Attorney General Leading Fundraiser in Governor's Race

Attorney General Thurbert Baker is the leading fundraiser in the crowded Democratic field for the governor's race, raking in about $700,000 since he announced he would run.

But the numbers don't tell the complete story, as former Gov. Roy Barnes raised no money because he didn't formally enter the race until July. Baker submitted the numbers just before the midnight deadline late Tuesday night.

Two other Democratic candidates said they were pleased with their fundraising hauls. House Minority Leader DuBose Porter raised about $230,000 and former Georgia National Guard commander David Poythress raised about $150,000. At least six Republican candidates have also entered the race to replace Gov. Sonny Perdue.

(AP)

Candidates Find Funds Trickling In

Campaign finance reports for Georgia's crowded gubernatorial field are trickling in. Among the Republican contenders, state Sen. Eric Johnson of Savannah raised nearly $963,000 since he entered the race in April. Secretary of State Karen Handel she raised more than $430,000 during the six-month reporting period, while Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine said he raised about $420,000. State Rep. Austin Scott has raised about $180,000 and long-shot GOP candidate Ray McBerry has also raised about $18,000. U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal had yet to report.

On the Democratic side, former Georgia National Guard commander David Poythress said he raised about $150,000 during the six-month span. And, House Minority Leader DuBose Porter says he's taken in about $231,000.

Reports for the other two Democrats running - former Gov. Roy Barnes, H and Attorney General Thurbert Baker - were not immediately available.

(Associated Press)

PSC Votes To Delay Chairmanship Matter

Today the Public Service Commission decided not to fight the state Attorney General. He disagrees with them on their plan to change how their chairman is determined. But three of the five PSC members disagree with his recent legal opinion, so the matter remains alive.

Last week, Attorney general Thurbert Baker told the Public Service Commission it was violating Georgia law. The PSC wants to elect its chairman, instead of a going by a state-mandated yearly rotation. In addition, the Commission wants to lengthen the chairman’s term from one to two years.

One of the two PSC commissioners who voted against the change, along with Chuck Eaton, is Bobby Baker:

"I was hoping the Attorney General's opinion would have eliminated any ambibuity regarding the commissioners previous actions on May 5th, and that they would have taken his advice to heart and eliminate this problem."

But instead, a cloud of legal limbo remains. Today’s PSC meeting sparked some back-and-forth on the commission panel. Stan Wise disagrees with the attorney general’s opinion, and with fellow commissioner Baker:

"It’s still just an opinion. It's subject to put this Commission in position where we have to fight. Somebody has to challenge this decision...we don't just have to back it up, just because the attorney general makes an opinion."

The challenge involves the state Constitution. Wise, Lauren McDonald, and current commission chairman Doug Everett say it does give the PSC the right to elect its own chair. But a statute was put in-place in 1992 by lawmakers mandating the current system. A bill to remove the provision this year died in the General Assembly’s final hours.

Everett says he and the other two want the change for continuity-sake:

"We are the only agency that changes a chairman every year, a lot of times in mid-stream of a very important project. That's the reason we were trying to do what we did."

But watchdog groups worry if the Commission gets to elect its own chairman, consumer-friendly PSC members may never get the top job.

The PSC decided not to push for legal action now. Instead, the three commission members pushing for change only tabled the matter until next January. That’s when they hope lawmakers will remove the block of a state law.

Baker Opines PSC Violated Law

Georgia's top attorney has ruled that the Public Service Commission had no authority to defy a 16-year-old state law when it voted to extend the tenure of its chairman. Since 1992, the PSC chair has served for one year. Recently, however, the PSC voted to increase the chair's tenure from one to two years.

Commissioner Bobby Baker was one of two who voted against extending the tenure. The other was Commissioner Chuck Eaton. Both are seen as strong consumer advocates.

"I had advised the commissioners from the very beginning that we couldn't ignore the law and the PSC wasn't empowered to take unilateral action to ignore the law and change. I'm hoping that everybody will sit down and review the attorney general's opinion and do the right thing," says Baker.

The man next in line to lead the PSC is Commissioner Stan Wise of Marietta. Wise responded to the AG's opinion saying …

"It's just that. It's an opinion. And so, if Chairman Everett steps down and I assume the chairmanship on July 1st, it remains to be seen if somebody can and will challenge this commission if I continue past January 1st."

A legislative attempt earlier this year to extend the one year tenure made it out of the state House of Representatives but died on the floor of the Senate. Current PSC Chair Doug Everett is scheduled to step down June 30. Under the new rules, Everett will serve another year, absent a legal challenge.

Baker Set to Weigh in On PSC Tenure Vote

By a vote of three to two, the Public Service Commission elected to throw out a 16 year old state law, and increase the tenure of its chairman from one to two years. And the group choose Sam Wise to serve as its chair for two years beginning in July.

Commissioner Robert Baker was one of those who voted against the change. Long seen as a strong consumer advocate, under the old rules Baker would become PSC chairman in 2012. But, right now Baker says he’s taking a wait and see approach.

"We anticipate that we'll be getting a response back from the attorney general within a couple of weeks. We hope that will resolve the issue once and for all regarding the validity of the current statute."

Earlier this year, the Georgia House of Representatives said 'yes' to a bill that would have changed state law and increased the PSC chair's term of tenure. But the measure failed in the Senate.

