot candidates have lined up, including Democrat-turned-Republican Vernon Jones.
His new campaign manager is Bobby Saparow, the former top aide to U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson. Two longtime Kemp staffers – Ian Caraway and Amelia Hawkins – will serve as deputy campaign managers. And Tate Mitchell will be the campaign press secretary.
Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor (D) is allegedly under investigation, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor is the subject of a criminal investigation by state officials and at least three lawsuits related to allegations that he did not renew contracts for some bonding companies if they did not support his election campaign last fall, officials and attorneys have told the Daily Post.
As sheriff, Taylor has the authority to decide which bail bonding companies are allowed to operate in Gwinnett County. Approved companies receive certificates of authority. No bonding company can issue bonds in a county without one of those certificates.
In a complex story, Taylor and attorneys representing three bonding companies whose ability to work in Gwinnett was revoked by the sheriff are trading harsh words over the issue. One case is pending in federal court while at least two more are pending in Gwinnett County Superior Court.
Looming over the court cases, however, is an investigation of Taylor by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. It was spurred by a video Hall sent to GBI Director Vic Reynolds, who is an acquaintance of the Anytime Bail Bonding owner, last September.
The video shows Taylor meeting with an the office manager at Anytime Bail Bonding during the 2020 campaign season, before Taylor was elected sheriff.
“If folks don’t support me, I’m not going to let them bond here,” Taylor can be heard telling the office manager in the short video clip, which Cheeley sent to the Daily Post Friday. “I’m just not going to let them do it. That’s the reason that everybody I’ve gone to, I’m like ‘Hey, go on there. Do your research. Research me out. Research my opponent. And then make a decision on what you want to do.’”
After reviewing a copy of Taylor’s press release, GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles confirmed there was an open investigation into the sheriff, but she said she could not provide details about what the investigation was about. Cheeley said the Georgia Attorney General’s Office is working with the GBI on that investigation, but AG’s Office spokeswoman Katie Byrd said she could not comment on the matter.
A new federal lawsuit seeks to invalidate changes to Georgia election law, according to WTOC.
The lawsuit filed Monday in Atlanta asks a judge to declare parts of the new election law unconstitutional and to prohibit the state from enforcing them. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger accused the Coalition for Good Governance, which is one of the plaintiffs, of spreading disinformation about the new law.
This suit by county election board members, individual voters, election volunteers, nonprofit organizations and a journalist joins a half dozen others challenging the new law.
Among the county election board members included in the suit, named as a Plaintiff, is Chatham County Board of Elections Member Antwan T. Lang.
The lawsuit also asks the U.S. District Court in Atlanta to declare the challenged provisions unconstitutional. The lawsuit seeks to ensure that Georgia’s elections are conducted under the active control of its citizens and their local governments in a completely transparent and accountable manner.
“Protecting our citizens right to vote means advocating to eliminate barriers that makes it harder to vote. There are certain provisions of SB202 that clearly infringe upon the voting rights of Georgia’s citizens and at best creates barriers that directly contributes to the mistrust of our elections system and discourages voter participation,” Lang said.
From the Associated Press via AccessWDUN:
“Liberty requires at least three essential things — an unfettered right to vote, freedom of speech, and the meaningful separation of powers,” the lawsuit says. “This lawsuit is necessary to preserve individual constitutional rights, and constitutional government, against the attacks that (the law) makes on these three pillars of liberty.”
Attorney General Chris Carr said it is his duty to defend the Constitution and the laws of Georgia.
“We have observed a significant amount of misinformation about this legislation,” Carr said in an emailed statement. “Our office will properly evaluate this law and defend the state and its citizens. We have and will continue to protect access to and the integrity of voting in Georgia.”
More than 600 complaints alleging price gouging were filed in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline shutdown, according to the Macon Telegraph.
“While we believe this to be a short-term event, we do not want consumers to be taken advantage of,” Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said. “Our office will review all price gouging complaints received to ensure the law is followed.”
Georgia’s price gouging laws were activated Monday when Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in response to the cyberattack against Colonial Pipeline. A panic-driven fuel shortage sent gas prices soaring and, at one point, resulted in outages at nearly 50% of gas stations in the state.
Motorists have also reported major markups since the pipeline hack last week, with gas prices reaching upwards of $3.50 per gallon.
“We’ve seen anywhere from where it was before the declaration of emergency to upwards of $4.50 a gallon,” said Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton, according to WAGA. “I want to make sure all the service station operators here know we’re paying attention and we’re going to be reporting any price gouging, anybody taking advantage of our citizens.”
Under the state’s price gouging laws, businesses cannot charge more for a product or service, identified by the governor, than they charged before the state of emergency was declared, according to the attorney general’s office.
This includes motor and diesel fuel.
Markups on products and services specified by the governor are only allowed “if they accurately reflect an increase in the cost of new stock or the cost to transport it, plus the retailer’s average markup percentage applied during the ten days immediately prior to the declaration of a state of emergency.”
“Our first line of action though … when we receive a complaint, we will immediately be putting those businesses on notice in hopes the behavior ceases right then and there,” Carr said Monday.
