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Education

Is Gov. Deal’s school takeover plan really dead?

Gov. Nathan Deal just appointed former legislator Mike Cheokas to the State Board of Education. Although there’s no definitive information available about what this means, it does give me pause. Cheokas lost his seat to Democrat Bill McGowan during the past election, in part over his support of Gov. Nathan Deal’s failed school takeover measure. The State Board of Education (SBOE) is tasked with supporting the state superintendent. The state super, Richard Woods, is someone

Elections

Competitive HD 138 Race: Mike Cheokas v. Bill McGowan

Americus, Ga. has a competitive House race on their hands. Republican incumbent Mike Cheokas is facing Democrat and former Americus Mayor Bill McGowan. Cheokas has held the HD 138 seat since being elected in 2004, but the race to keep the seat has gotten tight. Cheokas was originally elected as a Democrat, but, in 2010, followed the shift in power at the state house — and the impacts this would have on redistricting — and

Elections

Republican Mike Cheokas and Democrat Bill McGowan face off in November

State Rep. Mike Cheokas beat back a Republican contender in the primaries and is headed to a face off with Democrat and former Americus mayor Bill McGowan in November for the House District 138 seat. Last session, Cheokas became embroiled in Rep. Tommy Benton’s controversial statements about the KKK being, “not so much a racist thing, but a vigilante thing to keep law and order.” Cheokas wouldn’t pull his name from Benton’s bills to protect

2016 Legislative Session

Speaker Ralston silent as one of his leaders rebrands the KKK

Over the weekend, Rep. Tommy Benton’s defense of the KKK exploded across national news and put his House colleagues in a spot to either stand with the KKK defender or to cast him aside.

House Ethics Committee Chairman, Rep. Joe Wilkinson, R-Sandy Springs, publicly backed away from the KKK defender leaving no question about where he stands. House Speaker David Ralston is still trying to decide how to respond to one of his committee chairman who is blitzing the media in an attempt to rebrand the Klan.