Mitch Seabaugh: GOP domination of Fulton delegation an ‘innocent byproduct’
Senate Reapportionment Chairman Mitch Seabaugh told reporters this morning that a Republican map that would put Fulton County legislation under GOP control was an “innocent byproduct” of his effort to satisfy the demands of his Democratic and Republican colleagues.
Seabaugh made his remarks after Democrats in the Senate loudly complained of unfair treatment, but before his committee met to consider a new version of the chamber’s political boundaries – designed to give Republicans a constitutional majority after the 2012 elections. The map is expected to be passed out, for a floor vote as early as Thursday.
In addition to giving the GOP a decent chance at building a two-thirds majority, the map could also give Republicans control of the Fulton County delegation by adding portions of four Republican-leaning districts inside county lines.
As a rule, legislation affecting individual counties must pass through local delegations before reaching either chamber. In the case of Fulton, that could include some very hot issues – such as the reach of county government in a territory filled with new cities, and the creation of a new Milton County from north Fulton.
Currently, the Fulton County Senate delegation is dominated 4-3 by Democrats. The new map could change that to a 7-4 Republican edge.
Seabaugh said this was not intentional.
The Sharpsburg lawmaker said his own Coweta County district expanded into south Fulton after consultation with his Democratic colleague, Donzella James. “Her district was overpopulated and when I sat down and spoke with her, she identified a certain area of population that she was willing to give up,” Seabaugh said. The city of Chattahoochee Hills is now in his district.
(James denies this account. And in the subsequent committee meeting, declared Seabaugh’s version “a lie” — later revising her assessment to “an untruth.”)
In any case, Seabaugh told reporters, county legislative delegations aren’t a matter for those concerned with voting rights. “Delegations – they are an advisory position. Legislation comes, and basically they sign off on it. This does not in any way [result in] disenfranchisement of the members of that county and who they vote for,” he said.
Further, Seabaugh said that not all Republicans are in favor of the creation of Milton County.
The man in charge of reapportionment in the Senate also took issue with Democratic charges that they had been snookered out of offering amendments to the map.
Senate Democratic Leader Steve Henson of Tucker said Seabaugh told him late Monday that no Democratic changes had been offered as of 11 a.m. – 24 hours before today’s 11 a.m. meeting — and thus would not be considered.
Henson said the rule was a result of new rules adopted by the Senate to speed the redistricting process – at 10:51 a.m.
Seabaugh went to the well to note that the 24-hour rule was adopted by his committee last April – and that Henson, in a June letter, had acknowledge the rule’s existence. “I’m sorry. If you can’t read the rules, won’t read the rules, or won’t obey the rules, I am going to follow the rules,” Seabaugh said.
Henson later said that Seabaugh was “technically” correct. But he also said that, until the Senate changed the rules on Monday morning, the reapportionment committee couldn’t have scheduled a meeting so early. “If they hadn’t changed the rules, we couldn’t have had that meeting until Wednesday. They passed those rule changes at 10:51 a.m. on Monday. We had until 11 o’ clock to get our amendments. They gave us a nine-minute chance,” Henson said.
Update: On the drive home, Seabaugh called to say that Henson was still mistaken in his understanding of Senate rules, and that his reapportionment committee could still meet Tuesday without the Senate chamber rule change.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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138 comments Add your comment
Disgusted Republican
August 16th, 2011
11:51 am
If you expect “ethics” from politicians who are grasping for power and special interest campaign dollars you are whistling Dixie up a blind alley! But there is an up side! The previous state reapportionment by Georgia Democrats wound up giving the state to Republicans. Same thing happened in Florida some years ago. Wouldn’t it be nice if this time it wound up giving the General Assembly to independents who actually cared about the future of the state and its people? If folks worked hard they could put independents on the ballot by petition in most every legislative district and with the current mood of fed up voters they might really have a chance! Same thing could work in Congressional Districts! But most people would rather sit on their butts and complain than to go out and work to change a broken system. Shame…isn’t it?
td
August 16th, 2011
11:56 am
Disgusted Republican
August 16th, 2011
11:51 am
“Wouldn’t it be nice if this time it wound up giving the General Assembly to independents who actually cared about the future of the state and its people?”
