Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for November 10, 2025

Today we celebrate the birth of the United States Marine Corps, which traces its lineage to the Continental Marines, formed by a resolution adopted by the Second Continental Congress on November 10, 1775. Here, former Georgia Governor and United States Senator Zell Miller tells of his decision to join the Marine Corps and the change it made in his life.

A monument to Nancy Hart was dedicated in Hartwell, in Hart County, Georgia, on November 10, 1931. Hart was an active Patriot in the American Revolution.

United States Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Moultrie) was born on November 10, 1943. Chambliss was elected to Congress in 1994 as part of the “Republican Revolution” led by Newt Gingrich.

The iron ore freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sunk in a winter storm on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975.

On November 10, 2000, George W. Bush took the lead for the first time in the New Mexico vote count, paving the way for his eventual election as President. From the New York Times:

Gov. George W. Bush of Texas late Friday night took the lead from Vice President Al Gore in the race to claim New Mexico’s five electoral votes with what now stands as the slimmest statewide margin in the country and one of the narrowest in American history.

After 257 missing ballots were found on Friday, and Bernalillo County officials here decided to count 379 ballots by hand that had been rejected by electronic voting machines on Tuesday, Mr. Bush led Mr. Gore by just four votes — among nearly 600,000 cast. The count was 285,644 for Mr. Bush, and 285,640 for Mr. Gore, according to totals from the state and the county.

Mr. Gore, who now has 255 electoral votes, seemed the apparent winner in New Mexico on Tuesday night by about 5,000 votes. But by late Wednesday, county officials had discovered that 67,000 absentee and early ballots had not been counted.

By midnight on Thursday, nearly all the ballots had been tallied and added to the county totals, but county officials then found that 252 votes — a number that reached 257 by Friday — were missing. They also grappled with the problem of what to do with an ever changing number of ballots that voting machines had rejected.

Then, on Friday afternoon, Lou Melvin, a precinct judge, found a locked black ballot box in an outer storage room in the county warehouse building where all the tabulations were being conducted.

It would be a month before the Supreme Court rendered a decision in Bush v. Gore, ending the election.

From the New York Post, dated November 12, 2000:

Republican George W. Bush yesterday took an infinitesimal lead – just 17 votes – in New Mexico, flipping a state that was put in rival Al Gore’s column for days, then moved to undecided Friday as Gore’s lead shriveled.

It’s another black eye for the TV networks who rushed to judgment and wrongly called New Mexico for Gore on Election Night, just as they miscalled Florida – first for Gore and then for Bush before going back to undecided.

The TV network fumbles are coupled with coast-to-coast ballot bumbles that have undermined America’s faith in the whole voting system as four states could join Florida in recount-land: New Mexico, Wisconsin, Oregon and Iowa.

Former State School Superintendent Linda Schrenko was indicted by federal prosecutors on November 10, 2004 on eighteen counts.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Whitfield County will recount ballots from the November 4, 2025 election for Cohutta Town Council, according to The Brunswick News.

Sandy Clayborne and Randy Stanton took the top two places in a six-way race for two seats on the council on Tuesday with 82 and 64 votes respectively. In Cohutta elections, the two candidates with the most votes fill the seats.

Kelli Bryson, who finished third with 63 votes, has requested the recount, according to Bryson. Under Georgia law, a candidate may request a recount if the margin of victory of a winning candidate is equal to or less than 0.5 percentage point over the candidate requesting the recount.

The recount will take place Monday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m. at the Whitfield County Board of Election’s Office in the courthouse at 205 N. Selvidge St., Dalton.

Bryson said the results of all other races on Tuesday’s ballot in Whitfield County have been certified.

A provisional ballot that was counted added to the margin of victory of Jefferson Mayor-elect Dawn Maddow, according to AccessWDUN.

A single provisional ballot in the race for Jefferson mayor was waiting to be counted.

Heading into Friday, challenger Dawn Maddox held a razor-thin one vote lead over Incumbent Jon Howell, 1,278 to 1,277.

After the single vote was counted, Maddox’s margin of victory increased to two. 1,279 to 1,277.

“It’s an honor to get to be the first female mayor of Jefferson, to get to be mayor of Jefferson at all, to serve this community with all my heart, just like I did for district two” Maddox told AccessWDUN after the news on Friday.

