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Ringgold, GA — In spite of severe threats to intimidate and coerce, none of the brave Catoosa GOP leaders were forced to spend time in jail as a result of their refusal to obey an unlawful order from a local judge attempting to force them to qualify RINO candidates. For the third time this week, Judge Don W. Thompson‘s bias was on full display this morning as he refused to let the Catoosa County GOP present any oral arguments in legal defense of their decision not to qualify these candidates as Republicans in the Republican Primary for county commissioner. The first courtroom hearing was held at 9:00 am Tuesday morning, but the Catoosa GOP’s attorneys were not made aware of the first hearing until it had already happened. The judge at that time ordered the Catoosa GOP to allow the candidates to qualify as Republicans in the primary.

No one was preventing them from running as a Democrat, third-party, or Independent. They were simply denied the Republican label. The Democratic Party of Chattooga County rejected a candidate seeking to run as a Democrat commissioner back in 2014, thereby setting a precedent for this decision.

The Catoosa GOP had previously adopted a rule that invites candidates to be interviewed, and their voting records in office examined, along with their public statements, prior to the members of the Executive Committee holding a vote to qualify. The votes were cast by secret ballot. Those who were allowed to qualify were issued affidavits, in accordance with the rules of the local party. In the view of the majority of the members of the Catoosa GOP Executive Committee, four candidates, with a voting history from previously serving on the county commission, advanced several policies contrary to the principles and policies specified in the Republican Party platform. The four candidates are Vanita Hullander, Jeff Long, Steven Henry and Larry Black.

“When you do things such as pass two tax increases, pass restrictions on citizens’ raising chickens on their private property, publicly endorse a Democrat, and tell folks that they can only get their freedom back if they get a COVID vaccine,” said GRA President Nathaniel Darnell, “you shouldn’t be surprised when the local GOP leadership considers you a RINO and doesn’t want to re-qualify you to run as Republican with their stamp of approval.”

While these candidates complained that the Catoosa County GOP leadership was trying to help their favored candidates, that accusation was disproven when the Catoosa GOP qualified two or more candidates for the same race for various seats. The Catoosa GOP clearly stated, “The Catoosa County Republican Party proudly welcomes all county citizens who share our common conservative values and support our Republican principles.”

Judge Thompson held a second hearing at 1:00 pm Thursday, but again the judge refused to allow the Catoosa GOP’s attorneys to present oral arguments. Instead, the judge only allowed the attorneys for the complaining candidates to cross examine Catoosa GOP Chairman Joanna Hildreth on the witness stand. Three of their five attorneys took turns hammering her, demanding that she identify the names of the other members of her Executive Committee, and asking how she personally voted in the secret ballot. One attorney accused her of “celebrating” the denial of the candidates at her monthly county GOP meeting Monday evening, even though the matter never was mentioned at all there.

At the conclusion of that second hearing, Judge Thompson offered to let the attorneys for the Catoosa GOP call for other witnesses. When attorney Catherine Bernard said they had no other witnesses, the judge proceeded to give his ruling. Bernard attempted to interject, asking why they had not been given an opportunity to present closing oral arguments on the legal merits of their client’s position. The Judge said he was in the middle of his ruling, and would not be interrupted.

He doubled-down on his order to the Catoosa County GOP, specifying that each of the six members of the Catoosa GOP Executive Committee would be fined $1,000 per hour for each of the four rejected candidates, and face up to 20 days of jail time, until the candidates were allowed to quality as Republicans in the primary. Yes, these courageous GOP volunteers were staring jail time in the face, all for standing on the constitutional right of freedom of association, that says government may not force a private entity to associate with someone against their will. He also specified that two police deputies wearing body cams would accompany the candidates as they attempted again to qualify.

As he was concluding Thursday, the Judge remarked to the attorneys for the RINO candidates that he didn’t think the Catoosa GOP would comply, and so he asked if they had any other remedies that could be pursued. Attorney Bryan Tyson replied that there was no other way they could qualify apart from the Catoosa GOP complying because state code O.C.G.A. § 21-2-153(c)(2) specifies the local board of elections office can only qualify if a three-day notice requirement is met, but there was only one more day left to qualify.

