On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg.
Georgia’s Trustees decided on November 1, 1732 that the first settlement would be named Savannah and located on the Savannah River.
The Stamp Act, however, was a direct tax on the colonists and led to an uproar in America over an issue that was to be a major cause of the Revolution: taxation without representation.
Passed without debate by Parliament in March 1765, the Stamp Act was designed to force colonists to use special stamped paper in the printing of newspapers, pamphlets, almanacs, and playing cards, and to have a stamp embossed on all commercial and legal papers. The stamp itself displayed an image of a Tudor rose framed by the word “America” and the French phrase Honi soit qui mal y pense—”Shame to him who thinks evil of it.”
Outrage was immediate. Massachusetts politician Samuel Adams organized the secret Sons of Liberty organization to plan protests against the measure, and the Virginia legislature and other colonial assemblies passed resolutions opposing the act. In October, nine colonies sent representatives to New York to attend a Stamp Act Congress, where resolutions of “rights and grievances” were framed and sent to Parliament and King George III.
Georgia Commissioners and Creek leaders signed a treaty on November 1, 1783.
John Willis Menard became the first black man elected to Congress on November 3, 1868 from the Second District of Louisiana. Menard’s election opponent challenged the results and prevented Menard from taking his seat, though in defense of his election Menard became the first black man to address Congress.
The United States Congress admitted Nevada as the 36th state on October 31, 1864. Kind of fitting, in a way.
Richard B. Russell, Jr. was born in Winder, Georgia on November 2, 1897.
In 1927, at age 29, Russell was named Speaker of the House – the youngest in Georgia history. In 1930, Russell easily won election as Georgia governor on his platform of reorganizing state government for economy and efficiency. Five months shy of his 34th birthday, Russell took the oath of office from his father, Georgia chief justice Richard B. Russell Sr. He became the youngest governor in Georgia history – a record that still stands. After Georgia U.S. Senator William Harris died in 1932, Gov. Russell named an interim replacement until the next general election, in which Russell himself became a candidate. Georgia voters elected their young governor to fill Harris’ unexpired term. When he arrived in Washington in January 1933, he was the nation’s youngest senator.
Russell had a long and storied career in the United States Senate, during which he served for many years as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, unofficial leader of the conservative Southern wing of the Democratic party and a chief architect of resistance to civil rights legislation. He also ran for President in 1952, winning the Florida primary.
The carving on Mount Rushmore was completed on October 31, 1941.
Jimmy Carter ended his first Presidential campaign with a rally in Flint, Michigan on November 1, 1976.
Jimmy Carter was elected President of the United States on November 2, 1976.
The current Georgia Constitution was ratified on November 2, 1982 by the state’s voters.
President Bill Clinton hit the campaign trail to help his wife, Hillary Clinton, in her race for United States Senate from New York on October 31, 2000. On October 31, 2014, Bill Clinton came to Atlanta to campaign for Michelle Nunn for United States Senate.
On November 2, 2010, voters elected Republican Nathan Deal as Governor, and the GOP swept all of the statewide offices on the ballot.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
“It is a scared honor to join our neighbors who struggle to meet basic food needs and have access to nourishing foods,” Barger said about the Food Bank’s role in the region. “We believe this is a burden that no one should have alone and we believe in the generosity and philanthropy of people in this region to meet our neighbors in a time of urgent need.”
– Erin Barger, President & CEO, The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia
Early voting will close at the end of today for the November 4, 2025 Special Elections for Public Service Commission and local elections. From the Valdosta Daily Times:
This is the last week of early voting, with Election Day on Nov. 4. Lowndes County has multiple elections happening now, both county and city-wide, and there are two state-wide elections for districts two and three for Georgia’s Public Service Commission.
Every city in the county is holding elections for city officials, and Lowndes County’s special-purpose local-option sales tax (SPLOST) budget referendum is on the ballot.
“We usually end up with about the same amount [of voters],” Tiffany Linkswiler, assistant supervisor of elections, said. “About the same percentage vote early as vote on Election Day in our precincts.”
Only one local seat is contested — School Board District 2 — but voters are also asked to decided on two state PSC races and the sales tax referendum.
The SPLOST XI referendum vote is as follows: “Shall a special 1% sales & use tax be imposed in Lowndes Co for a period of time not exceeding 6 years & for the raising of an estimated $230,000,000 for the purpose of Lowndes Co outlay projects?”
This will replace the existing sales tax when the existing tax is scheduled to expire. The revenue will be used to fund various local projects.
Sky Valley voters will elect a Mayor, with incumbent Hollie Steil facing challenger Benita Cotton-Orr, according to AccessWDUN.
The only city in Georgia that requires you to go into a different state twice to get into and the northernmost city in the region is holding a mayoral race for the 2025 election.
Sky Valley, “Georgia’s highest and coolest city,” will have a choice between incumbent mayor Hollie Steil and challenger Benita Cotton-Orr.
Like many rural communities in the region, balancing growth and maintaining the rural lifestyle is critical for residents. What makes Sky Valley unique, however, is that their roughly 600 year-round residents triples in the summer when the part-timers come up.
“We have a developer in the community who owns about 575-acres, which is about 80% of the acreage in the community, and wants to put a fairly high density development in the middle of the city,” Cotton-Orr said. “We are very concerned about how that is going to overwhelm the infrastructure of our community and harm our environment.”
