December 20, 2022
Whither electoral reform and gambling?
Lowering taxes? Of course. Improving education? Absolutely. Reducing crime? For sure.
But missing from the lists of legislative priorities of Coastal Georgia lawmakers in the upcoming session of the Georgia General Assembly has been any mention of two hot-button issues that could drop on their desks: election reform and legalizing sports betting and casino gambling, The Current’s Craig Nelson writes.
At a recent legislative preview on Skidaway Island, Sen. Ben Watson (District 1) and Rep. Jesse Petrea (District 166) indicated they had no stomach for another legislative brawl over voting and the election system.
When two members of the audience angrily criticized the voting system, the two lawmakers, both Republicans, refused to respond with pledges to return to the legislative trenches for another fight about voting.
Legalizing gambling? The issue didn’t even come up.
But Georgia’s legislature is still likely to take up this pair of highly controversial issues when it convenes Jan. 9 for 40 days of marathon debate and horse-trading. Both Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and grassroots Republicans want changes in the state’s voting laws.
And Rep. Ron Stephens (District 164), who introduced legislation legalizing gambling in the last legislative session, said he’s set to do it again.
U.S. Capitol siege
The U.S. Justice Department is continuing to prosecute those allegedly involved in efforts to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory, The Current’s Margaret Coker writes.
Savannah political activist Dominic Box is facing four federal criminal charges of trespassing, violence and disorderly conduct at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
A U.S. federal judge released Box on a $25,000 bond after he was charged last week. His next court hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Washington. Box will participate in the hearing from Savannah.
Meanwhile, the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol is set to issue its final report tomorrow, after announcing yesterday that it will refer former President Donald Trump to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution.
The committee accused Trump of inciting insurrection in connection with efforts to thwart the election certification; conspiracy to defraud the United States; obstruction of an act of Congress; and conspiracy to make a false statement in connection with the so-called “fake electors” plot.
As of last evening, there was no comment on the referrals on Twitter accounts of Coastal Georgia Congressman Buddy Carter, and Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. A committee of Republican House members was reported to be preparing a rebuttal to the select committee’s report, focusing on police negligence as the source of the turmoil.
ICYMI
Holding forth: According to year-end stats compiled by C-SPAN, Coastal Georgia’s U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter spoke on the House floor on 134 days, ranking him behind only Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (141 days) and Rep. Glenn Thompson (127 days).
Campaign debt: After raising more than $100 million in her second bid to be Georgia governor, the Stacy Abrams campaign owes more than $1 million in debt to vendors, two-time campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo told Axios.
Farewell . . . Dr. Anthony Fauci steps down from a five-decade career in public service at the end of this month, one shaped by the HIV pandemic early on and the COVID-19 pandemic at the end, the Associated Press reports. . . . and good riddance, tweets Rep. Buddy Carter: “Dr. Fauci lied under oath to Congress, kept children out of school, endorsed forced vaccinations, spread COVID-19 falsehoods, and supported dangerous gain-of-function research.”
Slowdown: Like much of the nation, Coastal Georgia’s economy during the first half of 2022, the Georgia Southern Coastal Georgia Economic Monitor reports. The uncertainty generated by “more challenging national macro-economic environment” in the year ahead will be cushioned by growth of Savannah’s port, as well as warehouse construction, the Monitor says.
We never doubted it, Claxton: “Georgia Town Makes Claim for Fruitcake Capital of the World,” NPR reports.
Soundings will not be published next week. We’ll resume publication on Jan. 3, 2023.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
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