Category: Georgia

Kemp Ponders Extending Georgia Motor Fuel Tax Suspension

The Center Square

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has not said whether he would seek to extend the state’s motor fuel tax suspension when it expires at the end of May. However, during a Wednesday morning interview with an Atlanta radio station, the governor indicated an announcement might be looming.

“I know Georgians need it; they’re getting killed at the pump right now, and they’re getting killed at the grocery store because of [President Joe] Biden’s 40-year high inflation, and quite honestly, … just bad policies in Washington, DC, like our domestic energy supply policy,” Kemp, a Republican, told WSB Radio.

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Ronna McDaniel Calls for Republican Unification Before Georgia Primary

Peter D'Abrosca

The Chairwoman of the Republican Party took to “Fox News Sunday” where she called for unification of the Republican Party. 

“I think we’re gonna get past this primary season and I’m gonna be so grateful when we do and we really focus on the Democrats,” GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in segment that focused on former President Donald Trump’s endorsements for various offices nationwide. 

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Commentary: The GOP Brought Historic Criminal Justice Reforms to Georgia – The Rest of the Nation Should Be Watching

Admin

The GOP has been busy enacting effective legislative reform aimed at real-world problems in our great nation — something Democrats can hardly boast.

Take Georgia’s accomplishments in the realm of criminal justice reform, for instance. Georgia has been the focus of national media and political obsession for the past few years. President Joe Biden himself called the Georgia voting reform bill “Jim Crow in the 21st Century,” miring state-level politics in the national racial debates. Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s various policy efforts have faced unrelenting attacks from politicos and progressive journalists alike.

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Kemp Takes Aim at Abrams over ‘Worst State’ Comments

Addison Basurto

Stacey Abrams’ comment that “[Georgia] is the worst state in the country to live’ drew a response from incumbent Georgia Governor, Brian Kemp, on Monday when he tweeted a different sentiment.

“Stacey Abrams may think differently, but I believe Georgia is the best state to live, work, and raise a family. And Marty, the girls, and I will work hard every day from now until November to keep it that way for four more years!” said Kemp. 

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Stacey Abrams Says of Georgia: ‘We Are the Worst State in the Country to Live’

Addison Basurto

Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams made waves with her statement on Saturday at the Gwinnett County Democratic dinner when she stated, “I am tired of being told that we are the best state in the country to do business when we are the worst state in the country to live.”

Abrams is running unopposed for Georgia’s Democratic primary for governor. She will face the eventual winner of the Republican primary election which will be decided on Tuesday. Abrams’ statement received criticism from Republicans.

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Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger Says Biden ‘Dead Wrong’ About Georgia Election Integrity Law, Hice Says Bill Was Enacted Due to Raffensperger’s 2020 Failures

Cooper Moran

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, when speaking on The Brian Kilmeade Show, blasted President Joe Biden for previous comments about Georgia’s election integrity law.

Biden accused the state government of restricting access to vote with SB 202. However, the latest numbers show that a record number of individuals have voted early in the state’s primary elections.

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Hyundai to Build First Electric Vehicle Plant in Georgia, but Officials Mum on Incentives Offered

The Center Square

Hyundai Motor Group has selected Georgia for its first fully dedicated electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facility and plans to invest more than $5.5 billion to build the facility.

The plant will be located at the 2,923-acre Bryan County Megasite along Interstate 16 and served by the Georgia Central Railway. It is less than 30 miles from the Port of Savannah.

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Palin Stumps for Perdue in Georgia

Peter D'Abrosca

Savannah, Georgia – Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, a Republican who is currently running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Alaska, joined former Sen. David Perdue (R) at a rally in the closing days of his primary election race. 

“The position of governor is so very important when we talk about election integrity, and that should be first and foremost on everyone’s mind what we can do to ensure the integrity in our elections,” Palin said at the rally. “You cannot exercise Democracy within a Republic when you don’t have the fair elections that the electorate deserves.”

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Trump Not Dumping Perdue, NBC Story ‘Fake News’

Peter D'Abrosca

After NBC published a Friday story citing anonymous sources who said former President Donald Trump had given up his support of former Sen. David Perdue (R-GA), now running for governor, Trump himself dispelled the rumor. 

“The Kemp Campaign, together with Fake News NBC, has put out a phony narrative that I have given up on David Perdue in Georgia,” Trump said on his social media outlet Truth Social. “That is completely FALSE.”

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Antifa Agitators in Atlanta Allegedly Throw Molotov Cocktail at Officers During Protest Against New Police Training Facility

Admin

Eight antifa agitators were arrested in Atlanta on Tuesday, after they allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at police officers.

