Towns County Georgia GOP

05/07/2026

Mark your calendar and joins us for our May TCGOP meeting on the 21st! Speakers will be Mayor Jay Chastain and Sole Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw.

05/06/2026

119th Congress, 2nd Session | May 4th, 2026

Newsletter - 2025-01-14_09-29-34 from Congressman Andrew Clyde

Last week, my House Republican colleagues and I passed the 2026 Farm Bill. Given our thriving agriculture industry is the backbone of the Ninth District, I wanted to share what this legislation provides to farmers throughout Northeast Georgia.

For starters, the Farm Bill comes around every five years to reauthorize and improve programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, the last time Congress passed a full Farm Bill was in 2018. Since then, our farmers have received short-term Farm Bill extensions that fell short of addressing evolving challenges facing the agriculture sector, rural communities, and consumers.

So, after three years of Farm Bill extensions, Washington owes our farmers, ranchers, and producers the stability needed to continue feeding, clothing, and fueling our great nation.

That’s why I proudly voted for the 2026 Farm Bill. From bolstering crop insurance and food security to investing in rural broadband and export programs, this legislation ensures American agriculture remains the greatest in the world.

Here are some important highlights:

✅ Strengthens commodity programs, crop insurance, and rural development tools that stabilize farm income and food supply chains

✅ Shifts food aid toward U.S.-grown commodities and moves authority to USDA, prioritizing domestic producers

✅ Includes provisions on foreign ownership of farmland and strengthens domestic production capacity

✅ Emphasizes work, diet quality, fraud reduction, and administrative oversight in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

✅ Supports farmers and agriculture producers who are currently struggling due to ongoing supply chain disruptions by updating and reauthorizing agriculture programs

As y’all know, the Ninth District includes part of Gainesville, the Poultry Capital of the World. I’m pleased that the House-passed Farm Bill includes important provisions to help both our poultry producers and consumers, such as prohibiting school lunch programs from purchasing poultry products from Communist China. Additionally, it includes legislation that I cosponsored last year to rename the USDA National Poultry Research Center in Athens after Gainesville poultry icon Abit Massey.

While this legislation must still advance and be ironed out with the Senate, the House’s passage of the Farm Bill marks a significant step forward in our mission to deliver the relief, support, and tools our farmers throughout Northeast Georgia and across America deserve.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Andrew S. Clyde

04/21/2026

Take the opportunity to learn about the candidates by tuning in to PBS to watch the Atlanta Press Club’s Federal and State Debates or watch it later on the Atlanta Press Club’s YouTube Channel.

04/16/2026

See our flyer for this evening!

Please join us for our upcoming meeting!!

04/16/2026

Reminder: the TCGOP’s monthly meeting is tonight at 5:45 at the Senior Center. Our speakers are Clark Dean, Candidate for Governor and Gregg Poole, candidate for the 9th Congressional District. Everyone is Welcome!
Doors open at 5:15. See you there!
Sheila

04/09/2026

Mountain Legislative Watch Newsletter
News letter Final 2025-2026 session

FINAL 2025-2026 SESSION

This legislative session was a conservative FAILURE for the people of Georgia and a bureaucratic success to burden the people of Georgia
Election Integrity FAILED AGAIN
If republicans run on “getting the job done “ then why aren’t they getting the job done!

Elections and Voting
• QR Code Removal (SB 214): A major effort to address a self-imposed deadline for removing QR codes from ballots failed. While the House passed a version that would have extended the deadline to 2028, the Senate did not bring it to a final vote.
• Hand-Marked Paper Ballots (SB 214 / HB 960): Despite various proposals to move from electronic voting machines to hand-marked paper ballots for the 2026 midterm elections, no final agreement was reached between the chambers. Elected official failure
• Voter Proof of Citizenship: A controversial Senate resolution that would have required voters to provide proof of citizenship failed early in the session. Highly needed
Taxation and Economy
• Property Tax Relief (HB 1116): A bill that would have capped annual property tax increases at 3% or the rate of inflation failed in the Senate on the final day with a 24-28 vote.
• Data Center Tax Breaks (SB 410): Legislation intended to eliminate tax breaks for data center equipment and require them to pay for new power infrastructure did not make it to a final floor vote. Putting citizens at risk for higher bills
Health and Public Safety
• Ivermectin Expansion (SB 440): A bill that would have made the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin available over the counter passed the House, but the Senate did not take it up for a vote.
• Medical Freedom failed
• Weapons Detectors in Schools: A mandate to require weapons detection systems in every Georgia public school failed to cross the finish line. Another epic Failure to protect our kids
• Public Health Cleanup: A bill from the Department of Public Health aimed at cleaning up obsolete language failed after controversial amendments regarding Medicaid expansion and ivermectin were attached to it.
• Social and Other Issues
• Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation: Advocacy groups reported that more than 20 Republican-backed bills focused on LGBTQ+ issues were either defeated or halted before the session's end.
Protecting Children from the Trans-Agenda Protecting Children from the Trans-Agenda failed

