Kemp signs Election Integrity Act of 2021
Featured Stories, News, Politics March 25, 2021
ATLANTA – Election reform is coming to Georgia after Governor Brian Kemp (R) signed the SB 202, Election Integrity Act of 2021, mere hours after it landed on his desk.
During his televised remarks about the legislation Kemp stated, “With Senate Bill 202, Georgia will take another step in ensuring elections, accessible and fair.”
He thanked Chairman Barry Flemming and Chairman Max Burns and Senate and House Leadership for their work on the issue.
Kemp also mentioned his fight to keep Georgia’s elections fair by investigating voter fraud and defending the state’s voter ID laws.
“After November I knew like so many of you that significant reforms to our state elections were needed. There’s no doubt there were many alarming issues with how the election was handled and those problems understandable led to the crisis of confidence at the ballot box here in Georgia,” Kemp said.
Kemp was the first to call on Raffensperger to audit the absentee ballots and did so four times.
SB 202 replaces signature match with a state-issued ID requirement and Kemp believes this will streamline the absentee ballot process. He added the bill makes it “easy to vote and hard to cheat.”
Weekend voting will be expanded to two mandatory Saturdays and two optional Sundays. Ballot drop boxes will be secured 24/7 and security paper is required for ballot authentication.
“November 2020 election saw a 350 percent increase in the use of absentee ballots,” Kemp explained. “This obviously led local election workers to have to process far more ballots using a time consuming, labor-intensive, and at times arbitrary process.”
Georgia Democrats have been vocal about their opposition to the bill, calling it a power grab for a declining party that doesn’t know how to connect with a changing Georgia.
Election Integrity Act of 2021 does limit the power of the Secretary of State, removing the elected official as chairman of the state board of elections. The Secretary of State will now be a “nonvoting ex officio member” and the legislature will appoint the chairman. The state board can now oversee and review the performance of local election boards too. If a board is found lacking, the state board can appoint a new supervisor for that county.
The 90-plus page bill can be read on the General Assembly site.
President Joe Biden (D) spoke about the election reform legislation sweeping Republican-controlled state legislatures. He called the bills “sick” saying it made “Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle.” He promised to do everything in his power to stop the reform efforts.
Other states with election bills in process are Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
https://www.gpb.org/events/news/2021/03/25/governor-kemp-news-conference
Hice calls Secretary of State Raffensperger’s performance “dismal”
News, Politics March 25, 2021
ELLIJAY, Ga – Tenth District Representative Jody Hice (R) addressed why he’s running for Secretary of State against incumbent Brad Raffensperger (R).
On Monday, Hice officially announced his candidacy and has been making his case ever since. He even earned former President Donald Trump’s endorsement shortly after his announcement.
Hice cited his work as the ranking member on House Oversight and Government Operations committees and trying to fight House Resolution One. The bill recently passed the House and moved to the Senate. The piece of legislation backed by Democrats addresses the voting process and voting rights. If passed, it would become the biggest overhaul in U.S. election law in a long time.
Congressman Hice claimed that the Democrats used the pandemic to change the way the country votes and mentioned how he urged Raffensperger to not mass mail ballot applications in Georgia. He blamed Raffensperger’s actions for leading to a” horrendous decaying of election integrity in Georgia.”
Hice added that the erosion of voter confidence led to the election of two Democrat Senators in Georgia. He stated that Georgia and the nation are “suffering because of the dismal performance by the Secretary of State.”
Raffensperger continues to stand by the 2020 election results and that the Secretary of State’s Office ran fair and honest elections. He leveled blame at Hice for spreading the election conspiracy and furthering voter mistrust.
Hice still believes that a thorough investigation would reverse the 2020 Presidential Election outcome and advocated for an unbiased audit of the Dominion voting machines.
Both Hice and David Belle Isle, Republican Secretary of State candidate, agreed that Dominion voting machines need to be investigated and Georgia should look into using different machines.
When asked if Trump is just using Hice to settle his score with Raffensperger, Hice called those stories false much like the story about Trump asking Raffensperger to overturn the election. The Congressman added that those stories are the Secretary of State Raffensperger’s narrative. Trump did ask Raffensperger to find 11,870 votes and he urged an investigator to scrutinize ballots in Fulton County.
Belle Isle takes aim at Raffensperger’s policies
Featured Stories, News March 23, 2021
ALPHARETTA, Ga – Former Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle hosted his Secretary of State campaign kick-off on Monday, March 22 at Alpharetta City Park and called out Raffensperger’s elections procedures.
Trump supporter State Senator Brandon Beach (R – Alpharetta) introduced the candidate. Beach spoke about until after the November election his cell phone seldomly rang and everyone who called asked about election reform.