It was reported on Wednesday that 18 provisional ballots still needed counting, but only one was in the City of Jefferson.

Maddox gave thanks to God, her husband and family, and her campaign team.

“I cannot wait to step in and start serving and see all the good that we will do for Jefferson,” Maddox added.

In the state of Georgia, a candidate can request a recount if the margin is less than or equal to a 0.5% difference. Given that Maddox got 50.04% of the vote, Howell will likely call for a recount.

“Contrary to what Mayor Howell stated on Tuesday, we don’t have a city divided because the vote was so close, we have a city that is engaged and that’s a beautiful thing,” Maddox said in a statement on Friday. “This isn’t division, this is democracy in action. Americans gave their lives so that we can have freedom to vote. This was an extraordinary thing to witness.”

Qualifying closed for the December 9, 2025 Special Election to fill the House District 21 seat vacated by the death of State Rep. Mandi Ballinger (R-Canton), according to Georgia Recorder.

Six candidates have stepped forward to fill a Cherokee County legislative seat that was left empty after the death of the district’s state representative last month.

Rep. Mandi Ballinger, a Canton Republican, died in October after a long battle with cancer. Five Republicans and one Democrat  have qualified to replace her in the state House.

House District 23 was drawn to favor a Republican. The last time Ballinger had a Democratic opponent was in 2018, and she won with nearly three quarters of the vote, though the district’s borders have shifted since then.

The election is scheduled for Dec. 9 with early voting set to begin Monday, Nov. 17.

With six candidates splitting the vote, it’s likely that none of them will exceed the required 50% of the vote. In that case, a runoff is scheduled to be held Jan. 6. The House is set to gavel in for the start of the 2026 legislative session on Jan. 12.

The short timeframe to campaign combined with the Thanksgiving travel season and voter fatigue from other recent elections could all portend low turnout.

Here’s who has thrown their hat in the ring to represent part of Cherokee County including Canton, part of northern Holly Springs and the surrounding unincorporated regions, according to documents filed with the secretary of state’s office:

Bill Fincher

Fincher, a Republican former assistant district attorney, now owns an RV park. In a phone call, Fincher said his experience negotiating and trying cases is part of what makes him the best candidate for the job.

“I’m strong for law enforcement. I’m strong for election integrity, and I believe in capping the ad valorem tax to protect people so they can stay in their homes. I’m a friend of taxpayers, having paid a lot of taxes over my life, I’m pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, I’m a Christian conservative.”

Fincher said his top priorities if elected will be ensuring election integrity, capping ad valorem taxes and reducing the price of groceries.

Brice Futch

Futch, a Cherokee County firefighter, ran earlier this year for a state Senate seat as a Republican. Futch did not comment for this story, but in his campaign for the Senate, he said his top priorities would include eliminating the state income tax and banning puberty blockers for transgender minors.

Website: www.electbrice.com

Ann Gazell

Gazell is a retired public school principal who now serves as a professor of education at Piedmont University.

Gazell, a Republican, is running on her record of service in the community.

“After 31 years serving Cherokee County students, including opening Indian Knoll Elementary as its founding principal and leading schools in Cobb and Cherokee, I’ve spent the last seven years preparing the next generation of school leaders,” she wrote in an email. “I also proudly serve as President of the Friends of Holly Springs Police Foundation and come from a military family: my father was a WWII Army Air Corps veteran, and my husband, Mike, served nearly 30 years in the Army and the Air National Guard.”

Gazell said her top priorities will include eliminating the state income tax, fighting illegal immigration and ensuring election integrity, including by requiring hand-marked paper ballots and limiting voting to one week.

Website: www.anngazell.com

Rajpal “Raj” Sagoo

Republican Sagoo, a business owner and consultant, said he has achieved success in Cherokee County and wants to carry on the values he grew up with.

“As a lifelong resident of Cherokee County, I share the values and vision that make this community special,” the 33-year-old said in an email. “At my age, I have the energy and drive to fight for those values every day. I have been fortunate to live the ‘Cherokee Dream,’ to live, work, and raise a family right here at home. I am committed to keeping government in check so others can do the same, and to using those roots to continue moving our community forward.”

Sagoo said his top priorities will be reducing the state income tax, lowering property taxes and cutting regulations on small businesses.

