Political News for Thursday, March 16, 2012

Today’s adoptable dog is “Ruby” at the Walton County Animal Shelter. She is a 4-5 month old retriever mix puppy who weighs about 20#, and is dewormed and current on her vaccinations. Walton County’s adoption fee is $40 and I’ll pay $10 to anyone who adopts her and then lets me know or donate it to the charity of your choice. Maybe some of our commenters will chip in too.

More than 2000 Georgians are expected to visit our State Capitol today for Disability Day, coordinated by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities. Governor Nathan Deal will address the rally for the second year in a row. Also speaking will be Mark Perriello, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and former White House Liaison at the U.S. Department of the Interior, as well as the Rev. Dr. Gerald L. Durley, Pastor of the historic Providence Missionary Baptist Church of Atlanta and a recent inductee into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame for his contributions during the 1960s civil rights movement.

The Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 127 by Sen. Bill Hamrick (R-Carrollton) with a do pass recommendation. The bill, which will make its next appearance in the Senate Rules Committee, is part of a comprehensive rewrite that joins House Bill 641 by Rep. Wendell Willard (R- Get Off My Lawn), Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-Simpson) and Rep. Stacey Abrams (D-Atlanta). These bills are the result of a six-year process that included stakeholders at all levels. Among the stated goals of the legislation are to

•    Enhance public safety
•    Help abused and neglected children transition from foster  care to successful adulthood
•    Prohibit using juvenile jails and prisons for children who have not committed a crime
•    Promote accountability in juvenile court proceedings
•    Protect millions  in federal funding by ensuring compliance with federal laws on abused, neglected and other at-risk children

The Newt Gingrich campaign will be putting on a substantial show in the weeks leading up to our March 6th Presidential Primary. On Saturday, Herman Cain will join Gingrich for a Cobb County Rally at 3 PM, and at precinct meetings in Gwinnett and Forsyth counties. Friday night, Gingrich will be in Peachtree City for a rally at 7:30 PM. Callista Gingrich will attend a meet and greet following the GOP precinct meeting in House District 54 at Peachtree Pres. Gingrich is also looking at a return to Carrollton to visit West Georgia College the University of West Georgia. Augusta is feeling left out.

Rick Santorum has announced he is buying ad time in Georgia in the runup to Super Tuesday and will speak at a “Faith and Family” Rally at First Redeemer Church in Cumming at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The SuperPAC supporting Mitt Romney has bought ad time.

In news to no one, Georgia’s Republican Primary electorate is overwhelmingly white, conservative and evangelical. Twenty-seven percent identify with the Tea Party movement.

The AJC reports that Georgia State’s Rialto Center for the Arts is the likely venue for the March 1 Presidential debate.

The state Board of Education has released a report suggesting that charter school graduation rates are similar to those at traditional public schools. Currently, 162 charter schools serve more than 98,000 students.

Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-There’s No Such Place as Ashford) is holding a Town Hall Meeting at 7 PM tonight in the Talmage Room of Oglethorpe University’s Student Center. Among the topics will be renaming the City of Ashford Brookhaven. NOTE: IF YOU ARE NOT A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 80 AND HAVE NOT BEEN INVITED TO SPEAK, YOU WILL NOT BE HANDED THE MICROPHONE EVEN IF YOU ARE A STATE REPRESENTATIVE!

Georgia had the fourth-highest foreclosure rate in the nation last month, while tax revenue grew slightly in January.

Gwinnett County Commission Chair Charlotte Nash delivered the State of the County speech on Wednesday and the Gwinnett Daily Post has comprehensive coverage. At the time of this writing, an online poll showed interesting results with 40% of respondents optimistic that the new chairman is making a difference, and 20% cautiously optimistic that the county is making strides but economy isn’t cooperating. Forty percent were pessimistic, seeing a new chairman but the same old problems.

State Rep. B.J. Pak (R-Lilburn) has proposed a version of “Caylee’s Law” to require parents or guardians to report a child’s disappearance or death in a timely manner. Some Georgians have questioned the wisdom of criminalizing parental behavior that falls short of abuse or neglect, while Rep. Buzz Brockway (R-Scheming to Kill Jobs and Steal Your Right to Vote in Runoff Elections) has previously noted that sensational media cases don’t always lead to great lawmaking. I consider the latter to be a corollary to the law school dictum that “hard cases make bad law.”

The Senate Redistricting Committee has passed a new plan for the State House, tweaking districts in Hall and Carroll counties.

Carroll County is considering implementing the next step in the rise of SkyNet as the Board of Education will vote today on whether to equip school buses with external video cameras.

Hall County voters will pass on two questions related to Sunday sales of packaged alcohol and of liquor by the drink in the March 6th election. Voters in the City of Atlanta will be asked to extend a SPLOST for water and sewer system upgrades that is estimated to bring in more than $400 million. Two taxes on the ballot in Atlanta may make things trickier for TSPLOST advocates unless they change the date.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu visited Georgia yesterday to tour the construction at Plant Vogtle‘s reactor units 3 and 4.

“The choice for our country is clear: We can make these technologies today or import them tomorrow,” the Nobel laureate physicist told work­ers and guests after a tour of the construction site of units 3 and 4.

If you click through to the full story, the place where he’s standing is where I had my picture made a couple weeks ago. It’s pretty cool.

Camden County is considering acquiring a bankrupt mill site for potential development into a third ocean port. Located only three miles upstream of a 48-foot deep shipping channel, with no bridges and with large-scale utilities and served by the CSX railroad, it’s not as crazy as it sounds at first.

Clint Eastwood will be filming in Dawsonville next month and possibly Macon also.

Several members of the Peach Pundit staff are taking up a collection in hopes of raising enough money to pay the Georgia Democratic Party to take Rep. Doug “Flip” McKillip back in trade. So far we have twenty-seven dollars, a baseball card signed by the San Diego Chicken, half a bucket of cold fried chicken and four beers that Charlie didn’t like the taste of. Make that three beers. If we can just find a working kidney that fits Daniel Fullerton, I think we can make that deal happen! Donate today!

 

One of four Porsche 928s used in the filming of Risky Business is being sold. JD Powers has named Porsche the “Best European Car Brand.” One of the greatest collections of Porsche race cars will be auctioned at this year’s Amelia Island Concours.

And finally, here’s your gratuitous internet meme for the day. And just a note: if you describe what you do as “Political Operative,” the word you’re looking for is “tool.”