Where is any body of evidence that lets you come to the conclusion that independents are going to be less corrupt then Republicans or Democrats? At least the two parties are somewhat bound by the tenets of their parties. Independents are not bound by anyone of anything.
dixiesdemons
August 16th, 2011
11:57 am
The GOTP is making a strong case for race riots in Georgia. Should be interesting since EVERYBODY owns a gun .
Obama's Mama Shadow
August 16th, 2011
11:57 am
When the good ole’ democrats were in office they did the same thing, so how does it feel now?
I am loving in and you will too when you loose your job!
FCM
August 16th, 2011
11:58 am
Maybe the GOP grew a pair and realized they had better do what the voters elected them to do.
Edumacation
August 16th, 2011
12:02 pm
So can you Republicans blame President Obama for Georgia’s woes also!! We will ALWAYS be at the top of the list as the state with the LEAST educated population! I am proud and edumacated!
td
August 16th, 2011
12:03 pm
dixiesdemons
August 16th, 2011
11:57 am
The GOTP is making a strong case for race riots in Georgia. Should be interesting since EVERYBODY owns a gun
How when after the next election there will be more African Americans in the legislature then anytime in history under the GOP plan?
testerbill
August 16th, 2011
12:06 pm
District lines should be drawn by a computer so they would be as political neutral as possible.
shayna
August 16th, 2011
12:08 pm
The committee meeting with public comments is being streamed live on ustream. Wish I knew an hour ago.
http://www.facebook.com/georgiademocrat?sk=app_196506863720166
Beowulf
August 16th, 2011
12:09 pm
These proposed maps are a lot less gerrymandered than the goofy districts drawn up by the Dems last time around. Perfect, no. How can you make them perfect? No solution will satisfy anyone. I prefer them to be as regional and naturally-shaped as possible. Our identity partially comes from where we live, there is no reason for a district to stretch from say Atlanta to Macon and only be 2 miles wide!
Rob
August 16th, 2011
12:10 pm
“Elections have consequences. (Democrats) lost, and (Republicans) won.”
That smug-@$$ quote ain’t so funny now, is it?
Centrist
August 16th, 2011
12:12 pm
testerbill posted: “District lines should be drawn by a computer so they would be as political neutral as possible.”
Computers are used now – but they are purposely biasedly programmed. The Voting Rights Act requires some bias to protect minority representation in Georgia and other states. The result is a concentration of Democrats in certain districts, and since Republicans are in the majority – even fewer districts have a chance at Democratic party representation.
MiltonMan
August 16th, 2011
12:27 pm
Barnes for Governor in 2014!
GOP record in GA
August 16th, 2011
12:28 pm
GA GOP record – state unemployment rate above national average; high school graduation rates just better than only Mississippi; most bank failures in the country; top five in the country for foreclosures; lost a pro sports team; lost a NASCAR race; losing businesses to Charlotte, etc. So, you want to reward these guys with a super-majority in the legislature?
j rev
August 16th, 2011
12:32 pm
@Centrist
“I supported his deal with Boehner, but liberal Democrat Senators made him take it back.”
Actually, the deal was killed because Boehner couldn’t get support from his own party.
rexdogma
August 16th, 2011
12:33 pm
Don’t worry, the reps are already in charge. they have ruined this state. i guess it would not hurt to take us down a little more. maybe i will move. who can they blame for all their problems.
rexdogma
August 16th, 2011
12:35 pm
another thing horray for chip rogers who was the only rep to score high on the truth o meter when he said we have one of the lowest graduation rates in the country. now that’s something to be proud of!!!
honested
August 16th, 2011
12:41 pm
GOP Record In GA,
I have found your statements to be a good way to get a loud mouthed republican to shut up a t a party.
Just ask them ‘When will your plans make anything better?’.
They tend to quietly slink away.
Centrist
August 16th, 2011
12:42 pm
j rev posted: “Actually, the deal was killed because Boehner couldn’t get support from his own party.”
