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Start of a New Year! Here is most of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus (We took our masks off briefly!) Welcome 2022!
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Greetings! Welcome to my first newsletter of 2022! Today is Legislative Day 11, and after a slow start (Go Dawgs!!!!), the pace has been fast and furious! Our friend Polly at Voices for Georgia’s Children likened it to a roller coaster, and I agree! I have good news to share with you about the State Budget, Mental Health Reform, and progress of legislation I am sponsoring, bad news about the politically driven social issues bills, and information about public hearings on local DeKalb redistricting.
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Join Us for a Virtual Town Hall?
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Register HERE for this virtual town hall with Senator Parent and Representative Oliver.
Submit your Questions HERE. |
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The Budget is the only bill we are constitutionally required to pass each year. As I have said to many of you, it is a moral document, and reflects our state’s collective values. Education and Healthcare are the state's highest priorities.
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At the beginning of each session, the Governor proposes an amended budget for the year we are in - 2022 - and a proposed budget for the future year - 2023. He presented his budget in the State of the State address, and our Georgia House Democratic Caucus leader responded with his address, which was followed by a week of budget hearings.
There’s a lot to like in this budget - our full coffers will allow us to fulfill many needs in this election year! I am thankful to report that after two years of huge austerity cuts, the proposed amended 2022 budget and 2023 budget largely marks a restoration to pre-pandemic funding levels. I will note though, that even with this budget, Georgia remains on track to spend less per person than in FY 2008. Here is an Overview of Georgia's 2023 Fiscal Year Budget
Budget Highlights:
- $5,000 salary increases for state employees to cut down on high turnover rates
- $2,000 pay raises for teachers; bonuses for teachers and state employees in the fiscal year 2022, which ends June 30
- Restores $383 million to fully fund QBE, the formula for Georgia’s K-12 education system -
- Income tax refunds worth $1.6 billion - one time, flat refunds of $250 to single filers and $500 to married filers
- The first cost of living raise for state retirees in more than a decade
- $39 million to increase access to health care for children through express enrollment for recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- $28 million to expand Medicaid coverage eligibility for new mothers from six to twelve months
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Full Medicaid Expansion is not included in this budget. It would cost less than $500 per enrollee or $239 million in the first year. This cost would also be offset by an immediate infusion of between $1.4 to $1.9 billion in federal funding authorized under the ARP to help manage the costs of Medicaid expansion. I don’t know about you, but I think that the wealthiest of Georgians, making over $400,000 a year, don’t need that tax refund, and we could fully fund Medicaid and cover 500,000 uninsured Georgians! It is so frustrating that our tax dollars are going to fund Medicaid in other states while our Georgia neighbors are in need!
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I am grateful for the leadership of Commissioner Judy Fitzgerald, of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Disabilities, and for my DeKalb colleague, Rep Viola Davis!
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There is nothing like a pandemic to bring out the desperation and hurt that many families experience. So many have felt isolated and alone. Georgia’s substance abuse deaths increased by 36% and rural suicides increased by 8% between April 2020 - April 2021. Mental Health touches every family. Unfortunately, Georgia ranks 48th in access to Mental Health services.
I am thrilled that Speaker Ralston is the sponsor of HB 1013,a bipartisan omnibus bill written by a coalition of mental health professionals and advocates, which aims to expand access to care, increase the number of mental health professionals, require insurance companies to cover mental health in the same way they cover physical health, give first responders help when they are called into a mental health crisis, and improve data and transparency. Chair May Margaret Oliver is a co-sponsor and has worked very hard on this legislation.
I am also excited about joining a new bipartisan, bicameral Mental Health Caucus, where legislators can learn together about the mental health needs and work to transform our mental health and substance abuse care. You can learn more here in this AP article.
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Controversial Education Bills
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I serve on the Education committee. I appreciate the opinion piece Maureen Downey wrote Opinion: Scary times for Georgia schools as politics stalk classroom and boy, is she right.