Website: www.votesagoo.com

Scott Sanders

The sole Democrat in the race, Sanders acknowledged that winning a conservative district like HD23 will be an uphill climb, but he’s hopeful that a campaign based on what he calls common sense and compromise may find favor with Canton voters.

Sanders, a business executive who comes from a family of educators, said his top priority if elected will be making Georgia teachers’ lives easier. He said he also hopes to focus on fully funding public services and reducing overdevelopment in rural areas.

“I’m not really thrilled with the extremes on either side,” he said in a phone call. “And, you know, this is me trying to bring normalcy and sanity and — I keep using the phrase ‘common sense –’ back to things. That’s all it really is, you know? Voters don’t have to believe in everything I believe in, I wouldn’t expect them to. But if we can agree on some of the bigger stuff, maybe there’s room to figure out smaller stuff or at least take care of the important items and make the world a better place a little bit.”

Website: www.sandersforga.com

William Ware 

Ware, a retired microbiologist, said he decided to run in part to help children in state custody, which was also a passion of Ballinger’s.

Ware said the issue is personal for him after members of his family had children taken away in another state.

“At least I can try to do something,” he said. “And at the same time, I understand the complexities that child protective services have, and I want to work with them, not to abolish or get rid of them or anything, but to support them so that we don’t have the problems that we’ve got right now.”

Ware said he’ll be running on a tight budget and acknowledged he is at a disadvantage, but he pledged to serve with integrity and keep an eye on spending if he is elected.

“The term limits are gonna be short for me – I am 78 years old,” he said. “But I have a lot of experience in negotiating. I feel like I can represent the people here. I’m open, transparent, honest. Hopefully, I have some integrity, and I think we lack that in a lot of our politicians. And that’s what I bring to the table”

Website: www.ware4gahr23.com

The federal government said it will fully fund November SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Valdosta Daily Times.

The federal government said Friday that it will comply with a judge’s order to issue full benefits for this month to its food assistance program for low-income households.

In a letter to state directors of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, Patrick A. Penn, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official who oversees the program, said the agency “will complete the processes necessary” to make funds available and comply with an order Thursday in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island.

Previously, the administration of President Donald Trump had said it only had enough funding during the government shutdown to cover about half of November SNAP benefits and said that is how much it would send to states to distribute among recipients.

Penn, the USDA under secretary for Food Nutrition, and Consumer Services, had said in a court filing Monday that the decision to cut deposits in half would delay distribution “anywhere from a few weeks to up to several months.”

Reducing the payouts would have forced states to reconfigure their systems that calculate how much each recipient receives, contributing to delays.

Penn’s letter was sent to the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS), which uses a contractor to distribute SNAP benefits to recipients’ electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards.

“We are working with Conduent, the State’s EBT vendor, to establish a timeline and process for benefit issuances,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement Friday.

Penn sent his letter on the 38th day of a record-breaking government shutdown. His agency’s website bore a prominent message blaming Democrats and accusing the party of compromising SNAP and other programs, including food inspection, for political “leverage” points involving “gender mutilation” and “healthcare for illegals.”

SNAP disbursals to Georgia recipients have already been delayed at least two days. Distributions usually begin on the fifth of each month for a program that feeds 1.4 million Georgia residents, many of them children.

From WRDW:

The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) announced on Sunday it will issue partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November to eligible Georgians.

SNAP recipients will receive up to 65% of their regular benefit amount, based on their household income and applicable deductions.

All other SNAP benefits will go out on the usual schedule for the rest of the month.

SNAP recipients whose distribution dates have passed will receive their benefits by Tuesday, according to DHS.

Governor Brian Kemp’s office released October 2025 state revenue numbers, according to a press release.

The State of Georgia’s net tax collections during the month of October approached $2.71 billion for an increase of $175.9 million, or 6.9 percent, compared to FY 2025 when net tax collections totaled roughly $2.53 billion for the month. Year to date, net tax revenue collections totaled $10.88 billion for an increase of $240.4 million, or 2.3 percent, compared to October 2024, when net tax collections totaled almost $10.64 billion.

The changes within the following tax categories account for October’s overall net tax revenue increase:

Individual Income Tax: Individual Income Tax collections during October approached $1.34 billion, for an increase of $78.7 million compared to last year, when net Individual Tax collections totaled nearly $1.26 billion.