You are either ill-informed or are engaging in revisionism. Boehner and Obama had a deal on spending cuts and $800 billion in revenue increases over 10 years. (There were still significant differences on triggers to make them real) Boehner had a hard sell to his side, but said those increases could be done by expanding the tax base, closing loopholes, and limiting deductions/ credits instead of tax rate increases. It was Obama who couldn’t sell it to Senate Majority Leader Reid and other Senate Democrats. Obama was made to renege and demand a 50% increase in revenue up to $1.2 trillion. Boehner walked away calling Obama the “Jello President”.
honested
August 16th, 2011
12:43 pm
GOP record in GA
You left out lost TWO major automobile manufacturing plants. But heck we didn’t want those union dollars flowing around in the economy anyway.
honested
August 16th, 2011
12:46 pm
centrist
So if the President faces the reality that revenue increases are necessary and the Speaker is unable to get his caucus to abandon their failed supply-side nonsense it is somehow the President’s fault?
Centrist
August 16th, 2011
12:52 pm
@ honested – The president campaigned on populist tax increases on the top producers who already pay the lions’ share of taxes when the recession started. He has consistently backed off. The Speaker moved from no tax increases to $800 billion over 10 years. There was a deal until the radical Democrat Senators revolted.
honested
August 16th, 2011
12:54 pm
centrist
I am sad the President backed down on any of the proposed increases on the ‘top producers’.
After all, it would be a shame if they were taxed at a rate equivalent to the percentage of WEALTH THEY CONTROL and benefit from.
td
August 16th, 2011
12:56 pm
honested
August 16th, 2011
12:46 pm
95% of Republicans are doing ok in Georgia, could be better but we realize that the we are suffering through the worst global recession since the great depression. It is the Democratic voters who are doing so well. The ones that chose not to get an education. The ones that chose to have babies out of wedlock. The ones with no job skills. You know the ones that make the state ranked at 49th in education.
DannyX
August 16th, 2011
1:01 pm
The Republicans in Georgia are great at political payback. What else can they do?
2010 growth in the state economy was in the bottom fifth. Unemployment remains high. Job growth neutral. Foreclosures still strong. Banks still failing. Property values dropping, property taxes rising. Education, near last.
Some very good deals have been announced. Deals that stuff money in the pockets of our state Republican leaders. Paybacks are a _____! Our Republican leaders are laughing all the way to the bank failures.
(The out of wedlock baby mill Palin family should be off limits td, shame on you.)
td
August 16th, 2011
1:04 pm
honested
August 16th, 2011
12:46 pm
centrist
So if the President faces the reality that revenue increases are necessary and the Speaker is unable to get his caucus to abandon their failed supply-side nonsense it is somehow the President’s fault?
There are several ways to increase revenue but the Dems only think you should punish the producers in society. Why should the top 10% of wage earners pay 50% of all taxes paid while the bottom 48% pay $0? What is wrong with selling off some more grazing rights to increase revenue? What is wrong with selling more drilling rights off the coast to raise revenue? How about us sell rights to drill in Alaska? Would these ideas not increase revenue by the corporations paying more money, creating jobs to increase the tax base and by decreasing food and gas cost so that consumers would have more money to spend at home?
Centrist
August 16th, 2011
1:07 pm
@ honested – The top 1% pay 40% of all income taxes collected while earning 20% of all income (over $380K). This is a greater share of the burden than the bottom 90 percent combined earning under $100,000. When the top marginal income tax rate was 70 percent in 1980, these taxpayers in the top 1% paid 20 percent of all income taxes, yet now, when the top marginal rate is 35 percent they pay twice that. Not too far below here begins the “Golden Goose” area of taxation of the well off with lots of revenue, relatively few voters, and little influence. The vast majority are being taxed on earned income, but are not the truly wealthy. They are in the top progressive tax bracket of 35%, and their exemptions and deductions are phased out raising their effective tax rates even more to the highest levels (more progressiveness in taxpaying than just the tax brackets). This is where most of the specialized schooled professionals and successful small business owners who create jobs fit. How much MORE of a “fair share” should they pay, and what will their reactions be in regard to employees be if they get hit with yet even greater taxes? Obama campaigned to increase taxes on almost everyone by returning to the Clinton brackets, and moved to the “golden goose” tax bracket starting at $200K individual/$250K per family, but has since backed off.
td
August 16th, 2011
1:10 pm
DannyX
August 16th, 2011
1:01 pm
“(The out of wedlock baby mill Palin family should be off limits td, shame on you.)”