After the second hearing adjourned, the four candidates did attempt once again to show up at the Catoosa GOP qualifying office and demand to be approved. They were accompanied by the police deputies. The volunteer notary on duty said she could not allow them to qualify without the affidavit required by the rules.

Since their effort to intimidate the GOP leaders failed, Tyson and the other opposing attorneys showed up Friday morning in court in Catoosa and contradicted their admission from the previous day that they had no recourse to go around the county party. The Judge ruled in favor of that approach, and told the opposing counsel to draft the order, and let him approve it for issue. The written order admits that they are violating the notice requirements in the state code, but alleges that they have no choice but to break the law.

Many wondered if any of the Catoosa GOP leadership would be arrested at the third hearing. No arrests were ordered, but a new hearing has been scheduled for March 27th.

Before the written order had been drafted, approved by the judge, and issued for the Catoosa GOP to be able to respond with any contrary motions, the local elections superintendent had already acted to qualify the the complaining candidates. It is yet to be seen whether a majority of the Catoosa Board of Elections will vote to approve the qualifying as Republicans in the primary or deem it to be against the law. If they do approve, then there will be other legal remedies available. The Catoosa GOP pledged to continue to work with their legal counsel to appeal Judge’s Thompson’s order and take the case before a different court.

Support the Catoosa County Republican Party in this law-fare case by donating to their GiveSendGo here: https://www.givesendgo.com/supportjoannahildreth/.

Ronald Reagan is often quoted as saying, “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is an 80 percent friend and not a 20 percent enemy.” It’s not a bad guide. The problem is that so many alleged “Republicans” in the legislature do not adhere to Republican principles from our platform even 80% of the time!

You can test that by looking at their voting score in each legislative session. Last year, only three Republicans in the state legislature scored above 80 percent. Most scored less than 50 percent! That’s just dismal.

With Crossover Day looming Thursday, so-called “Republicans” in the legislature once again have the opportunity to “earn their stripes” or “pay their dues” (and all those other kinds of phrases they like to throw at the grassroots volunteers who campaign for them) by proving they really are Republicans. They need to do it by voting for Republican policies and against Democrat policies.

But so far overall during this year’s legislative session, the Republican majority in the state legislature is not giving us much reason to be impressed.

One of the absurd bills presented by a group of four “Republican” legislators and a Democrat was H.B. 1117, which would have empowered non-citizens to become law-enforcement officers! Thankfully, due to outcry from the grassroots, the sponsors of this bill withdrew it from consideration.

Sen. Colton Moore the Only Senator to Vote “No” to $5 Billion Spending Increase

As another example, however, last week the State Senate passed a $5 Billion SPENDING INCREASE, which will eventually fall back on Georgia taxpayers to foot the bill, even while we have a surplus of funds taken from taxpayers to increase the state’s reach in expanding government programs.

At least ONE State Senator said “NO!” Thank you to GRA-endorsed State Senator Colton Moore (R-Dade) for being a true principled Republican! Bold and brave is how we should be, so we can fight the overspending of our civil government!

Some legislators claimed they had no choice but to vote for the budget since it is an omnibus, blaming the Governor. But Republicans in the Senate could have compelled the Governor to the bargaining table by voting the proposed budget down.

Many will recall that Senator Moore was kicked out of the Senate Republican Caucus by caucus leaders who love to quote Reagan’s 80% rule when it benefits them, but refuse to apply it to themselves when dealing with a more conservative Republican. They have still not made any apologies to Senator Moore or readmitted him back into the caucus even though his serious concerns about corrupt Democrat D.A. Fani Willis continue to be validated.

H.B. 986 with Its Anti-Free Speech Provisions Passes Thanks to Help from the Uniparty

Yet another nasty piece of legislation that passed the State House a few days ago over protests from the GA Freedom Caucus was H.B. 986. As Mallory Staples reported, this bill includes provisions to cancel citizens who exercise their free speech rights to critique candidates during an election.

We already have safeguards in the law against defamation, slander, and libel. But his statute could empower the state to silence critics of incumbents in a timely fashion as an election approaches. It sounds like it was written by the same statist liberals who have been leading the cancel culture for Facebook and Twitter the last few elections. Forget about Facebook jail. These folks want to send you to actual jail!