The following notable components within Individual Income Tax combine for the net increase:

Individual Income Tax refunds issued (net of voided checks) increased by $10.2 million or 4.2 percent

Income Tax Withholding payments for October decreased by $7.9 million, or -0.6 percent, from FY 2025

Individual Income Tax Return payments increased by $82.8 million, or 45.7 percent, over October 2024

Individual Income Tax Estimated payments increased by $9.1 million, or 28.8 percent, from FY 2025

All other Individual Tax categories, including S-Corp payments, were up a combined $4.9 million

Sales and Use Tax: Gross Sales and Use Tax collections in October totaled $1.6 billion — an increase of $89.8 million, or 5.9 percent, over FY 2025. Net Sales and Use Tax increased by $46.1 million, or 6.2 percent, compared to last year when net Sales Tax revenue totaled $743.9 million. The adjusted Sales Tax distribution to local governments totaled $797.1 million, which was an increase of $49 million, or 6.6 percent, from last year’s adjusted distribution total of $748 million. Sales Tax refunds declined by $5.3 million compared to FY 2025.

Corporate Income Tax: Corporate Income Tax collections for October decreased by $8.5 million, or -12.2 percent, compared to last year, when net Corporate Tax revenues totaled nearly $69.6 million.

The following notable components within Corporate Income Tax make up the net decrease:

Corporate Income Tax refunds issued (net of voids) were up $30.9 million compared to October 2024

Corporate Income Tax Estimated payments increased by $27.9 million, or 51.1 percent, from FY 2025

All other Corporate Tax payments, including Corporate Return payments, were down a combined $5.5 million

Motor Fuel Taxes: Motor Fuel Tax collections for the month increased by $14.2 million, or 8 percent, compared to FY 2025, when motor fuel tax collections totaled $177.9 million in October.

Motor Vehicle – Tag & Title Fees: Motor Vehicle Tag & Title Fee collections for the month increased by roughly $8.6 million, or 26.6 percent, compared to last year, while Title ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) collections increased by nearly $7.9 million, or 11.8 percent, compared to the previous October.

Amidst the State Senate’s drive to eliminate the state income tax, the AJC asks how they are likely to replace lost funds.

State legislators who want to eliminate Georgia’s income tax haven’t said exactly how they plan to replace the state’s largest revenue source.

Florida residents pay a state sales tax rate 50% higher than people in Georgia. Tennessee residents pay the second-highest state sales tax rate in the nation. Other states without personal income taxes also lean heavily on sales taxes to pay for government services, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis found.

The state’s personal income tax will be a hot topic when the General Assembly reconvenes in January for its annual legislative session. But the AJC’s analysis shows Georgia legislators have limited options as they look for ways to eliminate it. Sales taxes are, by far, the main alternative to the income tax in state after state.

Supporters of eliminating the income tax say Georgia wouldn’t necessarily need to raise the state’s 4% sales tax rate to generate more revenue. State Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, said eliminating tax breaks for corporations can go a long way toward replacing the personal income tax.

“Why would we give out special credits just because you can afford a lobbyist, when we could instead reduce the tax rate for everybody?” said Tillery, who chairs a committee studying the issue and is running for lieutenant governor.

Georgia collected about $16 billion in personal income taxes in fiscal year 2024 — 48% of tax revenue, according to a U.S. Census Bureau survey. It collected another $9 billion in general sales taxes (27% or tax revenue) and $3.6 billion in corporate income taxes (11%), according to the survey. Special sales taxes and other taxes and fees accounted for the rest.

“We’re not reinventing the wheel,” Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who has made eliminating the income tax a focus of his gubernatorial campaign, said last month. “It’s been done in … Tennessee, Florida and even Texas and (a) lot of other ones.”

However, those states did not eliminate broad personal income taxes as Georgia is attempting to do. They never had them.

What’s more, those states assess sales taxes on a broader array of goods and services than Georgia, according to the Tax Foundation. Tennessee, for example, taxes grocery sales — although at a reduced rate.

Georgia does not tax food prepared for off-premises consumption. It also does not tax a variety of services — from health care to haircuts.

