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GOP Hijacks Local Legislation
ATHENS’ TWO REPUBLICAN REPS HAVE SIDELINED THE LONE DEMOCRAT
By Marci White news@flagpole.com
Athens-Clarke County is sliced and diced
into five state legislative districts (yes, ger
rymandering). We have three state House
districts and two state Senate districts.
Only one of those districts is
predominantly Democratic,
because the others have been
drawn to include big rural
areas outside of ACC in order
to dilute the Democratic
vote.
In Clarke County, 70%
of voters typically vote for
Democratic candidates. If
the districts were drawn in
a way to allow our voters’
priorities to be represented
in the state legislature, we’d
be sending two Democratic
state House reps and one
Democratic state senator to
the Capitol.
But because of the
gerrymandering done by
our GOP-controlled state
legislature, we now have
four Republicans and one
Democrat in the legislature,
supposedly representing
Athens. Only we all know
that the GOP state reps
don’t care about Athens,
and in fact, at times have
worked to actively under
mine our elected officials and
sovereignty.
Now they’re taking
things to a whole new level.
Normally, there’s a process
by which our mayor and commissioners will
ask the state lawmakers who represent ACC
to pass a state law that affects only ACC,
which entails our state delegation agreeing
unanimously on the issue. For instance, in
2017 the mayor and commission wanted to
expand the official borders of downtown so
that the Athens Downtown Development
Authority could expand its tax base.
Everyone agreed this was desirable, so they
asked all the state legislators who represent
parts of Athens to write up a bill making
the change. All five legislators then agreed
that it was a good idea and they would all
vote for it, and the official borders of down
town were changed.
“It was a locally negotiated agreement,
and not everyone got what they wanted,”
said Rep. Spencer Frye (D-Athens), “but
we worked together as a team and made it
happen.”
This process of unanimity ensured that
the elected leaders of Athens-Clarke County
were the drivers of any state law written
specifically for their county. If an agreement
was not unanimous, it would not even be
brought up for a vote.
But now all that’s changed, because GOP
state Reps. Houston Gaines and Marcus
Wiedower have changed how the five-per
son caucus works. They have made it so
majority rules in all decisions regarding
Athens and state law. This means that our
lone Democratic representative, Frye, has
no say whatsoever.
Gaines and Wiedower have also decided
to completely bypass our mayor and com
missioners, writing new
laws that the M&C have
not requested and have
no input on.
Gaines and Wiedower
filed legal notices in our
local paper indicating
that they would “rees
tablish and reconstitute the ACC Board of
Elections.” (Our current board is dominated
by Democrats, and evidently, our GOP state
reps would like to flip that.) The deadline
passed Monday without them filing such a
bill, but they could do so during next year’s
legislative session.
The other bill would change the local
homestead exemption to lower property
taxes. This could have a significant effect on
the smallest county in the state, where 50%
of the land is owned by the state (UGA), the
school district or churches and so pay no
property taxes.
This last measure could be a reaction to
ACC leadership’s efforts to create a special
property tax freeze for low-income Athens
homeowners, making it easier for them to
stay in their homes and not be forced out by
gentrification and rising taxes. As usual, the
GOP wants to give a tax break to the people
who need it the least. And this time, they’re
willing to usurp local government control
to do it.
This new power grab by Gaines and
Wiedower has weighty implications for local
control of Athens. The state government
has control over commission and Board of
Education districts, the Board of Education
charter, the charter for the Board of
Elections and the charter of Athens-Clarke
County itself.
Until recently, all changes were driven by
our locally elected officials. Not anymore.
Rep. Houston Gaines has also proposed a
statewide law that would limit how munic
ipalities are allowed to budget for their
police departments. He is basically claiming
that the city leaders we elected—in one
of the most highly educated counties in
the state—are inept and untrustworthy.
Gaines, who received only 41% of the vote
in ACC and who clearly has his ambitious
eye on bigger things—remember that his
vote was crucial to passing abortion restric
tions a couple of years ago—has said ACC’s
“radical” local govern
ment is “out of control”
and “putting lives at
risk.” This is the pretext
he’s using to negate
our elected leaders and
silence our voices.
Not only that, but
Gaines and Wiedower have concocted their
plans behind closed doors, with no trans
parency whatsoever.
“I am deeply disappointed by the actions
of the new delegation,” said Rep. Frye.
“I understand it was a tough election for
everyone, but petty politics doesn’t serve
anyone. I would hope we could move for
ward with the important task of getting
Athens vaccinated and back to school and
work.”
Call our legislators to let them know
what you think:
• Rep. Houston Gaines (R-117): 404-656-
0298 or houston.gaines@house.ga.gov
• Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-119): 404-656-
0325 or marcus.wiedower@house.ga.gov
• Rep. Spencer Frye (D-118): 404-656-0265
or spencer.frye@house.ga.gov
• Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-46): 404-463-1366 or
bill.cowsert@senate.ga.gov
• Sen. Frank Ginn (R-47): 404-656-4700 or
frank.ginn@senate.ga.gov ©
Rep. Spencer Frye (D-Athens)
I understand it was
a tough election for
everyone, but petty politics
doesn’t serve anyone.
Nancee Tomlinson
Attorney at Law
Experienced advocate for
individuals in criminal,
juvenile, and probate matters
Tomlinson-lawfirm.com
706-200-1777
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6 FLAGPOLE.COM | MARCH 31, 2021