Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Good morning! We start today with two politically noteworthy pieces of legislation in the Georgia General Assembly. We then look at some surprising — and possibly telling — numbers from Georgia’s presidential primary and attempts by a highly placed son of Savannah to rid his hometown of a troubling symbol. Questions, comments, or story ideas? You can reach me at craig.thecurrent@gmail.com.
Catching our eye
Two developments in the state legislature caught our eye in the past week, both with political repercussions in November here in Coastal Georgia.
Despite the prominence Gov. Brian Kemp gave the issue his State of the State address in January, a measure that would provide $6,500 education savings accounts to students attending public schools that rank in Georgia’s bottom 25% for academic achievement looked sure to die a slow death in the legislature.
Until, that is, Kemp earlier signaled his hope that “we’ll get that done this year,” heeding what some say is the one gaping hole in his sterling conservative resume that he needs to fill before he runs for higher office.
So, with a push from Speaker of the House Jon Burns (R-Newington) SB 233 passed the House 91-82, combined with a number of other education initiatives to make it more palatable to Democrats and rural Republicans.
South Georgia Republicans James Burchett (Waycross), Joe Campbell (Camilla), Chas Cannon, John Corbett (Lake Park), Buddy DeLoach (Townsend), Lehman Franklin (Statesboro), Bill Hitchens (Rincon), Penny Houston (Nashville), John LaHood (Waycross), Jesse Petrea (Savannah), Clay Pirkle (Ashburn), and Ron Stephens (Savannah) voting in favor of the measure.
Voting against the bill was Coastal Georgia Republican Rick Townsend (Brunswick), along with area Democrats Carl Gilliard (Savannah) Edna Jackson (Savannah), Anne Allen Westbrook (Savannah), and Al Williams (Midway). It now goes to the state Senate for final consideration.
State Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah), chair of the Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee, was behind another notable legislative development for Coastal Georgians.
Watson, who is facing a primary challenge in May from right-wing activist Beth Majeroni, took a bill that would require overdose reversal drugs in government buildings and added to it a ban on puberty-blocking medication for transgender minors.
Majeroni has been part of a nationwide effort by conservatives to restrict transgender athletes, gender-affirming care and drag shows.
Haley surprises in Coastal Georgia
It was no surprise that Joe Biden and Donald Trump handily won their party primaries in Georgia last week, their challengers having all dropped out of the race.
Still, what was notable was how well Nikki Haley fared in Coastal Georgia.
The former South Carolina governor, who ceded the GOP presidential nomination to Trump six days before the March 12 primary, won 10.51% of the vote in Camden County, 15.70% in Bryan; 16.09% in Glynn; and a hefty 20.83% in Chatham — an average of 15.78%, exceeding her statewide total of 13.24% to Trump’s 84.47%.
It isn’t yet clear how many Democrats crossed over to vote for Haley. Still, her numbers are significant. They suggest that while pro-Trump Republicans have taken over many county GOP committees in the region, there are a substantial number of rank-and-file Republicans in Coastal Georgia who may not vote for Trump in November, with some perhaps even voting for Biden.
No timeline for I-16 flyover removal: Warnock
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock told reporters from Savannah last week how happy he was to help obtain a $1.8 million federal grant to examine how to remove the Interstate 16 flyover in downtown Savannah.
Born and raised in Savannah, Warnock grew up in Kayton Homes public housing and caught his high school bus in the flyover’s shadow. Only later, he recalled, did he come to understand how the flyover, built in the 1960s in the name of urban renewal, had divided historically Black neighborhoods on Savannah’s west side and fueled further decline and impoverishment instead of prosperity.
Now, he said, he was positioned to help bring some relief. “I’m proud as a kid who grew up in that community to literally be providing through my work in the Senate these federal funds that will remove the flyover.”
The $1.8 million federal money will help fund a planning study, although how it will advance the findings of at least four other studies carried out between 1998 to 2009 by the Savannah Downtown Redevelopment Authority wasn’t clear.
Nor did Warnock provide any timeline over the completion of the long-discussed project.
“We’ve got a ways to go. Bureaucracy can be slow,” he said. “But I am hopeful that we can get over the finish line, and we’ll begin to see progress on this project in the not-too-distant future.”
Seeking transparency
From our colleagues at the Georgia First Amendment Foundation (GFAF) who are monitoring progress on bills in the state legislature that could curb public disclosure of financial and policy information:
Georgia law currently allows local and state government contracts worth less than $100,000 to be made without public discussion or competition. House Bill 1044, however, would increase the threshold for no-bid contracts to $250,000. Gov. Kemp has indicated support for the change, which passed the House with a commanding majority and are expected to be taken up for a Senate vote this week. GFAF calls this “one of the most significant changes to public contracting in Georgia in decades” and a threat to public access for data about how our taxpayer funds are spent.
Meanwhile, another bill that would have required the government to do (and disclose) more has died on the vine. HB 112 was designed to require law enforcement agencies to use a uniform form for complaints alleging police misconduct. It also would have required those agencies to track complaints and release annual reports summarizing complaints and disciplinary action against police. But it never received a committee vote.
ICYMI
- “Savannah public schools attendance report: Are there consequences for not showing up?” (Savannah Morning News, March 12, 2024) “SCCPSS students’ average daily attendance rate for the first half of the 2023-24 academic year was about 75%, according to recent reporting provided by the district’s Data and Accountability Division.”
- “Proposed protections for North Atlantic right whales advance” (GPB, March 14, 2024) “Earlier this month, a proposal to expand speed limits for boats – one of the leading causes of death for the endangered whales – took a key step forward: it’s now under review by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the last stage of federal review.”
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Georgia Senate OKs bill to loosen limits on health care facilities, but talks ongoing
By Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder
The proposal would instead create a commission focused on comprehensive health care coverage that would meet after lawmakers go home for the year.
Tax credit for gun safety devices nears vote by full Georgia Senate
By Amira Daniel/Georgia Recorder
Bipartisan support holds different reasons: belief that more people may be inclined to own a gun, while others look for gun safety for children and teens.
Special prosecutor resigns, allowing DA Willis to continue leading election interference case
By Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder and Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder
Judge concludes changes were needed to address a “significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team.” McAfee also found that the codefendants who were pushing for Willis’ disqualification had failed to prove a conflict of interest.
Liberty County Presidential Preference Primary results
By Robin Kemp
All election results are unofficial and incomplete until they are certified by the Secretary of State.
Fulton County judge orders changes to prosecution team in 2020 election interference case
By Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder
McAfee says special prosecutor can step aside or whole team may withdraw.
School voucher bill emerges from Georgia House with more momentum than in past years
By Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
The main part of the bill would allow parents of children in the bottom quartile of public schools to accept $6,500 to pull them out and send them to private school or teach them at home.
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