But there is reason to doubt legislators’ appetite for eliminating tax breaks — or even limiting them. Last year, they tried and failed to cap Georgia’s film tax credit. This year, they revived a postproduction credit that had expired.

“Those people who have these exemptions now are highly motivated to try to keep them,” Wingfield said. “There’s a lot of people who will line up against it. That’s why the politics of this get to be so difficult.”

Tillery hopes to release his committee’s recommendations in December.

Georgia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Chris Clark spoke about Georgia’s further development, according to The Albany Herald.

Georgia’s next 25 years will see explosive growth, new challenges and a rapidly changing work force, and Georgia Chamber President/CEO Chris Clark said local leaders must start planning now.

Georgia’s population is growing, and that population will be made up of a younger, more diverse work force that will face openings in key industries like health care, digital entrepreneurship, skill trades and technology. Clark shared this information during the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Government Affairs Rise N’ Shine Breakfast, which saw more than 150 state and local leaders in attendance to discuss policy priorities and economic outlook shaping Georgia’s future.

Sen. Freddie Powell Sims, D-Dawson, and Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, also attended, hosting a panel discussion on priorities in the upcoming Georgia Legislative Session and issues impacting southwest Georgia businesses and communities.

Both lawmakers said education, health care and school safety will be key legislative budget issues. Sims emphasized the importance of investment in literacy initiatives and the gap between school performance and graduation rates.

“Education is the great equalizer,” she said. “Without education, there is no economic development. There is no economic stimulation.”

Clark outlined five key focuses when discussing Georgia’s future: regional prosperity and healthy communities, infrastructure and energy, innovation and entrepreneurship, talent and work force, and competitiveness and economic development.

He emphasized the talent and work force pillar.

Clark said Georgia is expected to add about 2.5 million residents over the next 25 years, though that number is lower than projections made before 2019 due to declining birth rates nationwide.

However, Clark said Dougherty County faces a challenge as it continues to lose residents even as the number of local jobs has grown, with about 40% of the county’s work force commuting in from neighboring areas.

“You have the economic base,” he said. “We’ve just got to make sure that the people are here.”

Clark said that as Georgia’s population grows, its work force will undergo dramatic demographic shifts. Baby boomers currently make up about 18% of workers statewide, but all will reach retirement age by 2030, creating millions of job vacancies nationwide. Gen X represents about 23% to 25% of Georgia’s work force — slightly higher in Dougherty County — but will also begin retiring within a decade. Millennials, who make up 40% of Georgia’s workers, are underrepresented locally, while Gen Z now accounts for 33% of the state’s work force, a share that is growing quickly.

Clark urged businesses to rethink how they recruit and retain younger employees. He said communities like Dougherty County must focus on keeping college students and young professionals after graduation by understanding what motivates them and offering meaningful opportunities for growth.

“You don’t manage Gen Z — you coach them,” he said.

Clark also emphasized the need to support women and diversity in the work force. He said women currently make up 53% of Georgia’s work force, and that figure is projected to rise to 56%. But affordable, quality child care remains a critical barrier to participation.

Clark warned that the state will create about 3.1 million new jobs over the next 25 years, and that most will require education or training beyond high school.

Jones County Board of Commissioners voted to rescind earlier actions to regulate data centers, according to the Macon Telegraph.

The ordinances were passed on Sept. 16 as a proactive measure due to data center projects popping up in a number of neighboring counties, officials said in September.

The ordinances do not prohibit building data centers, but limit them to certain commercial properties and outline parameters for their construction. The ordinances also banned cryptocurrency facilities.

However, commissioners formally rescinded the ordinances Tuesday, saying residents weren’t given proper notice of the changes in the county’s legal organ.

Under Georgia law, localities making changes to zoning rules must hold a hearing about the changes and publicize it in a local newspaper 15 to 45 days prior. Officials said they did not publicize the change far enough in advance.

Commissioners said they plan to put the ordinances back in place, this time with proper notifications. Data centers have been a hot topic in Jones County.

Shortly after the ordinances were passed, a developer proposed rezoning more than 600 acres of agricultural land for a data center project. The proposal was met with backlash from residents, and the developer pulled the application before commissioners could vote on it.

The county then passed a 90-day moratorium on data center projects to study the impacts of data centers and to take time to develop rules and regulations around them.