• Confederate Monument Protection: A bill seeking to provide new legal protections for public monuments, specifically targeting Confederate memorials, narrowly failed in the House.
• Atlantic Standard Time (HB 154): A proposal to move Georgia permanently to daylight saving time by switching to Atlantic Standard Time passed the Senate but was never called for a vote in the House. Common sense and needed
• Ethics and State Contracts (SB 586): A bill intended to bar individuals with financial interests in state agencies from running for office—seen as a move against certain gubernatorial candidates—passed the Senate but was not taken up by the House
• Protecting Ratepayers from Data Center Subsidies
• Legislation to prevent ratepayers from subsidizing large data centers did not pass
• What the 2026 Ga Legislature DID DO
$38.5 billion state budget. The session, which was the final one for Governor Brian Kemp, focused heavily on tax relief and education.
Major Legislation Passed
• Income Tax Reduction (HB 463): Lawmakers approved a plan to reduce the state income tax rate from 5.19% to 4.99% starting in 2026. The bill includes a "sliding scale" intended to gradually lower the rate to 3.99% over the next eight years, provided state revenues remain strong.
• Property Tax Relief: A compromise was reached to cap annual property tax assessment increases at 3% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The measure also allows local governments to implement a 1% sales tax to offset potential revenue losses.
• Education and Literacy: A major literacy initiative was passed to fund over 1,300 literacy coaches for elementary schools. Additionally, the legislature approved a ban on cellphone use in high school classrooms during the school day.
• Healthcare Expansion: New laws allow pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraception (pills and shots) directly to patients without a doctor's visit. Another bill permits Georgia residents to access HIV prevention medicine at local pharmacies. Open the door for medical mistakes
• Public Safety and Homeownership: The "baby box" bill (HB 1075) allows emergency facilities to install newborn safety devices. Lawmakers also passed a comprehensive HOA oversight bill, the first of its kind in state history
Summary

State Budget Passed ($38.5 Billion) HB 973
Income Tax Passed (Rate cut to 4.99%) HB 463
Property Tax Passed (3% Assessment Cap) HB 1116/SB 33
Cellphones Passed (In-class ban)
HOA Oversight Passed (Comprehensive)

Provided by:
Phil Lausier
[email protected]
678-333-8339 cell

04/08/2026

Please come out and meet your Republican Candidates for Georgia Attorney General and Lt. Governor in their debates and comments from many other candidates. Please support your Towns County Republican Party as a sponsor along with Union, Fannin, Gilmer and Pickens Counties’ Republican Parties forming the
POWER OF FIVE
Sponsor of
Leadership Forum

04/08/2026

Note Time Change

04/08/2026

Please join us for our upcoming meeting!!

03/26/2026

119th Congress, 2nd Session | March 24th, 2026 from Congressman Andrew Clyde

Newsletter - 2025-01-14_09-29-34
It’s Day 38 of Democrats’ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Shutdown.

In a matter of days, this reckless stunt will become the longest shutdown in American history.

As a reminder, Senate Democrats are blocking DHS funding until their radical demands to reform ICE are met. In other words, they’re holding our national security hostage for political leverage to push their open border agenda on our country.

Yet Democrats’ DHS shutdown isn’t really impacting ICE. Thanks to Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has all the funding and resources it needs. Instead, this dangerous shutdown is hurting other key DHS agencies, including TSA, FEMA, Secret Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Over 100,000 DHS employees — including 50,000 TSA officers — are still going unpaid, causing widespread travel disruptions and surging resignations nationwide. Due to the never-ending nightmare impacting everything from business travel to spring break plans, President Trump directed ICE agents to assist the short-staffed TSA agents at numerous locations, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

So whether you’re a TSA agent struggling to make ends meet without pay or a traveler stuck in 3+ hour security lines, thank a Democrat!

Specifically, thank Georgia’s Democrat Senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, who continue to block DHS funding despite total chaos at the Atlanta Airport. Apparently, these two would rather protect illegal aliens — including the Venezuelan national who murdered 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman over the weekend — than pay our TSA agents or ensure Americans can travel in a safe and timely manner.

Just as we saw during President Trump’s State of the Union address, the Democrat Party continues to shamelessly prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens.

