Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for September 4, 2024

On September 4, 1682, Edmund Halley first sighted the comet that bears his name.

On September 5, 1774, the Continental Congress convened for the first time at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia; delegates attended from all the colonies except Georgia.

Scheduled steamship service first began on September 4, 1807, when Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat began plying the trade on the Hudson River.

General William T. Sherman ordered all civilians out of Atlanta on September 4, 1864.

Vince Dooley was born on September 4, 1932. Happy birthday, coach!

The Heart of Atlanta Motel opened at 255 Courtland Street in downtown Atlanta on September 5, 1956. It included a three-story diving platform reached by spiral stairs and a pool large enough to hold a ski boat. African-Americans were not allowed at the Heart of Atlanta. [Photos © Georgia State University]

After passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned racial discrimination in interstate commerce, the Heart of Atlanta’s owner sued the federal government, asserting that the Act was an overly broad interpretation of the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution.

The resulting decision by the United States Supreme Court upheld the Act, finding that Congress was within its authority to ban racial discrimination in businesses affecting interstate commerce.

Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called out National Guard troops to prevent the desegregation under court order of Little Rock’s Central High School on September 4, 1957.

On September 5, 1969, United States Army Lieutenant William Calley was charged with murder in connection with the deaths of 109 Vietnamese civilians at My Lai. An Army inquiry listed 30 people who knew of the event and charges were filed against 14; Calley was the only conviction. Later, President Nixon paroled Calley. From 1975 to 2005 or 2006, Calley lived and worked in Columbus, Georgia, before moving to Atlanta. In 2009, Calley apologized for the events at My Lai while speaking to a meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus. Mr. Calley died in April 2024.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

A new primary election was ordered for a Tift County Board of Education seat, according to the AJC.

A judge threw out a recent South Georgia school board election decided by just two votes, ruling in favor of a Democratic candidate who worked with the conservative group True the Vote to prove errors.

The redo election is needed because election officials assigned voters in an apartment complex to the wrong school board district, according to an order Friday by Tift County Superior Court Judge Howard McClain. Those voters received ballots for the wrong race during the May primary.

Democratic school board candidate Ambrose King Jr. said all eligible voters should be able to decide between him and incumbent Marilyn Burks, who is also a Democrat. There are no Republicans in the race.

“When elections are flawed or biased against us or engineered against us, we lose that aspect that makes us true Americans,” King said. “Election integrity is truly a bipartisan issue.”

True the Vote is known for supporting Republican efforts to challenge the eligibility of voters nationwide, an initiative opposed by voting rights groups who say legitimate voters could be disqualified. True the Vote defeated a lawsuit alleging that its Georgia voter challenges in 2020 amounted to voter intimidation.

“Ambrose King Jr.’s election challenge highlights the broader issues plaguing our national electoral system — issues that True the Vote is dedicated to addressing,” said Catherine Englebrecht, the Texas-based organization’s CEO. “Ambrose’s victory demonstrates that vigilance can indeed restore justice.”

During the primary election in May, King appeared to lose to Burks, 156-154.

King said he learned that a cousin who lives in Casey’s Court Apartments wasn’t able to vote in his election. King said he thought that was wrong because he had campaigned in the apartment complex based on maps that showed it was within his school board district’s lines.

There are currently 139 registered voters in the apartment complex, though only six of them voted in the primary. McClain wrote in his order that the number of ballots cast was sufficient to place the result of the election in doubt.

The error appeared to have occurred during mapping of new districts divided by a road in Tift County, and voters in Casey’s Court Apartments were placed in a neighboring school board district.

“This is a big win for the candidates and the voters, both of whom deserve fair elections,” said Jake Evans, an attorney who represented King.

The Tift County election board acknowledged the mistake and didn’t object to the judge’s order, according to court documents.

Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #09.03.24.01, appointing Sarah Griffie as a Superior Court Judge for the Piedmont Judicial Circuit, serving Banks, Barrow, and Jackson Counties. From AccessWDUN:

Griffie, who previously served as the county’s Chief Assistant District Attorney, fills the role vacated by former Judge Wayne McLocklin, who retired this summer.

Barrow County Board of Commissioners congratulated Griffie in a release Monday.

“We as a commission would like to offer our congratulations to Judge Griffie, who underwent a rigorous application process,”  Pat Graham, Barrow County Commission Chairman, said. “We are confident she will work tirelessly for the citizens of Barrow County in her new role.”

Griffie has served in Barrow County since 2007.

