Gay marriage could be coming to a state next to yours as soon as Jan. 6. From Buzzfeed:
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The surprise retirement of state Rep. Mickey Channell, R-Greensboro, chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, has prompted at least two candidates to declare for his seat. A third may be on the way, according to our AJC colleague, Kristina Torres.
Ames Barnett, the 37-year-old mayor of Washington, is considering a run at House District 120 but has not yet made up his mind, according to those close to him. Qualifying for the seat starts Monday.
Barnett, who took office two years ago, was closely aligned with the state GOP effort in northeastern Georgia to reelect Gov. Nathan Deal. His family also has deep ties to his small town, having lived there for six generations.
Oglethorpe County businessman Jesse Johnson, who owns a local timber company, and lawyer Gary Gerrard have already announced they plan to run for the seat, occupancy of which will be decided in a Jan. 6 special election.
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Gov. Nathan Deal's inauguration
will feature what some are hoping will become a state tradition.
The state's Liberty Bell, a gift from the Truman administration, will be housed at the Liberty Plaza across from the statehouse and will be rung at Deal's swearing-in ceremony.
It looks an awful lot like the original, but for one feature: No crack.
"The Liberty Bell, much like Liberty Plaza, has historical significance to our state," Deal said. "It was intended for use at patriotic occasions, and we look forward to restoring that tradition. It is my hope that the Liberty Bell will become part of Georgia's inaugural ceremony for years to come."
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The Gwinnett Daily Post has captured a lively exchange over Common Core between Alvin Wilbanks, superintendent of the county school system, and a pair of Republican state lawmakers. A taste begins with Wilbanks' endorsement of the voluntary standards as a way to keep Georgia students competitive:
"Why should I support something that appears in very specific terms (to be) less than the current standard?" Rice asked.
"Rep. Rice, we have known each other a long time and there comes a time when you've got to make a decision who you believe," Wilbanks said….
Along with Rice, Rep. Buzz Brockway also shared information the legislators learned from a series of hearings on the subject including something from a math professor in California.
"Where are they from?" Wilbanks asked rhetorically.
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A Politico.com piece on how some House Republicans in Washington are brushing off groups that drove last year's federal government shutdown – including Club for Growth and Heritage Action – contains this observation from a member of the Georgia delegation:
"There are a lot of key votes that I think these outside groups get right, and I think that when you see that you see a larger number [of lawmakers supporting bills]. But it's just like with Heritage on that farm bill, you know -- they ran ads against [Rep.] Steve Southerland [R-Fla.] forever and now they've got a Democrat in that seat. So is that their goal, to get somebody beat?" said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.).
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A last-minute deal in Washington seems to have averted a Pentagon plan to retire the A-10 attack plane fleet, signaling a victory for Georgia lawmakers who opposed the cuts.
The Air Force Times reports that House and Senate negotiators reached a compromise to save the jets partly because they are needed in Iraq to target Islamic State militants.
The Pentagon's original plan would have saved $3.5 billion over five years to scuttle the A-10, also known as the Warthog, a 40-year-old plane designed to knock out enemy armor.
Gen. Mark Welsh, chief of staff for the Air Force, said in May that retiring the aircraft is a tough decision made because of the sequestration cuts imposed by Congress and rising personnel costs.
It met stiff resistance from lawmakers in states where Warthogs are housed, including Georgia, where a fleet is stationed at Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta. Rep. Austin Scott and Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson all went public with their opposition last month.
Bill Dobbs, who heads the economic development department's defense division, sent word that the move could echo across south Georgia.
"Georgia’s military bases and the many companies that service those bases are so very important to the state’s economy as well as our nation’s safety that I would like to see them in growth modes," he said.
Chuck Hunsaker, who once headed the Governor's Defense Initiative, sent a note in the spring saying ground troops would be much more vulnerable if the aircraft is axed.
"If my son was pinned down on a battlefield by bad guys, I'd want an Air Force pilot in an A-10 above him," he wrote.
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Newly-elected Sen. Michael Williams hasn't been sworn in yet. But he's getting an informal induction at an American Legislative Exchange Council meeting in Washington.
The Forsyth Republican tweeted about his visit to the conservative council's caucus yesterday, attracting attention from critics of the powerful group, which crafts model legislation for Republican causes.
Bryan Long, of the left-leaning Better Georgia group, said Williams "has made his priorities crystal clear" by going to the lobbying group's convention. We haven't immediately heard from the Senator-elect, but will update when we do.
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Leo Smith, the Georgia GOP's minority engagement director, was at Monday's post-Ferguson event with Attorney General Holder.
He penned a lengthy dispatch on what Democrats forgot to mention at the conference - namely the criminal justice overhaul that's led to a drop in incarceration rates for black inmates.
Here's part of his missive:
Eric Holder, like many in his Party, pretends that Democrats have exclusivity on ideas to make life better for our community when in reality they just have recycled rhetoric. If Democrats are serious about reforming our criminal justice system, they should look no further than Georgia. The Party affiliation of those in power should not matter. The political ramifications of applauding a Republican Governor should come second to providing the incarcerated with another chance to achieve the American Dream.
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