In stark contrast, I look forward to voting to fund all of DHS yet again later this week, and I will continue calling on Ossoff, Warnock, and every other solitary Democrat Senator playing politics with our homeland security to end this madness.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Andrew S. Clyde

03/18/2026

119th Congress, 2nd Session | March 17th, 2026

Newsletter - 2025-01-14_09-29-34 from Congressman Andrew Clyde

In the first two weeks of March, our country experienced four jihadist attacks — all involving ties to naturalized citizenship.

March 1st: Donning a “Property of Allah” hoodie, Ndiaga Diagne opened fire outside a bar in Austin, Texas. The radical Islamist was a Senegal national and became a naturalized citizen in 2013.

March 7th: Ibraham Kayumi and Emir Balat attempted to carry out an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in New York City by throwing homemade IEDs at a protest near Gracie Mansion. Kayumi’s parents immigrated from Afghanistan and were naturalized in the 2000s. Balat’s parents are Turkish nationals who became naturalized citizens in 2017.

March 12th: Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a naturalized citizen from Sierra Leone, shouted, “Allahu Akbar” as he opened fire inside Old Dominion University, tragically killing ROTC instructor Lt. Col. Brandon Shah. Jalloh was a former member of the Army National Guard before turning to the Islamic State. In 2017, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS. He was granted early release from federal prison in 2024 after completing a drug treatment program.

March 12th: Ayman Mohamad Ghazali rammed his car, which was full of fireworks and gasoline jugs, into Temple Israel, a synagogue that also includes a school and preschool center. He exchanged fire with an armed security guard before eventually fatally shooting himself. Ghazali was a naturalized citizen born in Lebanon, and the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that his brother was a Hezbollah commander who was recently killed in an airstrike.

This is a terrifying trend of naturalized threats from within.

Keep in mind, Democrats still refuse to fund our Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amid these terror attacks. The Radical Left Democrats’ theatrics aren’t just shameful — they’re downright dangerous.

Please know that in addition to supporting DHS funding and calling on Democrat lawmakers to end their reckless stunt, I also remain committed to supporting policies that protect you and your family from radical Islamic threats. For starters, Congress must make it easier to denaturalize and deport individuals who pose a threat to our nation.

Folks, I’m not worried about being politically correct. I’m worried about innocent Americans dying at the hands of Islamic terrorists that our country willingly imported and naturalized.

Whether it’s through violent terrorist attacks or quietly normalizing beliefs that are antithetical to our Constitution and American way of life, both radical Islam and Sharia Law represent a clear and present danger to the United States. Rest assured, I will continue fighting to root out these perils from America once and for all.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Andrew S. Clyde

03/11/2026

119th Congress, 2nd Session | March 10th, 2026

Newsletter - 2025-01-14_09-29-34 from Congressman Andrew Clyde

Today marks the 24th day of the Democrats' Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown.

Last month, Senate Democrats refused to pass the bipartisan, House-passed FY26 Homeland Security appropriations bill — that they previously agreed to — unless they received radical reforms surrounding ICE enforcement.

Given the heightened national security threats facing our nation in retaliation to U.S. strikes on Iran, my House Republican colleagues and I brought the DHS funding bill back to the floor last week. While the spending bill passed with my support, only four House Democrats voted for it. The remaining 209 Democrats chose to prioritize partisan games over the safety of the American people.

Meanwhile, the DHS funding bill has now failed to advance in the Senate three times because radical Senate Democrats continue to block the measure unless they obtain their demands to severely restrict ICE’s ability to remove illegal aliens from our communities.

Keep in mind, Democrats’ DHS shutdown isn’t hurting ICE. Thanks to Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has all the funding and resources it needs to continue carrying out its America First mission.

So, Democrats’ DHS shutdown is actually hurting other key agencies, including TSA, FEMA, Secret Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard. In total, more than 100,000 public servants are once again being asked to work without pay for the third time in just five months.

We’re already seeing the fallout from Democrats’ weeks-long DHS shutdown.

Chaos has unfolded at numerous airports — including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. From work travel to family spring break trips, crippling staff shortages and hours-long security lines are causing headaches for Americans across the country.

To make matters worse, DHS is warning of possible lone wolf and cyber attacks due to the ongoing military conflict with Iran. As you well know, Joe Biden flooded our country with millions of illegal aliens — including hundreds of Iranian nationals. We have no idea how many Islamic terrorists are lurking in America, waiting to attack our homeland.

Speaking of the Middle East, Coast Guard men and women — including those in harm’s way in Bahrain — are completing missions without pay and full resources behind them.

Despite these disruptions and dangers, Democrats still refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Folks, this is just the latest example of the Democrat Party’s America Last actions.

I continue to call on Congressional Democrats — including Georgia’s Democrat Senators, Warnock and Ossoff — to end their dangerous DHS shutdown immediately.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Andrew S. Clyde