Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for May 28, 2021

Lt. Colonel George Washington fought French and Indian scouts on May 28, 1754, beginning the Seven Years War.

The Treaty of Augusta was signed on May 31, 1783, between the Creek Indians and Georgia Commissioners. A second, identical document would be signed on November 1 of that year.

The first graduation ceremony for the University of Georgia was held on May 31, 1804.

On May 28, 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, requiring all Native Americans to relocate west of the Mississippi River.

On May 29, 1836, the United States Senate ratified the Treaty of New Echota, which required the movement of all Cherokee out of Georgia and led to the “Trail of Tears.”

The Battle of Dallas, Georgia began on May 28, 1864. Click here to watch Week 6 of the Georgia Public Broadcasting/Atlanta History Center series on the Civil War in Georgia.

Savannah-born John C. Fremont was nominated for President of the United States by the Radical Republicans on May 31, 1864. Fremont had previously been nominated for President by the Republican Party as their first presidential candidate in 1856.

The Capital City Club in Atlanta was chartered on May 31, 1889.

United States Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan certified the 17th Amendment as part of the Constitution on May 31, 1913, authorizing the direct election of United States Senators. Georgia never ratified the Amendment.

On May 30, 1922, Chief Justice of the United States William H. Taft dedicated the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Inside the memorial is a seated statue of Lincoln by Daniel Chester French carved from 175 tons of Georgia white marble.

French also created the statue of Jame Oglethorpe that stands in Chippewa Square in Savannah and a seated statue of Samuel Spencer considered to be a prototype of the Lincoln carving. Samuel Spencer was the first President of Southern Railway and was originally located at the rail station in downtown Atlanta before moving to the Southern Railway passenger station in Buckhead in the 1970s and is currently at 1200 Peachtree Street in front of Norfolk Southern.

On May 29, 1942, Adolf Hitler ordered all Jews in Nazi-occupied Paris to wear a yellow Star of David on their coats.

Happy Birthday to Gladys Knight, born in Atlanta on May 28, 1944.

On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese Sherpa, became the first to summit Mount Everest.

On May 28, Tenzing and Hillary set out, setting up high camp at 27,900 feet. After a freezing, sleepless night, the pair plodded on, reaching the South Summit by 9 a.m. and a steep rocky step, some 40 feet high, about an hour later. Wedging himself in a crack in the face, Hillary inched himself up what was thereafter known as the Hillary Step. Hillary threw down a rope, and Norgay followed. At about 11:30 a.m., the climbers arrived at the top of the world.

News of the success was rushed by runner from the expedition’s base camp to the radio post at Namche Bazar, and then sent by coded message to London, where Queen Elizabeth II learned of the achievement on June 1, the eve of her coronation. The next day, the news broke around the world. Later that year, Hillary and Hunt were knighted by the queen. Norgay, because he was not a citizen of a Commonwealth nation, received the lesser British Empire Medal.

Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter appeared on the cover of Time magazine on May 31, 1971.

A summit between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev ended on May 31, 1988. Four years later, in 1992, Gorbachev was dancing for dollars in the United States, including the keynote address at Emory University’s graduation.

On this day in 1992, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion by Georgia-based The Black Crowes reached number one on the Billboard US Album chart.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Voters are going to the polls in Muscogee County Board of Education DIstrict 2 to vote early in a June 15 special election, according to WTVM.

Early voting is currently underway for a seat on the the Muscogee County School Board.

The seat will fill the void left by former District 2 representative Mike Edmondson who died in February after a battle with cancer.

You can cast your ballot at the City Services Center on Macon Road.

The candidates are Bart Steed and Nickie Tiller.

Early voting is also underway in special elections for Henry County Commission District 3, State House District 34, Rockdale County Probate Court Judge, and Mayor of Watkinsville, according to the AJC.

Henry County voters will decide a replacement for Commissioner Gary Barham, who died earlier in the year from complications of COVID-19. Incumbent Republican candidate Charles “Greg” Cannon, who has held the seat temporarily since April, will face Democratic challengers Briana Clay and Sarita Dyer for the position.

