Last Friday, as word spread that U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was about to become the first announced GOP candidate in the 2016 race for president, Secretary of State Brian Kemp dashed off a quick email to Maria Strollo Zack, a Georgia friend who is now running a pro-Cruz Super PAC.
The email was an invitation for Cruz to address 1,000 delegates to the state GOP convention in mid-May. Kemp said he was extending the invitation in the name of the Georgia Republican Party:
"If Senator Cruz is able to attend, we will do our best to work around his schedule and provide a quality speaking opportunity during the convention and accommodate other political needs he has while in Georgia. I want to personally reach out and extend this invitation to the Peach State. If he is able to attend, I will personally help coordinate all the details to ensure a smooth and successful visit."
Kemp has sent similar invitations to former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina; U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Lindsey Graham; current Gov. John Kasich, Rick Perry and Scott Walker; Dr. Ben Carson; and former Govs. Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee.
We’re told that House Speaker David Ralston has been asked to invite New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and The Donald will be invited, too.
For the last several months, Kemp has been trying to stitch together an “SEC” presidential primary for next March 3. With a little luck, the May 15-16 gathering in Athens could become prequel to the main event.
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When the House passed H.B. 170, the transportation funding bill, a rebellion led by Majority Leader Larry O'Neal, R-Bonaire, was characterized as a polite disagreement among friends.
We now have a polite repercussion among friends.
When House conferees for the all-important 2016 budget negotiations were announced, O’Neal was not on the short list of three. House Ways and Means Chairman Jay Powell, R-Camilla, was named instead, to serve with Speaker pro tem Jan Jones and Appropriations Chairman Terry England.
Capitol veterans couldn’t remember the last time the ranking member of a party caucus wasn’t involved in final budget maneuvers.
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With a 2 p.m. House subcommittee hearing on S.B. 129, the religious liberty debate is getting sharp and personal. We told you late last night of a Georgia Voice article on state Sen. Josh McKoon, author of S.B. 129, and his legal relationship with an anti-gay pastor.
We're now hearing that one of those testifying against the bill this afternoon will be Merwin Peake, a senior advisor for True Bridge Resources, a talent recruitment firm here in Atlanta. Merwin Peake is the brother of state Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, a co-sponsor of H.B. 218, the House counterpart to McKoon's bill.
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On a related note, Rabbi Joshua Heller of Congregation B'Nai Torah may have started a trend.
The Sandy Springs religious leader made waves last week when he spoke out against the "religious liberty" measure. On Tuesday, three more Georgia Jewish leaders are planning to lobby against the legislation. They include Rabbi Michael Bernstein of Congregation Gesher L'Torah, Rabbi Loren Lapidus of The Temple, Mark Moskowitz of the Anti-Defamation League.
Heller, by the way, will be back as well. He's set to testify against the bill at an afternoon committee meeting.
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The fight over tax breaks just got a little more interesting.
The anti-tax Americans for Prosperity Georgia launched a campaign this week to end taxpayer subsidies for film production in Georgia. The film tax credit is one of the state's most popular incentives, and it's helped catapult Georgia into a top destination for movie-making and TV shows.
The group plans to mobilize its activists across the state to urge them to vote against House Bill 339, which would extend the tax credit through 2018.
"When government picks favorites and rewards them with tax subsidies, everyone loses," said Michael Harden, state director of Americans for Prosperity Georgia. "Lawmakers were not elected to pick the best movies, but to ensure that our roads are safe and our schools are funded; paying Hollywood salaries is a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars and it's time we got our priorities back in order as Georgia families deserve."
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Lori Geary at Channel 2 Action News snagged a Monday interview with Richard Smith, R-Columbus, chairman of the House Insurance Committee – who explained why a bill to require health insurance policies to cover treatment for autism in young children would not be moving this year. Smith instead recommends a statewide sales tax – wait, what? Here:
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It's not just the paper bag-plastic bag decision that's too complicated for mere counties and cities, according to some state lawmakers. Last week, the state Senate passed S.B. 184, which would bar local governments from making laws restricting ownership of certain breeds of dogs. From Michelle Wirth and WABE (90.1FM):
"You can find vicious dogs among just about every breed, and no one particular breed is exempt from having dogs that have good dispositions and very faithful companions," says Black, ''and it would be unjust to condemn these dogs just simply because of their genetics."
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Gov. Nathan Deal's supporters hope to have a final vote on his constitutional amendment to give the state new powers over struggling schools on Wednesday. But today may be the make-or-break day.
House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams said her caucus is gathering to debate whether to take a firm stance on the measure. Here's some background from the dead-tree version:
"We are at a juncture, and we've got to do something," said state Rep. Mike Glanton, one of two Democrats to vote for the plan in committee. "I would hope each individual in our caucus would weigh the opportunity. We need to do some radical things. Everyone won't be pleased, but what we have now isn't working."
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State Rep. Jason Spencer, R-Woodbine, suspects that his bill to extend the statute of limitations for child abuse is being held up in the Senate Judiciary Committee. He's written an op-ed of protest that names names and can be found in its entirety here. A healthy portion:
Put simply, protecting predators and those who knowingly employ them appears to be the sole driving interest of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and others in opposing this bill. I have faithfully tried to work with them and address their concerns, and HB 17 has gone through over 10 hours of hearings, where it ultimately passed the House of Representatives overwhelmingly by a vote of 169-2. The version of the bill that is now in the State Senate provides a path to justice for childhood sexual abuse victims, but the continued pressure from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to change the bill through the back channels of the political process should now be viewed as a clear attempt to sabotage the bill.
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Monday marked the fifth anniversary of Obamacare, and Sen. David Perdue was not impressed. See for yourself:
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