Steil was reached out to for an interview, but never responded. In her 2025 State of the City presentation, she outlined the city’s relationship with the developer.
“The city has been working for several years with Harrison Merrill,” the presentation stated. It also outlined the city’s relationship with professional planners, architects, investors, and civil engineers.
“Developing a master plan – keeping in mind our citizen needs and a commitment to keep our unique Mountain Resort Spirit,” the presentation said.
Cotton-Orr says that Steil is in support of the development and that the septic to sewer plan may be tied to the development.
“[Steil] believes that we need a village center with the restaurant and several other things that, with a full-time population of 600, is very difficult to sustain,” Cotton-Orr said. “There’s a slate of candidates running for the City Council as well, and we’re all of the same opinion that the septic to sewer project is being implemented to advance this high density growth that the incumbents are championing.”
In Jefferson, Mayor Jon Howell faces former City Council member Dawn Maddox, according to AccessWDUN.
Mayor Jon Howell is seeking reelection, facing a challenge in the form of former District 2 City Councilwoman Dawn Maddox.
Howell’s website states he is running to continue lowering taxes, keep the city safe and maintain the highest quality of life in North Georgia while also managing population growth.
“I’ve vowed to keep taxes low, and our council has led the charge to prevent the backdoor tax increases through increased appraisals that many other Georgia communities are seeing. In a second term, Jeffersonians can expect that same focus on keeping taxes low,” Howell said on his website. “There’s no more important role of local government than keeping people and property safe, and as our population grows, so will our public safety resources. Already, we’re building a new fire station that will equip our first responders to act more quickly to emergencies throughout the city.”
Since taking office, Howell has helped lower the city’s millage rate every year, achieving an overall reduction of more than 23% while also leading the adoption of the largest budget in the city’s history.
“Together, we’ve built a thriving community that people want to come to,” Howell said on his website. “Our schools are the envy of the region, our children have top-notch recreational opportunities, and we’ve strategically invested in the infrastructure, like water resources, that are critical to quality of life. “I will run this campaign for re-election the way that I have served as mayor: with an open door and an extended hand. I will share my vision for the city, but I will also listen, because we’re in this together. I will work every day to earn your trust and your vote.”
To learn more about Howell’s campaign, visit his Facebook page, Jon Howell for Mayor, or his website howellformayor.com. Howell can also be contacted through his phone number (678) 938-4777.
Maddox said she resigned from the city council earlier this year after an investigation into the police department and the city manager. Maddox said the city manager asked Mayor Jon Howell and the city council to indemnify an officer involved in that investigation.
“When I did my own research on that, I could not justify the indemnification,” Maddox said. “Unfortunately, we had already voted on that, and I felt that I owed the people of Jefferson an apology, so I publicly stated that on July 14, and I resigned my seat because I felt like we misused taxpayer dollars.”
The candidates for the Tifton and Ty Ty city council positions, as well as that of Ty Ty mayor, that are up for election this year have all run unopposed, many of them incumbents.
In Omega, though, Posts 2, 3, and 4 each have two candidates vying for election, with incumbent Cecile Gilliard and Rene Martinez campaigning for Post 2, Rodney Glaze and Ryan Voris for Post 3, and incumbent Chuck White and Gwen Robinson for Post 4.
Early voting continues 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Friday afternoon at the county Board of Elections office, on Fourth Street at Chestnut Avenue.
Note early voting hours can vary between jurisdictions. I recommend signing in to the Secretary of State’s MVP page to see where you can vote today and Tuesday.
Voters in Whitfield County and the City of Dalton will decide referenda on property tax homestead exemptions, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen.
Voters will decide whether to approve exemptions for the Whitfield County School District and the Dalton City School District.
After being contacted by multiple readers concerned that the ballot language was unclear, the Dalton Daily Citizen spent Wednesday and Thursday speaking with several officials to clarify the intent and legal implications of these measures.
Sources included State Senator Chuck Payne, the Deputy Legislative Counsel at the Office of Legislative Counsel of the Georgia General Assembly, and Whitfield County Tax Commissioner Danny Sane, among others.
These discussions focused on Senate Bills 234 (SB 234 is titled “City of Dalton; Independent school district ad valorem taxes for educational purposes; provide a homestead exemption”) and Senate Bill 235 (SB 235 is titled “Whitfield County School District ad valorem taxes for educational purposes; provide a homestead exemption”), the legislation authorizing these ballot items.
Officials confirmed the specific language and legal framework under which the exemptions would operate if approved by voters, ensuring that residents understand both the scope and limitations of the proposals.
These ballot measures propose to create a homestead exemption applicable to valorem taxes for educational purposes (Whitfield County School District or Dalton City Schools, depending on the jurisdiction of the homestead in question).
If passed, the exemption would apply only to homestead properties. The exemptions would not be available on properties not registered as homestead properties.
Under the proposed exemption system, the taxable value of an eligible homestead property would no longer be tied directly to its current market-assessed value each year. Instead, the first year the exemption takes effect—2026, if the measure is approved—becomes the property’s base year. Whatever the home’s assessed value is in that year becomes its base year value, serving as the foundation for all future tax calculations.
