Greetings!  We have completed Day 31 out of 40, and Voting Restriction Bills and Voter Rights protests pervade the atmosphere of the session.  But we also passed the 2022 Budget, repealed Citizen's Arrest, raised the age for juveniles from 17 to 18, stopped some bad bills,  moved forward on other good ones. I also presented both a bill and a study committee resolution before committees right before Cross Over.    David and Carly  tell me this is a bit long, but I know I have engaged readers, so stay with me if you can!  And we ended the week with the great news that "Help is On the Way", with the passage of the federal American Recovery Act! 

Fighting to Protect Voting Rights 

In an unprecedented moment, the Georgia House Democratic Caucus stood together against HB531, 97 to 72,  as every member of our caucus voted NO.  HB 531  makes voting less accessible by adding redundant steps for absentee voting; makes voting less secure by restricting safe  ballot drop boxes; and undermines local control over early voting times.  The bill garnered national attention, and the fight against voter suppression measures continues through the rest of the legislative session. 

I was proud of my colleagues speaking against the bill: 

• Representative Kausche was featured on the TikTok page on "NowThisNews," an account with over 2 million followers. The post has been seen over 60,000 times. You can see it here: LINK.  
• Representative Jasmine Clark's floor speech on HB531 was featured on the "Up First" Podcast from NPR: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510318/up-first.  
• Representative Renitta Shannon was featured on MSNBC to talk about Georgia's election bills. You can watch the clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYrH1fpbheE

The Senate passed an even more restrictive voting bill on March 8.  And ten more Senate bills are coming to the House Special Committee on Election Integrity! I am very disappointed in my Republican colleagues, that more have not spoken out. As GOP makes it harder to vote, few Republicans dissent.  These restrictive laws are based on fear and misinformation, by a false narrative to disenfranchise voters!    In the midst of a horrible pandemic, we kept everyone safe, with a record turnout, with no evidence of widespread voter fraud.  There are some interesting repercussions for some Republicans: State Rep. Ousted As Hancock County Attorney After Sponsoring Voting Changes.  The Jolt: The case of the missing Republican senators on a GOP voting bill

 Thank you to our activists, for taking the time and energy to come to the Capitol and protest to Protect Your Right to Vote, and for writing and calling Majority party leadership!  And to our business leaders, who are communicating that a place that is good for Democracy is a place that is good for business!  Your voices are so important and making a difference. Our democratic caucus leadership is working with committee members and voting rights allies to fight against these restrictive measures.  Please follow my social media for action alerts this week.   We need to do all we can to influence majority party members that will be involved in the conference committee to reconcile the two bills, for cooler heads to prevail,  to strip down the restrictive measures, and protect democracy and the right to vote in Georgia!  

Georgia House Passes 2022 Budget with 5% Spending Increase

On March 5, the house passed the 2022 budget, with a 5% spending increase, and with a significant investment in behavioral and mental health,  by a vote of 136 to 31.  I am glad that our state revenues are better than projected and that many budget cuts were restored, and I started the bill presentation planning to vote for the budget.   However,  after a dramatic break, when Democratic Caucus Leader James Beverly offered a floor amendment, driving home the point that we could easily Expand Medicaid with an additional $250 million (out of $27 billion!), and after Rep Jasmine Clark made the excellent point that it is hypocritical for the state to accept all the federal CAREs dollars to fill out their budget, but refuse Medicaid Expansion dollars, I decided to vote No.   (And now we know with the American Recovery Act, there would be NO COST to Georgia for full Medicaid Expansion for two years!)

The Fiscal Year 2022 budget is set by a revenue estimate of $27.2 billion, an increase of $1.34 billion, or 5.2%, over the FY 2021 original budget. Since the original FY 2021 budget was passed in June of 2020, the state’s fiscal position has substantially improved. The governor increased the revenue estimate for FY 2022 by $7,638,448 on February 22, 2021 to recognize the excise tax on for-hire ground transport authorized by HB 105 (2020 Session). The House has recognized these funds to be utilized for transit projects. Nearly 90% of the new revenue for FY 2022 is programmed to be spent within education and health and human services agencies. The General Assembly supports the governor’s recommendation to restore 60% of the reductions made to K-12 education funding formulas in the FY 2021 budget. The House further improves on the FY 2022 budget by providing an infusion of funds for expanded mental health core and crisis intervention services; rate increases for health and human service providers; access to healthcare; and salary increases for critical positions. You can read more budget highlights here.  And here are two more good articles about the budget.  Georgia House passes state budget with 5% spending increase.  and Georgia 2022 state budget passed by House mental health addiction help

Crossover Day - Day 28 - Monday, March 8, 2021

Crossover day is the day that a bill must pass one chamber in order to be considered by the other chamber to become law.  The House was in session from 10am to 11:00pm.  The drama for the day centered on two bills, HB 290, Patient Visitation Rights, and HB 479,  Repeal of Citizen's Arrest.   