Redistricting is several months behind already for Augusta political districts, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
Every 10 years, the U.S. reapportions political seats based on population shifts or growth revealed by the census. The process starts with congressional seats, works it way through state House and Senate districts, then heads to local government bodies, such as the Augusta Commission or the Richmond County Board of Education.
This time, the process is compressed because of COVID-19 and early Augusta elections. The maps need to be drawn by the March 7 start of elections for five Augusta Commission posts. School trustees follow the same maps but have elections later in the year.
“We normally have the county-level data by the first part of June, but it’s just not available. We’re about four months behind our time frame,” said Lynn Bailey, the executive director for the Richmond County Board of Elections. Bailey has been involved with Augusta redistricting since the process relied on paper maps and colored pencils.
Augusta Commissioners are working on a “blight tax” ordinance, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
A new blight ordinance – labeled a “working draft” – proposes to raise the city millage sevenfold for owners who don’t address blight on their properties and cut taxes in half for those who do.
Mayor Pro Tem Bobby Williams previously said the ordinance would be modeled on one used in Macon, Ga., that has “teeth.” The commission voted in early April to have a draft ordinance in 30 days.
Commissioners said they were waiting on City Administrator Odie Donald II to fill them in during Tuesday’s regular commission meeting, to be held in person.
Properties identified by a city official as blighted then move through a process that will eventually increase the owner’s tax bill, although homes serving as someone’s primary residence are exempt from the increase.
For each property, codes enforcement prepares a report and serves the owner with notice that violations must be addressed within 30 days. If the owner can’t be found, signs will be posted on the property.
The Ledger-Enquirer has videos with the two candidate for Muscogee County Board of Education District 2 in a special election – Nickie Tillery and Bart Steed.
The Clarke County Board of Education approved a budget for the next Fiscal Year and will hold required public meetings via Zoom, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
The budget passed by a 5-3 vote at last Thursday’s school board meeting, with Linda Davis, Mumbi Anderson and Kirrena Gallagher voting against it.
The proposed millage rate will remain at 20 mills. The school district collects a portion of its revenue through property taxes, and the millage rate is used to calculate how much a property owner owes.
The budget anticipates the tax digest will grow by 7.6%, boosting the amount of taxes collected by the district. Approximately $95 million is expected to be collected in property taxes, making up 56% of the overall budget. Maintaining the rate at 20 mills is expected to boost property taxes by 5.98%.
The school district will hold three public meetings to address the budget and tax increase. These meetings will be held via Zoom.
Morgan House announced he will run for a seat on Gainesville City Council, according to the Gainesville Times.
Former Lake Lanier Olympic Park manager Morgan House has announced he is running for the Gainesville City Council seat being vacated by Sam Couvillon.
“Born and raised in Gainesville, I understand the needs of our community,” House said in an announcement emailed to The Times. “I am a husband, a father and someone who is very involved in the Gainesville/Hall County area.”
He told The Times that running for council “is something I have been thinking about for a while. Politics is something that interests me, and I think that a lot of times you get too wrapped up in what’s happening in Washington, D.C., and don’t focus enough on what’s happening on the local level. I’d love to be part of the Gainesville City Council and the future of Gainesville.”
House, a Gainesville High School graduate, had a decorated career as a paddler for the Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club, winning 50 national championships and placing in numerous world championship events since taking up the sport in 1995.
Couvillon is leaving his seat to run for mayor in the Nov. 2 city elections.
Also announcing a bid for the Ward 1 seat is Danny Dunagan, who decided not to seek a third term as mayor.
Official qualifying for the race is set for Aug. 16-18. New terms, for those expiring, will begin Jan. 1, 2022, and run through Dec. 31, 2025.
Space Cadets
United States Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Atlanta) wants the Federal Aviation Administration to slow down the process of reviewing the Camden Spaceport application, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Rome News Tribune.
In a letter to the federal agency dated Monday, Warnock raised concerns about the FAA’s review of the environmental impacts of the proposed Spaceport Camden.
The FAA is expected to release a final environmental impact statement on the project by the end of this month and decide by the end of next month whether to grant Spaceport Camden a launch site operator license.
Warnock indicated in his letter he has heard from a number of Georgians that the FAA’s review has been inadequate, particularly since the Camden County Commission changed the project’s initial design from launching medium-to-large rockets to small rockets.
“This is not the time to cut corners on environmental review or cut out public participation in the evaluation of this project,” Warnock wrote. “The incoming FAA leadership should be given the opportunity to evaluate fully these issues with the benefit of public input before moving forward with a final decision.”
In January 2020, Camden County officials revised its launch site operator license application to focus exclusively on small-lift class rockets. In the initial application, the county was asking for a license to launch medium-large rockets.
Spaceport Camden is seeking a license to launch up to 12 small-lift class rockets a year, as well as 12 static fire engine tests and dress rehearsals associated with the launches.
The decision to switch to small-lift class rockets represents a tradeoff, the letter said, because “they have a smaller footprint when they fail, but they fail at a higher rate.”
A 20 percent failure rate means 2.5 rockets should be expected to fail each year, according to the law center.
Other concerns are fires and potential impacts to the new Ceylon and Cabin Bluff state wildlife management areas near the proposed launch site. The FAA has not considered the proposed spaceport’s impacts on those properties.
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