In subsequent years, rather than being recalculated based on changing market conditions, the property’s taxable value would increase only by a limited inflationary rate applied to the previous year’s adjusted base value. That inflation rate—commonly around 3%, but determined by the local city or county—sets the maximum annual increase allowed under the exemption. For example, if a home’s base year assessed value in 2026 is $200,000 and the local inflation rate is 3%, the taxable value for 2027 would be $206,000 ($200,000 plus 3%). Even if the property’s assessed market value in 2027 increased by, for example, $40,000—to $240,000—the taxable value would still be limited to $206,000 under the exemption.
Each year thereafter, the adjusted value from the previous year becomes the new base. So, in 2028, the new “base” would be the 2027 adjusted amount—$206,000—and another 3% inflation adjustment would apply, raising the taxable value to $212,180. This pattern would continue annually, with the taxable value growing only by the approved inflation factor rather than fluctuating with market conditions.
The only times this base-year cycle would reset are when a property is sold or when major improvements are made, at which point the property would be reassessed at its new market value, establishing a new base year from which future inflation-based adjustments would begin.
In summary, if the ballot measures are passed by voters, the valuation of homesteaded properties in 2026 will be established as the base year value. For each year after 2026, the taxable value of those properties, against which the millage rate is applied, will increase only by the rate of inflation, and will not increase due to any rise in the assessed value of the property itself. The base year valuation will be reset if the property is sold to a new owner, or if there are improvements made to the property that would normally increase its assessed value.
It should be noted that these Homestead Exemptions on the ballot, if approved, would ONLY apply to Ad Valorem Taxes for the Dalton and Whitfield SCHOOL DISTRICTS. These exemptions would not have any impact on the calculations of taxable value for Whitfield County or Dalton ad valorem taxes.
Warner Robins voters will choose between the incumbent Mayor and a challenger, according to the Macon Telegraph.
Warner Robins voters head to the polls Tuesday to choose between first-term incumbent LaRhonda Patrick and political newcomer Fabian Velazquez to serve as mayor for the next four years.
Patrick, 42, a former Fort Valley city attorney with a background in corporate, government procurement and municipal law, is the first Black person, first elected woman and the youngest person to serve as mayor in the city’s history. Her father’s U.S. Air Force career brought her family to Warner Robins when she was in middle school.
“I just want to finish what we started and do my part in helping elevate Warner Robins, and I need one more term to do it,” Patrick said in a sit-down interview with The Telegraph.
Velazquez, 24, owns his own landscaping company servicing about 130 properties.
Born in Perry, he grew up in Warner Robins. If elected mayor, he would make history as the first Hispanic and youngest person to serve as mayor. “My love for this city compels me to run for mayor,” Velazquez stated on his campaign website.
Albany voters will elect City Council members.
Ward II Willie Weaver (I) v. former Ward II Commissioner Henry Mathis
Voters have one more day to get to the polls for early voting, and in Columbia County we’re hearing from both candidates running for the District 2 commission seat.
The elections director says precincts continue to see steady turnout.
“We’ve had over 5,000 voters come in. Today, as you can see in the parking lot, traffic is a bit busier than normal,” said Nancy Gay.
Columbia County voters are looking at the Homestead Exemption for the county and school board, public service commission seats in districts 2 and 3, and the county commission seat for district 2 following Trey Allen’s resignation in August.
“And then, the city of Harlem will have their election for mayor and two city council seats, and the city of Grovetown will have an election for two of their city council members,” Gay said.
For the Commission District 2 seat, Republican Jim Steed is challenging Democrat Howard Johnson.
Steed is giving politics another go after running for the House District 125 seat almost two years ago, saying his top priority is helping homeowners battling high costs.
“You have a lot of people who are on fixed incomes, who basically can’t afford to pay the high taxes. So, we need to do something about the taxes, especially for the disabled, the elderly, and some retired people. I just want to make sure we do a good job trying to help those people out,” said Steed.
Friday is the last day for early voting at Building G3 in Evans and the former Euchee Creek library in Grovetown from 8 AM to 5 PM.
Voters in House District 106 will elect a State Representative to fill the seat vacated by the resignation of State Rep. Shelly Hutchinson (D-Snellville), according to the Capitol Beat News Service.
Voters in the Lawrenceville area will fill an empty seat in the Georgia House of Representatives Tuesday, in the first of several elections to address recent vacancies in the General Assembly.
The election to replace Shelly Hutchinson, the Democratic state representative from Snellville who resigned in September, features three candidates.
Two are Democrats: Muhammad Akbar Ali, a graphic designer from Lawrenceville; and Marqus A. Cole, an attorney from Snellville.
Jamie Parker, a realtor in Gwinnett County, is the only Republican in the contest.
Ali raised more than $40,000 for his campaign, according to a report filed with the state Monday. That far surpassed the $5,300 Parker reported raising in a filing Monday. Cole reported in September that his campaign had brought in $4,200, all from himself. That was the most recent report available from him.
Ali’s donors included several Democrats in office, including U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson. The minority leader in the state House, Rep. Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, also gave him money, along with a couple other state lawmakers in Gwinnett County.
Hutchinson, who previously held the seat, also gave Ali money from her own campaign funds.