You seem like a pretty intellegent person on these blogs my friend, so answer please answer these questions. Please name the top three indicators to being poor? What are the top two indicators of a person in jail?
honested
August 16th, 2011
1:18 pm
centrist
Nice shift, but I didn’t mention ‘income’ (as that is easily fudged under our current loophole system) I mentioned WEALTH CONTROLLED (and thereby economic power exercised over those of us in the lower 98%).
As a small business owner for over a quarter century, I understand the RESPONSIBILITY of control, and I benefit from it.
I am well versed in the tax code and I have no interest in debating it with you in excess verbosity.
I am simply attempting to point out that the President was correct in his CAMPAIGN in that those gaining most benefit should pay the most freight.
It is sad he backed off in any increment.
mike
August 16th, 2011
1:20 pm
Don’t you realize these repubs are taking Georgia back to the 40s, 50s and 60s by manipulating the vote. I heard they are going to put back up those white only signs in the capitol building on Jan1 next year.
honested
August 16th, 2011
1:22 pm
td
Increasing taxes will not bespoil any more coastline when the next drilling disaster occurs.
Why not impose a real carbon tax and decrease the need to create damage to the water we happen to need and the air we happen to need.
In the mean time, increase taxes to the 1999 era levels and see prosperity return.
BTW, if republicans are doing so well, why are the spending so much time whining about gaining access to taxpayer funding for their slapped together private schools?
honested
August 16th, 2011
1:23 pm
Mike,
The reality is they will replace ‘white’ with ‘adequately funded’.
It’s legal and it keeps away the unwashed.
Backwards Georgians
August 16th, 2011
1:23 pm
It’s sad when I read the comments here and 95% of them are Democrat vs. republican. Do you people not realize that wrong is wrong regardless what side of the coin it comes from. Georgia is full of Democrats and Republicans with no brain. Have an opinion on the actual politics and not winner. What is great about redistricting to benefit a certain group of voters or citizens. Many of you are so against the Dems in congress though i agree many are idiots, but a most don’t want to cut Social Security benefits and Medicare. I don’t know about ya’ll but black, white or green nothing hurts me more than seeing the elderly and kids mistreated. So please vote the issues, and fight the issues not the party. There are things I agree with the Republicans on and Democrates on. If yoou are a party voter regardless the issue more tahan likely your an ill informerd idiot. Since, you have more faith in those pliticians than your own significant other, which I can gurnatee you never agree with 100% of the time.
MiltonMan
August 16th, 2011
1:28 pm
liberals just ignoring the facts as usual. The high foreclosure rates are due to dumb democrats who think owning a house is a right of every American – Fair Housing Act; Barney Frank, etc. Most foreclosures are in, you guessed it, strong Democratic crap holes.
Georgia has always been a laggard in terms of education. When Democrats were in charge for 130+ years education in this state was worse than it is now. And you know what, you guessed it, the crappy educational areas are strong Democratic crap holes – Clayton, DeKalb, APS, etc.
td
August 16th, 2011
1:34 pm
honested
August 16th, 2011
1:22 pm
So what you are really saying is every job is not a good job in no matter how bad people are hurting, domestic oil production is so bad that increaseing jobs in this market is not worth the price?
This is where your argument about raising taxes and supporting more stimulus spending has no merit in mine or at least half of the country. Libs talk a big game about jobs but when the tire meets the road then they do not want to do what it takes to allow private industry to provide those jobs.
honested
August 16th, 2011
1:36 pm
Yo milton,
Where is the highest rated public school in the State?
What public school fields a team in the We The People (knowledge of the Constitution) annually that usually WINS?
Hint: It ain’t in north fulton.
Centrist
August 16th, 2011
1:37 pm
honested posted: “I mentioned WEALTH CONTROLLED (and thereby economic power exercised over those of us in the lower 98%).”
So how do you propose to redistribute the wealth? You mention the lower 98%, but it is really the lower 99.8% who aren’t rich earning over $1 million/year, and lower 99.9% who aren’t mega-rich earning over $2 million/year.
honested posted: “I am simply attempting to point out that the President was correct in his CAMPAIGN in that those gaining most benefit should pay the most freight.”
