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By Jeff, on June 9th, 2010%
Governor Perdue, on the very last day he was able to, took the ax of his veto pen to roughly 25 bills yesterday – a FAR cry from the number of bills he signed. You can see the full list of every bill he vetoed in both 2009 and 2010 here.
Among the bills he axed that have already received much attention were Zero Based Budgeting, SB 291 (State Senator David Shafer’s gun bill), the JOBS bill, and a bill that would have enticed the construction of a $1 Billion indoor ski park – at Red Top Mountain/Allatoona Lake.
What is particularly interesting about the ski park bill is that the veto of it is being DECRIED by some fiscal conservatives. Yep. The same people that got all riled up about the “Bridge to Nowhere” in Alaska are now saying that Red Top Mountain – an area nearly as hot as it is down here in SWGA – needed a ski park that givernment needed to help fund. (And no, that was not a typo moments ago..)
Now for a brief discussion on some vetoed bills I haven’t seen as much discussion on…
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By Jeff, on June 6th, 2010%
Zero Based Budgeting was one of SWGAPolitics.com’s 2010 Legislative Priorities, and we assisted the fight to get it through the General Assembly – a fight our side won.
Now, Peach Pundit is putting forth that lame duck Governor Sonny Perdue, who will leave office in just over 7 months, is about to veto this much needed legislation.
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By Jeff, on April 5th, 2010%
Per an email I just got, it appears that the Lee County Sign Ordinance that snagged two Governor candidates and the sitting Governor recently is actually in violation of State Law itself.
You see, per an email I got about 30 minutes ago, OCGA 16-7-58(a)(2) states (emphasis mine)
It shall be unlawful for any person to place posters, signs, or advertisements: On any private property unless the owner thereof or the occupier as authorized by such owner has given permission to place such posters, signs, or advertisements on such property; and, provided, further that no municipal, county, or consolidated government may restrict by regulation or other means the length of time a political campaign sign may be displayed or the number of signs which may be displayed on private property for which permission has been granted;
This means that three clauses in particular of the Lee County Sign Ordinance are in direct violation of this State law. The relevant portion of the Lee County Sign Ordinance in question is contained in Section 70-645, which states (bold emphasis mine):
(b) Signs not requiring a permit. Except as otherwise provided, the following on-site signs may be erected without securing a sign permit, subject however, to meeting all other applicable county codes and regulations.
…
(13) Political signs provided as follows:
a. The sign shall not be displayed earlier than 60 days prior to the primary election, general election or referendum it concerns.
b. The sign must be removed no later than seven days following the date of the primary election, general election or referendum it concerns. The owner of the property on which the sign is located will be responsible for removing the sign; provided, however, that a property owner shall have no responsibility where the sign has been placed on his property without his consent.
c. The sign shall not be lighted, either directly or indirectly.
d. The sign shall be located entirely on private property. It shall not be located, in whole or in part, on any public lands or public right-of-way and shall not be located on any trees, rocks or like objects.
e. The number of signs displayed shall be restricted to one sign per premise per candidate or issue.
f. Political signs shall not exceed four square feet in area in residential districts. In all other zoning districts, political signs shall not exceed nine square feet.
g. The planning director, code enforcement administrator, or other designated county employee shall, without notice, immediately remove or cause to be removed any and all political signs in violation of this section. The removal will be at the expense of the property owner.
I have requested that the entire Lee County Sign Ordinance be suspended in its entirety pending further review, in an email which I sent to Lee County Clerk Christi Dockery, Lee County Administrator Alan Ours, and each member of the Lee County Commission. Also in this email, I requested that this subject be added to the Agenda for next week’s meeting, and that I be allowed to present a modified Sign Ordinance to the Commissioners. That email is below the fold.
Now, how does this affect John Oxendine, Ray McBerry, and Sonny Perdue (as well as all other candidates)? As it stands right now, any signs they put up are STILL in violation of the Lee County Sign Ordinance until I can get it suspended. Meaning that they are STILL breaking the law, even though the law in question is violating State law. This is not a matter the individuals in question can simply choose to ignore, however, as there are right and just procedures in effect for correcting this issue – namely, going before the Commissioners to have them amend the Ordinance, and failing that, a legal case before court of competent jurisdiction.
No, Ray, you can’t throw the Commissioners in jail on felony charges.
I will continue to update on this developing story.
Here’s the email I sent:
Continue reading Lee County Sign Ordinance Violates State Law
By Jeff, on April 2nd, 2010%
by the Lee County Sign Ordinance.
Driving around town over the past few days, I’ve noticed three rather large signs for two Governor candidates that have already had personal run-ins with the law: John Oxendine and Ray McBerry. There is also a similar sized sign from current Governor Sonny Perdue’s 2006 campaign.
Ox’s is in downtown Leesburg, roughly 50′ off the railroad tracks and within 5′ or so of Walnut Ave at the redlight in front of the Lee County Courthouse. It was erected within the past 48 hours, as it was not there when I was in town Weds, but was there when I came through town last night. McBerry’s is on a dilapidated billboard maybe 30-50′ off Hwy 82 in southern Lee County, near the Oakland Plantation area, and has been there for at least a few weeks now. It is on top of a 2006 sign from Governor Perdue.
Here’s the problem: all four signs violate the law, the Lee County Sign Ordinance.
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By a.coalson, on January 16th, 2010%
On Wednesday January 13th Governor Sonny Perdue gave his constitutionally required State of the State address. While the text of his speech was completely uninteresting, the people attending the event were the real story. Rather, those who had seats.
In the gallery of the House chamber all seats were reserved for the State of the State. During the general morning sessions citizens we seated and observed the proceedings, but were made to give up their seats and stand in the back of the room like second class citizens once the State of the State proceedings began.
So who were the seats reserved for? Not the people, even though the Governor’s website calls the Capitol, “The People’s House.” Here’s the breakdown:
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By Jeff, on January 3rd, 2010%
One issue I haven’t discussed yet has been the speculation and subsequent actual selection of who the new Secretary of State would be, to fulfill the remainder of the term Karen Handel abandoned.
Earlier this week, Governor Perdue gave a belated Christmas gift to Doug Macginnitie and Brian Kemp when he announced that he had selected his former Floor Leader State Rep Jim Cole (R-Forsyth) as the interim Secretary of State, and Cole announced that he would seek election to the full term of the post this November.
I honestly know nothing about Cole, so I went to the source I always go to for information about a current member of the General Assembly – LEGIS.
There, I looked at the bills he sponsored so far this term, with particular emphasis on the bills he authored himself. It is these bills, the ones he authored himself (or at least takes official credit for doing so), that I want to point out to you:
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By Jeff, on May 4th, 2009%
I have just been informed that Governor Perdue has signed HB 227 into law as of last Friday.
This is a VERY good law that allows people who are victims or potential victims of family violence to not risk their lives by registering to vote. Basically, it says that if you have a protective or restraining order or are a verified resident of a family violence shelter, you can request that your voter registration data not be made public. Continue reading Project VoteSafe
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