Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for October 5, 2022

On October 5, 1864, the Battle of Allatoona Pass was fought in Bartow County, Georgia.

The first televised Presidential address from the White House was broadcast on October 5, 1947.

At the time of Truman’s food-conservation speech, Europe was still recovering from World War II and suffering from famine. Truman, the 33rd commander in chief, worried that if the U.S. didn’t provide food aid, his administration’s Marshall Plan for European economic recovery would fall apart. He asked farmers and distillers to reduce grain use and requested that the public voluntarily forgo meat on Tuesdays, eggs and poultry on Thursdays and save a slice of bread each day. The food program was short-lived, as ultimately the Marshall Plan succeeded in helping to spur economic revitalization and growth in Europe.

The Georgia Supreme Court outlawed use of the electric chair as “cruel and unusual punishment” on October 5, 2001.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Brian Kemp raised $30 million dollars in the last quarter combined for his reelection campaign and the independent Georgians First Leadership Committee, according to FoxNews.

The fundraising figures for the period spanning July 1 through September 30 for the Kemp for Governor re-election campaign and the allied Georgians First Leadership Committee were shared first nationally with Fox News on Wednesday. The two entities combined had $15.4 million cash on hand as of the end of September.

Kemp holds a 6.6-point lead over the Democratic nominee in an average of the most recent public opinion polls that was compiled by Real Clear Politics. That includes a seven-point lead in the latest Fox News poll in Georgia.

But Abrams has enjoyed a large fundraising lead over Kemp this entire election cycle. Abrams’s campaign and her allied One Georgia Committee hauled in $22 million during the May and June fundraising period, compared to $6.8 million for Kemp. Abrams has yet to release her latest fundraising figures.

In an interview with Fox News last week ahead of a rally in Alpharetta, Georgia, Kemp emphasized that “we are in the fight for our life here, especially financially. She [Abrams] has every financial resource she could get. You could not underestimate what she’s doing on the ground. Some polls, we’re in good shape. Others show the race very tight. I expect it to be tight. I’m running like I’m ten points behind.”

“I’m also running on a great record,” the incumbent touted. “I think there’s a lot of difference in this campaign than in ’18. Georgians know me. They know what I told them I would do. And I’ve done just that. Even if they don’t like it, they know I’ve fulfilled the promises that I’ve made, and a lot of people appreciate that.”

From the AJC:

Kemp’s campaign said Wednesday it will report roughly $15.4 million in the bank for the final stretch against Democrat Stacey Abrams, an elite fundraiser who has far outpaced her opponent in collecting cash since she entered the race last year.

Abrams hasn’t yet reported her latest financial disclosure, but she collected more than $22 million in a two-month span between May and June in her last filing. Both rivals have far surpassed their fundraising totals from four years ago, when they shattered state records.

With his latest financial figures, Kemp has joined the ranks of the nation’s top fundraisers – and signaled that he’s increasingly willing to look beyond Georgia for financial support. Among his out-of-state events was a September fundraiser hosted by GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell.

Ahead in the polls, Kemp has devoted increasing attention to raising cash to finance a grassroots apparatus that can compete with Abrams’ prized ground-game organization.

“We literally have fundraisers close to six-and-a-half days a week on average, all the way through the election,” Kemp said in an interview. “And we just have to have that funding to be able to operate everything we need to do to make sure that we win.”

Georgia’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has increased monthly benefits, according to WRDW.

Starting October 1, to offset inflation, SNAP benefits in Georgia increased 12.5%.

More than 530,000 households participate in Georgia’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to the Georgia Department of Human Services.

The federal government adjusts SNAP benefits yearly to keep up with inflation.

The average cost of groceries increased by 12.2% in the last 12 months, the largest single-year increase in over 43 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Georgia Court of Appeals will hold court in Valdosta on October 12, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

The Court has said the statewide tour is part of an effort to increase confidence in the judiciary by making its judges more accessible to the public.

Future offsite sessions next year include a visits to Coffee County and Blue Ridge, following September arguments in Macon and Athens.