In Cobb, residents will vote on a replacement for recently resigned Marietta Republican Bert Reeves in House District 34. The candidates are Democrats Sam Hensley Jr. and Priscilla Smith; Republicans David Blinkhorn and Devan Seabaugh, and Libertarian Chris Neill.

Rockdale County is seeking a new probate judge to fill the remainder of Clarence Cuthpert Jr.’s term. The candidates are incumbent Democrat Gary W. Washington, Kathy Harvey and Justin Kenney.

In Oconee County, acting Mayor Brian Brodrick will face attorney Peter Hall Steckel in a race to replace Watkinsville Mayor Bob Smith. Chuck Garrett and Carolyn Maultsby will run to replace Brodrick on the Watkinsville City Council.

U.S. Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Extreme Northwest Georgia) and Matt Gaetz (R-Florida Man) , according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

Georgia’s U.S. House Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who represents Whitfield and Murray counties, was joined by Florida House Rep. Matt Gaetz in deep-red Dalton on Thursday night as part of their series of “America First” rallies. About 500 people — most in MAGA (Make America Great Again, a saying Trump used) gear — filled the Dalton Convention Center.

“We are the most hated and the most attacked members of Congress, Matt and I,” Greene told the crowd. “Guess what? We don’t really care, do we?”

During her 40-minute speech, Greene lamented the Democratic-controlled government for its stimulus checks to unemployed Americans — saying that it keeps people from seeking out jobs. She lambasted President Joe Biden’s administration for its immigration policies and echoed false claims that the election results were faulty.

Gaetz faces his own array of troubling allegations that include an inappropriate relationship with a minor and sex trafficking. Gaetz’s associate pleaded guilty to several similar charges.

“We are the Republican Party,” Gaetz proclaimed to the crowded convention center after he took to the podium. “… This is Donald Trump’s party and I’m a Donald Trump Republican!”

Georgia U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, a far-right figure who is running for secretary of state against incumbent Brad Raffensperger, perpetuated false allegations that the election was stolen during the Dalton rally. When he mentioned the incumbent, the crowd rang out in chants of “lock him up!”

“Let me tell you what we need as a secretary of state here in Georgia,” he said. “We need someone who’s going to restore integrity to the election process.”

Dalton resident Roberta Sikkelee Curtin donned a home-made T-shirt that read: “MTG, we stand with thee.”

“They can talk about censuring her all they want,” Sikkelee Curtin said. “We elected her and we want her to represent us.”

From the AJC:

“We’ve got to clear something up: Who won the presidential race on November 3 for Georgia?” The crowd bellowed Trump’s name in response.

Greene told them as taxpayers, they have the right to demand another tally of votes. “If you want an audit, then you deserve an audit,” she said of the stalled push to review Georgia’s election results once again.

“You know, Nazis were the National Socialist Party,” she said. “Just like the Democrats are now a National Socialist Party.”

Governor Brian Kemp yesterday announced that Georgia has retained its top bond ratings, according to a press release.

Governor Brian P. Kemp announced Georgia again secured the highest ratings of AAA with a stable outlook from each of the three main credit rating agencies: FitchRatings, Moody’s Investors Service, and S&P Global Ratings. Of the states that issue general obligation bonds, only nine currently meet this standard. Georgia’s upcoming general obligation bond sale will fund over $1.1 billion in capital projects. The Peach State’s AAA ratings will enable the state to sell its bonds at the lowest possible interest costs when it takes bids for those bonds in early June. The credit rating agencies’ individual ratings are AAA, Aaa, and AAA, respectively, the highest ratings possible, and indicative of sound fiscal management.

“Securing the highest state bond rating for yet another year is a testament to decades of conservative leadership at the state level and our balanced approach in protecting both lives and livelihoods throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Kemp. “In a year of unprecedented challenges – working with the General Assembly – we cut taxes, balanced the state’s budget, invested in essential services, and avoided draconian budget cuts. These decisions resulted in an unemployment rate below the national average and the lowest of the ten most populated states, record job and investment growth, and being named the top state for business for the eighth year in a row. By working together to put hardworking Georgians first, we’ll continue to make Georgia the best state to live, work, and raise a family.”

