I’m working on several other very positive things for SWGA Politics right now, but I did want to mention everything that has happened with HB 800, the Albany/Dougherty Consolidation bill. The official vote record can be found here, where it should be noted that of the Representatives I normally track closely here on SWGA Politics, only Reps. Dukes and Greene voted ‘nay’ on the bill. Everyone else voted ‘yea’, specifically meaning Reps Cheokas, Fullerton, Hanner, Harden, Powell, and Rynders.
Also, local media has some very excellent coverage of all of yesterday’s events regarding this bill, and I’m going to point y’all out to them.
The Albany Herald editorial that should run in today’s paper edition can be found here, and says almost exactly what I would say. The Herald and I maintain that we don’t have a position on the consolidation itself, simply that voters should be allowed to decide their own fate, and that they should be allowed to do so in a primary or general election no later than the general election of 2010. The Herald also has an actual report on the issue as well – one that I would assume may very well be front-page coverage in their print edition.
Moving into the TV news realm, WALB has a report on Senator Sims opposing giving the citizens the right to vote on Consolidation and Albany Mayor Dr. Willie Adams’ reaction to the Consolidation Vote.
Finally, WFXL offers this report by Jana Barnello.
I could have sworn that Ms Powell Sims was reported on WALB as not having signed onto the bill. Now I’m confused. Oh well, if we get a vote, I’ll be satisfied.
Tom:
That’s exactly what the WALB report says.
However, in the email I posted earlier this week, she appeared to SUPPORT such a vote.
Yeah, I’m confused here too.
Right now, it looks like the citizens of Albany and Dougherty County will NOT get to vote on the issue.
Why is it so hard for these people to allow citizens to vote on their own governance? Didn’t we fight a war a couple hundred years ago that basically was about the same thing?