Ups, Downs and In-betweens
Forts renamed (again), Lt Governor race, Atlanta funding, election board information, and Georgia Power and Public Service Commission
Forts Renamed, Again: Fort Eisenhower in Augusta is now Fort Gordon again. It’s one of nine military bases once named for Confederate leaders whose names were changed in 2023 under former President Joe Biden. Now President Donald Trump is restoring the original names – this time honoring Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon, who shares the same last name as the Confederate general the base was originally named for. Earlier in March, Fort Moore reverted to its original name, Fort Benning. The Columbus-area base is now named for Cpl. Fred G. Benning rather than a similarly named Confederate general.
Vying for the Second Spot: A trio of state senators have announced they are running for lieutenant governor in 2026. President Pro Tempore John Kennedy (R-Macon) is the top-ranking Republican in the Senate and was a primary sponsor of Gov. Brian Kemp’s civil litigation reform bills (aka tort reform). Majority Leader Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) is the second-highest ranking Republican and a strong MAGA supporter.
The only Democrat who has declared so far is Josh McLaurin (D-Sandy Springs). Other senators are considering entering the race. Blake Tillery (R-Valdosta), who chairs the Appropriations Committee, has filed paperwork for a run. Incumbent Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is widely expected to run for governor.
Funding Threatened: Big infrastructure projects, including the Stitch in Downtown Atlanta, were awarded federal grants under the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which passed in 2021. But now The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that money – more than $330 million – may be clawed back under the Trump Administration’s funding bill (the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill”).
The Stitch alone could lose $157 million. Downtown leaders say if the funding is rescinded it will severely delay the project to cap Interstates 75/85 with green space and walking trails but not kill it. They urged downtown businesses and organizations to sign a letter to the state’s congressional delegation, asking for the funding to be preserved.
Other projects whose funding could be at risk include the plan to connect the Flint River Trail to the Beltline and a segment of the Northeast Trail that would link the Beltline to the Lindbergh MARTA station.
Election Board Rebuffed: Georgia’s Supreme Court ruled that the state elections board did not have the authority to pass four of seven controversial rules just before the 2024 election because the rules were not authorized by the legislature. The invalidated rules included requiring hand-counting of ballots after the polls close; that a family member or caregiver who delivers an absentee ballot for another person must show a photo ID; that county election boards have broad access to election documents; and that county election board members could conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying results.
The court found that a rule requiring video surveillance of drop boxes was allowed. It sent two other rules – one increasing mandatory poll-watching areas and one that mandated election workers post publicly available totals of early and absentee voters each day – back to a lower court for consideration.
Holding Steady: With long-delayed elections looming for two seats on the Public Service Commission, Georgia Power reached an agreement with PSC staff to hold power rates steady through 2028. The agreement comes with a big caveat: Customers’ bills may still go up due to the costs of repairing damage from Hurricane Helene and the fluctuating prices of buying natural gas and coal. Georgia Power is expected to file a separate plan for hurricane recovery costs.
The agreement means two incumbent PSC commissioners – Fitz Johnson and Tim Echols, both Republicans – will avoid a vote on rate increases before the election. The PSC has approved six rate hikes since 2022. The last elections for seats on the commission – currently all held by Republicans – were in 2020.