Presiding Judge Anne Elizabeth Barnes, Judge Trent Brown and Judge Ken Hodges serve on Division 1 of the Court of Appeals, and will travel from Atlanta to hear arguments at Valdosta State University.

“The pandemic prevented us from being able to conduct offsite oral argument sessions across the state for almost three years,” said Presiding Judge Barnes. “Judge Brown, Judge Hodges and I are looking forward to holding oral arguments in Valdosta and giving the citizens who live in the area an opportunity to see the way an oral argument is handled in person, or will be able to watch the recording on our new website the following week.”

The offsite oral argument session will begin at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 12, in the Magnolia Room at Valdosta State University’s North Conference Center, 1203 North Patterson Street.

The Court of Appeals of Georgia is the state’s intermediate appellate court, with 15 judges who serve in panels of three. Oral arguments are not heard in all cases. The parties must ask to be heard, and the Court only grants about a third of the requests.

13WMAZ profiles the candidates for State House District 144, held by incumbent Republican Dale Washburn.

The winner will replace Republican incumbent Danny Mathis. The district covers 3 counties including parts of Macon-Bibb, Monroe, and Jones counties.

Washburn says he believes district concerns include education and public safety in the area of Macon-Bibb County. Overall, he hopes to focus on taxes.

“Overall, I believe in less taxation and less regulation,” says Washburn.

Adding that when he looks at legislation he always keeps families and businesses in mind, “For our families to operate correctly there has to be jobs that provide income to feed those families, to provide good housing for those families, so I always look at it from that basis.”

[Democrat Nettie] Conner says she believes district concerns include homelessness, healthcare, and homeowner taxes.

Washburn holds the current District 141 House seat, and has served as a Jones County commissioner. He also currently chairs a housing study committee.

To clarify: Rep. Washburn currently serves from the HD 141 seat, but is running for House District 144 after redistricting redrew district lines.

The Rome News Tribune looks at upcoming local political events.

The Gainesville Times profiles the candidates for District 1 on the Hall County Board of Education.

Republican Debra Smith will face off against Democrat Angela Middleton for the vacant post 1 seat on Hall County’s school board. The seat was left open by Sam Chapman, who spent nearly 15 years on the board and decided not to run for reelection. The post 1 seat represents the eastern part of the county but is elected at large.

In April, Gov. Kemp signed HB 1084, a law that limits what teachers can say about race in the classroom. Branded by Republican legislators as an effort to ban critical race theory, the law bars the teaching of nine “divisive concepts,” including teaching students that one race is superior to another or that the United States is fundamentally racist.

Middleton: “It is my understanding that those concepts being banned are not taught in our school system,” she said. “The bill, the way it is written, there are bits and pieces of it I would support, and there’s bits and pieces that I don’t,” though she said would need to study the bill more to provide specific examples. “I don’t want our teachers to have to teach in fear.”

Smith: “I don’t know all the details of that bill, but I do think we have to find a way to make sure that we are not being divisive with kids in the classroom,” she said. “I would like to think there’s a way for us to handle that without having to add another bill to the books.” She said teachers “have to stay neutral” but worries that the bill may stifle discussion: “That’s one of the concerns I have about passing a bill. Sometimes you lock the teachers up to the point that they can’t even have a normal debate or conversation in a classroom, because their hands are tied on every little thing.”

The Atlanta Board of Education adopted a “divisive concepts” policy, according to the AJC.

House Bill 1084, backed by Republicans and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, also requires school systems to establish a complaint resolution process that explains what they will do if a parents alleges a school is mishandling such concepts.

The Atlanta Board of Education has been critical of such legislation. In February, the school board passed a resolution saying such moves “stifle classroom instruction and are solutions in search of a problem.”

But board member Cynthia Briscoe Brown, who leads the policy committee, said the new law requires Atlanta Public Schools to approve a policy. Refusing to do so “is not an option which adequately protects the district from potential negative consequences,” she said during Monday’s meeting.

