NEW: LG Duncan stalls Buckhead cityhood legislation
Duncan assigned the legislation to a Democratic-led Senate committee
A move by Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan could stall any efforts to break up the city of Atlanta during the 2022 legislative session.
The Republican leader, who serves as President of the Georgia Senate, announced on Wednesday that he will be assigning Buckhead cityhood legislation to the Senate Urban Affairs Committee, a committee that is comprised of all Democrats.
Democrats are largely opposed to the Buckhead cityhood movement, which means we may not see a lot of action on the effort this legislative session.
Duncan himself has gone on the record expressing concerns about the Buckhead cityhood movement, saying in an interview that he has yet to hear a “compelling argument” from cityhood supporters on how creating a new city would help curb rising crime rates.
“The details matter here. The financing issues. The education issues. The governance issues. These are all issues that must be fixed before — and not after — a referendum is passed,” Duncan told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “My hope is that we’re able to figure out a way to help all of Atlanta significantly cut crime.”
Other Republican leaders haven’t been in a rush to take sides on the movement. House Speaker David Ralston chastised leadership at Atlanta City Hall for the cityhood movement, but suggested that it could set a bad precedent. Gov. Brian Kemp credited the movement for new efforts to crack down on crime.
Duncan’s announcement comes a day after Atlanta-area state lawmakers held a virtual meeting to discuss the Buckhead cityhood movement. Mayor Andre Dickens, City Council President Doug Shipman and members of the Atlanta School Board also briefly joined the meeting. Bill White, the CEO of the Buckhead Cityhood committee, declined to attend the meeting due to “scheduling conflicts.”
White has found himself in hot water in recent weeks. He recently came under fire for sharing posts from white nationalist accounts on social media.