Atlanta Police were attempting remove them from the grounds of what will be the new Public Safety Training Facility for officers and firefighters. Anarchists opposing the construction have been camped out in a nearby forest for more than seven months. The group behind the protests is called the Atlanta Solidarity Fund.

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Gwinnett County Ballot-Harvesting Cases Dismissed at Georgia State Election Board Meeting

Addison Basurto

ATLANTA, Georgia – The Georgia State Election Board held a meeting on Tuesday regarding alleged ballot harvesting in Gwinnett County during the 2020 election cycle. 

“We will give this a fair look. We’ll call balls and strikes as fairly as we see them, and the chips will fall where they may, but it’s not going to be a witch hunt” said Matthew Mashburn, the senior-most member of the board before the meeting.

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Perdue Announces Several Campaign Stops Across Georgia

Aaron Gulbransen

Former U.S. Senator David Perdue’s Trump-endorsed campaign for Georgia Governor announced several upcoming stops around the state as the May 24 Republican primary draws near.

As of press time, the election is less than a week away and Perdue’s best hope at continuing his campaign appears to be an attempt to force incumbent Governor Brian Kemp into a June run-off election by holding him to under 50 percent of the vote.

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Jake Evans Discusses Past Success Fighting for Election Integrity in 2020 in Georgia

Addison Basurto

Jake Evans, the 6th Congressional District candidate endorsed by Donald Trump, spoke with The Georgia Star News on Friday about his success fighting for election integrity in the 2020 elections in Banks, Stephens, and Habersham Counties.

Evans stated, “[I’m the] only lawyer in Georgia history to overturn two elections in the same race, and then I contested the other one down in Long County. So, we found people that voted twice. We found people voting in a district they didn’t live in. We found people that were wrongly assigned a district. We found people who hadn’t signed absentee ballots. There’s fraud out there. It’s a thing.”

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Newt Gingrich Urges GA-6 Voters to Support Jake Evans on May 24

Aaron Gulbransen

Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich released a video on Facebook urging the voters of Georgia’s 6th Congressional District to vote for Jake Evans in the Republican primary that is scheduled for May 24.

“I’m Newt Gingrich. I was Speaker of the House and we developed the Contract with America to get America back on track with solid, conservative ideas – balancing the budget, reforming welfare, cutting taxes – and I wanted to take a minute or two just to share with you about a good friend of mine who’s running for Congress,” he said.

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Stacey Abrams Sponsored Legislation Related to Her Private Business Interests

Michael Patrick Leahy

Public records indicate Georgia gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams sponsored legislation when she was the Georgia House minority leader that was related to her private business interests. The legislation Abrams sponsored in 2015 – with four other Republicans – addressed taxes paid on debt that was not collected.

At the time the legislation was under consideration, Abrams was senior vice president at a company called NOWaccount, according to an archive of the company’s website.
 

Abrams had started NOWaccount in 2010 with two business partners. The company charged fees to small business for accepting the task of collecting the businesses outstanding receivables.

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Georgia Bill Requires Superior Court Judge to Grant Bail in Human Trafficking Cases

The Center Square

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation to keep defendants facing human trafficking charges from immediately returning to the streets after their arrest.

Senate Bill 461 adds human trafficking to the list of violent and sexual offenses that require a Superior Court judge to grant bail. The list also includes treason, rape, murder and aircraft hijacking.

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The Star News Network-Kaplan Poll: Kemp Leads Trump-Endorsed Perdue by 30 Points

Neil W. McCabe

Gov. Brian P. Kemp is leading former senator David A. Perdue Jr. with 57 percent of support compared to 27 percent for his challenger, endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump, according to The Star News Network-Kaplan Strategies poll of 431 likely Georgia Republican primary voters, conducted May 7 through May 13.

“Kemp’s strength this close to the May 24 primary is stunning, and it is nearly certain he will win the Republican nomination,” said Doug Kaplan, the founder and president of the Florida-based firm that executed the poll. The poll carries a 4.7 percent margin of error.

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The Star News Network-Kaplan Poll: 60 Percent of Georgia’s GOP Likely Voters Blame Elected Officials for 2020 Voter Fraud

Neil W. McCabe

Sixty percent of respondents blame their state and local elected officials for not protecting the 2020 election from voter fraud in The Star News Network-Kaplan Strategies poll of 431 likely Georgia Republican voters executed May 7 through May 13.

“This poll shows that the handling of the 2020 election is still very present for a majority of Georgia Republicans,” said Doug Kaplan, the founder and president of Kaplan Strategies, the Florida-based firm that conducted the poll. The poll carries a 4.7 percent margin of error.