Briscoe Brown said the proposed language satisfies the district’s legal obligation while also making it “very clear that we expect our students and teachers to grapple with difficult issues and that we will support and protect our teachers in doing so.”

Under the APS rules, a principal or other designee would have five school days to review a written complaint “and take reasonable steps to investigate the allegations.” The policy details the timeline for schools to decide if a violation occurred and, if so, what remedies will be taken. The rules also outline the appeals process.

Other school boards, including those in DeKalb and Fulton counties, already approved their policies in response to the new law.

Eight applicants seek appointment to the Fulton County Board of Education seat being vacated by Gail Dean, according to the AJC.

District 3 board member Gail Dean announced last month that she’ll retire Oct. 31, more than two years before her term ends Dec. 31, 2024. Dean’s district straddles northern and southern parts of Fulton County, including areas in Sandy Springs, East Point, College Park and Hapeville.

It will be up to the other six board members to appoint Dean’s successor, who will serve the remainder of her unexpired term. Those interested in the seat had to submit applications by Monday.

Fulton County Schools spokesman Brian Noyes said the district received applications from Desiree Andrews, Latoya Arnold, Michael Daniels, Kenneth Deleon, Lee Duncan, Katherine Gregory, Sharon McKenna and Thomas Robinson.

The District 3 appointment means that newcomers will soon make up a majority of the board that governs Georgia’s fourth-largest school system.

In January, Kristin McCabe, Michelle Morancie and Lillie Pozatek will take over seats that had been held by long-serving board members who decided not to run for reelection this year.

In addition to Dean, the departing board members are Julia Bernath, Linda McCain and Katie Reeves.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit indicted two men from Athens-Clarke County on allegations of gang activity, according to WDUN.

“These indictments are a direct result of our strong partnerships with local and state law enforcement, who want to ensure that the cases they investigate are pursued vigorously in court,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Wherever criminal street gangs are operating, Georgians want to know that the cavalry is coming. That is exactly what we are doing with our new Gang Prosecution Unit, and we are proud to be in this fight to keep all Georgians safe.”

Carr said this week’s indictments are the first to be obtained by the Gang Prosecution Unit since it was created on July 1 of this year.

Harvey’s charges include 14 counts of Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. Wiseman faces 18 such counts.

Augusta District Attorney Jared William announced the formation of a Major Crimes Division within his office, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

The new division was created in response to the lack of violent crime convictions, setting Augusta behind other large cities across the state.

In 2018, the sheriff’s office caught Darrell Oliver, a serial rapist. The DA’s Office took him to trial three separate times, and lost each time.

Williams said sex crimes cases are challenging to prosecute and Oliver going free, time and time again, showed the need for restructuring the DA’s Office.

“In 2020, Darrell Oliver wasn’t facing an SVU prosecutor,” he said. “He walked away, free to go commit another rape. He did just that in November of last year, but this time we were ready.”

Last week, Oliver went up against SVU prosecutors and after five days of trial, a Richmond County jury found him guilty of rape, kidnapping with bodily injury and burglary in the first degree. He received two life sentences plus 20 years.

“I think it’s just the perfect example of when you take a big city approach to big city crime, you get big city results,” Williams said. “To the gang members and people who do gun violence – we’ve got a gang too. To the child molesters and sexual predators, we’re watching and we’re ready. To the community, we’re in this fight with you and we’re not backing down.”

As of Aug. 30, 7,404 incidents of domestic violence were reported to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, while 447 incidents of domestic violence were reported to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

From WRDW:

The goal of the Special Victims Unit is to work primarily with sexual assault victims and children.

[WRDW] talked to the executive director from Child Enrichment Services to learn more about their role in the unit.

“Richmond County is the number one county in the state of Georgia for the number of child trafficking cases,” said Kari Viola-Brooke.

She says there’s no reason Augusta should have higher numbers than Atlanta, but she sees it every day.

She adds that 1 in 10 kids will be sexually abused by 18, which is why the DA’s office so desperately needs the unit.