HB290 - Patient and Resident Representation and Visitation Act
This bill was not a partisan issue, and the testimony both for and against was emotional.  Speaker Ralston unexpectedly spoke in favor of the bill at the end.  We have lost so many family members and friends during this pandemic, and it has been so traumatic not to be able to touch and hold close those we love as they suffer.  But we also must protect the essential healthcare workers who put their lives on the line every day.  This bill covers both hospitals and nursing homes.  I listened to the guidance of the Georgia Hospital Association and voted no for the following reasons:

• This bill creates a new “legal representative” who can make medical decisions for a patient in addition to those currently allowed by law. This could include situations where a patient may be able to make their own medical decisions.
•  HB 290 creates a new cause of action against hospitals and long-term care facilities for non-compliance with blanket visitation allowance, as well as the opportunity for a lawsuit if a visitor feels that safety protocols are not “reasonable.” 
• This bill removes the Governor’s executive powers to issue an order to limit visitation in the event of a public health emergency. The ability for the state to respond quickly is paramount to disease control and patient safety, and this measure is dangerous.

 HB 479 Repeal Citizen Arrest.  
The testimony was also powerful for the repeal of citizen's arrest, and we passed this bill unanimously.  We can be proud that Georgia is the first state to repeal the Citizen's Arrest law.  Sponsor Bert Reeves spoke of our legacy - that we had an opportunity to correct an 158 year old law that has been used to target the black and brown community, and we could honor the life and legacy of Ahmaud Arbery, who was senselessly murdered a year ago by vigilantes.  The roots of the law were from the Civil War, where slave owners and their allies could arrest run-away slaves.  Representative Gloria Butler spoke movingly that this repeal shows that the State of Georgia is committed to the fair and just treatment of all people and that Georgia will not tolerate racial profiling.  She also spoke on behalf of the pain and fear for mothers of black children and about the uncomfortable conversation that black mothers have with their children, no matter how amazing or brilliant or kind or loving the children are, they may be seen as a threat - although it is not right or fair -  it is a reality. And Representative William Boddy,  unexpectedly brought me to tears with his testimony about how often he has run for exercise, and to clear his head, in a white t-shirt and shorts in residential areas where he does not live, and putting himself in Ahmaud's place.  Here is a good article: Georgia House unanimously passes overhaul of state's citizen's arrest law

HB 272 - Raising Age for Juveniles from 17 to 18
Georgia is one of three states that charged 17 year old's as adults, and I am glad to report we passed this legislation to increase the age to 18 by a vote of 113 to 57. House bill would raise age for adult crimes to 18 in Georgia

HB 534 - Street Racing, Reckless Stunt Driving
HB 534 makes it a high and aggravated misdemeanor to participate, promote, or organize illegal drag racing and reckless stunt driving. Penalties include a fine, license suspension, and possible imprisonment, which graduates based on the number of convictions received. Based on the fact that Georgia has the highest rate of correctional control in the nation, I generally do not like to vote for laws creating new crimes.  But law enforcement tells me that the ability to charge a person with organizing and promoting drag racing will be the most effective tool in this law, and it is a public nuisance that endangers lives, so I did vote yes.  Also, forfeiture of the vehicles, with certain exceptions, is allowed under HB 534 in a similar fashion to the current DUI statute.  I will also add that in the Public Safety committee, we discussed other measures, such as modifying the streetscape, that are as effective as new laws criminalizing behavior.  I am pleased that in Druid Hills, GDOT is evaluating two new traffic circles on Ponce de Leon, which would slow down the speeding.    

Bad Bills That I Helped Stop 

Legislation I Introduced in Committee

Did you know that Georgia has a $2.5 Billion Recycling Industry?
 