Some Columbia County residents expressed their dissatisfaction with a new data center ordinance proposed by the Planning Commission, according to The Augusta Chronicle.

Columbia County residents on Thursday booed a decision by the county’s Planning Commission recommending approval of a proposed sweeping new set of ordinances to govern controversial data centers.

Skeptical taxpayers shouted “Shame!” after learning from planning officials that the drafted ordinance would apply only to future data center proposals and not a local proposal now on many residents’ minds.

The Augusta Chronicle first reported in April 2025 that Columbia County filed information with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs describing White Oak Technology Park, a campus of nearly 8.1 million square feet near Harlem and Interstate 20’s Exit 183. Counties are required to disclose such large-scale proposals to the state as a “Development of Regional Impact” if it could affect neighboring counties.

Critics of data centers say the developments strain local power grids and water resources. The centers contain heat-generating electronics that require nonstop cooling.

Columbia County had issued a statement after its most recent Board of Commissioners meeting on Oct. 21, denying that the lucrative project has been somehow shielded from public oversight, describing opponents’ conclusions as “outright falsehoods.”

On Thursday evening, residents spent an hour spelling out their objections both to the Trammell Crow proposal and the ordinance draft. Many speakers objected to the ordinance’s proposed noise threshold of 70 decibels, saying the anticipated sustained volume from a data center would disrupt the quiet, rural character that led them to live in western Columbia County in the first place.

The Effingham County Library Board is considering leaving the multi-county Live Oak Public Libraries (LOPL), according to the Savannah Morning News.

During a special-called meeting Thursday, Nov. 6, the Effingham County Library Board listened as several residents vented their frustrations over the county commissioner’s decision to leave Live Oak Public Libraries (LOPL). The board opted to table its own vote on the matter, but gave no specific date as to when they would take that action. Although the agenda stated it would consider withdrawal from the LOPL system, the meeting felt more like an information session, as residents brought forth concerns for the board.

Ultimately, it is up to the library board to decide whether both the Rincon and Springfield facilities will be withdrawn from LOPL. Board members Sherry Duff, April Nelson, Veronica Edenfield, Rebecca Long, Katie Fuller and Joanna Cartrette make up the Effingham County Library Board.

Things got heated during the meeting between County Manager Tim Callanan and LOPL’s attorney Wade Herring as the two went back and forth on whether commissioners were open to listening to financial statements from LOPL.

“If you’ve got a report that conflicts with our numbers, we’ll be happy to reconcile,” said Callanan in the meeting. “The financial report doesn’t break things down in specifics. If you want to make a correction, let us know.”

The Glynn County Board of Education appointed Shaw McVeigh to fill a vacancy on the Board, according to The Brunswick News.

The Glynn County School Board selected Shaw McVeigh to fill the remainder of former school board member Hank Yeargan’s term on Thursday.

Yeargan stepped down from his position in September after 15 years of service on the board.

McVeigh didn’t rule out running for the seat next year, but he said he wasn’t inclined to on Thursday.

“I like to see other people run. I could have run a lot more races than I’ve run,” McVeigh said.

Yeargan’s seat will be on the ballot during next year’s midterm election cycle.

Flights at the Atlanta airport are being limited due to the federal government shutdown, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Statesboro Herald.

Airlines flying to and from Atlanta have begun trimming flights in reaction to a federal mandate that stems from the government shutdown.

The order from the Federal Aviation Administration, which applies only to domestic flights, was triggered by “increased reports of strain” among air traffic controllers and the pilots they serve.

Federal workers, including air traffic controllers, have had to work without pay for more than five weeks.

“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford said. “The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.”

A 4% reduction in operations at 40 of the busiest U.S. airports, including at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, started Friday and will increase gradually to 10% by Tuesday.

Airlines must issue full refunds for cancellations.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is advising customers that they can reschedule for free for travel by Nov. 18 or simply cancel. The carrier said it expected the “vast majority” of flights to operate on time.

United Airlines said it was focused on reducing flights that do not travel between its hubs. It is allowing any customer, even those holding non-refundable and basic economy tickets, to request a refund if they do not want to fly during the flight reductions.

Politicians continued to trade blame for the record-breaking shutdown, which extended to 38 days on Friday.