Richmond County has already tied 2021’s homicide numbers, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

There have been 31 people killed in homicides in Richmond County so far in 2022. In all of 2021, there were 31 people killed in homicides.

In April, District Attorney Jared Williams said the increase in gun violence is not a law enforcement or courts issue, it’s a community-wide issue, according to a previous Augusta Chronicle article.

“We need to be keeping a tighter grip on our kids,” Williams said. “We need to take strides to provide opportunities for them, to keep them from getting enticed by these gangs.”

Augusta Commissioner Jordan Johnson echoed Williams’ sentiment, but said policy change may be needed.

““This isn’t the time to sit on the sidelines or place blame in one direction or the other, it’s time for real action and that requires all of our hands,” Johnson said. “I’m fully confident that our community will answer the call, but I also think that it’s time for our government to look deep into our policies to see how we can provide structural change that’ll lead to lasting impact in our community. Understanding the role that mental health and poverty plays in the increase in crime will play a major role in finding solutions. It’s been a rough two years and we’re seeing the impact.”

The Bulloch County Commission will host a listening session to discuss the proposed Smart Bulloch 2040 Comprehensive Plan, according to the Statesboro Herald.

Moultrie adopted a lower property tax millage rate, according to WALB.

City leaders recently approved a millage rate that is lower than the 2016 rate.

Residents can expect the millage rate of their property tax bill to take effect within the next 30 days. This means that with the current millage rate of 8.100, property owners will pay an average of $810 a year for every $100,000 of home value.

“Well, I know it’s easier to maintain here when I was looking for another place to rent because the house we were in was selling all the property values around Moultrie and other counties have gone up tremendously. And I was going to relocate back to Brunswick where I’m from. But property values there have gone up over 65%. So, I’m staying here,” said William Hoggard, a resident of Moultrie.

“As we have growth, that new property adds to the value of the city and also absorbs city costs or taxes. So the more growth we have, the more the cost to the city can be spread over the new growth and take the burden off of homeowners or property owners,” said Peter Dillard, Moultrie city manager.

Within the last two years, city officials said keeping the rates low has worked well. And they’ve been able to offer a rebate for some of their senior property owners.

“It was $500 last year, so a property owner who was over 65 or older had their taxes rebated up to $500. Which means that 80% of our senior citizen household owners paid zero city property taxes the last two years,” said Dillard.

There was no discussion of whether the new lower millage rate will raise more revenue.

Statesboro City Council voted to spend $286 million dollars in Tax Allocation District funds, according to the Statesboro Herald.

Augusta Commissioners voted against a stormwater division audit, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

Commissioner John Clarke requested the audit to “establish accountability where the taxpayers’ money is going,” identifying individuals or business who have failed to pay stormwater fees and answering calls from constituents confused by the purpose of these fees.

However, the motion failed by a 6-3 vote. Commissioner Alvin Mason was not present.

Commissioner Ben Hasan believed such an audit was not only unnecessary but would also be a slap in the face to local companies and officials.

“I think it’s a disservice to the government, I really do, unless you have something that’d be more precise and more accurate to what you’re looking for,” Hasan said.

Mayor Hardie Davis commented that Clarke could just ask the Engineering Department for the data and it would not require an audit, but Clarke would not budge.

Bibb County Commissioners adopted an ordinance that raises fines for dumping yard waste or trash into gutters, according to 13WMAZ.

Commissioner Bill Howell sponsored the ordinance. He also serves on the Macon Water Authority board. He says this is one way the authority is trying to educate people on how little things can affect the storm drainage system.

Commissioner Howell and the water authority hatched a plan to raise the fine for dumping debris into drains. It’s now $250. Howell says landscaping companies are to blame.

“The $250 is directed at companies that are intentionally, illegally filling up our catch basins with grass clippings and any other debris,” Howell said.

Howell says they’ll roll out the fines slowly, focusing on education. He says down the line though, the fines are definitely a possibility. He encourages people to dispose of their clippings the right way.