“The reason I’m supporting David is I know he’s a man of character, integrity, and he’s smart and that matters. He would not have entered into an agreement that really made two sets of rules for voting in person and absentee ballots,” Beach said.
He wants Georgia to take the path of Florida concerning reform and have the 2022 results in by the 11 p.m. news. Belle Isle promised Beach that he would make that happen.
Belle Isle spoke about how it’s tough to be a conservative, and many feel attacked either by the media, corporate America, or big tech.
“Most people raise their families and most people live applying conservative values and conservative principles whether they know it or not,” the candidate remarked. “The entire purpose of the Republican Party is to bring human flourishing within the reach of every American, within the reach of every Georgian. We do this by opening the widest door possible.”
He directly leveled the blame for the November elections at Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R). Speaking to election integrity, he stated that every vote must be validated.
“The disaster that was the 2020 election was not something that happened to Brad Raffensperger. It was something that happened through Brad Raffensperger,” Belle Isle commented. He then listed the actions Raffensperger took leading up to the 2020 primary and general elections.
The list included signing the compromise settlement agreement with Fair Fight Georgia and Stacy Abrams, the mass mailing absentee ballot applications before the primary, drop boxes, and allowing signature verification only for absentee ballots.
Belle Isle added that he’s not “here to say one way or another” if the election was stolen, but what happened in Georgia was worse than that – “an election that can neither be proved fraudulent or fair.” The Secretary of State’s Office did conduct three recounts that all resulted in the same outcome.
Later, the former mayor stated he was in favor of removing no excuse absentee ballots, but understands it’s an uphill battle.
According to Belle Isle, the settlement agreement “made it difficult for counties to efficiently reject an invalid mail-in ballot” and it took three people to reject a mail-in ballot. The rejection rate dropped from three percent to practically zero percent.
Citing the Senate runoff, he commented how thousands stayed home because they lost confidence in the system. Typically, turnout does drop if a Presidential election isn’t on the ballot.
Belle Isle believes he’s the best man for the job with a focus on restoring voter integrity as the backbone of his campaign.
“The Secretary of State needs to be hands-on. The Secretary of State needs to be in that office on a daily basis. I mean looking at the election process from top to bottom. A lot of what’s been happening here is essentially someone governing from afar, leading from afar, and handing it off to his lieutenants,” Belle Isle stated about Raffensperger’s handling of the Secretary of State’s Office.
Congressman Jody Hice also entered the Secretary of State race on Monday.
Hice begins raking in endorsements for SOS
Featured Stories, News March 22, 2021
ATLANTA – Shortly after announcing his intent to run for Secretary of State, Tenth District Congressman Jody Hice (R – Athens) began garnering endorsements.
Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz and former President Donald Trump have issued statements of support.
Trump called Hice “one of our most outstanding Congressmen” and “a steadfast fighter for Georgia conservative values.” The former and highly controversial President also took a minute to throw shade at the current Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger who became an enemy of Trump’s during the November election.
Hice sided with Trump’s narrative about the election and was quick to criticize Raffensperger for his actions. The Secretary of State’s Office conducted three recounts for the Presidential race and each one confirmed the results. The lawsuits concerning illegalities in Georgia’s elections were thrown out as well.
The importance of a Trump endorsement remains to be seen within the Republican Party. Many registered Republicans either support or detest the individual while others believe his involvement in the January 6 runoffs cost the GOP the Senate and flipped the state.
David Belle Isle announced his candidacy for Secretary of State on Sunday. He came in second to Raffensperger in the 2018 primary runoff.
Raffensperger intends to run for reelection in 2022 despite the GOP adopting a resolution that he “undermined public confidence” on Friday.
With Hice running for Secretary of State, it leaves Georgia’s Tenth Congressional District up for grabs with several names already being floated around, such as State Rep. Houston Gaines, State Senator Bill Cowsert, State Rep. Jodi Lott, Mike Collins, and even former Tenth District Rep. Paul Broun.
Trump’s promised to throw his weight around in several Georgia races including the governor and U.S. Senate. Governor Brian Kemp didn’t side with the former President concerning the November election either. At this time, no Trump-backed candidate has entered those races.
Hice and Belle Isle enter the Georgia Secretary of State Race
Featured Stories, News March 22, 2021
ATLANTA – Fellow Republican and incumbent Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger will face primary competitors after 10th District Representative Jody Hice (R – Athens) and former Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle announced their candidacies.
Rumblings of Hice’s run began last week, and FYN previously informed the public to expect a statement from the Congressman.