And, although an official opinion has not be issued by state Attorney General Thurbert Baker, a spokesman for his office says the PSC does not have the power to invalidate a state law.

Porter to Run For Governor

Democrat Dubose Porter has announced he will run for Governor.

The Georgia House Minority Leader announced in his hometown paper, the Dublin Courier Herald, that he will seek the governorship in 2010.

It’s been speculated for quite some time Porter would run, and in an op-ed in the Courier Herald, Porter writes he is qualified for the position because he "listens to my people."

Porter also chastises what he calls the "ego driven politics" of the current Republican leadership.

The entrance of Porter on the Democratic side sets guarantees a crowded primary.

State Attorney General Thurbert Baker and former LT. Gen David Poythress have entered, with former Governor Roy Barnes expected to announce soon.

Baker To Run For Governor

Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker is entering the 2010 Governor's Race. Baker, a Democrat, served for twelve years as Attorney General. Former Democratic governor Zell Miller first appointed Baker to the position. Previously, Baker served as Miller's floor leader in the House of Representatives.

Baker is the first African American to hold the position of Attorney General in Georgia. He's the second Democrat to enter his party's primary.

That primary is expected to become more crowded. Former Governor Roy Barnes is speculated to want his job back, while current House Minority Leader Dubose Porter is also expected to run for the position.

They would join former Georgia Air Guard Commander and Lieutenant General David Poythress.

School Funding Case Handed Another Setback

The Georgia attorney general has ruled that a group of 50 school districts violated state law by forming a nonprofit organization to sue the state for more funding.

Attorney General Thurbert Baker says the school districts "do not have the authority to create and utilize nonprofit corporations" such as the Consortium for Adequate School Funding in Georgia.

The group was formed 2001 and filed a lawsuit against the state in 2004, claiming the state has an unfair system of paying for education. The group withdrew the lawsuit in September over concerns that a new judge assigned to the case would not give a fair hearing and had plans to refile it.

(Associated Press)

GA attorney general to crack down on counterfeiters

Georgia attorney general Thurbert Baker says he is targeting counterfeit operations in the state. Baker yesterday told officials with the Georgia and U.S. Chambers of Commerce that he’s assigned a senior assistant attorney general to work with local prosecutors and law enforcement.

A recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce poll revealed almost 20-percent of people in the metro Atlanta region bought counterfeit items knowingly. Around 40-percent of adults younger than the age of 25 years old did so.

Several state officials endorse Clinton

Today presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton picked up endorsements from the state's only two black statewide elected officials. Attorney General Thurbert Baker and Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond threw their support behind the New York senator. Baker referred to Clinton as "a tested leader," while Thurmond called her "the change agent Georgians are looking for." Also endorsing Clinton today was Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin, the nation's longest serving agriculture Commissioner.

Baker says sex offender law now clear

Georgia’s attorney says he’s now clear on how to enforce the state’s sex offender law. State Attorney General Thurbert Baker says sex offenders in George are only exempt from the state's strict residency requirements if they own property. Last month the state Supreme Court issued a ruling that seemed to completely toss a provision barring sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of any place where children congregate. Now, Baker’s office says that provision is only null and void for sex offenders who own property within 1,000 feet.

AG not clear on sex offender ruling

Today Georgia's attorney general asked the state's top court to clarify its ruling striking down a law limiting where sex offenders may live. The law banned registered sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of schools, churches and other areas where children congregate. Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker said there is confusion about whether the decision applies to all 11,000 sex offenders in the state or only to those that own property.

Kentucky death penalty case could impact Georgia

The nation's highest court plans to hear a challenge to lethal injection in death penalty cases, but Georgia is staying the course.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case brought by two death row inmates in Kentucky against that state's method of lethal injection. They argue that the process is cruel and unusual punishment.

Defense Attorney Michael Siem has filed a similar challenge in district court against Georgia's lethal injection process. He says both states use a lethal three-drug cocktail that leaves much room for error.

In both states, he says, "You use untrained, unqualified individuals to do this procedure, and there’s a high risk that the person is not anesthetized properly so they’re not at the surgical point of consciousness that you would want them at to insure they’re not feeling pain and suffering."

Siem represents convicted murderer Jack Alderman, who is one of three Georgia inmates who could be executed as early as next month.

State Attorney General Thurbert Baker says Georgia will continue scheduling executions by lethal injection unless the U.S. Supreme Court rules otherwise.

Wilson appeals to be heard sooner by Georgia's high court

Georgia’s Supreme Court has moved-up their schedule to hear appeals in the Genarlow Wilson case. Two appeals in the matter will now be heard Friday of next week--July 20th, up from a date in October. At issue is whether Wilson should be freed from prison—-state Attorney General Thurbert Baker is appealing a Monroe County judge’s decision to reduce Wilson's conviction from a felony to a misdemeanor. The Georgia high court will also consider an appeal of bond.

Wilson is serving a 10-year sentence for having oral sex with a 15-year-old girl, when he was 17.

Valdosta woman denied courtroom access

A national Islamic civil rights group has sent a letter to Georgia's attorney general asking for "appropriate action" to be taken on behalf of a Valdosta woman. Last week, a Muslim woman says she was denied access to a municipal courtroom for wearing a traditional Islamic scarf. She said an officer told her she was denied entrance for homeland security reasons, and that it would show disrespect to the judge. No comment yet from Attorney General Thurbert Baker's office, or the Valdosta court.