Two weeks later, voters in west Atlanta and Smyrna will pick a successor for former state Sen. Jason Esteves, who resigned last month to run for the Democratic nomination for governor.
Four Democrats, one Republican and an independent are competing in that Nov. 18 special election.
Some of the Democrats have held office before. Roger Bruce is a former state representative, and Dr. Jaha V. Howard, a dentist, served on the Cobb County school board.
A campaign finance report was available for only one of the candidates. Republican Joshua Tolbert reported raising more than $13,000, nearly all from $3,300 donations by three entrepreneurs in Alabama and Florida.
Also in the race are independent Corenza Morris and Democrats Erica Denise Solomon and John Daryl Williams.
Three weeks after that election, voters in Cherokee County will select a successor for Mandi Ballinger, a Canton Republican who died earlier this month.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced Tuesday afternoon that the special election to fill her vacant seat in the House will be held Dec. 9.
Not yet scheduled is the election to select a successor for Rep. Marcus Wiedower, R-Watkinsville, who announced his resignation Tuesday morning.
That last line has been overcome by circumstances, as Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #10.30.25.01, calling a Special Election in House District 121, formerly held by State Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-Watkinsville). That Special Election will be held Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
Police Blotter: State Senator Colton Moore (R-Extreme NW GA) wants Keith Williams, a lawyer for the Speaker of the House, arrested, according to the AJC.
State Sen. Colton Moore, a Republican from Trenton, has been seeking charges against the House speaker’s general counsel Keith Williams. Williams blocked Moore from entering the chamber during a Jan. 16 joint session of the House and Senate, grabbing and pushing the senator to the ground.
A Fulton County magistrate judge told Moore during a March hearing that he had not proved probable cause for a warrant to be issued for Williams’ arrest. Moore had asked that Williams be charged on a variety of charges including battery and aggravated battery. Moore appealed the decision, leading to Thursday’s superior court hearing.
In the hearing, Superior Court Judge Shermela Williams — no relation to Keith Williams — said she would review the record of the March proceeding and issue a ruling as soon as possible.
Attorneys for both Moore and Williams pointed to the lack of action from the more than a dozen Capitol Police officers who witnessed the altercation as proof that their client was in the right.
Williams’ attorney Andrew Fleischman said Moore was being disorderly and trying to physically force his way into the House chamber.
“There were six troopers watching this interaction,” Fleischman said. “None of them thought Mr. Williams committed a crime. The magistrate judge didn’t think Mr. Williams committed a crime.”
Catherine Bernard, Moore’s attorney, said Williams’ connection to the current and former House speaker likely led him to react to Moore emotionally.
Police blotter revisited: Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary, released from federal prison, is running for City Council, according to the AJC.
The former mayor spent more than two years in prison after he admitted to pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars of federal COVID-19 relief funds from the city he helped create.
But in August, his name resurfaced after he registered to vote and then decided to run for Stonecrest City Council District 5.
The problem? According to DeKalb County prosecutors, Lary signed paperwork “affirming that he was not a convicted felon.”
“That (case) was covered extensively by the media, and it’s no secret to anyone in the DeKalb County community to once being released from federal prison, the first thing they decide to do is to run for office. It’s very bold,” District Attorney Sherry Boston said during a news conference Thursday inside the county courthouse.
Two days earlier, Lary had been indicted by a DeKalb grand jury on charges of false registration, unlawful disclosure of voter registration information, making false statements in connection with filing notice of candidacy or qualifying as a candidate, and two counts of making false statements.
On Thursday, he was booked into the DeKalb jail, according to online records and to Boston, who said the bond would be set at $5,000. Lary’s attorney, Dwight Thomas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The last time most metro Atlanta residents saw Lary was when he was being led away in handcuffs in 2022.
But after being released from prison in February and still on probation, prosecutors said the 63-year-old registered to vote Aug. 14 for Tuesday’s election. Four days later, he filed the paperwork to run for City Council, the DA’s office said.
According to the DA’s office spokesperson Lisa Myers, Lary “was not eligible to register to vote because he is still under supervision and has not completed his sentence. He would not be eligible to run for elected office until 10 years after completing his sentence.”
The election board’s decision prompted the investigation by the DA’s office, which secured the indictment from a grand jury.
“We expect our elected officials and people who are placing themselves up to be candidates, to not only follow the rules, but to swear to tell the truth. In this case, Mr. Lary did not do those things,” Boston said. “It’s a violation of a criminal law that you will be held accountable.”
Police blotter? Statesboro Mayoral candidate Raymond L. Harris Sr.was tried on charges of child molestation and acquitted almost 20 years ago, according to the Statesboro Herald.
As emerged this week in the final days of Statesboro’s mayoral race, candidate Raymond L. Harris Sr. was charged with three counts of aggravated child molestation and one count of statutory rape nearly 20 years ago in Clayton County. But a judge in effect dismissed one of the charges, and a jury found Harris not guilty of the other three.
Harris, who served one year in the U.S. Army Reserves and then six years on active duty in the Army before being honorably discharged in 1998, later worked in information technology for civilian companies and was briefly a Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office jailer. A resident of Statesboro for 16 years now, he is challenging incumbent Mayor Jonathan McCollar, now in the fourth year of his second four-year term.