Current Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
In his press release, Hice called out Raffensperger for his “inaction” and creating “cracks in the integrity of our elections.”
“Free and fair elections are the foundation of our country. What Brad Raffensperger did was create cracks in the integrity of our elections, which I wholeheartedly believe individuals took advantage of in 2020. Though I am encouraged to see the General Assembly taking it upon themselves to address some of the glaring issues in our elections, Georgia deserves a Secretary of State who will own the responsibilities of the office. If elected, I will instill confidence in our election process by upholding the Georgia Constitution, enforcing meaningful reform and aggressively pursuing those who commit voter fraud.
Every Georgian, in fact every American, has the right to be outraged by the actions and, simultaneously, the inaction of our Secretary of State. Our state deserves a leader who steers clear of scandals and focuses on the incredibly important duties of the office. If elected, my top priority will be ensuring every Georgian’s legally cast ballot is counted in future elections. I am excited about our campaign and I know together we can renew integrity!” Hice said in a press release.
David Belle Isle
As for Belle Isle, he previously came in second in the Secretary of State primary. The former Alpharetta Mayor and attorney hopes to “fix the mess at the ballot box and restore voter confidence in Georgia.” He announced his campaign over the weekend.
See Belle Isle statement below:
“I am running for Secretary of State to clean up the mess, secure the mail-in ballot, and restore voter confidence,” said Belle Isle. “In the recent elections, we witnessed voter suppression on a massive scale, triggered by voter uncertainty and made worse by the Secretary’s poor decisions, carelessness, and failure to lead. In the Senate runoff, thousands of Georgia voters chose to stay home rather than condone a process that appeared uninterested in the difference between valid votes and invalid votes. Raffensperger single-handedly bargained away our election integrity and skewered the credibility of our mail-in ballots,” Belle Isle continued. “Then, he looked us in the eye and told us that the 2020 election was the safest, most secure election in our history. It was not, and it’s time to hold the Secretary of State accountable.”
David points to the Compromise Settlement Agreement signed by Raffensperger and Stacy Abrams as the biggest obstacle to voter confidence and election integrity in Georgia. “The Compromise makes it very difficult for counties to reject invalid mail-in ballots, which likely resulted in thousands of invalid ballots being fully counted,” stated David. “The integrity of our State depends on the integrity of our elections. As Georgia’s next Secretary of State, I will reject the Compromise Settlement Agreement and work to better secure the mail-in ballot process. I will work to clean up the voter rolls and call for a true independent audit of Dominion. Most importantly, I will put fresh eyes on our entire election system, from top to bottom, with the goal of delivering to the people of Georgia fair and provable elections.”
Georgia has been the focus of national attention during the election process, and David believes there is a unique opportunity to demonstrate how common-sense conservatism can solve a state’s problems. “However,” he points out, “It won’t be easy. Conservatives are under attack. We are being banned, censored, and cancelled. Georgians know that our shared conservative values are at the heart of our State’s success. The way we lead and the policies we have championed have attracted new businesses and lured new citizens to our State. Yet, there is national pressure on our citizens to vote against the very principles that got us here.”
As we face our next election cycle, David knows that Republicans are seeking to support the right leaders who will help Georgians flourish. “Before those leaders can be successful however,” David emphasized, “we must fix the mess at the ballot box and restore voter confidence in Georgia.”
The Belle Isle campaign kick-off event is today, March 22 at 5:30 p.m. in Alpharetta City Park.
Secretary of State unveils new absentee ballot request portal
News, Press Release August 31, 2020
ATLANTA-Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger unveils a new online portal to make it easier for Georgia voters to request absentee ballots for the November elections. Georgia voters with a driver’s license or state ID card will now be able to request an absentee ballot entirely online.
“Georgia is constantly searching for new and innovative ways to expand access to the ballot and uphold the integrity of the vote,” said Raffensperger. “We are encouraging Georgia voters who are particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 threat to use our new online absentee ballot request portal to request absentee ballots safely and securely from their computers or phones. This new tool will help counties stay on top of the several million absentee ballot requests expected in November.”
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has developed a website that will allow Georgia voters to request an absentee ballot entirely online. Georgia voters will be able to request their ballot via the portal using their first and last name, date of birth, county where they are registered, and Georgia State ID or Georgia Driver’s License number. Voters will get a confirmation email that their request has been entered into the system. Also, voters can monitor their ballot status on My Voter Page.
The portal is available here: http://www.securevotega.com/secureabsentee/
Absentee ballots requested for the November 2020 presidential election cannot be sent out before September 15.
