Political Notes

Poitevint Redux: Alec L. Poitevint II of Bainbridge, a key GOP player on the national and state levels, has been reappointed to the Georgia Ports Authority Board of Directors by Gov. Nathan Deal. Poitevint will be running the 2012 Republican…

Top Cop Honor: Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan is the 2011 recipient of the Weltner Freedom of Information Award given by the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. The award, named for the late Charles L. Weltner, a former Georgia…

Retooling HOPE: Not everybody was happy about the changes to Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship, but a bipartisan effort resulted in some adjustments proponents believe the state and its college-bound students can live with for the sake of preserving the program. In…

Ox In A Ditch: Former Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, who used his last day in office to grant himself some insurance licenses without taking the exams that mere mortals are required to pass in order to acquire such licenses, may…

Oops: Looks like the state gives, and the state takes away. Georgia’s new revenue commissioner Doug McGinnitie had an embarrassing little brush fire to extinguish during his first weeks in office. His department wired state tax refunds to some 30,000…

Have A Seat: Results of the 2010 Census (some 307 million Americans as of last April’s official count) will give Georgia a 14th seat in Congress. Geor-gia is one of eight states to gain congressional representation in the U.S. House…

Justices For All: Supreme Court Justice David Nahmias defeated challenger Tammy Lynn Adkins in the post-Thanksgiving runoff and will retain his seat on Georgia’s high court. He had endorsements from an impressive bipartisan group of Georgia legal and political luminaries,…

Two Thumbs Up, Three Down: Only two of the five Constitutional amendments on last month’s ballot passed. Amendment No. 1, authorizing court enforcement of non-compete agreements, and No. 4, allowing the state to execute multi-year contracts to improve its aging…

Water Wars, Part 7,962: Just as Congress was adjourning for the fall election break, Georgia senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss introduced legislation aimed at a resolution to the long-long-long-running water dispute involving Georgia and its neighbors Alabama and Florida.…

The Race Is On: Georgia’s successful pursuit of some $400 million in federal “Race to the Top” education funds presented something of a dilemma for state officials and candidates. Nobody seriously suggested giving the money back, but many found themselves…