Howell says one of the ways you can get rid of your clippings is composting. He recommends filling paper bags with your cut grass or leaves, and using that to fertilize your yard.

The City of Savannah wants to hear feedback on possible revisions to the alcohol ordinance, according to WTOC.

The city has been kind of vague about what exactly these changes could be when it comes to the alcohol ordinance. All we know from the mayor is this is acting in a way to keep people safe.

The city wants to hear from all local alcohol license holders, current or future responsible parties, and alcohol establishment managers.

“Alcohol is big in Savannah and the ramifications of alcohol is certainly significant in our city and ordinance changes can certainly impact how businesses operate so we want to make sure people have the opportunity to come out,” Mayor Johnson said.

All of the feedback from will be taken into consideration before a proposal is officially brought to council, which likely won’t be a for a few weeks.

From WSAV:

Mayor Van Johnson said alcohol is a big part of Savannah, with hundreds of businesses having permits to sell. But he said the rules need to allow those businesses to thrive while keeping public safety in mind.

The mayor didn’t share any specific changes that are now on the table during his press briefing Tuesday but said ultimately there needs to be clearer rules for businesses.

“We need to make sure very clearly that a bar is a bar,” Johnson said. “A restaurant is a restaurant. And if there’s a restaurant that wants to act as a bar or a club then we need to have a designation to create that, a transitional license, we used to call it a hybrid.”

“We know that people need to be trained and understand often times they see things other people don’t,” Johnson said. “That bartender, that server could be the difference sometimes in someone getting home safe or not. So, it’s a variety of things.”

Savannah Police released data from their school zone camera program, according to WTOC.

Police placed cameras at 10 different school zones throughout the city.

They then conducted a study during school hours for a five-day period to see how many drivers sped through the zones.

Police say during the study, there was an excessive amount of vehicles found speeding.

The data we obtained from SPD shows 12 percent of all vehicles traveling through the school zone in the morning were speeding.

Nine percent were speeding in the afternoon and only 2 percent of vehicles were speeding mid-day.

“Children don’t always use the best judgement. Sometimes they run out, sometimes they want to go see their friends, and they run out into traffic. The whole idea is you are going slow enough that you are able to stop your car. If you are going 10,15, 20 miles per hour over the speed limit, you are not going to be able to stop your vehicle, you are going to end up hitting a child,” said Assistant Chief Robert Gavin.

I note that people who are in a hurry also don’t always use the best judgment.

Savannah will now deploy speed cameras in schools zones, according to WSAV.

Starting Wednesday Savannah drivers will have 30 days to get used to new traffic cameras in school zones across the city.

“It does slow people down, and it makes them pay attention again,” said Robert Gaven, Savannah Police Department Assistant Chief.

The decision to install 10 school zone traffic cameras across Savannah came after a school zone speed study in 2020. Gavin said the findings were alarming.

“It was actually in the beginning of the pandemic when we did this speed study, so I think some of the traffic was actually a little lighter than what it would normally be,” Gavin said. “But even the numbers off of that. There were thousands of cars speeding in school zones, just over a 5 day period.”

The cameras will run every school day an hour before school starts and an hour after it ends. You’ll get a ticket for going 11 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit, usually 25 miles per hour when the lights on the school zone sign are flashing.

Cook County Sheriff’s Deputy Captain Terry Arnold died from a heart attack on the job, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Arnold, with the help of school administration, had taken a juvenile in the fight into custody and was leaving the school building when he collapsed; school medical personnel and responding backup gave first aid until EMTs arrived, according to the the statement.

Arnold was taken to South Georgia Medical Center, where he died a short time later.

Neither student faces charges in the deputy’s death as they were attacking each other and not Arnold, the sheriff’s office said.

Arnold had just completed 26 years at the sheriff’s office; he previously worked for the Adel and Remerton police departments, the sheriff’s office said.

“He had a heart of gold and will truly be missed. We will have counselors available in the morning for students or faculty who need to talk with someone,” the county school system noted in a Facebook posting.