In the past, Georgia voters had to download and print an absentee ballot request, then scan and email it or put it in the mail. This new portal saves voters effort and postage and will increase confidence that the request has been received by county elections officials. It also makes it easier and faster for county election official to process absentee ballot requests by minimizing the possibility of data entry errors.
While the State ID or driver’s license number provide a secure safeguard for requesting ballots, the ballots themselves will still be verified by matching the voter signature to their signature on file upon submission. A record 1.6 million absentee ballot requests were received for the June primary, inundating county elections officials. This portal will make processing the large number of absentee ballot requests expected for the November election easier for county election officials to process quickly and accurately.
Georgia Primary moves to June 9 after extension of public health emergency
Press Release, State & National April 9, 2020
(ATLANTA) — Today, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced that, pursuant to the authority vested in him by O.C.G.A. § 21-2-50.1, he is postponing the Statewide General Primary/Presidential Preference Primary Election until June 9, 2020.
Yesterday, Governor Brian Kemp extended the current public health state of emergency until May 13, 2020. Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and Speaker of the House David Ralston concurred in the Governor’s extension of the state of emergency.
“Due to the Governor’s extension of the state of emergency through a time period that includes almost every day of in-person voting for an election on May 19, and after careful consideration, I am now comfortable exercising the authority vested in me by Georgia law to postpone the primary election until June 9,” said Secretary Raffensperger. “This decision allows our office and county election officials to continue to put in place contingency plans to ensure that voting can be safe and secure when in-person voting begins and prioritizes the health and safety of voters, county election officials, and poll workers.”
Throughout this crisis, the Secretary of State’s office has been in close contact with county election officials across the state. Over the past week, the reports of mounting difficulties from county election officials, particularly in Southwest Georgia, grew to a point where county election officials could not overcome the challenges brought on by COVID-19 in time for in-person voting to begin on April 27. Additionally, current modeling by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projects the COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia will peak around April 24, only days before in-person voting was scheduled to begin. While challenges will certainly remain on June 9, these additional three weeks will give the Secretary of State’s office and counties time to shore up contingency plans, find and train additional poll workers, and procure supplies and equipment necessary to clean equipment and protect poll workers.
Emergency authority is something that should be exercised carefully, and moving an election should only take place in the rarest of circumstances. While Secretary Raffensperger previously expressed concern that he did not have the authority to move the primary election again, the Governor’s extension of the state of emergency to a time that includes almost every day of in-person voting for a May 19 election is sufficient to allow the Secretary to exercise the emergency authority given to him by O.C.G.A. § 21-2-50.1 and move the primary election to June 9.
“I certainly realize that every difficulty will not be completely solved by the time in-person voting begins for the June 9 election, but elections must happen even in less than ideal circumstances,” said Raffensperger. “Just like our brave healthcare workers and first responders, our county election officials and poll workers are undertaking work critical to our democracy, and they will continue to do this critical work with all the challenges that the current crisis has brought forth. This postponement allows us to provide additional protection and safety resources to county election officials, poll workers, and voters without affecting the November election.”
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
The voter registration deadline for the June 9, 2020 election will be May 11, 2020. Early voting will begin on May 18, 2020. Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 21-2-501, moving the primary election to June 9, 2020 will move the primary runoff to August 11, 2020.Pushing back the primary to June 9 gives Georgia election officials additional time to put in place contingency plans to allow for safe and secure voting, but pushing back the primary election any further could potentially have negative consequences on preparation for the November 3, 2020 General Election. Given existing deadlines to prepare and send ballots for the November election, particularly for military voters, moving forward on June 9 is the best way to ensure a successful election year in Georgia.
Absentee ballot applications for the upcoming primary election will continue to be accepted and processed by counties even if the application said May 19. Once county election officials properly verify the signature on the application, the voter will be sent an absentee ballot for the primary election now to be held on June 9.
Presidential Primary postponed until May 19
Announcements, Election March 14, 2020
ATLANTA, Ga – The March 24 Presidential Preference Primary has been moved to May 19 with the rest of Georgia’s primary elections in an effort to keep the public safe during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement that early in-person voting for the Presidental Primary will be halted.
Georgia now joins Louisiana as a state that has chosen to push back elections because of COVID-19.
On Saturday, Georgia reported 66 COVID-19 cases and one death from the virus. Earlier today, Gov. Brian Kemp declared a public health emergency and has called in the National Guard to assist with the pandemic.
Georgia Election Run-Off Results
Election 2018 December 4, 2018
2018 Georgia Election Run-Off Results
Tonight marks the run-offs for election races in Georgia, these results are unofficial until approved by the Secretary of State.
Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger (R) – 756,016 votes 51.97%
John Barrow (D) – 698,770 votes 48.03%
Public Service Commission, District 3
Chuck Eaton (R) – 749,805 votes 51.83%
Lindy Miller (D) – 696,957 votes 48.17%
Check for local results by county here:
Gilmer
Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,337 votes 83.13%
John Barrow (D) – 880 votes 16.87%
Public Service Commission, District 3
Chuck Eaton (R) – 4,250 votes 81.79%
Lindy Miller (D) – 946 votes 18.21%
Pickens
Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,408 votes 84.01%
John Barrow (D) – 839 votes 15.99%
Public Service Commission, District 3
Chuck Eaton (R) – 4,325 votes 82.70%
Lindy Miller (D) – 905 17.30%
Fannin
Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger (R) – 3,522 votes 81.89%
John Barrow (D) – 779 votes 18.11%
Public Service Commission, District 3
Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,454 votes 80.57%
Lindy Miller (D) – 833 votes 19.43%
Dawson
Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger (R) – 3,985 votes 85.83%
John Barrow (D) – 658 votes 14.17%
Public Service Commission, District 3
Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,939 votes 85.02%
Lindy Miller (D) – 694 votes 14.98%
White
Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,063 votes 82.78%
John Barrow (D) – 845 votes 17.22%
Public Service Commission, District 3
Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,960 votes 80.82%
Lindy Miller (D) – 940 votes 19.18%
Union
Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,246 votes 80.92%
John Barrow (D) – 1,001 votes 19.08%
Public Service Commission, District 3
Chuck Eaton (R) – 4,108 votes 78.65%
Lindy Miller (D) – 1,115 votes 21.35%
Towns
Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger (R) – 2,161 votes 79.95%
John Barrow (D) – 542 votes 20.05%
Public Service Commission, District 3
Chuck Eaton (R) – 2,105 votes 78.22%
Lindy Miller (D) – 586 votes 21.78%
Murray
Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger (R) – 2,699 votes 88.99%
John Barrow (D) – 334 votes 11.01%
Public Service Commission, District 3
Chuck Eaton (R) – 2,691 votes 88.84%
Lindy Miller (D) – 338 votes 11.16%
Lumpkin
Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger (R) – 3,378 votes 78.47%
John Barrow (D) – 927 votes 21.53%
Public Service Commission, District 3
Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,337 votes 77.89%
Lindy Miller (D) – 947 votes 22.11%
Tomorrow’s Georgia Republican gubernatorial primary run-off
Opinion July 23, 2018
Reposted with permission from the Dustin Inman Society blog
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle (left) and Secretary of State Brian Kemp (Right)
D.A. KING
While the liberal media ignores the fact, both candidates in the bruising two-month Georgia Republican gubernatorial primary race have avoided immigration issues where the eventual governor can make the biggest difference.
With run-off day looming tomorrow, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp have mostly kept their immigration focus away from topics that may offend the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and narrowed to “sanctuary cities” and on illegal aliens who have already committed additional crimes in the United States – or “criminal illegal aliens.”
The main driver of illegal immigration is illegal employment, which was not mentioned in either campaign.
In addition to black market labor, they are also both dodging obvious and voter-popular immigration issues where a governor can play a central role, including drivers licenses to illegal aliens and official English for government.
No mention of protecting jobs for American workers
When asked in a statewide December 2015 poll, “Who should get the future jobs in Georgia? – Americans, including legal immigrants already here, illegal immigrants already here, newly arrived legal immigrants and guest workers or it doesn’t matter, workers who will work for the lowest wage.” A whopping 90% of Republicans said Americans, including legal immigrants already here should get priority.
Silence on allowing voters to decide on constitutional official English
Nearly 86% of Republicans – and 76% of all voters polled – answered “yes” when asked “would you support an amendment to the Georgia constitution that makes English the official language of government?” in the same poll conducted by Atlanta-based Rosetta Stone Communications
Despite the objections of the business lobby and with a unanimous party-line vote, in 2016, the Republican-controlled Georgia state senate passed a Resolution that would have allowed all Georgia voters to answer a ballot question that year on English as the state’s constitutional official government language.
But the legislation quietly died with Democrat “no” votes when Republican House leadership instructed Republicans to stay away from a sub-committee hearing which killed the bill.
Official English is not a voluntary campaign topic for either of the Republican candidates for Georgia governor. This despite one metro-Atlanta school district boast that 140 foreign languages are spoken by its students.
While it is not widely understood by voters, currently, the state of ten million offers the written road rules portion of the drivers license exam in eleven foreign languages.
Drivers licenses for illegal aliens – not a campaign issue
The same statewide poll that asked about official constitutional official English showed that 80% of Republicans and 63% of all Georgians also want to end the practice of giving any drivers license to any illegal aliens.