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The Star News Network-Kaplan Strategies Poll: Trump-Endorsed Hice v. Raffensperger a Dead Heat

Neil W. McCabe

Georgia Secretary of State Bradford J. Raffensperger and his main challenger Rep. Jody B. Hice, who is endorsed by President Donald J. Trump, are locked into a statistical tie at 26 percent going into the May 24 primary, according to The Star News Network-Kaplan Strategies poll executed May 7 through May 13 of 431 likely Georgia Republican voters.

“It is significant that Raffensperger is far from the 50 percent bar, and he has not been able to shake off Hice’s insurgent campaign,” said Doug Kaplan, the founder and president of Kaplan Strategies, the Florida-based firm that conducted the poll. The poll carries a margin of error is 4.7 percent.

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Trump Slams Republicans Supporting Kemp in Re-Election Bid

Peter D'Abrosca

Former President Donald J. Trump is taking out his frustrations as current and former governors from across the country continue to support Gov. Brian Kemp (R), a political enemy of the former president, for reelection in Georgia. 

“Today, the worst ‘election integrity’ Governor in the country, Brian Kemp, loaded the great state of Georgia up with RINOs. That’s right, he had them all,” Trump said in Wednesday statement. “Chris Christie, Doug Ducey from Arizona, and Pete Ricketts from Nebraska. That tells you all you need to know about what you are getting in Georgia—just a continuation of bad elections and a real RINO if you vote for Brian Kemp.”

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GA-6 Republican Candidate Jake Evans Talks Meeting with Former President Trump and Receiving His Endorsement

Aaron Gulbransen

The Trump-endorsed candidate in the May 24 Republican primary for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District seat, Jake Evans, spoke with The Georgia Star News about the importance of former President Donald Trump’s endorsement and what it was like to meet with him.

“I believe firmly that the America First agenda delivered four of the best years that we’ve had in a very very long time, definitely since the Reagan era,” said Evans. “I believe in secure borders, protecting our law enforcement, less regulations, lower taxes – all of which President Trump did.”

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Perdue Campaign Says ‘MAGA Surge Keeping Kemp Below the Threshold to Avoid a Runoff’

Aaron Gulbransen

The Trump-endorsed David Perdue for Georgia Governor campaign issued a statement on Wednesday that says Perdue is surging and Trump voters are turning out in an unprecedented way.

“Our Trump-endorsed campaign is experiencing a surge in early-voting MAGA voters that the public polls aren’t picking up. Our internal models show this MAGA surge keeping Kemp below the threshold to avoid a runoff, and our position is strengthening with each day of early voting,” said the campaign.

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Georgia Attorney General Candidate John Gordon Challenges Chris Carr on Uptick in Violent Crimes

Addison Basurto

ATLANTA, Georgia – Georgia Attorney General (AG) candidate John Gordon invited incumbent AG Chris Carr on Monday to participate in five debates on election fraud and violent crime rates before the primary election on May 24.

In a press release, Gordon stated, “John Gordon issues an invitation to AG Carr to address unprosecuted voter fraud, and the soaring rates of rape and murder.”

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Perdue Issues Statement on ‘Out of Control’ Crime in Georgia and Threats Against SCOTUS

Aaron Gulbransen

The Trump-endorsed candidate in the May 24 Republican primary, former U.S. Senator David Perdue, issued a statement on Monday in the aftermath of the shooting of six people on Mother’s Day.

“This is another tragic example of what happens when a Governor keeps his ‘powder dry’ instead of taking bold action to keep people safe. Crime is out of control across the state. People are being shot daily, but Brian Kemp is missing in action. This disaster is happening on his watch. My question to the people of Georgia is do you feel safe? If not, then it’s time for a new Governor. Nothing is more important to me than ensuring you and your family are safe.” 

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Georgia’s Cobb County GOP Reports Problems with New Voting System

Peter D'Abrosca

Just months after Georgia’s Secretary of State announced that the state’s voter registration management system would be changed, one county is reporting issues as early voting for the May 24 primary elections begins. 

“Unfortunately, the 2022 Primary Advance Voting began with multiple issues at polling locations throughout Cobb County,” the Cobb County Republican Party said in a May 5 statement. “Since the polls opened on Monday, May 2, 2022, problems have included poll pad voter data being missing and incorrect information on certain ballots; some ballots excluded a State Representative race and some ballots excluded the Cityhood referendums. Since our vote is anonymous, once a ballot is cast there is no way to rectify an issue.”

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MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell Alleges Twitter Is Carrying Fake Accounts in His Name; His Just-Banned Official Account’s Takedown Reveals the Ruse

Addison Basurto

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell on Sunday launched a new Twitter account that was suspended less than four hours after its creation.

On the move by the social media giant, Lindell said, “Like the [banned] Twitter account, it’s more corrupt than you’ve seen there. Twitter, a week before that – a week before – they put up a fake account. Twitter’s done this three times to me, and then they run the account, and act like they’re me. So they go, ‘Oh, Mike’s okay with the election.’ Like everything’s business as normal.

