NEWS Archive
Casey Cagle Withdraws from Governor's Race! Friday, April 17, 2009Brock Clay Weekly UpdateCagle Withdraws From Governor's RaceThis week, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle shocked politicos all across Georgia with his Wednesday announcement that he would be bowing out of the 2010 Governor’s race due to a degenerative spine condition that will require surgery and extensive recovery. Instead, Cagle announced that he will run for re-election as Lt. Governor. Senators David Shafer and Eric Johnson had already announced their intention to compete for the Lt. Governor's office, but have indicated they are now weighing their options given this decision by Cagle. Recent polling indicated that Cagle was the clear front runner, and his announcement came as a surprise to everyone across the political spectrum. In the wake of his announcement, speculation has been rampant about where the various “chips” would fall. The following names have been mentioned to fill the perceived “open” spot in the Republican primary: U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, Congressman Lynn Westmoreland, Congressman Jack Kingston, Georgia House Speaker Pro Tempore Mark Burkhalter, Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens, Senator Eric Johnson, and prominent Atlanta businessman Tom Bell. Past the speculation, Congressman Westmoreland (the former Georgia House Minority Leader), Cobb Chairman Sam Olens, and Speaker Pro Tempore Mark Bukhalter (R – Alpharetta), and Senator Eric Johnson are said to be giving it serious consideration. Legislative leaders from both parties brought two different perspectives to the results of the legislative session in editorials at Insider Advantage GeorgiaHouse Majority Whip Jan Jones (R – Atlanta): “While Georgians took care of the home front, citizen state legislators helped their neighbors through common sense initiatives. What didn’t happen tops the accomplishment list this session – higher taxes and fees. It’s a fitting honor to the oft-forgotten taxpayers – the ones who actually pay the bill for every single state service…Other states are raising taxes and fees during the most highly coordinated global economic slowdown since the 1930s. Not Georgia. We trimmed the state budget by $3 billion or $1200 per family of four. The alternative was higher taxes.”Senate Minority Caucus Chairman Tim Golden (D – Valdosta): “But as poorly as the legislative majority has performed since 2003, the 2009 session would have to be considered the worst in recent history. And that’s saying something…In metro Atlanta, drivers sit for hours in traffic, causing untold losses in productivity. …But the two houses were unable to work out a compromise plan, primarily because the governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker were preoccupied with pushing through separate legislation to give them tighter control over transportation revenues and road-building decisions. … Georgians don’t expect much of the Legislature when we go to Atlanta each year. They want us to put public policy over partisan politics…”(hat tip, Insider Advantage)Senator Dan Moody Announces RetirementThis week, Senate GOP Caucus Chairman Dan Moody announced that he would not seek reelection to Georgia’s 56th Senate District, which encompasses the city of Roswell and part of Fulton County. Senator Moody has served in the State Senate for seven years, as the former Chairman of the Senate Education and Youth Committee and currently as the Chairman of the Majority Caucus. Senator Moody has been seen as one of the pre-imminent voices on education within the legislature, particularly as an advocate for reforms and in his role overseeing the appropriations process. Georgia Department of Transportation Board Member Brandon Beach has declared his intentions to run for the seat, as well as Alpharetta City Councilman David Belle Isle. Also, Narender Reddy, a well known Republican activist and donor, is said to be considering running for the seat.2010 Attorney General's Race BeginsEarlier this spring, Attorney General Thurbert Baker caused waves in the statewide political campaign picture when he announced his intention to run for Governor. No sooner had he done so, however, than State Representative Rob Teilhet (D – Smyrna) announced his intention to seek the job. Currently, Teilhet is the only announced Democrat in the race. An attorney that has represented parts of Smyrna and Marietta since 2002, Teilhet has served on the Education, Judiciary, and Industrial Relations committees in the Georgia House. Teilhet currently serves as the Chief Deputy Minority Whip in the House, and is often seen as one of the young, bright rising stars in the Georgia Democratic Party. No Republican candidates have announced their intentions for the Attorney General's Office as of yet, but a multitude of names are being discussed by political insiders. Among them are State Representative David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), who challenged Speaker Glenn Richardson at the beginning of this year's legislative session, State Representative Ed Lindsey (R-Atlanta), State Senator Preston Smith (R-Rome), former Counsel to Governor Sonny Perdue and partner at Holland and Knight, LLP Robert Highsmith, and former Georgia GOP Counsel Randy Evans. State Senator Seth Harp (R-Midland) was considered a potential candidate, but has declared his intentions to run for Georgia Insurance Commissioner. Another name mention has been Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens, but indications are that Olens will opt to run for governor.Governor Perdue Approves Stimulus Funds for Road ProjectsThis week, Governor Sonny Perdue approved the initial list of transportation projects that will be funded by federal stimulus money. The project list includes many projects in “economically distressed” areas of the state. The 67 projects totaled just over $200 million, and included the only two projects submitted by the Georgia Department of Transportation that provide additional traffic capacity. Those two projects were part of the Transportation Improvement Program. This initial