 The Georgia statehouse convenes today, and Republican legislators are pushing to eliminate "no-excuse" absentee voting, require photo ID for absentee voting, and outlaw drop boxes, among other efforts to disenfranchise voters. As the Atlanta Business Chronicle recently noted, "Since the Nov 3 presidential election, baseless claims about rampant voter fraud in the state have been a cause of concern for many Georgians. Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) will appoint a special committee in the House to address election integrity, he announced at a press conference on Jan 7.
"Republican representatives hope to pass legislation this session that will “restore trust” in the election process, Senate Majority Whip Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) said during a roundtable discussion hosted by law firm Dentons.
"The debate among lawmakers about how to do that will likely be intense, as Senate Minority Caucus Chair Elena Parent (D-Atlanta) made it clear that Democrats view the elimination of no-excuse absentee ballots as 'abject voter suppression.'" [Read more here.]
As the Savannah Morning News stated today, "Fearing for their own futures and that of the party, Republicans in the Legislature will push for voting changes that will make casting ballots harder in the session that starts Monday. They are using President Donald Trump’s baseless fraud narrative as justification for an overhaul, and because the GOP holds the majority in both the House and the Senate, changes are likely." [Read more here.]
The Skidaway Island Democrats will be focusing in 2021 on expanding voting rights and reinvention of Georgia's crumbling healthcare system.
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Note: if you don’t know what state legislative district you’re in, check: openstates.org/find_your_legislator. Then, after Jan 11 when legislators newly elected and continuing will have been officially installed, you can check the (newly renovated) General Assembly website to find your legislators’ contact info: www.legis.ga.gov. Finally: a reminder that you can track bills, check hearing calendars, and even live-stream hearings from the same website. [h/t 159 Georgia Together]
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 One of the leading proponents of "baseless claims about rampant voter fraud" is our own 1st Congressional District Representative, "Buddy" Carter ( below, left). |
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Last Wednesday, Carter rose in the House of Representatives — AFTER the shameful desecration of the U.S. Capitol by seditious supporters of President Trump — not once, but twice, to agree to objections to recognizing Joe Biden as the lawfully elected 46th President of the United States . In December, he filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of the Texas v. Pennsylvania, et al. case, which sought to overturn the results of the Presidential election in four states, INCLUDING Georgia.
Many of his 1st District constituents are advocating confronting Carter during his appearances this week before the Kiwanis at the Palmetto Club ballroom at The Landings and on Wednesday at 3 pm at his office in Savannah (6602 Abercorn St, #105B).
While recognizing the rightfully strong feelings his abhorrent behavior has elicited, the Skidaway Island Democrats are obliged to point out that any demonstration within The Landings would be in violation of TLA's and the Club's rules and regulations. Further, we encourage anyone attending the rally at his office to be mindful and respectful of the other tenants in Carter's building.
[For a refutation of erroneous voter fraud allegations, read more here.]
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 Now this, from the Presidential Inaugural Committee for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris:
The National Day of Service for the Inauguration of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris will celebrate and honor the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 18, 2021. The National Day of Service is an opportunity for all Americans to unite and serve at a time when the global pandemic calls on all of us to work together and support our communities. No matter where you are, you have an opportunity to give back and the agency to do so. Most volunteer activities only require an hour or two of your time, and all events will be virtual or socially distanced, in accordance with CDC protocol.
For more information, visit day-of-service.
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 We note with melancholy the note we received Saturday from Gwen Jordan, which read in part:
...We turned Georgia blue, and even more importantly, we stood up for Democracy! This a real reason to celebrate and congratulate each other. On this high note, it seems to be an appropriate time for me to resign from my role as co-chair of Skidaway Democrats. I will step down from this leadership role, but, always a Democrat, I will continue to work with all of you on important issues and projects….
The Skidaway Island Democrats wish to recognize the leadership Gwen has provided, congratulate her on a well-deserved rest following a most challenging year, and look forward to working closely with her as we all confront the many and difficult tasks of 2021 and beyond.
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We'd like to take this opportunity to apprise you of several issues and events of immediate importance. First, our kickoff membership meeting for 2021:
