Fresh Loaf

Total amount lobbyists spent wining, dining and wooing state lawmakers in May, June and July: $193,000

Number of days General Assembly was in session during those months: 0

Amount lobbyists for Georgia Power, and the natural gas and beverage industries spent on House Republicans’ annual retreat: $26,000

Number of lawmakers who went on a lobbyist-paid trip in July to visit Mount Wilson Observatory near Pasadena, Calif.: 4

Amount lobbyists spent to charter boats for lawmakers during a coastal conference in June: $528

Amount the Georgia Food Industry Association spent packing a state senator’s “hospitality suite”: $545

Amount lobbyists spent on one night of “entertainment” for the House Republican Women’s Caucus: $935

Amount Sierra Club lobbyists spent on lawmakers during the entire year: $0

Number of water-conservation bills that lawmakers approved this session: 0

Sources: Atlanta Unfiltered, State Ethics Commission, AJC

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Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine took to the Twitterverse earlier to announce he’d raised about $420,000 in his quest to become the GOP gubernatorial nominee. His campaign says he’s raised a total of $1.45 million to date and has “slightly over one million” cash on hand.

“John Oxendine’s positive message offering real solutions for the issues facing Georgia is clearly resonating with people all across the state,” said Tim Echols, campaign manager. “John Oxendine’s Contract with Georgia offers specific policy solutions the people of Georgia are looking for from a leader.”

Hmmm. Positive messages.

Last Thursday, Oxendine’s supporters heard a little bit of that positivity. In an email to fellow members of the Ox Army, the candidate asked supporters to scrounge up whatever coins they had in their couches, seal them in an email, and fax them to his campaign. The deadline for fund-raising reports was drawing near, Oxendine wrote, and he wanted to frighten his fellow elephants fighting for the nomination.

Sure, Oxendine touted the “Contract with Georgia” you’ll be hearing a lot about. But he also looked into the future, saw that former Gov. Roy Barnes had won the Democrat nomination, and decided it was time for some scare tactics!

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Meet state Rep. James W. Mills, R-Gainesville. The Hall County lawmaker won our hearts in April for two pieces of WTF legislation he wrote: One that would allow police officers to seize the vehicles of illegal immigrants and another aimed at marsupials (really). The ideas were so doubly delicious we bestowed upon him the much-sought-after Golden Sleaze Award.

Mills’ primary residence, as one would expect, is located in Hall County and is listed under the name of his wife, Rita. According to his personal finance disclosure, he has an interest in three other properties in the county.

A tipster informed us that he may own another property that is not listed on his disclosure, so we reached out to the lawmaker.

Let it be clearly stated: It was all a misunderstanding and Mills denied he owned anything other than what is clearly stated on his financial report. That being said, the brief phone conversation we had Tuesday was too fun not to post.

After being asked point blank, Mills used the GOP Jedi teachings of Obi Wan Ke-Rove-y to stun me. Nearly every question I asked was answered with a statement instructing me to do what I had just done. It worked. I am brainwashed and now want to rid Georgia of marsupials — sugar gliders, specifically. Their cute little eyes hide bloodlust and hatred of man.

The transcript follows below. Information about the property Mills does not own has been redacted.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Kept their promise from yesterday. Perdue’s amended filing report now includes the 1.81 acres he purchased late last year in Butts County.

(Screenshot from Perdue’s disclosure, available here.)

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Gov. Sonny Perdue is no stranger to controversy when it comes to real estate. In 2004, a firestorm erupted — one that continues to this day — over Oaky Woods, a 19,200-acre tract of land in Houston County that critics say was a sweetheart deal for the governor’s developer buddies.

But it’s a different piece of land, a home along the shores of a lake created by Georgia Power, that had CL scratching its head over the weekend.

Located in Butts County, Jackson Lake is a 4,750-acre reservoir created in 1910 when the Central Georgia Power Company dammed the Yellow, Alcovy and South Rivers. The lake sits downstream upstream from Plant Scherer, Georgia Power’s carbon-belching coal plant in Jolliet Juliette (Thanks to Victor for the correction). Located halfway between the Gold Dome and the governor’s home in Houston County, it’s considered a recreational hotspot — the lake is nice and full, there’s waterskiing aplenty, and if you use the proper bait, you’re likely to catch bluegills, largemouth bass or redar sunfish.

And according to the Butts County Tax Assessor, Perdue and his wife purchased two lots on the lake in Sept. 2007. There’s one problem: He never claimed it on his annual finanical disclosure, which would be a no-no according to the State Ethics Commission.

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