disbursement of federal money is approximately 25% of the funds available to address Georgia’s transportation woes through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.Georgia DOT Holds Monthly Board MeetingThe Board of the Georgia Department of Transportation held their monthly meeting on Thursday. The board heard a presentation on the ramifications of the controversial Senate Bill 200 that was passed by the General Assembly two weeks ago. An extensive discussion centered around exactly how the provisions of the bill would be implemented, particularly in how the budgeting process would work. Several Board members expressed a concern that the legislation could lead to overspending on road contracts, and the board approved a motion to send a letter to Governor Perdue asking him to veto the legislation. The motion was made by board member Johnny Floyd. A Perdue spokesman subsequently questioned the motives on the board, but expressed that the governor was open to hearing DOT’s arguments.Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission Holds Monthly MeetingThis week, the Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission met in Macon at the Medical Center of Central Georgia. The Commission heard a legislative summary, and also held a discussion on ways to pursue drawing down federal stimulus funds to build Georgia’s trauma network. The Commission heard updates on the development of a GPS system for the trauma system, and also discussed the ramifications of the recent DHR reorganization for the GTCNC. Finally, the GTCNC announced ambulance replacement grant awards, for the following counties: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Berrien, Blakely, Brantley, Brooks, Burke, Candler, Carrollton, Carlton, Chattahoochee, Chattooga, Clay, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dodge, Emanuel, Hancock, Heard, Irwin, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Meriwether, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Pierce, Pike, Pulaski, Rabun, Randolph, Screven, Seminole, Sumter, Talbot, Tatnall, Taylor, Telfair, Terrel, Toombs, Turner, Ware, Warren, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson, and Worth. Chambliss Voices Thoughts on Lockheed DiscussionGeorgia’s senior Senator, Saxby Chambliss (R – GA), has made it known he’s not too happy about the proposed cuts to the F – 22 project in Marietta. In fact, while he was on a tour of the Middle East, he called back to the States to set up a meeting with Michael Donely, the Secretary of the Air Force. Apparently, Donely had given Senator Chambliss the impression before Chambliss left the states that he (Donely) wanted MORE F – 22s, not fewer. In a conference call with reporters, Chambliss declared that he’d been misled by Donely, and decisively communicated his belief that with the unrest in the Middle East, now is not the time to be cutting capacity for military operations.Legislator of the WeekSenator Cecil Staton currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Science and Technology Committee. He represents the 18th State Senate District that includes parts of five counties in Middle Georgia. In his capacity as a Middle Georgia legislator, Senator Staton also serves as a member of the Appropriations, Retirement, and Transportation Committees. He serves as an ex – officio member of the Veterans and Military Affairs and Finance committees. Staton has earned a reputation in the legislature with expertise in both election law and healthcare. He has received numerous legislative awards for his work on Georgia’s trauma care network.Senator Staton was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, and was the first person in his family to attend college. He worked his way through college as a radio disk jockey, which led to his eventual involvement as a radio station owner. Staton was educated at Furman University and earned his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford in England. He currently serves as the president of two publishing companies and several radio stations. His political publishing activities became famous when he published two books authored by retired United States Senator and Governor Zell Miller. One of Cecil's most memorable moments from American politics was being on the floor when Zell Miller gave his famous speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention.In his spare time, he enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with his two sons, Trey and William. He and his family live in Monroe County, Georgia. And in other news...This week, Arizona Senator John McCain’s daughter Meghan blogged that the reason she thought Republicans were struggling to reach out to a younger voting demographic is the traditional aversion to accept gay Americans.On Monday, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R – LA) announced that he would not run for the United States Senate in 2010. A rising star in the GOP, Jindal has been the subject of much speculation as a potential presidential candidate in the near future.This week, Former Congressman Pat Toomey announced his intention to run against Senator Arlen Specter (R – PA). Senator Specter is a five term incumbent who beat Toomey in 2004 by just over 1% of the vote. Toomey was most recently the head of the limited government group, Club For Growth.Today in HistoryIn 1937, Daffy Duck debuts in Warner Brother’s picture Porky Duck Hunt In 1961, the Invasion of the Bay of Pigs begins In 1970, the ill – fated Apollo 13 spacecraft returns safely to Earth In 2001, Barry Bonds becomes the 17th member of the 500 home run club at Pacific Bell ParkHave a great weekend,SM There are no simple solutions to working with the public or government. At Brock Clay, we integrate our services across lobbying, grassroots and public relations in order to create comprehensive solutions to complex problems. Whether we need to set up a town hall meeting, start a letter-writing campaign, work the halls of the Capitol or create a press release, we will find the right way to meet the challenge. As Harry Truman said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
