Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for September 20, 2023

On September 21, 1780, General Benedict Arnold met with British Major John Andre and began plotting to surrender West Point to the British.

On September 20, 1863, the Confederate Army of the Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg repelled Union forces under General William Rosencrans at the Battle of Chickamauga. After Gettysburg, Chickamauga is generally considered the second-bloodiest battle of the Civil War, with 18,500 Confederate casualties and 16,100 Union dead.

On September 21, 1863, the federal Army of the Cumberland retreated to Chattanooga after its defeat at Chickamauga.

Chester A. Arthur was sworn in as President of the United States on September 20, 1881.

The year 1881 began with Republican Rutherford B. Hayes in office. Hayes served out his first and only term and officially turned over the reins of government to James A. Garfield, who happened to be a close friend of his, in March 1881.

Just four months into his term, on July 2, Garfield was shot by an assassin named Charles Guiteau. Guiteau claimed to have killed Garfield because he refused to grant Guiteau a political appointment. Garfield sustained wounds to his back and abdomen and struggled to recover throughout the summer. Though it appeared he would pull through in early September, the autopsy report revealed that the internal bullet wound contributed to an aneurism that ultimately killed Garfield on September 19.

The first classes at Oglethorpe University under it’s current non-denominational charter were held on September 20, 1916. Happy 101st Anniversary to the Stormy Petrels. The university was originally affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and located in Midway, Georgia. In 1870, after a period of closure during the Civil War they relocated to the Atlanta area.

On September 20, 1976, Playboy magazine released an interview with Jimmy Carter, then a candidate for President.

Bert Lance resigned as Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Jimmy Carter on September 21, 1977. After a jury acquitted him on ten federal charges in 1980, Lance served as Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia from 1982 to 1985.

General Colin Powell was confirmed by the Senate Armed Services Committee as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on September 21. 1989. Powell served as National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan before being appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President George H.W. Bush; in 2000, Powell was nominated by President George W. Bush as Secretary of State, the first African-American to hold that post.

On September 21, 2011, R.E.M. announced on their website that they were quitting as a band.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Chatham County Commission District 2 voters will return to the polls for a Runoff Election on October 17, 2023, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Former Chatham County Election Board member Malinda Scott Hodge and Savannah Republicans District 2 chair David Tootle will face off in round two for the seat once held by the late Larry “Gator” Rivers.

Hodge led the field of four candidates with 43% of the vote, and Tootle followed up with 27%. Two other Democrats, Michael Hamilton and Ni’Aisha Banks rounded out the field.

There were a total of 1,208 votes cast Tuesday, which registers a 4.78% turnout rate. Hodge led the way with 520 votes, carrying most of the precincts within the core of Savannah. Tootle had strong showings in precincts in the district’s Southeast region.

For the month ahead, Hodge plans to focus on voter outreach to make sure District 2 residents are aware of the upcoming vote.

From WTOC:

Malinda Hodge says she is confident but knows that hard work is the best way to find the success she is hoping for.

“You still have to earn and you still have to earn their vote, I have served in an elected position previously but this is a new position.”

Tootle ended the night with 27% of the votes and says that the next month is when he really hopes to finish strong.

“It’s about what we expected we figured we would be competitive, I thought that we might be able to win it but hey, I’m down for the challenge now.”

According to Georgia law, a runoff election will be held four weeks after the election, and early voting will begin a week after the election.

The Georgia Supreme Court held that profits generated by Coin Operated Amusement Machines are not taxable by the state, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.

The state Supreme Court Tuesday unanimously upheld a lower-court ruling that declared gross revenue from COAMs is exempt from taxation in a case brought by Funvestment Group, which operates an arcade in Gwinnett County.

Funvestment sued the revenue department after the agency attempted to collect taxes on income from the company’s lease of COAM machines from Tiny Towne, a children’s amusement center in Norcross. The revenue department argued the state law exempting COAMs from taxes only applies to income generated from the customers who play the games.

Both the Fulton County Superior Court and, subsequently, the Georgia Court of Appeals, ruled against the state, declaring lease income from COAMs also is tax-exempt. On Tuesday, the Georgia Supreme Court agreed.

The COAM industry is a topic the General Assembly has taken up almost every year.