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, said he cosponsored bipartisan legislation to pay air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration workers during the shutdown. He also said he voted for another bill to pay some federal employees, but it failed on the Senate floor.

“The American people and our federal workers must not be held hostage by Washington politicians’ games,” Warnock said.

The White House said Friday that the FAA safety restrictions “loom like a guillotine” over the upcoming holidays, adding, “Democrats are inflicting their man-made catastrophe on Americans just trying to make life-saving medical trips or get home for Thanksgiving.”

Likewise in Augusta, according to WRDW.

Augusta Regional Airport is seeing a handful of flight cancellations and delays as major airports are dealing with mandated air traffic cuts due to the federal shutdown.

Affected Augusta flights include ones bound to or from Atlanta and Charlotte, which face major problems due to the cancellations.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – which many Augusta fliers pass through either to change planes or to embark – is dealing with many more delays and cancellations.

On Saturday, the world’s busiest airport saw 640 delays and 350 cancellations.

The longest reported delay on Saturday in Atlanta was nearly 14½ hours.

Saturday was the second day flights were reduced by 4%, but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that number could spike to 20% around Thanksgiving if the government shutdown does not end soon.

On Sunday, more than 175 flights have already been canceled.

The State Senate Study Committee on Higher Education Affordability heard testimony, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.

Nearly every state in the country gives college students financial aid based on financial need.

Georgia is among the two that do not.

Advocates who want to see that changed contend the policy is harming the economy by reducing the number of college students who earn a degree after suffering academic setbacks, and by driving high school graduates to attend college in other states, forever forsaking Georgia.

Georgia has a lottery-funded scholarship, but HOPE is distributed based on academic performance in high school rather than financial need, and students lose the scholarship if their college grade point average drops too far.

That is what happened to Jordan Winfrey, a Kennesaw State University student who testified at a legislative hearing Thursday about the affordability of higher education.

Winfrey wants to be a nurse, in a state that needs more of them, but she struggled with chemistry. Her grade point average fell, she lost HOPE and now, a junior, she works 30 hours a week to cover the loss.

She has been trying to improve her grades and recover HOPE but has found that difficult while holding a job.

“If I were able to work fewer hours, I’d be able to focus more on my classes and see my grades improve,” said Winfrey, a native Georgian and the first in her family to attend college.

She said all her friends are struggling too, with some dropping out to work.

Taylor Ramsey, executive director of One Goal, which helps students like Winfrey, said fewer than half of high school students qualify for HOPE, and more than 40% who do wind up losing it in college, falling into a downward spiral like Winfrey, “when we pull the rug from under them and take away that financial aid.”

It affects everyone, said Ray Li, a lawyer with Legal Defense Fund, a racial justice group. It drives up student debt, creating a drag on the economy when graduates must pay back loans instead of, say, buying a house. Georgia has one of the highest average college loan debt rates in the country, he said.

And the lack of financial aid for low-income families is driving a “brain drain,” he said, as talented students choose college in other states that will give them “needs-based” financial aid “because it is cheaper to go somewhere else and they’re never returning to the Georgia economy.”

Li said Georgia has the lowest percentage of high school graduates who stay in state for college in this region of the country. He recommended joining the 48 states that offer needs-based aid, by funding it with $126 million in reserves held by the Georgia Lottery. He argued that Georgia would recoup the cost many times over in income taxes paid by graduates.

It is unclear how convincing his recommendation will be for the Georgia General Assembly. Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, attended Thursday’s hearing as a member of the committee studying college affordability. He suggested another course: consider making it easier for students to recover HOPE after their grades drop too far.

“Good students have challenges especially in that first year or that second year,” said Burns, chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee and a former President of Gordon State College in Barnesville.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Republican running for governor, authorized the study committee. Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, who leads it, said her panel will write formal recommendations after its next and final hearing Dec. 2.

The Georgia Department of Veterans Service hosted a roundtable with veterans’ organizations, according to WJBF.

The Georgia Department of Veterans Service hosted a roundtable this week with several veterans organizations to discuss top priorities, including mental health resources, homelessness prevention, and career transitions for former service members.

“Eight percent of Georgia’s homeless community are veterans,” said Sen. Chuck Payne (R–Northwest Georgia), who chairs the Senate Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee. “We’ve got such a huge military base in Georgia — from the Naval Services in Savannah to Fort Benning and the Rangers in North Georgia — and many of those who serve here choose to stay here after leaving the military.”