Gov. Kemp issued Executive Order #09.03.24.02, appointing Robert S. Lane as District Attorney for the Paulding Judicial Circuit. From an August Press Release from the Governor’s Office:

Robert S. Lane currently serves as a Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Paulding Judicial Circuit. Before his service with the District Attorney’s Office, Lane was the Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel for the Georgia State Ethics Commission. Lane began his legal career in Paulding County, where he served as the staff attorney for Paulding Superior Court Judges Kenneth G. Vinson and James R. Osborne. He also spent three years as an associate attorney with the firm of Henrickson & Sereebutra in Dallas, Georgia. Lane has successfully argued numerous cases before the Georgia Supreme Court and Georgia Court of Appeals. He has also served as a Special Master for the Paulding County Superior Court. A native of Georgia, Lane graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia and earned his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law. He and his wife, Erin, and their daughter reside in Dallas, Georgia and are active members of St. James Episcopal Church.

Gov. Kemp issued Executive Order #09.03.23.03, appointing a three-member Commission to review the indictment of Rabun County Sheriff Chad Nichols and recommend action. From an earlier story by Fox5Atlanta:

The suspension of Rabun County’s sheriff has been extended for 30 days, according to a press release.

Sheriff Chad Nichols was arrested in late May as part of an investigation into accusations of sexual battery.

Sheriff Nichols was charged with public indecency, sexual battery, and violation of oath by a public officer.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said it was asked by the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney George Christian to investigate “an incident” involving the sheriff on May 24.

A source told FOX 5 Atlanta at the time that a woman told investigators that the sheriff tried to get her alone in a building when they were staging a campaign rally the day before the primary election on May 21. She also told investigators that she later witnessed Nichols naked, performing a sexual act.

After the sheriff turned himself in, Major Beth Darnell stepped up to assume the sheriff’s role while the matter was being investigated.

The sheriff was initially suspended on June 14 for 60 days. On Aug. 12, that suspension was extended by 30 days.

United States District Court Judge Thomas Thrash (ND-GA) ordered the Trump campaign to stop using a song by Isaac Hayes, according to the Associated Press via WTVM.

The estate of Isaac Hayes Jr. filed a lawsuit last month alleging that Trump, his campaign and several of his allies had infringed its copyright and should pay damages.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash held a hearing Tuesday on the estate’s request for an emergency preliminary injunction.

He ruled that Trump must stop using the song, but he denied a request to force the campaign to take down any existing videos that include the song.

Hayes, who died in 2008 at age 65, and David Porter co-wrote “Hold On, I’m Coming,” a 1966 hit for soul duo Sam and Dave.

Ronald Coleman, an attorney for Trump told reporters after the hearing that the campaign had already agreed not to use the song going forward: “The campaign has no interest in annoying or hurting anyone, and if the Hayes family feels that it hurts or annoys them, that’s fine, we’re not going to force the issue.”

Coleman said they were grateful that the judge agreed that it would be overstepping his power at this point in the litigation to order the campaign to take down existing videos.

The Democratic Party of Georgia is suing the Secretary of State over the decision to place some third party presidential candidates on the November ballot, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Augusta Chronicle.

The Democratic Party of Georgia is appealing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s decision last week to include independent Cornel West and socialist Claudia De la Cruz on Georgia’s presidential ballot.

In putting West and De la Cruz on the Nov. 5 ballot, Raffensperger overruled an initial decision by an administrative law judge to keep the two off the ballot because of improper nominating petitions.

“It is contrary to a federal court order permanently enjoining the secretary from requiring more than a total of 7,500 signatures on a nominating petition for a candidate to obtain ballot access for the office of president of the United States,” Raffensperger wrote Aug. 29 in his decision.

The secretary’s ruling put six candidates on the presidential ballot: Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, former Republican President Donald Trump, Libertarian Chase Oliver, the Green Party’s Jill Stein, West, and De la Cruz.

With West and De la Cruz running to the left of Harris, Democrats are concerned they could siphon votes away from Harris in Georgia, a battleground state where polls show Trump and Harris in a virtual tie.

“A judge affirmed that none of these candidates were qualified to be on the Georgia ballot,” said Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye, executive director of the Democratic Party of Georgia. “The secretary of state ignored the judge’s ruling that found each party failed to play by the rules. State election law is clear.”

Georgia Governor Democrat Stacey Abrams has started a new group to turnout voters in the November 5, 2024 General Election, according to the AJC.

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has quietly launched a new political organization to defeat former President Donald Trump and amplify other Democrats on the ticket this November.

While Abrams remains a popular and recognizable figure in Democratic politics, she has kept a low profile since losing to Gov. Brian Kemp for a second time in 2022. But people who donated to Abrams in the past or signed up for her emails have been hearing from her almost daily of late regarding her latest endeavor, Speak Up PAC.