When I first came to the Capitol, I was disappointed to see the amount of waste that was thrown away, lack of caring in our Capitol culture for sorting recycling and waste, and lack of access for composting.  Plastic pollution is of great concern to me, and I campaigned on reducing single use plastic. I have done my best to practice what I preach and remember my water bottle wherever I go here at work, but there is a disposable culture around here, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic.  Conversations on this topic have led me to exploring the broader topic of the recycling and recovered materials management industry in Georgia and I have found receptive partners to co-sponsor legislation.  On March 3 I introduced the HR 223 Study Committee on Sustainable Materials Management on State Properties to the State Properties committee.  I am thankful for the help of Rep. Debbie Buckner, Kevin Perry, who is the lobbyist for both the Beverage industry as well as the Georgia Recycling,  and to my intern Ethan Masters for his research.  Initially our proposal was for a joint House and Senate study committee, but at the Chairman’s recommendation I have a substitute that is a House only study committee, so that it does not have to pass by Cross Over.  I hope to have a hearing and vote this Wed, March 17th.  Some say the Speaker has said No Study Committees this year, with COVID and Redistricting, but I have seen a few Study committees passed, so I will press on.  Stay tuned!  

Amend or Repeal Anti-Boycott of Israel for State Contracts?

For those of us who love Israel and Palestine, and who seek a just peace, with freedom and equality for all people in our Holy Land, boycott of Israel for state contracts is a complicated issue.
 
HB 383 Amend Anti-Boycott of Israel for State Contracts, which passed the House by 150-18, improves our current law, and reduces our state’s exposure to lawsuits.  The underlying anti-boycott law, passed in 2016, requires public employees and state contractors who provide services worth at least $1,000 to the State of Georgia to sign an oath that they do not and will not boycott Israel. However, the law permits state workers and state contractors to boycott every other government and for any other cause.

Our current law is being challenged in court by a contractor, as an infringement of her first amendment  rights, and Georgia is having to spend hard earned tax dollars to defend the state.  Similar laws have been overturned in 3 states, including a recent 8th circuit court of appeals decision.  HB 383 removes the boycott restriction on small companies and individuals doing business in the state of Georgia, reducing our exposure to lawsuits, although medium and large companies are still subject to these unconstitutional restrictions.  

However, I believe that a clean repeal is the appropriate solution.  On March 5, I introduced HB 712 Repeal Anti-Boycott of Israel for State Contracts in the Governmental Affairs committee, which repeals the current law entirely, eliminating our exposure to lawsuits.   Our strong relationship with our valued trade partner Israel is not dependent on this law.  A very strong case can be made that the State of Georgia should not have ANY law that constrains in ANY capacity for free speech.  I argue that  the State of Georgia cannot require individuals OR corporations to engage in commerce with Israel as a condition for working with the state.

In addition, the government cannot treat speech unequally by singling out a boycott against one particular country for punishment while allowing boycotts against every other country and for any other cause. 

 Here’s why I think we can do better:

1.  We are singling out Israel as the only nation on earth to restrict the right of Georgians to speak freely
2.  We are not the US State Department, we are in Atlanta, not Foggy Bottom.  Foreign relations are the purview of the federal government. 
3. And finally, for our taxpayers, reducing Georgia's exposure to lawsuits is not the same as eliminating Georgia’s exposure to lawsuits. 
While HB 383 restores the constitutional rights of some,  I believe a clean repeal is a better solution.  

Needs Based Aid

COVID-19 Pandemic One Year Later

I don't have to tell any of you that this weeks marks the one year anniversary of the COVID19 virus pandemic and its devastating effects on our country.  Over 530,00 Americans have lost their lives.  My heart grieves for all of us who have lost loved ones and had their lives and livelihoods upended. I am so grateful for our President and US Congress for passing the American Recovery Act and thankful that help is on the way.  

 David and I still have not gotten the vaccine, but we have pre-registered.  I am happy to learn about many friends getting their shots. Gov. Kemp expands vaccine criteria for Georgians 55 and older, those with serious health conditions/

Beginning Monday March 15th, vaccine eligibility will expand to include:

• Adults aged 55 and over

• Individuals with disabilities

• Individuals aged 16 years and older with certain medical conditions that increase their risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

For scheduling appointments in DeKalb County  beginning March 15 or later, click HERE 

The new Vaccine Registration and Administration Solution appointment scheduling system (VRAS) is now online! If you qualify for phase 1a vaccination, you can find and book an appointment by clicking HERE.

Thank you to those of you that read this through to the end!  There is always more to share! Stay tuned for a Town Hall with Senator Gail Davenport for this Thursday, March 18, at 6pm - we are working on the invitation now!   

Thank you for the opportunity to serve, and let me know how I can be of assistance to you.  And please stay vigilant - wear your mask, keep a physical distance, wash your hands, and get a vaccine as soon as you possibly can!  
Sincerely,