The state House and Senate passed different versions of legislation this year to reform an industry that has been plagued by illegal cash payouts to winners. But the bill died when the two legislative chambers couldn’t reach agreement on a final version of the measure.

United States Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Atlanta) wants a DOJ investigation of the Clayton County jail, according to the AJC.

Citing media reports of “serious human rights violations and dangerous conditions inside the facility,” Ossoff said in a letter to the nation’s top law enforcement officer earlier this month that a probe is necessary because of what appears to be a pattern of civil rights violations that jeopardize detainee safety.

“Just last month my office heard from a man who alleged that guards beat him in the showers, threatened to stun him with a Taser despite his disclosure that he had a heart condition, and transported him to a hospital when he collapsed in cardiac arrest,” Ossoff wrote.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson wants 24-hour government, according to WSAV.

“We need to become and act like a 24-hour city,” Mayor Johnson said. “Right now, we really don’t.”

“The city continues to do well and break records on the tourism front,” He continued. “I’m supportive of those efforts. However, our downtown is also where people live.”

“…Five o’clock city services kind of go away,” He explained. “I want to have a full-time government 24 hours a day and seven days a week. I want to have someone in charge. I want to have police services, code enforcement, and sanitation… all of those city services available to be able to address issues as they come up.”

“We’re not Mayberry anymore,” he said. “Our city takes on a different character after five o’clock. On weekends in downtown and across our city it takes on a totally different character. So, we need to have a government that is a nighttime and weekend government.”

Gwinnett County Commissioners approved a transportation plan that calls for spending $17 billion dollars, according to AccessWDUN.

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved a $17 billion transit development plan in preparation for a recent spike in population and economic growth.

“This transformative plan benefits everyone by improving and expanding multimodal transportation services countywide,” Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson said. “It charts an intentional path forward while paving the way for a more prosperous future, providing convenient transit alternatives for our residents and reducing congestion on our roads.”

Under the new transit plan, 100% of the county will be covered with shared ride services.

The plan also reportedly takes a multi-faceted approach that includes the introduction of Local Ride, Quick Ride, Rapid Ride and Airport Ride networks that will connect areas within Gwinnett County and to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

“By embracing innovative ways to reimagine our local transit service and enhance connectivity to the greater Atlanta region, the adopted TDP [Transit Development Plan] creates a clear road ahead for a more efficient, accessible, reliable and environmentally friendly transportation option in Gwinnett County,” Gwinnett DOT Director Lewis Cooksey said. “This TDP puts the focus on providing mobility for all by thoughtfully leveraging the best transit modes to adequately meet the varying needs of each of our communities.”

 

Glynn County Commissioners continue discussing whether to hire a lobbyist, according to The Brunswick News.

Commissioner Sammy Tostensen asked commissioners at Tuesday’s special-called meeting to consider adding his request on the agenda for an upcoming meeting.

He said the Port of Brunswick, the county’s two airports, proximity to Interstate 95 and a booming tourism industry are all good reasons the county needs more representation in Atlanta. And he said there is growing support for a lobbyist to represent the county since the issue was raised several weeks ago.

Tostensen said other counties, such as Bryan and Chatham, use lobbyists to represent their interests. He said Glynn County’s applications for projects can sit on a state official’s desk for an extended period of time without someone to check on the status and resolve issues that can delay approval.

Commissioner Bo Clark said voters elected him and his fellow commissioners to represent them in Atlanta. He questioned a lobbyist’s loyalties if he or she represents multiple counties in the state. “If they represent more than one county, who gets preference?” he asked.

Commissioners agreed to put the request for a lobbyist on the agenda for an upcoming meeting.

Some Burke County teachers want to add eSports to their offerings, according to WJBF.

Teachers from Burke County High School are asking the school board to support a new approach to student involvement. They want to bring Esports to campus. The popular form of competition uses video games including Madden, Mario Kart,  and NBA 2K.

“There are a list of 12 colleges that offer Esports programs and that offer scholarships for students involved in these sports; like Georgia State, University of Georgia and things of that nature.“

Students get the opportunity to compete in the Georgia Esports League. They will also have an area in the school to play and store gaming equipment.

If approved the program could begin in the spring of 2024. The teachers main priority now is funding.