Organizing paperwork for the PAC was filed with the Federal Elections Commission on Aug. 1, just days after President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential contest and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris became the Democratic nominee on Aug. 6.

The PAC’s website provides few details about the organization and its mission beyond its ties to Abrams, a former state House minority leader. Joshua Karp, a spokesman for the PAC, said that it creates new opportunities for Abrams during this election season.

“It’s a crucial election year, and Leader Abrams hasn’t had a federal PAC before, so she has opened one to support Democrats and progressive causes across the country,” Karp said.

He said Abrams will also continue to work with Fair Fight, a voter rights group she formed after her loss in the 2018 race for governor, as well as “other causes.”

United for Georgia Women PAC, started by State Rep. Shea Roberts (D-Atlanta) is working to support Democrats running for State House, according to the AJC.

State Rep. Shea Roberts said her recently created United for Georgia Women PAC that launched this summer has already raised nearly $500,000 to boost House Democrats in swing legislative districts.

The goal, the Atlanta Democrat said, is to “invest in our most winnable legislative races and protect our most vulnerable incumbents” in the state’s premier battlegrounds. That’s mostly suburban territories in metro Atlanta where Democrats have a chance to chip away at the GOP edge.

Roberts said her organization has started spending in a handful of undisclosed legislative races. Though it has the backing of legislative leaders from both chambers, Roberts said her group will primarily focus on House contests.

“If Georgia women want to take their power back, we have to break the Republican trifecta,” she said. “That’s exactly what United for Georgia Women is working to do.”

There’s a bit more to it. Roberts resigned as the Democratic caucus treasurer earlier this year, writing in a letter that she’s been distracted from her goal of helping legislative candidates by “leadership issues that remain unresolved despite my best efforts.”

It was a reference to sexual harassment allegations against House Minority Leader James Beverly, who has said he has done nothing wrong. The House Democratic caucus’ staff is now in rebuilding mode, and donors have flocked to Roberts’ group.

The cash infusion comes as GOP officials fret their 102-78 edge in the House is about to get tighter.

State Rep. Gerald Greene (R-Cuthbert) chaired the first 2024 meeting of the House Rural Development Council, according to the Albany Herald.

State Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, recently held the first 2024 meeting of the House Rural Development Council at the Oak Hill and Martha Berry Museum, located at Berry College in Rome. Greene, who serves as co-chair of the House Rural Development Council alongside state Rep. Mack Jackson, D-Sandersville, was appointed to this position by House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, in 2023.

“The House Rural Development Council plays a crucial role in supporting Georgia’s rural communities, and it was an honor to kick off this year’s meetings in Rome, alongside my co-chair Rep. Mack Jackson,” Greene said in a news release. “Rural areas in Georgia often face unique challenges, ranging from health care and education access to infrastructure and economic development. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to prioritize these communities, ensuring they receive the attention and resources needed for their continued growth and prosperity.”

“Over the next several months, I look forward to engaging directly with local leaders, stakeholders and experts to identify the key issues facing rural Georgians and collaborate with my legislative colleagues to develop strategies that will bring about meaningful change.”

The meeting included testimony from various agency heads, state and local leaders, and stakeholders, all centered on addressing the pressing issues facing rural Georgia. The council received updates on initiatives aimed at advancing rural prosperity, including efforts to revitalize key industries and address challenges, such as dwindling opportunities, population shifts and the financial imbalance between revenue and costs in rural areas.

Commissioner Christopher Nunn of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs highlighted the need for improved rural work force housing and infrastructure. He spoke about the Georgia Dream Homeownership Program, which provides down payment assistance and loan options for rural residents. Additionally, he emphasized the significance of preserving rural work force housing through tax credits and reviewed the $35 million pilot program from the Fiscal Year 2023 budget dedicated to these initiatives.

The council also explored the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on energy programs, the distribution of state funds for rural transportation and the challenges rural communities face in accessing quality education. Emphasis was placed on the need for collaborative efforts across counties to streamline resources and leadership. Lastly, discussions focused on strategies for work force and economic development, particularly concerning the revitalization of rural infrastructure and downtown areas.

United States Senators Raphael Warnock (D-Atlanta) and Jon Ossoff (D-Atlanta) announced federal funding for veterans facing homelessness, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

The more than $31 million in federal funding is through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families program and is going to nonprofit organizations across the state and nearby that help veterans find housing and prevent homelessness.