Early voting was in its final four days and Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, exactly one week away when an anonymous note arrived in the mail to the Statesboro Herald editor.
“I googled Raymond Lamont Harris, Sr.,” the anonymous tipster stated. “Mr. Harris was put on trial on four charges about having sex with children. He werent (sic) convicted, but the locals had enough to put him on trial. I don’t want someone like this for mayor. …”
Enclosed with that message was a printout of a “Superior Court Criminal Case Inquiry” from Clayton County, Georgia, showing Harris’ name, attorneys’ names, and a March 3, 2006 disposition date. At the bottom of the page, a “case docket information” summary listed “Not Guilty Verdict-Jury” three times, as the final outcome for Count 2, which was the statutory rape count, and Counts 3 and 4, those being two of the three aggravated child molestation counts.
The next person the Herald heard from about this matter was Harris himself, when he called during the noon hour Wednesday and volunteered to come in and talk to the reporter. After he arrived, Harris used his smartphone to show posts and comments that some McCollar supporters – or Harris detractors – had placed on Facebook or other social media.
One post screamed “CHARGED!” in big red letters and listed the original four counts. One of the many comments suggested that Harris wouldn’t be allowed near children on Halloween. But he was acquitted of all the charges and is not on a registry.
“They’re trying to destroy my character from something that happened 20 years ago, and they’re making it seem like it’s active, which is dirty politics, and that’s to be expected. …,” he said. “They put out charges but they didn’t put out what was the end result of said charges 19 years ago.”
Harris also shared a statement he posted on his Facebook page: “In a race where my opponent states he is for ‘People Over Politics,’ it is disappointing that I am being attacked for something I was acquitted for almost twenty years ago. I was serving in Bosnia when these allegations were made and I maintain my innocence. Despite the attacks on my character, I will continue to fight for the people.”
However, one sentence in that statement, the assertion that he was “serving in Bosnia when … allegations were made,” appears to be overly general, based on further information Harris supplied. By his own explanation of the court’s actions, that may have been true of just one of the charges, the one the judge effectively dismissed by a directed verdict.
Harris supplied copies of several brief documents from the case. One was the verdict form, with “not guilty” circled three times, again for Counts 2, 3 and 4, and signed by a jury foreperson, with the date 03-02-06.
Not quite police blotter: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia are investigating a former office manager from the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, according to The Brunswick News.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia confirmed for The News this week that there is an open investigation looking into the actions of Barbara Baucum, the former office manager for the DA’s office.
District Attorney Keith Higgins said in a statement last when responding to the results of a forensic audit by Glynn County to determine why his office had a $1 million budget shortfall that his former office manager appeared to have misappropriated funds.
No criminal charges have been filed against Baucum, and the GBI did not go into detail about the inquiry.
Higgins’ allegations came in a statement responding to the release of the audit that revealed what auditors called potentially fraudulent activity they said occurred via cash withdrawals, travel expenses and other means. Auditors said that activity contributed to the $1 million budget shortfall at the DA’s office that has been the source of ongoing litigation between Higgins and Glynn County.
The audit noted multiple instances in which auditors said the former office manager made cash withdrawals, paid for unauthorized travel expenses and issued checks to DA’s office employees that were outside of their salaried payments. Other checks were issued that had no documentation or explanation of a legitimate business expense.
“I referred the matter to law enforcement for investigation. I recused myself and the office from the matter, and I obtained the appointment of another prosecuting attorney to the case from the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia.”
Baucum, who now works for the Prosecuting Attorney’s Qualifications Commission, did not answer an email sent Thursday by The News seeking comment.
The Georgia Senate Urban Affairs Committee discussed bills that would increase oversight of homeowner associations, according to Atlanta News First via WRDW.
Georgia homeowners testified about allegedly illegal activities by homeowner association boards during a second Georgia Senate Urban Affairs Committee hearing on HOA oversight bills.
On Wednesday, state Sen. Donzella James, D-Atlanta, said the committee has received concerns from more than 200 HOA communities in recent months.
“People are losing their homes,” James said.
Several homeowners told the committee about thousands of dollars in fines and liens placed on their properties. One condo owner said boards continue problematic behavior with legal support.
“The boards are going to continue to be rogue … their attorneys are doing whatever it is the board wants them to do,” the homeowner said.
Another resident expressed concern about targeting of elderly homeowners.
“They’re going after the elderly,” the homeowner said. “There shouldn’t be any opportunity for an HOA board to be able to foreclose on a home.”
Under Georgia law, HOAs can file to foreclose on homes when liens exceed $2,000. The state has no regulatory office for HOA complaints.
The investigation surveyed about 100 homeowners with HOA issues. Among respondents, 63% owed fines and fees averaging nearly $11,000, excluding outliers.
Georgia has no universal laws governing HOAs, including limits on violation fines. Survey respondents reported single fines ranging from $25 to $700.
James said she will work on a reform package using two bills she introduced last session: SB 107 and SB 108. The committee plans a closed meeting in December to discuss changes to the bills.
James is also working with state Sen. Matt Brass, R-Newnan, on a separate oversight bill, SB 316. A second hearing on that bill in the Senate Rules Committee was scheduled for Oct. 21 but was postponed with no future date set.