For example, Republicans have filed bills that aim to limit how race is taught - anti-Critical Race Theory bills. Importantly, Critical Race Theory is not taught in our schools. Instead, these are bills that seek to restrict classroom discussions of race, our country’s history, and current events, place impossible burdens on teachers and in my mind could create a “thought police '' culture. Many of you have written to me about HB 888, which could slash more than $676 million from its sponsors’ districts, due to financial penalties. Thank you for your advocacy. Critics say Georgia race bill threatens financial blow to schools. I anticipate HB 888 may be replaced by a newer bill, HB 1084, which replaces the financial penalty with a waiver penalty and removes some of the most controversial portions of HB 888. GOP efforts to limit how race is taught in Georgia schools increase
And voucher bills are returning - HB 60 returned to the Education Committee yesterday (held on Sine Die last year) , and regrettably was voted out 9 - 7, mostly on partisan lines. You can watch the committee hearing and discussion here, and I am speaking at 2:19:13. The Education sub-committee heard testimony before our meeting on HB 999. And these are on top of SB 47, which we passed last session. I am an advocate for public dollars for public schools, so I will vote no and continue to vote no on these bills that defund and undermine high quality public education.
What Can You Do?
Action Item: Please write and call Education committee members and Rules Committee members, about your concerns about this legislation.
Action Item: Please register for the Public Education Coalition meeting tonight. This is a message from them:
"The Georgia Coalition for Public Education is hard at work — at the Capitol and on the ground — to promote successful public schools in which all Georgia’s children get what they need to succeed. That means we continually advocate for full, fair, and equitable funding for our schools. As this 2022 legislative session unfolds, we're fighting to kill legislation that would allow classroom censorship, and partisan legislation that will hurt our children and our schools. AND WE NEED YOU WORKING WITH US."
We understand that there will be several more bills filed this week, the Governor's bill on Parental Rights, and a bill protecting internet security in schools. More to come.
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Good Education Bills We Have Passed
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Our state has a shortage of teachers, and we needed a way to allow retired teachers to return to the classroom. HB 385 , which I co-sponsored, provides that an individual who has been receiving retirement benefits (“beneficiaries”) from the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia for at least one year may be rehired as a teacher for public school one of three content areas of high need, as determined by the Department of Education. These retirees will continue to receive their benefits, but they will not receive a re-computation of benefits once they stop working again.
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Legislation I am Sponsoring
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HR 595 This bill asks the Georgia Building Authority to create a Sustainable Material Building Plan on the Capitol Campus properties. You can listen to my presentation to the State Properties Committee on January 26th -(start at 1:03). I am happy this resolution passed that day and should be passed out of committee on February 2. This is a small step in the right direction to changing the physical environment and culture at the Capitol to reduce our waste and impact on our environment - and to bring carbon into the ground!
HR 650 House Study Committee on Literacy Instruction. I remember my disbelief when I first heard that only about a third of Georgia’s students are reading proficiently by the 4th grade. And this is a national problem - we are at 33%, and the national average is 35%. This is a travesty. We can and must do better in teaching people to read, especially our children. I want to thank Amy Sharma of Science for Georgia for spearheading the extensive research for this legislation, and my colleague Matthew Gambill. Rep Gambill and I agreed that he would serve as the primary sponsor, and we are working together to advance this bill.
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Talking with Rep Danny Matthis, one of the members of the "funeral home caucus", about my proposed legislation expanding the time a purchaser of burial services can file suit against a breach of contract
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I am also working on: : 1) a small targeted bill: “The Burial Purchaser’s Protection Act '' , 2) a big bill for Needs Based Aid for college students, and 3) in response to DeKalb’s Housing crisis, exploring local legislation that can help homeowners with huge jumps in appraisal value, while protecting our schools’ funding base to educate our children.
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All across the metro area are cityhood initiatives and conversations taking place. If you are interested in understanding the cityhood process (and they discuss affordable housing too) , you can listen to A Closer Look hosted by Rose Scott, discussing the Cityhood process with the Carl Vinson Institute.