Thanks to State Reps. Charlice Byrd (R-Cherokee), Carter Barrett (R-Forsyth), Johnny Chastain (R-Blue Ridge), Brent Cox (R-Dawsonville), Emory Dunahoo (R-Gillsville), Chris Erwin (R-Homer), Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville), Mitchell Horner (R-Ringgold), Rey Martinez (R-Loganville), Danny Mathis (R-Cochran), Martin Momtahan (R-Dallas), and Rick Townsend (R-Brunswick) for voting against this bad bill. That’s only 13 Republicans to vote “no” out of the 100 in the caucus. The bill passed due to support from Democrats and the other so-called “Republicans.”

Call your state senators and urge them to kill this bill when it reaches their chamber.

OTHER KEY LEGISLATION

While the RINO majority in control of the state legislature is using their power to railroad bad statist bills like these above through, many other good bills in sync with Republican principles are being stalled — not even being allowed a hearing or vote in committee in most cases! 

Thursday is Crossover Day, and that is important because it is the last day a bill can clear its originating chamber and move to the other chamber for consideration. Meaning, if a bill fails to pass one chamber before the end of Crossover Day, it will not be passed this legislative session. Here are some key bills:

• S.B. 416 — Sponsored by Sen. Colton Moore, this bill would reform the RICO law in GA to make it hard for corrupt district attorneys like Fani Willis to use the law to harass people on frivolous charges. 

• S.B. 88 — This legislation would prevent school personnel from promoting ideas on gender identity and transition without parents’ informed consent. Learn more here.

• H.B. 897 — Known as the “Medical Freedom Act,” this bill would restore the freedom of Georgians to make their own health decisions. Unfortunately, this bill is stuck in Rep. Sharon Cooper‘s (R-Cobb) Public Health Committee, and if it does not get a hearing it will die.

• H.B. 496 & H.R. 413 — Sponsored by State Reps. Charlice Byrd and Emory Dunahoo, these pieces of legislation would protect all the preborn from murder from the moment of fertilization. But both the Prenatal Equal Protection Act and the state constitutional amendment equivalent have been ignored by Cobb County’s Sharon Cooper, who chairs the Public Health Committee. She will not even allow them a hearing.

• S.B. 67 — Known as the Second Amendment Preservation Act, this legislation would ban any public officer or employee of the state and its political subdivisions from enforcing any past, present, or future federal “acts, laws, executive orders, administrative orders, rules and regulations” that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms. It was reassigned to a new committee so it would have a hearing, but it continues to be ignored.

• H.B. 17 & H.B. 426 — Although there are a plethora of election reform bills that have been submitted (some of them good, and some of them dangerous), these are two bills that our friends at VoterGA have highlighted for support to better secure chain of custody for ballots and ensure ballots are not destroyed or tampered with when verification has not been completed. 

• H.B. 1105 — This legislation would institute criminal penalties for sanctuary cities of illegal aliens in Georgia. It has been reported that 182 illegals are currently in Georgia jails for murder — just like what happened to Laken Hope Riley.

Contact your elected officials in both the State House and the State Senate and urge them to pass these valuable pieces of legislation through their chamber before the conclusion of Crossover Day. If they do not support them, they deserve to be primaried.

Although some folks like to say that the main objective of the Republican Party is to ensure people with a “Republican” label on the ballot win elections, that is not true. Elections are only a means to an end. The actual main objective of the Republican Party is to enact Republican principles and policies into law. If we’re not accomplishing that — no matter how many elections we’ve won — then we are actually losing. In fact, we are doubly losing because we are voluntarily giving up our time, energy, money, and talent to help the enemy achieve their objectives! Let that sink in. 

Republicans have had majority control of the Georgia state legislature for roughly 20 years. We should have been advancing Republican principles by leaps and bounds during that time. But why does it seem its Democrats who are so often getting their way?

Therefore, as we approach candidate qualifying the first full week of March, and the kickoff to primary season, we encourage new candidates to challenge many of the RINO incumbents in our legislature. We also encourage our local Republican Assembly chapters to hold endorsement conventions and support candidates who can beat bad incumbents. Finally, we encourage local GOP organizations to refuse to allow incumbents with voting records blatantly contrary to Republican policies and principles to qualify to run again as Republicans. Just stop feeding the RINOs.