“If a student wanted to participate in a Madden as well as a Mario Kart league it would cost that student $160 or us $160 or we could go with the full plan which is 3,000 flat rate” said Braddox

Suburban Democrats are looking to gain legislative seats next year, according to the AJC.

[Republican U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick and State Rep. Jan Jones] have already drawn Democratic opponents in next year’s race. And they could be the start of a wave of new candidates competing in races across metro Atlanta’s suburbs for districts once seen as Republican locks.

[The challengers] are also wagering that a pending federal lawsuit will trigger a reordering of Georgia’s political maps that could give Democrats a foothold in territory that would once require a miracle to flip.

An overhaul of the political lines would give Georgia, already one of just a few competitive states in next year’s presidential race, key down-ticket races that could help determine control of the U.S. House and the extent of the GOP’s grip on the Legislature.

Democrats expect a ruling to focus on Atlanta’s northern suburbs, where some local party leaders are already maneuvering to line up endorsements, appeal to activists and, in some cases, formally launch campaigns — even though the political boundaries remain unsettled.

“It’s really unique,” said Charles Bullock, a University of Georgia political scientist who has written extensively on the messy feuding over redistricting — or what he calls “the most political activity in America.”

“There’s no guarantee that the judge will throw out the map, though I suspect he will,” Bullock added. “And nobody has any idea what the new districts look like. We usually don’t see these types of moves this early.”

More will join the fray if the district lines are recast. State Rep. Michelle Au, a Johns Creek physician and former state senator, is among those who could seek higher office. And McBath’s allies say she hasn’t ruled out a return to her former district, a swap that would open another suburban seat.

Snellville will hold a lottery for a liquor store license, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Snellville officials will hold a lottery next week to determine which business owner will get to open a package store in the city.

Five groups have submitted proposals to operate a package store in Snellville and the lottery, which will be held at City Hall on Sept. 25, will decide which one of them will receive a liquor store license. Whichever group is chosen will be the first to operate a package store in the city since voters approved the issuance of liquor store licenses last November.

Nine groups initially presented package store proposals to city officials, but only three were initially considered to be complete and approved for the lottery. Two other groups were able to successfully appeal their denial, bringing the total number of proposals eligible for the lottery up to five.

Rincon City Council member Levi Scott allegedly tried to get out of a ticket, according to WSAV.

The body camera video from a Rincon police on June 13, 2020, shows Scott’s interaction with Officer Ian Gallagher and Sgt. Brad Hayes after he was pulled over for suspicions of driving impaired.

Scott says, “Let’s be careful. If this has happened to me and somebody else complains, there’s gonna be some issues. I know you’re new. But I wanna realize…I want you to understand you work for the public. Okay? Okay, we’re good. Have them checked please, come Monday.”

“We’ve got some issues going on here now,” says Scott, “I met with the chief and them Monday, no, last Tuesday. We’re gonna be careful with how we pursue individuals.”

At the end of the video, all parties return to their separate vehicles, and there are no records that indicate Scott was charged with anything.

This is not the only time Scott has appeared to try and use his status as leverage against law enforcement.

Bulloch County Chief Magistrate Judge June B. Braswell will retire at the end of September, according to the Statesboro Herald.

As stated in the proclamation, Braswell started her work with the Bulloch County Magistrate Court on July 1, 1983. She was a deputy clerk at first. On July 1, 1992, she was appointed deputy magistrate.

After the previous chief magistrate, Judge Billy Joe Deal, died while in office, Braswell was appointed chief magistrate in January 2000 to fulfill his unexpired term. As the resolution states, she was elected to her first full term as chief magistrate by county citizens in November 2000. This part is not in the proclamation, but she was one of four candidates in that election, won without a runoff, and has been re-elected without opposition each election cycle since.

As chief magistrate, Braswell leads, at the moment, a 14-person staff, including clerks, constables, herself and two other Bulloch County Magistrate Court judges, known in the past as deputy magistrates, but now simply as magistrates. Magistrate Karen C. Jones, who has about 35 years experience with the court, has been recommended to Chief Judge F. Gates Peed of the Ogeechee Circuit Superior Courts for appointment as chief magistrate to fulfill the remainder of Braswell’s term, she said.

The nonpartisan office is slated for an election in May for a full term beginning January 2025.