Fitch, Moody’s, and S&P cited the strength of Georgia’s economy with a positive employment trend, growth of the state’s rainy day fund, a balanced approach to primary revenue sources, and consistent funding of obligations as factors contributing to AAA ratings. The credit rating agencies’ individual ratings are AAA, Aaa, and AAA, respectively, which are the highest ratings available and indicative of sound fiscal management.

Bond Rating Agency Report Excerpts

FitchRatings:

“Georgia’s ‘AAA’ Issuer Default Rating (IDR) reflects the state’s proven willingness and ability to maintain fiscal balance and a broad-based, growth-oriented economy that supports revenue growth over time. … Growth in population and jobs has outpaced the nation over several decades, driving steady economic gains and providing a solid foundation for future growth. … Georgia’s exceptionally strong gap-closing ability during cyclical downturns derives primarily from its superior budget flexibility and strong reserves. … Georgia’s long-term liability burden is low, and overall debt management is conservative. The state issues bonds regularly for capital needs and principal amortization is rapid. Georgia fully funds its actuarially determined contributions (ADCs) for pensions supporting a modest net pension liability (NPL) burden.”

Moody’s Investors Service:

“Georgia’s Aaa general obligation rating reflects strong finances and liquidity, robust fiscal management and governance, and moderate long-term liabilities and fixed cost burdens. The state’s diverse economy and favorable demographic trends are also key considerations in the rating and factors that will contribute to long-term stability. The stable outlook reflects the expectation that Georgia’s economic fundamentals, financial position, and fiscal management will remain strong and support the current rating.”

S&P Global Ratings:

“Georgia’s ‘AAA’ long-term rating is supported by our view of the state’s overall strong credit fundamentals, including its large and diverse economic base that exhibited comparative resilience relative to the U.S. in light of uncertain public health and safety risks presented by the COVID-19 and management’s implementation of timely structural budget measures…. In our view, Georgia made necessary budget adjustments and emerged from this challenging social and economic landscape in a comparatively steady financial position…. In our opinion, Georgia’s economy is likely to remain resilient given its level of employment diversification and projected economic growth that mirrors the nation… Over the past decade, Georgia has benefited from an expanding economy, strong demographic trends, and improvement in the urban core of metropolitan Atlanta. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, most service sectors of the state’s economy were flourishing. Absent any future pull-back in economic activity to address health and safety risks, the state should be relatively well-positioned for future growth … The state’s debt burden, in our view, is moderate and should remain so…. Georgia maintains its commitment to adequately funding its pension liabilities and in recent years has started to prefund its other postemployment benefit (OPEB) obligations.”

New initial unemployment filings are down, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Jobless Georgians filed 24,553 initial claims last week, down 888 from the week before, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday.

Meanwhile, the department was being forced to deal with growing cases of fraud among the more than 60,000 Georgians thrown out of work by the coronavirus pandemic more than a year ago who have refiled for payments for a second year.

“A high number of claimants who have applied for their second year of benefits … have been found to possibly be committing fraud,” Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler said Thursday.

“Couple those investigations with the majority of recently filed claims failing to verify their identity and we are left manually sifting through a myriad of fraudulent claims searching for the small percentage that are actually valid.”

The labor department has processed more than 4.8 million first-time unemployment claims since March of last year, more than during the last 10 years prior to the pandemic, while paying out more than $21.8 billion in state and federal jobless benefits.

Senate President Pro Tem Butch Miller and State Senator Burt Jones traded barbs in the AJC Political Insider.

It’s from Senate President Pro Tem Butch Miller, with a message about the depth of his support for Donald Trump. GOP state Sen. Burt Jones, a potential rival for LG, questioned Miller’s loyalty to the former president.

