State Feed: Georgia

Signature Fraud in Georgia Investigated

Staff — Fri, 27 May 2011 15:55:00 -0400

Claims of petition signature fraud are often used as the basis for passing laws that severely restrict citizen initiative rights. Citizens in Charge and Citizens in Charge Foundation have widely publicized the fact that those claims are usually proven to be false, and our report, “Is the F-Word Overused?” highlights that fact.

However, just because petition signature fraud is rare and often over-exaggerated that does not mean it never occurs. Case in point, it seems a case of fraud in Georgia is finally being investigated by state officials:

Georgia Gets 'D' From Voter Rights Group

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:49:00 -0500

Georgia received a poor grade for its statewide voter initiative rights, according to a Virginia-based national voter rights group. The non-partisan organization, dubbed Citizens in Charge Foundation, stamped the Peach State with a ‘D’ on its 2010 report card because state residents “do not have any statewide initiative and referendum rights,” according to its report called The 2010 Report Card on Statewide Voter Initiative Rights. The report did note “a majority of state citizens do enjoy local initiative and referendum rights.”

Georgia: General Assembly Notebook

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:40:26 -0500

State gets big fat F on voter-initiative-rights report card: Citizens in Charge Foundation, a transpartisan national voter-rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, released its Virginia Report in the 2010 Report Card on Statewide Voter Initiative Rights on Thursday, and Virginia received an F in the rendering by Citizens in Charge.

Read the story from the Augusta Free Press

Proposed police ballot measure doesn't pass council

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:54:59 -0500

Right idea, wrong time. That was the consensus among the Lathrop City Council members on a proposal to put a ballot measure before the voters in the November 2010 elections aimed at raising local sales taxes to fund police services.

Read the story from the Manteca Bulletin

Voting open for November tax initiative

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:41:29 -0400

Early voting for the upcoming November election is now open, and it has been since Oct. 12. 1 call it an election, but actually we aren’t electing anyone, at least not in unincorporated Fayette County. What we are doing is deciding whether or not to extend the current Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) past its original deadline. The current tax was approved back in 2003 for the purpose of building and repairing roads in the county.

Bill to allow Georgia voters to decide fate of state inventory tax

Thu, 14 May 2009 10:39:02 -0400

Georgians will get to decide whether to give many Georgia businesses a tax break. This week, the Governor signed a bill that will let voters decide whether to repeal the state’s inventory tax.

Read the story from WALB10

Voters Approve Liquor Sales in Georgia Referendum

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:22:34 -0400

Voters in Social Circle, GA this week approved the sale of liquor by the drink. Eleven percent of the city’s registered voters turned out to approve sales by a 63 percent margin.

Read the story from the Walton Tribune

Dodge County, GA Citizens Engage in Historic Recall Effort

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:16:54 -0400

A group attempting to recall four members of the Board of Education have secured Dodge County’s first-ever recall application. The group leading the recall has 15 days to collect signatures and then must reappear before a judge.

Read the story from WMGT-TV

Group won't appeal ruling on affirmative action law

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:24:12 -0500

A group opposed to Nebraska’s affirmative action law says it won’t appeal a judge’s rejection of their lawsuit challenging the validity of petition signatures

David Kramer, spokesman for Nebraskans United, says the judge’s ruling still leaves questions about whether a petition circulator has to read the entire object statement to each signer.

Cagle Won't Stand In Way of Statewide Vote On Sunday Alcohol Sales

Tue, 20 May 2008 13:07:36 -0400

There is an exchange program of sorts that takes place on either side of the Chattahoochee River at Columbus.

On the Georgia side, Alabama residents come across the bridge to buy Georgia lottery tickets, while Georgians go on Sunday to buy package beer and wine at the Piggly Wiggly in Phenix City, Ala.

Jim Tudor would like to see one part of that exchange, the Georgians buying beer in Alabama, come to an end.