Nearly 1.5 million Georgians will lose SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits tomorrow due to the federal government shutdown, according to 13WMAZ.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, provides nutrition assistance to low-income families. Federal funding for the program has been suspended due to the shutdown.
Teeneka Johnson, a Macon mother of four, recently lost her job at a daycare and relies on approximately $600 monthly in SNAP benefits to feed her children. She is now seeking additional assistance from local food banks.
“My biggest question: What am I supposed to do now with them not coming?” Johnson said. “For who knows when they gonna come. If they don’t come this month, are they coming in December? What do I do now?”
The shutdown affects only November food stamp benefits so far. About 1.5 million people rely on SNAP each month in Georgia, with approximately 40,000 recipients living in Bibb County, according to the Federal Reserve.
Johnson said she was shocked to learn she would lose her benefits Nov. 1, just weeks before the holidays.
Johnson worked at a preschool until it closed this week, leaving her unemployed heading into the holiday season.
Without the monthly assistance, Johnson said she cannot afford to feed her children.
“Everybody that is on them are not lazy and don’t have 30,000 kids, so to speak,” Johnson said. “I have my four.”
Hospitality Ward, a Warner Robins resident who lives on disability benefits, visited a local food pantry seeking help. She said even small amounts of SNAP assistance make a significant difference.
“Most people think that you don’t need your food stamps, but $22 helps because $22 can buy five packs of meat,” Ward said.
Ward now relies on multiple food banks to supplement her needs.
“I come here to this food bank, and I go to the food bank on Second Avenue,” she said.
Both Johnson and Ward said they hope benefits resume in December. In the meantime, they plan to seek assistance from local food pantries.
The Georgia Department of Human Resources is advising recipients to stock up on groceries before benefits potentially run out Nov. 1.
In Calhoun County, roughly 45% of residents use SNAP benefits, according to the Albany Herald.
The county, which has about 5,441 residents, has the highest share of households in Georgia that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, according to data from the Georgia Department of Human Services and the U.S. Census Bureau. About 45% of its 1,508 households use SNAP.
On Saturday, these households will lose these SNAP benefits along with about 42 million other Americans. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is suspending all November 2025 benefits amid the ongoing federal government shutdown “until such time as sufficient federal funding is provided, or until FNS directs state agencies otherwise.”
This expected demand in food needs comes as food banks like Feeding the Valley face a food shortage, trying to meet the needs of food insecurity rates that are still 35% above pre-pandemic levels.
Feeding the Valley, a Columbus-based food bank, partners with more than 300 agencies across south Georgia, including Refuge Outreach Ministries in Calhoun County. In response to SNAP cuts proposed by President Trump’s spending package – $300 billion in cuts through 2034 – Feeding the Valley began raising money for a Community Hunger Relief Fund. The fund has a goal of raising $500,000 by the end of 2025 for food sourcing, expanding a meal delivery program for children and seniors and to launch a neighborhood market.
Frank Sheppard, the president and CEO at Feeding the Valley, said the organization has reached $200,000 of its goal.
Georgia has a record surplus of $14.6 billion, and state Democrats are urging Gov. Brian Kemp to tap into it to support those who will lose SNAP.
However, Georgia Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, said the state’s hands are tied.
“We did not budget for anything like this,” Greene said. “We’ve reached out and tried to do something to help, but when they won’t include you in the conversation and the government is shut down, it’s quite an impossible situation we’re facing.”
Greene said he is concerned for southwest Georgia communities, especially in Early County, where the closure of its largest employer, the Georgia-Pacific Cedar Springs mill, led to mass layoffs.
“It’s up to the feds to work on and get this resolved, but they need to realize people are suffering,” he said.
Georgia Sen. Freddie Powell Sims, D-Dawson, said the loss of SNAP is unprecedented, but the state operates on a balanced budget, making it difficult to take from those funds.
“We have rainy day funds, but suppose we were Jamaica or Cuba, and we had all these floods and damage … and you don’t have any money in the budget. What are you going to do?” she said. “You can’t just go into a budget and pull money out to put a band-aid on something that Congress can take care of. It doesn’t take long to spend the kind of money that we have in our reserves because everything is so expensive.”
She urged Congress to put politics aside and vote according to the needs of Americans.
“They’re not negotiating with each other because there’s such a large partisan divide … they’re almost useless as a governing body for this country,” Sims said. “There has to be compromise. You have to take care of your constituents.”
Sims said SNAP was founded on the premise of temporary use and was never meant to be a sustainable life force.
“But we always want to blame those individuals that are underpaid, overworked, underserved, and these are working poor people. All of them are not just deadbeats,” Sims said.
Sims called poverty a big business.
“Underserved populations generate business for storekeepers,” she said. “They receive subsidized food, which most of it is not nutritional. It’s just enough to barely last a family … for a couple of weeks. But those individuals that profit most from EBT circulations are the storekeepers, and nobody mentions that. That money never rests in those communities. It continues to circulate every day, every night. It’s just a band-aid.”
Sims said rural communities tend to take care of each other.
“But if you’re in an area where the majority of the people are receiving these subsidies, there’s not a whole lot that they can do to help each other because they’re all in the same boat,” she said.
Click here to learn more about Feeding the Valley, and please consider donating to them or the food bank of your choice.
