I hope you enjoyed the long Memorial Day weekend, despite the rainy weather here in Atlanta.
Ever wonder why Memorial Day falls at the end of May, since the date doesn’t line up with the end of any specific war? It turns out the federal holiday was established in 1971, but its origins go back to right after the Civil War, when both Southerners and Northerners would lay flowers on the graves of dead soldiers for Decoration Day.
The first official observance of Decoration Day was on May 30, 1968 at Arlington National Cemetery. James Garfield, a former Union general and Ohio Congressman (and future US president) gave the first Decoration Day address. “Two centuries of freedom had made its people unfit for despotism. They must save their Government or miserably perish,” he said.
Garfield also gave a shoutout to the radical abolitionist John Brown, who was hanged for his failed raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown aimed to arm a slave rebellion.
“In lessons that could not be misunderstood, the Nation was taught that God had linked to our own, the destiny of an enslaved race — that their liberty and our Union were indeed ’one and inseparable.’ It was this that made the soul of John Brown the marching companion of our soldiers,” Garfield said.
Brown’s failed raid inspired the song we know today as The Battle Hymn of The Republic. I’m not a religious person, but even I think — as the kids say these days — that these lyrics still slap:
“In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.”
Okay, onto the news.
Early voting starts today for PSC primaries
🗳️ Early voting starts today and runs through June 13 for the June 17 primary election for Public Service Commission Districts 2 and 3. Both seats are statewide races, so all eligible Georgia voters can vote in both races.
For those casting a Republican ballot, the District 2 race is between incumbent commissioner Tim Echols and challenger Lee Muns. In the District 3 race, Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson is running uncontested.
In the Democratic primary, Alicia Johnson is challenging incumbent Republican Echols in District. 2. For District 3, there is a four-way race for the seat currently held by Republican Fitz Johnson – between Daniel Blackman, Peter Hubbard, Robert Jones or Keisha Sean Waites.
🧠 Does it sound a little confusing? Here is some info about the candidates and what’s at stake. For early voting locations, check with your county elections office. And you can verify your voter registration at the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.
Meet the PSC candidates
Join us for the Georgia Public Service Commission candidate forum tonight at 7 p.m. All eight candidates have been invited, and FOX 5’s Christopher King will moderate.
Atlanta Civic Circle is hosting the forum with the ACLU of Georgia, Cobb County the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, and others. It will be held at the Atlanta Area Council of Scouting for America, located at 1800 Circle 75 Parkway.
Don’t miss the opportunity to hear directly from the PSC candidates about how they will regulate Georgia’s utilities, including Georgia Power.
→ Register here to attend in person or to receive the livestream link.
Public hearings this week for Atlanta’s tax millage rate
The Atlanta City Council will hold two public hearings tomorrow about the city of Atlanta’s tax millage rate. There are two slots for public comment: 12 p.m to 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.. The hearing will be at the Marvin Arrington Council Chambers at City Hall, located at 55 Trinity Ave.
The city council’s budget commission is scheduled to meet at 11:30 a.m. on June 2 to adopt the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget. The meeting will be in the Larry Dingle Committee Room at City Hall.
All city council hearings are live-streamed on the council’s YouTube channel.
WHAT WE’RE READING
Fulton County commissioners say ‘no’ to GOP election deniers
The Fulton County Commission voted 5-2 last week to reject the Fulton Republican Party’s two nominees, Julie Adams and Jason Frazier, to the county election board. It approved the two nominees from the Fulton Democratic Party: Teresa Crawford and Douglass Selby.
The move was not unprecedented, since both Adams and Frazier have a track record as election deniers. “It is of course possible to work with the GOP,” said Commissioner Mo Ivory at the May 21 meeting. “It’s not possible to work with folks that are trying to sow chaos.”
Adams, a current Fulton Election Board member seeking reappointment, controversially refused to certify Fulton’s primary elections in May 2024.
Fulton Commissioner Dana Barrett said the county commission rejected Frazier for his “record of voter suppression.” This is the second time the county commission has rejected Frazier’s nomination. His initial rejection in 2023 resulted in Adams’ appointment.
The Fulton Election Board has five members – two nominated by the county Republican Party, two nominated by the Fulton Democratic Party and a chair nominated by Fulton’s legislative delegation.
Frazier said in a post on X that he and Adams will fight their rejection. Georgia GOP chairman Josh McKoon told The Federalist that they could appeal to the State Election Board.
Today’s Democracy Digest newsletter was written by Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon and edited by Meredith Hobbs. As always, thank you for reading. Have tips, corrections, or questions? Just reply to this email.
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