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Former Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker Endorses GA-6 Candidate Jake Evans

Addison Basurto

Former Acting United States Attorney General Matthew Whitaker recently announced his full endorsement of Jake Evans, a candidate for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District.

The Trump-appointed former acting attorney general stated on Monday, “Jake shares my passion for backing the men and women in law enforcement who put their own safety on the line, make life-and-death decisions and face contempt and hate from the Left at every turn. If I was a 6th District voter … Jake Evans would be my choice for Congress.”

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Deployment of Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes in Georgia Looks Significantly Different in First Statewide Election Since January 2021

Laura Baigert

With the Georgia General Assembly’s passage of the Election Integrity Act of 2021, otherwise known as SB202, the application of absentee ballot drop boxes looks significant different in the first statewide elections since the January 5, 2021, federal runoff and special election for Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats.

The use of drop boxes in the November 2020 presidential and January 2021 elections were enabled by an emergency rule promulgated by the State Election Board in June of 2020. During the November 2020 election, more than 300 absentee ballot drop boxes were deployed throughout the state, funded with $45 million in “Zuck Bucks” that flowed through the Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) into Georgia, according to analysis conducted by Capital Research Center.

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Georgia Department of Public Health Touts New Legislation That Protects Children from Lead

Aaron Gulbransen

On Monday, the Georgia Department of Public Health touted newly passed legislation that, in the view of the agency, helps protect children from the dangers of lead.

In a statement, Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., commissioner, Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) said, “DPH is extremely grateful to the members of the General Assembly and the Governor for their decisive action which allows for a more robust program for identifying and preventing cases of lead poisoning, and protecting the children of Georgia.”

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In Georgia Governor’s Race, Perdue Hits Kemp for $1.5 Billion to Soros-Linked Company

Admin

A scandal is brewing in Georgia’s Republican gubernatorial primary, with candidate and former Sen. David Perdue accusing incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp of engaging in shady backroom deals and lining the pockets of liberal megadonor George Soros as part of a massive new economic development project in the Peach State.

“This may be the worst deal I’ve seen in my business career, honestly,” Perdue told the “Just the News, Not Noise” television program on Friday. “This was just done the wrong way. And I’ve called the governor out on that, and we’ve had no response.”

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Mike Lindell Calls Kemp, Raffensperger, and Carr the ‘Triple Crown of Crime’

Addison Basurto

Minnesotan entrepreneur, conservative politico, and CEO of My Pillow, Mike Lindell, spoke to The Georgia Star News on Saturday at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he criticized the three most infamous election integrity antagonists in the Peach State when he declared, “you guys have the Triple Crown of Crime down here with Kemp, Raffensperger and Carr and all of them need to go.”

Lindell continued, “I mean, this is our country. Of all the stuff I’ve been out there fighting for with the election crimes. And then you have Republicans, the Republicans have turned on, not just Georgia, but on our country. I mean, you’ve got to get new people and we got to get people that have the people’s back.”

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Gubernatorial Candidate Kari Lake Calls Arizona 2020 Election Audit ‘Death by a Thousand Knife Wounds’

Addison Basurto

When asked what big takeaway there was in the Maricopa County election audit, Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake told The Georgia Star News, “There were so many. It’s like death by a thousand paper cuts. I call it death by a thousand knife wounds because these are so much bigger than paper cuts.”

“We had 34,000 votes that were counted two, three or four times, 740,000 ballots with no chain-of-custody. They shouldn’t have even been counted, and it goes on and on. The wrong paper stock was used,” she added. 

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Arizona GOP Gubernatorial Primary Leader Kari Lake Denounces Georgia RINOs, Lauds Dinesh D’Souza’s 2020 Election Ballot-Trafficking Film 2000 Mules

Addison Basurto

Former Phoenix news anchor and mother of two, Kari Lake, gave high praise to filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza’s documentary film, “2000 Mules”, which highlights the ballot-stuffing operations that occurred across multiples states during the 2020 presidential election.

“We just saw Dinesh D’Souza’s movie. It’s outrageous. It’s called 2000 Mules. I think every man and woman in this country should see it,” Lake declared Friday at a campaign stop to support David Perdue’s run against Georgia Governor Brian Kemp at the Appalachian Gun & Range.

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Georgia Lottery Amasses $367.2 Million in Profits for Last Quarter

The Center Square

The Georgia Lottery brought in more than $367.2 million in profits during the third quarter of fiscal 2022, state officials said.

For the first three quarters of fiscal 2022, between July 1, 2021, and March 31, the lottery transferred more than $1.1 billion to the state’s Lottery for Education Account. Since its inception, the lottery has transferred more than $24.6 billion to the state.

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