Georgia is home to more than 700,000 veterans, with 13 percent being women and nearly 40 percent over the age of 65. State leaders say those numbers highlight the importance of ensuring veterans have access to mental health care, housing, and workforce opportunities.

Payne says lawmakers also want to help veterans transition into civilian service roles, such as first responders or law enforcement officers.

“We need to do a better job connecting veterans with resources when they come out of the military,” Payne said. “When you take that duty and purpose away, they can feel empty. Reconnecting them with a new purpose helps prevent those mental health struggles.”

Just two years ago, Governor Brian Kemp signed legislation providing up to $1 million in mental health funding for veterans and their families — a program set to run through fiscal year 2026.

If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 and press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.

State Rep. Jasmine Clark (D-Lilburn), who is running for Congress, accused the incumbent Rep. David Scott (D-Atlanta) of skipping elections, according to AccessWDUN.

According to Clark, Scott has not cast a vote in six straight elections.

“Our right to vote is sacred and consistently under attack,” Clark said in a statement last week. “I cannot fathom any elected official asking his constituents for their votes every two years while not even bothering to go vote himself.”

Clark added that Georgia needs leaders who will “do everything possible to turn out votes for Democrats up and down the ballot in 2026.”

“From missing votes in D.C., to missing town halls at home, Rep. Scott hasn’t shown up for his community when it really matters, and now we know that he can’t even be trusted to show up to vote when democracy is on the line,” Clark said. “He had a chance to stop Donald Trump from winning Georgia and elect the first Black female President in Kamala Harris.”

Clark reportedly got the information from a public records request from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

Clark noted the six straight elections missed included the 2024 Presidential Election, last week’s Public Service Commission (PSC) election, the primary and runoff for the PSC elections in May and June of this year, and runoff elections in 2024 for local Fulton County and City of Atlanta elections.

Georgia’s 13th Congressional District includes Rockdale, Clayton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Henry, and Newton Counties. Scott has held the seat since he assumed office in 2003.

Clark will be running to unseat Scott in the primary next May. She is a part of a crowded field for the seat that includes nine other Democrats and three Republicans running in the other primary.

Those other Democrats include Gwinnett County Public Schools board member Everton Blair Jr., project manager Jonathan Bonner, former pastor and law enforcement member Jeffree Fauntleroy Sr., State Sen. for District 10 Emanuel Jones, reality TV star Heavenly Kimes, dentist Joe Lester, Harvard Law and Duke graduate Ron McKenzie, former National Bar Association President Carlos Moore, and former Federal Reserve employee Pierre Whatley.

On the Republican side, three candidates have declared. That list includes financial advisor Peter Bourne, Harvard graduate and veteran Jonathan Chavez, and CEO and Army veteran Simeon Nunnally.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-SSI) wrote to President Trump asking him to add Charlie Kirk to the National Garden of American Heroes, according to the Savannah Morning News.

“Charlie Kirk promoted and encouraged respectful, civil discourse across college campuses, media platforms, and national forums, encouraging others to engage thoughtfully even in moments of sharp disagreement….The inclusion of Charlie Kirk in the National Garden would honor his life, leadership, and enduring legacy—defined by his steadfast commitment to the Constitution, civil discourse, and Biblical truth.” [wrote Carter]

The National Garden of American Heroes is something Trump has wanted since his first term with the intention of building a national park to display statues of “the greatest Americans who ever lived.” When Trump initially signed an order putting it forward in 2021, he included a list of nearly 200 names such as Benjamin Franklin, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, and Martin Luther King Jr.

The “Big Beautiful Bill” awarded $40 million towards the project, according to USA Today.

Athens-Clarke County Commissioners appointed Christine Howard as their new Clerk, according to the Athens Banner Herald.

Grady County Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric McFee has died, according to WALB.

The district’s social media post did not give specifics surrounding the death, but said their “thoughts and prayers are with Dr. McFee’s family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched during this most difficult time.”

The social media post went on to say that Chief Operations Officer Michael Best will temporarily step into the role as “point of contact” for the district.

An interim Superintendent will be named during a regularly scheduled school board meeting on Tuesday, November 11th.