Many voters are unaware of the fact that Republican Georgia has issued more than 20,000 drivers licenses and official state photo ID Cards to individuals who the United States Immigration and Citizenship Services classifies as lacking lawful immigration status – but who have been given work permits by both the Obama and Trump administrations.
This group of aliens includes recipients of the Obama DACA deferred action on deportation amnesty, aliens who have been granted deferred action outside of the DACA amnesty and aliens who have already been ordered to be deported by federal officials.
Work permits, officially known as Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) are issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services which is an agency in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The 2005 REAL ID Act implemented after the horror of 9/11 says that illegal aliens who have been granted deferred action on deportation or who have been ordered deported but then apply for permanent residence use that temporary condition as “evidence of lawful status” for the purpose of obtaining a federally approved drivers license or state ID card.
⦁ In a direct contradiction, USCIS says “Current law does not grant any legal status for the class of individuals who are current recipients of DACA. Recipients of DACA are currently unlawfully present in the U.S. with their removal deferred.”
⦁ Through an official spokesperson, USCIS has provided a breakdown of the classification codes contained on the work permits that illustrate the immigration status of the bearer.
⦁ USCIS also operates the SAVE verification system for official agencies to determine immigration status of applicants for public benefits. Drivers licenses and ID cards are public benefits in Georgia.
⦁ Appointed by current governor, Nathan Deal, Georgia’s Attorney General, Chris Carr, has told an Atlanta NPR affiliate that “We have continuously and clearly taken the position in ongoing legal cases that DACA does not confer legal status.” (July 17, 2017 WABE News).
Georgia is among the states that issues the identical drivers license to legal immigrants with ‘green cards’ and foreigners who entered the US lawfully on temporary visas – including Mercedes Benz executives – as are issued to the aliens the state Attorney General and USCIS says lack legal status. The defacto national ID, these credentials are used as valid ID to enter military bases, federal buildings and board airliners in America’s airports.
Drivers license issued to all non-citizens in Georgia, legal status or illegal status. Photo: DDS
Sponsored by conservative state Senator Josh McKoon, in 2016, legislation passed the Georgia Senate by a two-thirds majority – with every Republican vote except one – that would have clearly marked driving and ID credentials to note the illegal immigration status of the bearer. That measure was allowed to expire without a hearing in the GOP House, controlled by business-oriented Speaker David Ralston. McKoon also sponsored the official English Resolution.
Most Georgians do not realize that under state law the same aliens USCIS says have no lawful status but have been issued a work permit are eligible for state unemployment benefits.
The jobs-for Americans, drivers license/illegal alien/unemployment benefits issue is not a topic in either Republican candidate’s campaign for the Republican nomination for Georgia governor.
Georgians deserve to now where the candidates stand.
The powerful Georgia business lobby has long worked against protecting jobs and wages for legal workers, use of E-Verify, immigration enforcement and official English. Georgia ranks ahead of Arizona in its population of illegal aliens, according to estimates from DHS and the Pew Research Center. One estimate is that the crime of illegal immigration costs Georgia taxpayers $2.4 billion annually.
The current governor, two-term, business-first Republican Nathan Deal, has avoided the illegal immigration issue since his first year in office. But, Deal boasts that Georgia is named number one state in which to do business by Site Selection magazine.
The influx of migrants and the anti-enforcement power of the business lobby will eventually result in a Democrat in the Georgia governor’s office. This year’s far-left, anti-enforcement candidate for the office, Stacey Abrams, has a real chance of winning and has recently received a one million-dollar donation from Georgia Soros.
Author
Kemp trumps Cagle : I see your Governor and I raise you a President
Election 2018, Politics July 18, 2018
Blue Ridge, Ga. – What has come down to a battle of endorsements over the last two weeks has played out with some big name backers. Secretary of State Brian Kemp landed perhaps the largest endorsement of all as President Donald Trump tweeted out his support of the Georgia gubernatorial hopeful.
Kemp’s campaign announced recently the backing of several Republican opponents from the May Primary. Among those to officially announce their support were Michael Williams, Clay Tippins, and Hunter Hill.
Opponent in the gubernatorial runoff, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, was unable to receive any backing from Republican challengers that were faced earlier this year.
Cagle did however land some big name endorsements recently as he continues his campaign. While holding the title of the only Georgia candidate in the governor’s race to be backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), Cagle drove this message home as the President Elect of the NRA, retired Lt. Colonel Oliver North, hit the trail with Cagle to show his personal support of the candidate.