In 2024, Calhoun County voted 43.77% for Republican Donald Trump and 56.08% for Democrat Kamala Harris.
Food bank volunteers in Thomasville are preparing for even more families in need of help with meals.
At the Thomas County Food Bank and Outreach Center, leaders report seeing an influx of new clients in the past month, with an increase of about 20%. The food bank said November and December are already busy months.
Jerilyn Falconer with the Thomas County Food Bank and Outreach Center said they have been getting many phone calls.
“Our phone has rung almost non-stop when we are here. People are concerned, but they are also willing to help they are trying to find out where to make monetary donations and when to bring food donations,” Falconer said.
Organizers said the clients need to meet requirements to receive food, including living in Thomas County, having a picture ID, proof of household income and verification of who lives in the home.
Some South Georgia restaurants are offering meals for federal workers who aren’t receiving their paychecks, according to WALB.
A Southwest Regional Airport worker posted on social media this week about the need for food for TSA workers who have not received paychecks since the shutdown began. The post gained widespread attention, prompting multiple restaurants and private donors to bring food to TSA employees.
El Vaquero restaurant sponsored lunch for all TSA workers on Thursday and committed to providing one meal each week for the duration of the government shutdown.
“I’m very grateful we have the resources to do it. We are a family restaurant and so it’s difficult at times, but we are looking at ways to give back and give resources,” the restaurant owner said.
The restaurant owner said the effort represents the least they can do for a community that has supported the business for decades. El Vaquero hopes the initiative will encourage other restaurant owners to contribute during the shutdown.
Augusta Locally Grown shared a Facebook post stating they will double SNAP benefits TODAY, October 30th so patrons can buy tokens that NEVER expire.
Read the entire post below:
Right now, our community is feeling the impact of the ongoing government shutdown, from military families to federal workers to local farmers. Many are uncertain about how to keep food on the table, even as access to fresh, local food becomes harder to reach.
To help bridge that gap, we’re continuing to double SNAP benefits.
Use your SNAP card at the market this Thursday, October 30 to purchase tokens, and those tokens never expire.
Every token you spend supports both local families and local farmers. Let’s take care of each other through this time.
“Even before the shutdown, we’ve seen more families turning to us for help,” said Amy Breitmann, President and CEO, Golden Harvest Food Bank. “If SNAP benefits are interrupted, families, seniors, and veterans across our communities will feel the impact immediately. Golden Harvest will continue to be here for our neighbors. We will not stop showing up.”
Across the 24 counties the Food Bank serves in Georgia and South Carolina, 1 in 6 people face food insecurity, including 1 in 4 children. If benefits are interrupted, more than 140,000 people in our service area could lose access to their next month’s food assistance, leaving many without the support they rely on at a time when need is already high.
For anyone in need of food assistance, there are over 325 hunger-relief partners across the region ready to help. To find support near you, visit goldenharvest.org/find-help.
From the Athens Banner Herald:
The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia is making plans to double the amount of food it distributes during November in its 15-county region in response to the federal government shutdown that is affecting the federal SNAP food program.
The Food Bank announced Wednesday that it plans to increase food purchases by 400% “to maintain the level of inventory necessary to keep provision strong through year end.”
“The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia was built for moments just like this one, but the organization cannot do this alone,” the organization announced in the news release.
There are 9,100 households in Clarke County that receive SNAP benefits, according to the Food Bank. The Georgia Budget & Police Institute has reported there are about 1.4 million people in Georgia receiving SNAP.
Erin Barger, the CEO and president of the Food Bank, said Wednesday that even if SNAP funds were to happen, there will be delays in the program.
“At this point delays are inevitable. The question is how long will the delays be. We are accelerating plans to start Nov. 1 because if we wait, we will have waited too long,” she said.
“It is a scared honor to join our neighbors who struggle to meet basic food needs and have access to nourishing foods,” Barger said about the Food Bank’s role in the region. “We believe this is a burden that no one should have alone and we believe in the generosity and philanthropy of people in this region to meet our neighbors in a time of urgent need.”
The Food Bank noted that it is distributing 45% more food this year than the same period in 2023.
“This is a clear indicator that, before the potential delay of SNAP benefits beginning Nov. 1, neighbors facing food insecurity were already experiencing an unprecedented level of need for support,” according to the Food Bank.
Click here to learn more about The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia and please consider donating today.
Meals on Wheels may be on the chopping block too during the federal shutdown, according to WSAV.
The federal shutdown is threatening the funding that fuels Meals on Wheels programs across the country including in coastal Georgia. Patti Lyons, president of Senior Citizens Inc., said the uncertainty is growing as SNAP benefits are set to end, creating what she called a devastating situation for seniors who rely on both programs for food security.
“We work with our hospitals,” she said. “They know what’s coming. If this doesn’t get settled soon, they will be in the hospital.”
Senior Citizens Inc. has been a part of the Savannah community for 65 years, serving as a lifeline for 10,000 older adults across coastal Georgia and feeding more than 1,600 daily.
“This is the first time we’ve had the government say we’re not sure we’re going to reimburse you,” Lyons said. “In the past, we have dipped into our savings knowing that they’d eventually come to a decision and there would reimburses. Now we’re really, truly having to decide if they don’t pay us back.”
