Republican state senator Chuck Payne. Photo: Senate website.

Just in from various sources at the Georgia Capitol

Scott Tidwell has reportedly qualified to oppose Dalton’s Chuck Payne in the GOP primary for North Georgia’s Senate District 54.

Including from this pro-enforcement outlet, Senator Chuck Payne has been under barrage of fire recently for his “no” vote – along with Senator Kay Kirkpatrick – in the senate Public Safety Committee last month on an illegal alien drivers license reform bill (SB417) offered by conservative Senator Josh McKoon. A nearly identical bill passed the senate in 2016 with a near two-thirds majority but was not allowed a hearing in the House.

According to DDS, Georgia has issued, renewed or replaced more than 21,000 drivers licenses and or ID Cards for aliens USCIS says lack lawful status.

Payne penned a response to this writer’s letter to the editor of the Dalton Daily Citizen that was not well received by many conservatives in his district. Word from Dalton is that Payne has created almost as much anger over his curious public defense of his vote as he has the vote with the Democrats to kill McKoon’s legislation.

Details to follow.

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*Update, 12:50: I just spoke to Mr. Tidwell who was calling from the Georgia Capitol. He qualified about 11:00AM and said he had prayed about this decision all week. I asked him about Patne’s vote on the drivers license reform bill. He was not happy with his senator’s vote. “My vote would have been the opposite of that” he told me. On illegal immigration told me “this is a big issue with me…I am not for amnesty or this sort of thing” he said. His idea is that no illegal aliens should have a Georgia drivers license.

Age forty-six, Scott Tidwell is a native Georgian who grew up in the Powder Springs – Austell area of Cobb County. He lives with his family in Resaca. More details to follow.

Scott Tidwell qualifies for senate race. Photo: Special to DIS.