“Republicans under the Gold Dome don’t like to talk about Dual Enrollment because it illustrates the ongoing effort to reward and encourage illegal immigration in Georgia. It is not clear if Laken Riley’s family knows about this gem.”
A previous topic in this space concerned a Republican Primary election contest in Middle Georgia’s 20th Senate District between incumbent Larry Walker and challenger Tori Branum. Readers may remember that the story involved another state Senator, Shawn Still (R- Norcross) trying to convince U.S. Marine Corps veteran Branum to drop out of the race while claiming to be a veteran himself. After this writer asked Sen. Still about his time in the service he admitted that he was never really in the military.
We also explained that Still told Branum she should abandon her challenge to Walker because Walker ran the Republican Senate caucus PAC – incorporated as ‘Peach State Values Inc.” I reported that control of the PAC changed from Walker to another senator (Matt Brass, R- Newnan) a few days before scathing campaign ads from the PAC went out to voters attacking Branum’s character.
Peach State Values alleged that Branum has a “criminal record.” She says that’s not true. The Walker camp has yet to offer any record of any conviction – or an apology. The slogan at Peach State Values Inc. is “promoting the values that make Georgia great.“
Tori Branum says state officials should address illegal immigration in Georgia. Walker says it’s up to President Joe Biden.
Walker won the Primary.
Branum, a first-time candidate, campaigned for a mere ten weeks and received an impressive 23% of the votes. She says she is anxious to try again in 2026. We hope she does. Better government comes about from many methods, none more impactful than incumbents having viable Primary challengers – it should happen in every election.
The word around the Capitol is that Sen. Larry Walker may run for Secretary of State in 2026.
How badly did the Republican Senate Caucus PAC want to keep Ms. Branum out of the state Senate? Peach State Values Inc. spent $23,611 in opposition to Tori Branum in the May Primary according to state records. As I wrote last time, the state salary for a Senator is $23,341.00 according to BallotPedia.org.
I am still digesting official records on this caper, but for those who are wondering from where the Republican Senator’s Peach State Values PAC gets the funding to oppose Republican challengers, I point to something called the ‘Georgia Republican Senatorial Committee Inc.’ – yes, it’s another GOP Senate PAC. State records show that the latter sent $50,000 to the former in 2020 and $100,000 in 2022.
I am still learning about the system and waiting for more recent numbers, but even for this two-decade denizen of the Gold Dome, this new-to-me knowledge creates an irresistible desire to take a long shower.
A Primary race and Dual Enrollment in Coastal Georgia
Speaking of Republican Primary races, the House District 180 runoff contest in Coastal Georgia (Camden and south Glynn counties) between Incumbent Rep. Steven Sainz and challenger Glenn Cook has created some statewide interest for pro-enforcement conservatives, including this writer.
I have minimal experience with Sainz but can offer that after I had written about the fact that illegal aliens are not excluded from Georgia’s Dual Enrollment program, he informed me in January that he had a bill “ready to go” to reform the system.
What is Dual Enrollment? Run on the premise that giving high school students a jump on a college education helps with “expanding the workforce”, the Dual Enrollment program puts the students – illegal aliens included – in zero cost (not even books and fees) college classes courtesy of Georgia taxpayers. From the Georgia Dept of Education website:
“Dual Enrollment is designed to prepare students for college and career opportunities leading students to postsecondary institutions for an industry recognized certification or licensure, an associate and/or higher college degree, and successful employment.”
Here, it should be noted that federal law creates criminal penalties for employment of illegal aliens.
Republicans under the Gold Dome don’t like to talk about Dual Enrollment because it illustrates the ongoing effort to reward and encourage illegal immigration in Georgia. It is not clear if Laken Riley’s family knows about this gem.
Rep Sainz eventually dropped a bill aimed at Dual Enrollment in late March, just before the end of the 2024 session and long after it had any chance of passage.
My long-time friend and Camden County Republican Bob Trent has endorsed Glenn Cook in this race and says that Cook has committed to reforming the Dual Enrollment mess.
Bob is a retired Senior Special Agent of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (US INS). He spent ten years as a uniformed Border Patrol agent. His final assignment was as the Assistant Director, Enforcement Training, U.S. Immigration Officer Academy, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, GA.
Trent has cut a video in support of Cook.
It appears that at least for now, Dual Enrollment is “an issue” in a Georgia election.
A version of the above column was also published in The Islander newspaper in Glynn County, GA. on June 3, 2024.
#LarryWalker #ShawnStill #PeachStateValues #GASenateRepublicans