The organization’s Meals on Wheels program is funded through the Older Americans Act, federal support Lyons called the bedrock of keeping seniors safe and in their homes. Meals on Wheels is for homebound senior citizens who can’t prepare their own meal. That funding is now on hold.
“And it’s truly one of the most difficult decisions that we’ve ever had to make as an organization,” Lyons said. “We’ve gone through and looked at our clients and done a triage of, you know, who are the people that we are providing their only food during the day? Who are the people that depend on us for having conversation?”
The concerns are growing as SNAP benefits, a separate food assistance program, are also set to freeze Nov. 1.
“You’ve got a whole different group there called Seniors SNAP,” Lyons said. “Those are the folks that we’re serving that they’re getting $10 a day. But that $10 is crucial for them.”
Lyons said her team is working with community partners like America’s Second Harvest to fill the gap as they already struggle to meet demand.
“We have a waiting list,” Lyons said. “Even with all those meals that we’re producing every day, we have a waiting list of older adults who we know need the food, but we do not have the support to be able to feed them. So, we already have a dire situation. But to lose truly our biggest federal source of funding is going to be catastrophic.”
She added, “That to me is one of the worst parts, is that they’re scared and they shouldn’t be scared.”
Lyons said the organization is relying on savings to keep delivering meals for now. But if the federal shutdown continues, Meals on Wheels funding could run out as early as November.
Lowndes County Public Schools offers a list of local resources for people who are food insecure, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
“We know that the recent changes to SNAP benefits may be creating challenges for some of our One Lowndes families,” a Facebook post from Lowndes County School Systems said. “You’re not alone — and we want to help. Our team has gathered a list of local food banks and community resources that are here to support you and your family.”
The list includes churches, care centers, local charities and grassroots organizations that are reaching out to help families amidst the shutdown. It also includes places in Brooks, Berrien, Thomas and Cook counties that are available for those who need it.
They have also included Rico’s Tacos, a Mexican restaurant on St. Augustine Road, which has announced that during the duration of the pause, they will give parents free meals for their children. It is available for one child per day while supplies last, with no further purchase necessary.
Governor Brian Kemp responded to the SNAP funding outage, according to WRBL via WSAV.
Kemp spoke to WRBL News 3 on Wednesday and said the state does not have the resources to cover federal benefits and placed blame on Democratic lawmakers — including Georgia’s U.S. senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock — for the ongoing stalemate.
“We are urging our two U.S. senators and their colleagues on the other side of the aisle to simply vote like they did 13 times when Joe Biden was president for a clean, continuing resolution to reopen the government,” Kemp said.
He added, “We’re not going to bail the federal government out. We can’t do that. We don’t have enough continuous funds to be able to do that. We don’t even know if we did that if we’d get that money reimbursed.”
The Republican told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday that he’s concerned that the state might not be reimbursed if it dips into Georgia’s $14.6 billion reserve fund to finance the Supplemental Food Assistance Program, which is expected to run dry within days.
Blaming congressional Democrats for the impasse, he also said short-term state funding for food assistance would lead to demands to pick up the tab for other federal agencies caught in the shutdown, which has entered its fourth week.
“If you do this for SNAP, what about early learning programs? What about TSA agents? What about the military, the National Guard? Where does this end?” he said in an interview from an overseas trade mission to Japan.
“Let’s get the government reopened so we can pay everybody. That’s the easiest thing for them to do, because I can’t fix all the problems that them not doing their job are going to create,” he said. “It’s never-ending.”
Meanwhile, food banks across the state are bracing for increased demand. The Atlanta Community Food Bank said it is preparing for a surge in families seeking emergency groceries if benefits are disrupted.
Lawmakers from both parties have urged President Donald Trump to tap emergency funding for the program. But the Trump administration said it would not use the funds to cover the benefits.
Kemp has faced his own pressure to step in. Democrats point to Georgia’s multibillion-dollar surplus and note that governors in Louisiana and Virginia — both Republicans — have declared states of emergency to explore ways maintain benefits temporarily.
“‘Let them eat cake’ is not an answer we will accept,” said state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes, D-Duluth, who urged Kemp to call a special legislative session.
“When hurricanes hit South Georgia, you declared a state of emergency and got them funding to be able to survive,” she added. “You didn’t tell them I can’t figure out how to give you money.”
And leading Democratic contenders for governor demanded that Kemp intervene, including calls that he deploy the National Guard to assist food pantries.
“If the federal government is not doing their job,” said former state Sen. Jason Esteves, “then we have to do our job.”
But whether states can recover that spending is unclear. A U.S. Department of Agriculture memo warned that states will not be reimbursed if they pick up the costs of SNAP benefits during the shutdown.
The governor’s office and the Georgia Department of Human Services both released statements Thursday, arguing that it would be impossible to fund the existing SNAP program using state funding, because they said the mechanism to load money onto beneficiary cards rests with the federal government. They also said that, according to the USDA, there is no provision under current law for states to be reimbursed.
State Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes, a Duluth Democrat, urged Kemp to take action during a Wednesday press conference at the state Capitol in Atlanta, arguing that he could declare a state of emergency to help address the issue.
“I know that he’s saying, well, there’s technical difficulties, but he’s the governor of Georgia,” she said. “I’m asking him to figure it out.”
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