The program helps provide case management and supportive services to prevent the imminent loss of a veteran’s home; identify a new, more suitable housing situation for the individual and his/her family; or help re-house veterans and their families who are homeless and might remain homeless without this assistance.

“Our national honor requires that we lift up and support all who have sacrificed in America’s defense. That’s why Sen. Warnock and I continue working to end veteran homelessness in Georgia and nationwide,” said Ossoff.

“Our service members and veterans are the best among us, and as a champion for all Georgians in the U.S. Senate I will continue working to ensure they receive the help they are owed for their service to our nation,” said Warnock.

Legislation by Senator Ossoff would increase the number of federal judges in the Northern District of Georgia, according to AccessWDUN.

The Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act passed the U.S. Senate in August and will now go to the House where it was received Aug. 6.

The purpose of the bill is to “add new judgeships in Georgia and across the country, which would help reduce case backlogs, prosecute dangerous criminals, and secure justice for innocent Georgians.”

The Northern District of Georgia which includes Atlanta, Gainesville, Newnan, and Rome will see two new judgeships added in 2027 and 2033.

A press release from Osoff’s team said that in December of 2023, the Northern District of Georgia had 637 filings per judgeship, up from 538 the previous year.

“The shortage of Federal judges serving Georgians can mean justice delayed or justice denied,” Sen. Ossoff said. “That’s why we’ve now passed this bipartisan bill through the Senate to add two more Federal judge positions in the Northern District of Georgia.”

Senator Warnock spoke in London, according to WSAV.

Senator Warnock preached at the St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on the 60th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit.

It was in 1964 when Dr. King continued breaking barriers, becoming both the first black man and first Baptist minister to preach a sermon at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Senator Warnock said 150 Ebenezer Baptist Church members joined him on the trip.

The Bibb County Board of Education held two meetings to hear public input on a proposed property tax hike, according to 13WMAZ.

The proposed tax millage rate will remain the same at 14.674 mills, but since property values increased, homeowners in Bibb County will pay more property tax on average. Many people can expect to pay more about $30 for each $100,000 dollars of value.

“It positions us to do a couple of things, one to be more competitive, but also to protect the district,” Superintendent Dan Sims said. “Because if we fall below a certain millage rate, which is 14 mills, we put other funding in jeopardy and we can’t afford to do that for the sake of our community and especially our students.”

The district’s decision to maintain the millage rate instead of rolling it back means property taxes for people in Macon will go up on average 5.67%.

District Chief Financial Officer Eric Bush said the district has a history of decreasing the millage rate. The district said this is the first time in eight years they haven’t decided to roll back the rate to cancel out property value increases.

Superintendent Dan Sims said they want to use the extra money they collect to raise teacher pay to try to attract and keep good teachers.

Houston County Commissioners rejected a proposed solar installation, according to 13WMAZ.

Houston County commissioners unanimously struck down Silicon Ranch’s plans for a 4,700 acre solar development on a private site near Oaky Woods wildlife management area.

The decision comes a little over a week after the county’s zoning and appeals board voiced opposition to the solar plant. Several people were concerned about how the project would affect wildlife in the area.

Commissioner Gail Robinson made the motion to disapprove project plans and the vote that followed was unanimous. She tells 13WMAZ after reviewing evidence, the board felt the project challenged the county’s comprehensive land use development plan.

That plan specifically states any use should not violate neighborhood character nor adversely affect surrounding land uses. Robinson added that lawsuits against Silicon Ranch in other counties also influenced their verdict.

From the Macon Telegraph:

Nashville-based Silicon Ranch offered a nearly $300 million investment with a proposed 4,700-acre solar farm in Kathleen, but that didn’t sway Houston County commissioners.

Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday against a special use permit for the solar farm in line with public outcry from naturalists and the community.

The property is next to the 13,300-acre Oaky Woods Wildlife Management Area, which is home to a small population of about 300 black bears. The bears roam a larger territory of over 50,000 acres, including where female bears are known to den on the proposed solar farm property.

While Silicon Ranch had made efforts to show that the solar farm and bear population could co-exist, they still had “a ways to go” to satisfy concerns about the impact on the bears, other native fauna and flora and on rivers and creeks, Commissioner Gail Robinson noted.

She also expressed concerns about a legal dispute elsewhere involving Silicon Ranch and property damage caused by soil erosion.

County Attorney Tom Hall said Silicon Ranch would have to wait one year before it could resubmit plans for a solar panel farm on the site.

Columbia County Commissioners voted to proclaim the county is not a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants, according to WJBF.

During the meeting, County Chairman Doug Duncan read the proclamation to reiterate that Columbia County is not a sanctuary county. County Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the proclamation.