Here it goes:

Burt hasn’t even decided what he’s running for and we’re already seeing the political games. He can try to twist my words but I’ll talk straight to Georgians on where I stand: President Trump is the undisputed leader of the Republican Party, and I’d welcome the chance to earn his support over a shrimp cocktail at Mar-a-Lago or a hotdog at the Varsity.

I have a proven record of advancing the conservative agenda here in Georgia just like Trump did in Washington: strong immigration enforcement, the heartbeat bill, the largest tax cut in state history, expansion of gun rights and strong support for law enforcement.

I campaigned for Trump, I voted for him and I’d proudly support him again. When I’m LG, he’ll know he has a fighter in his corner. Like this year when I stepped up to get our election reform DONE, I’ll be doing the hard work advancing the Make America Great Again agenda­­ – not on CNN bashing him or playing political games from the sidelines.

I might not mention the Varsity if it were me.

The Georgia Republican Party has rescheduled a re-do of the First District Republican Convention, according to the Savannah Morning News.

After the cancelation of the 1st District GOP Convention, which came on the heels of the Chatham County convention-turned-shouting-match, the state party has stepped in to reschedule the event.

The 1st District Convention was originally set to be held at the Pine Forest Country Club in Jesup on May 15. But less than 24 hours before the event, it was canceled.

Now, after intervention from the state party, the convention will be held on June 12 at the Georgia Lions Club for the Blind in Waycross, a week after the state convention is set to be held at Jekyll Island, a Wednesday email from Stewart Bragg, executive director of the state Republican party read.

“The only business to be transacted will be the election of district officers and state committee members. Candidates will be nominated from the floor,” the email from the state party heads read.

Augusta’s  Mayor and City Commissioners met in a retreat, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

The mayor and commission met for hours Wednesday at Julian Smith Casino at a retreat conducted by Administrator Odie Donald and officials from the Georgia Municipal Association and the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.

The retreat included overlapping segments on the budget and developing a strategic plan, plus information about American Rescue Plan funding.

The commission and mayor brainstormed their priorities for the upcoming general fund budget, which typically exceeds $160 million.

With the city’s 2021 fiscal year at the midpoint in July, many “hard decisions” lie ahead, Love said, before the new fiscal year begins in January.

She presented charts showing how much money per capita the city allocates for services. The top category was public safety, followed by general government – the commission, mayor’s office, elections and the like – then Transportation Investment Act projects and fire prevention.

“How do you know you’re spending the right amount of money per capita; what is the right amount of money per capita?” she asked.

A big component of budgeting and planning is incoming American Rescue Plan funding. Augusta is poised to receive at least $100 million more in COVID-19 rescue funds but does not yet know the extent of losses from the virus and shutdown.

Augusta transferred $2.2 million from savings last year to cover projected COVID-19 losses that contributed to a recently projected $3.8 million surplus. But the city won’t really know its true standing until an annual audit comes back, Donald said.

Clayton County Commissioner Sonna Singleton Gregory died, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Fellow commissioner Felicia Franklin said she was heartbroken, calling Gregory an “outstanding leader, faithful servant and citizen.”

“Commissioner Gregory fought the good fight giving her all to her family and constituents she wholeheartedly love and serviced willingly and devotedly since 2007,” Franklin said via social media.

Former Pickens County Chief Magistrate Judge William “Allen” Wigington was found guilty in trial on 44 counts, according to AccessWDUN.

Attorney General Chris Carr announced today in a release that the office’s Prosecution Division has concluded its case against Judge William “Allen” Wigington.

He was found guilty of one count of racketeering, three counts of fourth-degree forgery, five counts of theft by taking, 39 counts of unauthorized use of a financial transaction card, and one count of violation of oath of office. In total, his crimes amounted to 44 felonies and five misdemeanors.

Wigington was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He will serve five years in custody and will spend the rest of the sentence on probation.

“Mr. Wigington violated the public’s trust in the worst way, and he will now serve time for his deceitful behavior,” Carr said. “… The theft of taxpayer funds will not go unpunished, and we will continue to root out this type of public corruption in our state.”