Ups, Downs and In-betweens
Okefenokee Swamp | Photo credit: Don Weir
Okefenokee Fight: Although the Georgia Senate did not take action this last session on a House-passed bill that would have paused permits for new mines at the Okefenokee Swamp, House Speaker Jon Burns said, in an appearance on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, that the struggle to protect the swamp is ongoing. “We are very conscious of the environmental consequences of anything that man could do to impact the swamp,” he said.
Alabama-based Twin Pines Minerals wants to develop a 528-acre mine on the eastern side of the swamp to extract titanium-rich minerals. The proposed legislation would not have stopped the Georgia Environmental Protection Division from issuing permits to Twin Pines, but it would have prevented the agency from considering new permits until 2027, according to the AJC. Proponents saw the bill as a way to provide for long-term solutions, while some opponents, including many environmental groups, saw it as a weak measure that would have left the Okefenokee in danger.
Burns indicated there will be action taken during the 2025 legislative session.
New BOR Members: Gov. Brian Kemp has named three new members to the state Board of Regents, which oversees the University System of Georgia’s 26 public colleges and universities. They are David B. Dove, Dan Murphy and Dr. Deep J. Shah.
Dove, former executive counsel for Kemp, is a partner at Troutman Pepper; he will serve as the representative of the 11th Congressional District on the BOR. Murphy is president and CEO of Bridgestone Golf and will represent the 13th Congressional District. Shah, a primary care physician and COO at Gwinnett Clinic, will serve as an at-large representative.
Sarah-Elizabeth Langford and Jose R. Perez, former BOR members, were appointed to the state’s Board of Economic Development.
Jones Investigation: State prosecutor Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council (PAC) of Georgia, is set to lead the investigation into Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and his alleged role in attempting to assist former President Donald Trump in overturning results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
Nearly two years ago, Skandalakis was given the task of finding someone to take over the investigation into Jones when a judge recused the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office because DA Fani Willis had hosted a political fundraiser for Jones’ opponent in the lieutenant governor’s race. The case, by law, then went to the PAC. Skandalakis, who has been criticized for his delay in appointing an investigation leader, will determine whether Jones is charged with criminal conduct.
Jones, at the time a state senator, was one of 16 Republican officials who falsely cast Electoral College votes for Trump in December 2020 after President Joe Biden was declared the winner in Georgia.
Tax Cuts: Bills signed into law by Gov. Kemp will cut taxes for individuals and businesses this year. HB 1015 is “accelerating the largest state income tax cut in Georgia history,” according to the governor’s office, which says the rate for Tax Year 2024 will be 5.39% rather than the 5.49% set by earlier legislation. HB 1023 lowers the corporate tax rate from 5.75% to 5.39%.
Georgia Elections Ranking: An MIT study ranked Georgia No. 11 in the nation in terms of election administration for 2022, up from No. 21 for 2020. The Elections Performance Index uses data and survey responses to measure election administration performance and policy.
The study found that Georgia had the 13th-highest turnout in 2022, with 52.59% of eligible voters casting ballots. The nationwide average was 47.54%. The voter registration rate, 85.58%, ranked 19th in the nation, better than the national average of 84.42%.
Verification Requirements: A federal judge ruled that Georgia’s citizenship verification requirements for naturalized citizens do not violate their voting rights in instances where they have to show papers or get a new state ID before they are allowed to vote. U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross ruled after three days of testimony, saying plaintiffs failed to show new citizens’ rights were violated.
The lawsuit, brought by a coalition of organizations including Common Cause Georgia, claimed the verification process violated the constitutional rights of Georgia voters and portions of the Voting Rights Act and the National Voter Registration Act.
Irwin W. Stolz, Jr.
Irwin W Stolz | Contributed
In Memoriam: Former Georgia Appeals Court Judge Irwin W. Stolz, Jr. died this spring at his home in Charlotte, N.C. He was 94. He was appointed to the court by former President Jimmy Carter when Carter was governor. Stolz also served as president of the State Bar of Georgia.