The aim of the proclamation is to reassure the residents of Columbia County that the Commission and Sheriff’s Office comply with local, state, and federal guidelines regarding undocumented immigrants who have found a home in Columbia County.

The Center for Immigration Studies, an independent, non-partisan research organization, released an interactive map that has Columbia County listed as a sanctuary county.

WJBF spoke with Columbia County Sheriff Clay Whittle after the meeting, who was confident that, “Anybody that lives in Columbia County would know, we have never been a sanctuary county. We are currently not a sanctuary county, and I can tell you as long as I’m the sheriff and these commissioners are the commissioners, it will not be a sanctuary county.”

County Chairman Doug Duncan and Sheriff Whittle both echoed sentiments that the safety of the residents of Columbia County is at their top of their priorities list.

The Floyd County Board of Elections is preparing for the November 5, 2024 General Election, according to the Rome News Tribune.

At this point, the local office is awaiting potential rule changes from the state election board. Elections supervisors around the state have said the changes could disrupt preparations for the general election in November and lead to problems with voting and ballot counting.

Among the issues from the state board [of elections], Beck said she’s concerned potential changes will only make things harder to recruit poll workers.

“Most of our poll workers start early in the morning on election day,” [Floyd County Elections Supervisor Akyn] Beck said. “And now we’re asking them to hand-count ballots when the polls close after 7 p.m. That’s a long day for anyone.”

For example, the local elections board is starting to hear that election conspiracy theorists are pushing people to request an absentee ballot and turn their paper absentee ballot in on election day in person.

“It doesn’t really make any sense, because these same election groups were against absentee ballots entirely in the last few elections,” Beck said. “And now they are telling people to request them and turn them in on election day. Sometimes I just shake my head.”

The Murray County Board of Education meets Thursday night, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

The Murray County Board of Education meets Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Murray County Schools central office board room at 1006 Green Road. The meeting is open to the public. There will be time for public participation.

Each board meeting is livestreamed on Murray County Schools’ YouTube page.

Laurens County Sheriff Larry Dean is running for a third term in the November 5, 2024 General Election, according to 13WMAZ.

He says he’s proud that since he took office he increased manpower on the streets. He’s also proud of a $7,000 pay raise he acquired for his starting deputies recently.

“”I created a crime suppression unit to work along with our drug unit here in Laurens County,” Dean said.

The unit works with the Atlanta Drug Force Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Dean said drugs are one of Laurens County’s biggest problems, especially fentanyl. Another big problem is mental health, which is why he’s increased training for officers by over a hundred hours.

He said when he took office, deputies were only required to complete about 20 to 25 training hours. Last year, he increased that number to 129 hours, and he is still looking to increase it more.

“Law enforcement officers are being critiqued so much harder nowadays, so the more training you can get at…you got your mental health issues. You got people with ADHD. You need- all these officers, an officer has just a matter of seconds to figure all this out. And you have to get these people in classrooms where they can understand this stuff because, like I said, mental health is a major issue in our county, and it’s in every county,” Dean said.

He’s added seven school resource officers to have one in every single school and had about 65 teachers trained in taking down an armed intruder.

On top of increasing training for deputies, he hopes to bump up their pay again to be more competitive with Dublin Police.

“We don’t wanna put a burden on the taxpayers of this county ’cause we just had a re-evaluation of our, of property in this county. But yes, I would like to see it go up, because we still are behind our sister agency in town,” Dean said.

Before taking office, Dean spent three years with the Department of Corrections, and 25 years with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. He worked as a game warden and conservation ranger.

Former Ludowici Police Department assistant Chief Robert Cox is suing the city, according to WTOC.

Robert Cox is accusing the city of willful misconduct after he says they fired him after he discovered the former police chief had been misusing government funds.

“This is a case of small-town politics where corruption trumped public service.”

A bold first line of the eight-page lawsuit filed last month by the city’s former Assistant Police Chief.

Robert Cox is suing the city for punitive damages after he was fired during an emergency city council meeting.

He claims this happened after he went to his superiors with evidence that Robert Parker, the former Police Chief, was misusing city money.

He maintains he uncovered equipment was missing. He also suspected that the former Police Chief Robert Parker used taxpayer money to improve his personal car.

Cox requested an investigation into Parker on the grounds of the several traffic violations, misappropriation of government funds, and theft by taking. After Cox began to investigate, he claims he uncovered that not only was Parker adding upgrades to his personal car, but uncovered a conversation with the current City Manager Tina Skipper, who said she would “take care of” the telling invoices.

Cox ultimately chose not to resign which forced a firing. He is now suing for all lost wages and attorney’s fees.