The preeminent conversation around cityhood initiatives is the City of Buckhead. As you are aware I also am a member of the Atlanta delegation. The Atlanta delegation is firmly against the idea of dividing Atlanta. We need to keep Atlanta United! This is a different situation from when cities are created from portions of unincorporated counties. If this bill is passed, it can set a dangerous precedent of wealthy communities throughout Georgia leaving cities. This uncertainty will lead to credit agencies lowering our rating and make borrowing for our municipal and state bonds cost more. And the issue of where the City of Buckhead students would be educated is extremely complicated.
I am thankful that the new Mayor, Andre Dickens, has worked hard to establish good relationships with the Speaker and the Governor. The Mayor was very well received at his appearance at the State House. The Speaker gave the Mayor a big sign of respect, allowing him to walk down the center aisle when he was received at the House, and my R colleagues near me were impressed by him after listening to his speech. I am glad that opposition to the City of Buckhead is bipartisan - take a read of this opinion piece : Opinion: Buckhead City would be step backward for metro, state
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DeKalb Co. House Legislative Delegation to Hold Series of Virtual Public Hearings on Proposed Board of Commissioners, Board of Education District Maps
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The DeKalb County House Legislative Delegation, chaired by State Representative Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), will hold a series of virtual public hearings to discuss the proposed district maps for the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners and DeKalb County Board of Education. The virtual event schedule is as follows:
- Wednesday, February 2, 2022, at 12 p.m. via Facebook Live; To watch the recorded meeting and view the public comments, please click here;
- Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom; advanced registration is required; to register for Zoom access, please click here;
- Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at 12 p.m. via Facebook Live; to participate in this virtual hearing, please click here.
Please note that the two virtual hearings via Facebook Live are held in conjunction with the delegation’s business meeting. The Facebook Live chat will be monitored for questions and comments. The Tuesday evening meeting via Zoom is solely a Public Hearing on the maps.
Thank you to Fair Districts GA for allowing the draft BOC maps and voting summary information to be viewed on their website here.
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DeKalb Voter Education Town Hall - Tonight
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Commissioners Mereda Davis-Johnson and Robert Patrick will host a "voter education town hall" tonight, Feb 3, giving us a chance to "meet" the county's new elections director and key officials.
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Between the Nov. 3 2020 presidential election and Jan. 6, 2021, Georgia was at the center of the biggest election dispute of modern American history. I commend to you this excellent, extensive reporting done by journalists at the AJC. Inside the Campaign to Undermine Georgia’s Election. If you haven’t read it, please take the time. And thank the Lord for Fulton District Attorney Fanni Willis, for her request of a special Grand Jury, and the Fulton judges for approving it, because there is no way Attorney General Carr would pursue prosecuting the Georgia Republican party for fake electors and other election fraud.
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My First Guest "Chaplain of the Day" .
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On Tuesday, January 25th, I was honored to host the Reverend Dr. William E. Flippin Sr , the visionary pastor of The Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church, as the House Chaplain of the Day! I am so thankful that God gave me the opportunity to serve on the board of the DeKalb Juvenile Justice Council under his leadership.
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Honoring my Father, William R Farmer, on what would have been his 101st birthday
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On February 1st, my father, William R Farmer, would have been 101 years old. He passed away 22 years ago. He is a huge influence on my life. I spoke during a Morning Order to ask my colleagues to help honor him. I gave them all a poem he wrote in 1974, titled "What is America", along with a letter he received back from President Ford, and a copy of his obituary. I have hard copies and will share when we have an in person event.
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Excited about Rivian Trucks!
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David and I are big fans of Rivian electric trucks. I am pictured here with one with the camper extension outside the Capitol. I am a co-sponsor of legislation that will allow Rivian trucks to be sold in Georgia.
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Life is Better with Kiddada Around!
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I am thankful that Kiddada Grey has returned as my Chief of Staff! You can reach her at kiddada@beckyevans.com
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There is always more to write about. I know many of you are concerned about gun legislation. Constitutional Carry is being heard in the Senate and I will write about that in my next newsletter. Public Safety hasn't yet met in the House.
Please let me know if I can be of any service to you. I am humbled and honored to be our representative, fighting for you at our State Capitol!
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Representative Becky Evans
Georgia's 83rd House District, DeKalb County
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