O.K., but the the debate is over who and how much. We already have a steep progressive tax system (steepest in the industrial world) with most well off paying most of the freight.
honested posted: “It is sad he backed off in any increment.”
Ah, there we have it. Your small business probably would not be affected by returning to Clinton’s tax rates. You sound as if you agree with populist class warfare campaign speeches.
honested
August 16th, 2011
1:39 pm
td
What?
Quite the logic leap.
Do you grind turnips to make apple sauce?
And by the way, even during the bush depression, I have created plenty of jobs.
How about you?
honested
August 16th, 2011
1:40 pm
centrist
I do agree with the populist aspect of the speeches.
So what?
td
August 16th, 2011
1:42 pm
MiltonMan
August 16th, 2011
1:28 pm
Hit them were it hurts, the truth. I will put up the standardized test scores from East cobb, North Fulton and Forsyth county against anyone in the country and they will compete. Our educational standards in Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina are not going to get better until we have a cultural change in the Democratic community.
Unemployment rates in Republican communities are below the national average, foreclosure rates in Republican communites are below the national averages.
td
August 16th, 2011
1:43 pm
honested
August 16th, 2011
1:39 pm
td
What?
Quite the logic leap.
Do you grind turnips to make apple sauce?
And by the way, even during the bush depression, I have created plenty of jobs.
How about you?
I hired 4 people last week and my profits are up for the year.
honested
August 16th, 2011
1:44 pm
centrist
What say we just return to the tax rates of 1999 (when REAL employment was full and REAL prosperity not dependent on military production) and see if the job creators will get back to the business of creating jobs as they did then.
yellowdog
August 16th, 2011
1:52 pm
blah blah blah……im with MUM; thank you for setting the record straight; all of this has nothing to do with the georgia citizen looking for work, paying theiir taxes; sounds like a lot of ego-thumping by nameless white males hanging on to their elusive “power.: what a joke. more of the same…….they are all the same bureaucrats they put down in their us and them game. nonsense.
Centrist
August 16th, 2011
1:58 pm
@ honested – there was no Bush depression. But there was/is a recession during the Obama administration whose roots came from the housing bubble created by Barney Frank and Chris Dodd Fannie Mae changes during the Bush administration and budget deficits that have ballooned a lot more since.
Populism is defined as sociopolitical thought that compares “the people” against “the elite”. The problem is when the elite are defined as professionals and small business owners taxed high with earned income, instead of the truly wealthy taxed at lower capital gains rates on unearned income.
DannyX
August 16th, 2011
2:15 pm
“But there was/is a recession during the Obama administration whose roots came from the housing bubble created by Barney Frank…”
OMG!!!!11OMG!!!11OMG!!!OMG!!!, (I stole that from Kyle,) Barney Frank! Barney Frank!
Barney Frank took advantage of many Republican Georgia lawmakers. They were all under his submissive control. Barney pinned Tom Graves to the floor and forced a 2 million dollar loan down his throat. Frank dominated the soon to fail bank execs. He had them on their knees, begging Frank to stop making them hand out signature loans to Republican leaders. Frank had them all tied up in his devious plot, they couldn’t escape.
It was brutal Centrist.
LMAO
August 16th, 2011
2:23 pm
Dog Squeeze to you teebeggers
td
August 16th, 2011
2:44 pm
Just read Mitch Seabaugh’s response to the democratic claims that they did not have enough time. “The rules were set in April”. Well this puts a whole new light on the matter. If the rules were set and the Dems did not meet the deadline then to bad. Your actions have consequences. Do they think they are above the law or were they trying to play some silly game in not submitting their maps until they could study the Republican maps.
ahhkee
August 16th, 2011
2:48 pm
Republicans won! dems lost! Get over it! Dems did the same thing to the Republicans that they are accusing the Republicans of doing to them when they controlled the State government back in 2001!
Centrist
August 16th, 2011
2:54 pm
That’s funny – I didn’t see anything in the AJC about the rules having been set in April. They say the rules only allowed for 9 minutes.
RoadRanger
August 16th, 2011
2:55 pm
So what’s wrong with marginalizing the moocher class at the state level? We can only pray that it happens on the national level in 2012 with the ouster of the Prince of Fools; otherwise, our nation will have a very ugly future, e.g., London on fire.