Cagle’s big name endorsements didn’t stop there. Earlier this week current Georgia Governor Nathan Deal also personally endorsed Cagle to be his replacement.
Although it seemed that the cards had become stacked in Cagle’s favor, Kemp showed his final hand and delivered a fourth ace by officially getting an endorsement from the President of the United States Donald Trump.
With less than a week left in the runoff, it seems that Cagle will be unable to top Kemp’s latest move.
Follow FetchYourNews for the latest election information and Cagle’s thoughts on Kemp’s latest round of endorsements.
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Cagle campaign brings out the big guns
Election 2018, Politics July 16, 2018
Lt. Colonel Oliver North was met by large crowds as he hit the campaign trail supporting Casey Cagle in becoming Georgia’s next Governor.
Gainesville, Ga. – “There’s only one candidate who’s been endorsed. There’s only one candidate for Governor’s office who actually meets the standard of what we need and that’s Casey Cagle,” retired Lt. Colonel Oliver North enthusiastically spoke to the large crowd gathered in Gainesville, Ga. this weekend.
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle has been the center of controversy for several weeks after the release of a secret recording in which Cagle speaks candidly to former gubernatorial candidate Clay Tippins about politics over policy.
Regardless of this recent smear on Cagle’s bid to be Georgia’s next Governor, one fact remains and cannot be disputed, Cagle is the only candidate for governor in Ga. to receive the coveted endorsement from the National Rifle Association (NRA).
With this point being perhaps one of the largest differences between Cagle and his opponent, Brian Kemp, Cagle’s campaign decided it was time to bring out the “big guns”.
President elect of the NRA, North, hit the campaign trail with Cagle on July 14 making three stops across the state to share with constituents why Cagle is the only candidate that will uphold the values of the NRA.
“I’m here because there is only one candidate for governor who has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association,” North said explaining his stance on Georgia’s heated gubernatorial race.
According to North, Cagle has “sterling record as supporter of the Second Amendment”. North went on to say that Cagle “is going to make sure that your gun rights and others are going to be defended when he’s in office as your Governor.”
Doting on Cagle’s record of fighting for the rights of gun owners in Ga., North also brought attention to Cagle’s support of firearms manufacturing and the jobs that have created in this field.
“He’s created the best, pushed through the best legislation, I think, in the country for giving you the right to defend yourselves,” North was met with cheers from the large crowd as he presented Cagle’s record on the Second Amendment.
North added, “I’m just reassured by what he’s already done, and what he’s committed to do.”
Constituents also got a peek into the private life of North as he shared personal stories of how the fight to defend the Second Amendment hits close to home threatening a long standing family tradition.
Casey Cagle with wife Nita stand beside North as he addresses the crowd.
North, grandfather to 17 grandchildren, shared this tradition, “I get to give them a present. The only present I get to give them. Everything else comes from Betsy (wife) and me.”
This present given by North when each child turns 14 is a box containing three items, a Bible, a map and compass, and a 20 gauge shotgun.
North labels each box with “There are three things in this box that you have got to learn how to use, and if you do learn to use all three things, you’ll never go hungry, you’ll never be lost and you need fear nothing, but you have to learn to use all three.”
Each child is then told to read Proverbs, one Proverb per day for a month. After this task is completed and understood, North teaches the children how to use the compass and map. The final item that the child can then master is the use of the shotgun.
North told of how each child must learn to take apart, put together and clean the firearm before they can tackle the task of learning to shoot.
A bonding experience for a grandfather and a grandchild, one which his family holds dear, North joked, “The kids call me by my first name…Colonel.”
But according to North this tradition is threatened and he pointed to the fact that a couple of states have already passed laws where it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to possess or purchase a firearm.
Speaking of Virginia, the Lt. Colonel’s current state of residence, North said, “If that happens in Virginia, you know where I’m moving? I’m moving right here.”
North concluded his endorsement with a request, “I want each one of you, if you would please, go out and find a family member and a co-worker and a neighbor and a friend. So now you’re talking four of each one that you know that’s not here today and get them to the polls on the 24th of July so that this man….”.
Upon saying this North turned to Cagle and was drowned out by cheers from the audience.
Cagle briefly shared his thoughts on North’s personal endorsement: “I just value, not only what he has done in his life but also what he is doing by standing up for the Second Amendment.”
Referring to North as a good friend and speaking of the encouragement that North has given him, Cagle simply added, “This man is a real patriot.”
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
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Kemp defeats Cagle for Republican nomination
Election, Election 2018 July 24, 2018
Blue Ridge, Ga. – After a heated runoff race, the results are in and Georgia’s Secretary of State Brian Kemp has beat out opponent Lt. Governor Casey Cagle for the Republican nomination.
What was polled as a tight race between the two candidates ended up being what some would consider a landslide victory for Kemp. Kemp received 69.46 percent of the vote statewide with Cagle pulling in 30.54 percent.
Kemp will now face the Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams for the seat of Georgia Governor.
Abrams and Kemp are not strangers, as they have gone head to head over election issues while Kemp has served as Secretary of State.
“All of these liberal groups that are going to be in play in Georgia supporting her (Abrams), I’ve fought,” Kemp said about his past experiences with Abrams.
Citing that he has already faced George Soros, Eric Holder, Thomas Perez, Common Cause Georgia and New Georgia Project, Kemp is confident that he can beat them again.
Kemp explained where some of these groups came into conflict with the Secretary of State office, “They sued us and several counties saying that we weren’t registering voters, 10 different counts. Then they wanted us to settle. I wouldn’t do it. I made them go to court and we won all 10 cases.”
“I know what’s coming,” Kemp said about his preparation for proceeding in the gubernatorial race. “I know how to fight.”
Raffensperger wins nomination for Secretary of State
Election, Election 2018 July 24, 2018
Blue Ridge, Ga. – Brad Raffensperger has defeated David Belle Isle in the July Runoff Election.
Raffensperger and Belle Isle vied for the Republican nomination to seek the seat of Georgia Secretary of State. The Secretary of State seat is open with no incumbent as current Secretary of State Brian Kemp moves forward in the gubernatorial race.
With all 159 counties reporting, Raffensperger was able to receive 61.76 percent of the vote while Belle Isle fell short only receiving 38.24 percent.
Raffensperger will move forward to the November General Election where he will face Democratic nominee John Barrow.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
Duncan wins tightest race in July Runoff
Election, Election 2018 July 24, 2018
Blue Ridge, Ga. – Geoff Duncan narrowly beats out David Shafer in the July Runoff Election.
In what was by far the closest race to take place during the runoff, Duncan beat out Shaffer by a mere 1672 votes. In some precincts across the state this race showed wins by a margin of only 2 votes.
Duncan and Shafer vied for the Republican nomination to seek the seat of Georgia Lt. Governor. The Lt. Governor seat is open with no incumbent as current Lt. Governor Casey Cagle chose to throw his name in the hat for the Republican nomination in the gubernatorial race.
With all 159 counties reporting, Duncan was able to receive 50.15 percent of the vote while Shafer fell short receiving 49.85 percent.
Duncan will move forward to the November General Election where he will face Democratic nominee Sarah Riggs Amico.
State Republicans will now move to a July Runoff
Election 2018, Politics May 23, 2018
Front-runner Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle will face Secretary of State Brian Kemp in General Primary Runoff.
BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – The Georgia Gubernatorial Race has heated up as Lt. Governor Casey Cagle will now face Secretary of State Brian Kemp in the July General Primary Runoff.
Cagle and Kemp emerged as front runners in the General Primary, with Cagle showing a slight edge over Kemp by receiving 39 percent of the votes (227,170 total votes). Kemp was not far behind having received 26 percent or 150,051 total votes.
The two candidates will move forward in a 9 week runoff and the winner of this race will move on to face Democrat Stacey Abrams in the Nov. General Election.
Abrams won, receiving 76 percent of the votes (373,829 total votes), over fellow democratic party candidate Stacey Evans.
While a Republican runoff was anticipated in the Georgia Gubernatorial race, other state elections saw similar fates.
Georgia Lieutenant Governor front-runner David Shafer fell shy of a clear win. Shafer pulled in a majority of the votes, 256,230 in total, but this was not enough to avoid a runoff. With Shafer only claiming 49%, he will now face Geoff Duncan in July.
Shafer took a commanding number of votes, but was just shy of a clean win, and will now face Duncan in July.
Duncan came in a distant second to Shafer receiving 27 percent of the votes (140,741 total votes).
The winner of this runoff will face Democrat Sarah Riggs Amico in the Nov. General Election. Amico pulled in 56 percent of the votes (245,325 total votes) defeating opponent Triana James who received 44 percent.
Campaigns have not ended for Brad Raffensperger or David Belle Isle as they will also face off for in the General Primary Runoff for Georgia Secretary of State.
Raffensperger received 35 percent of the votes (178,502 total votes), moving him into top position. Belle Isle, however, was not far behind having received 29 percent or 145,915 total votes.
Democrat John Barrow will face the winner of this runoff in the Nov. General Election. Barrow was able to make a clean win with 52 percent over challengers Dee Dawkins-Haigler and Rakeim Hadley.
The General Primary Runoff will take place July 24, 2018.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
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