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Volume 6, Issue 1

Greetings! I hope you had a meaningful Martin Luther King Day weekend. We finished Day 5 of the Legislative Session on Friday, January 12, and Legislative Day 6 will be Monday, January 22nd. It seems like we were just there - which we were, only 4 weeks ago, for the Special Session on Redistricting. I will be attending Budget Hearings January 16th - 18th.

In this Issue:

Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Media Symposium
State of the State
Environmental Justice Forum: Setting An Agenda
Georgia Residents’ Social, Environmental, and Economic Priorities - a Statewide Survey
Page Program
Legislative Team
In the Community

Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Media Symposium

On Friday, January 5th, during the 18TH ANNUAL MEDIA SYMPOSIUM:AN INSIDE LOOK AT EDUCATION IN GEORGIA, I was pleased to participate in a legislative panel discussion. Pictured here is: Tim Cairl, moderator, Dr. Dana Rickman, President of GPEE, Senator Nan Orrock, Fred Jones of the Southern Education Foundation, and House Education Chair, Chris Erwin.

Ever since I was elected in 2018, I have followed the work of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. They provide excellent insight and analysis on how to improve early learning, k-12, and post-secondary and workforce systems. I still remember their presentation before the Education committee at the beginning of 2019, when we learned Georgia’s literacy level - as well as nationally - was so low. I'm so glad that in 2023 session we passed the Early Literacy Act and the formation of the Literacy Council to help address this fundamental issue!

On January 5th, I participated in a panel discussion, where we discussed the implementation of the Early Literacy Act in districts across the state, the possibility of the state giving a weight in our funding formula to children living in poverty, post secondary affordability and completion, and improving the process for stackable credits for high demand career pathway programs. Will theGeneral Assembly address the poverty weight in the formula? Chair Erwin did not rule it out. Will we expand state tuition to DACA students? Unlikely, but a bipartisan bill remains on the table. If you are interested in public education and how Georgia should prepare for our future, I highly recommend reading:

Top Ten Issues to Watch in 2024

What will be the Priorities for this Legislative Session?

On Wednesday, Jan 10th, I attended Eggs and Issues and joined Senator Parent, Representative Jasmine Clark, and Atlanta Council member Alex Wan at the Emory table, where we listened to the Georgia Chamber, the Governor, The Speaker, and the Lt Governor present their priorities for the session. Sitting on the floor of Mercedes Benz Stadium was pretty cool!

On Wednesday, Jan 10th, I attended Eggs and Issues, where the Georgia Chamber presented their priorities, and the Governor, Speaker, and Lt Governor gave a preview of their priorities. On Thursday, Jan 11th, Governor Kemp delivered his State of the State address before the legislature and judiciary in the House Chamber.

I highly recommend reading WABE’s excellent annotation of Governor Kemp’s speech:
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s 2024 State of the State address, annotated – WABE

And I recommend this article from State Affairs, as I am quoted about the connection between public safety and gun violence at the end! Kemp makes record budget bet on education. Eyes presidential run?

I didn’t like Kemp’s opening at the State of the State, with his belittling of the Biden administration. I, along with my fellow Democrats, are frustrated by the emphasis on business alone, when we should strive to be the number one state for our workers - especially in this time of inflation. And we should strive to be the number one state for health and wellness, especially for our mothers and babies, when we rank at the bottom. Democrats held a hearing on Expanding Medicaid and the testimony went on for hours, from healthcare providers across the state, on how this will help. I am glad we extended postpartum coverage to Medicaid moms to a year last session. However, low income women need to receive healthcare BEFORE they become pregnant! There are rumblings we may take action, looking at the Arkansas Medicaid plan - Will we? A Huge question.

And will we address the Housing Crisis? I heard $50 million for Rural Workforce Housing, but will the state help other Georgians find stable shelter?

I am disappointed that Governor Kemp officially mentioned the voucher bill as a priority. If you want to contact the 16 Republicans who voted no against the voucher bill on the last day of session in 2023, to THANK THEM and tell them to hold on, and keep public dollars for public schools, with transparency and accountability, HERE is a link.

However, I DO like the pay increases for our teachers, state workers, and law enforcement, more funding for transportation and school safety, and hear there is funding for a tiered state-wide literacy coaching model - I look forward to learning more in our budget meetings next week! I’ll give you an update at the end of the week!
Bulging state budget surplus driving ambitious spending plans |

And thank you to the Atlanta Journal and Constitution for this helpful information:
A citizen’s guide to the Georgia’s General Assembly

Will You Join Me on January 27th for Environmental Justice Forum, Setting An Agenda?

Recap of the October 28th Environmental Justice Take Action Forum & Listening Session

State Representative Becky Evans, New Life Community Alliance, and Science for Georgia invite DeKalb citizens, community, faith, healthcare, and business leaders and people who are concerned about impacts of environmental health for the “Environmental Justice Forum: Setting an Agenda” on Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 10am to 12 Noon. Sign up HERE

On Oct 28th we met and you determined what was important to you and your community. We’ve been working hard identifying on-going environmental testing projects in your area, possible new projects that we can start, and environmental health information. Here is information if you want to learn about who spoke and what we did at that event. Environmental Justice Take Action Forum and Listening Session – Science Lookup

On January 27 we invite you to a catch-up setting where we share what we have learned, provide information on ongoing projects in your neighborhood, and get your opinion on what to do next. We also welcome fresh faces and voices!

We are pleased that two of our guest presenters will be:
Maria Houser, DeKalb Consent Decree and Environmental Compliance Director will update us on:

Progress of the water and sewer line replacement along the South River watershed
Progress of the new Snapfinger WasteWater Treatment Plant.

Kathy Reed, DeKalb Sustainability Coordinator will update us on:

DeKalb’s exciting recent announcement from ARC about our Green Communities Certification
Trees Atlanta's Front yard tree program (an opportunity for residents to have a tree planted in their yard at no cost)
Encourage residents to sign up for Engage DeKalb to stay informed of all future sustainability initiatives and opportunities for public engagement
Let residents know about Georgia Bright, the solar leasing program for low to moderate income families to reduce energy burden

Scenes from our Environmental Justice Take Action Forum and Listening Session on October 28th. We hope for a good crowd on January 27th!

What are YOUR Priorities for clean energy economy, enhance workforce training opportunities, and effectively reduce greenhouse gasses?

New Survey: Georgia Residents’ Social, Environmental, and Economic Priorities: A Statewide Survey.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division asked us to share this survey with you.
Survey Link: Georgia Residents’ Social, Environmental, and Economic Priorities: A Statewide Survey.
Submission Deadline: January 26, 2024
Survey Description: The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) is seeking input from Georgia residents on priorities that can strengthen our clean energy economy, enhance workforce training opportunities, and effectively reduce greenhouse gasses.

Page Program

If you have a middle schooler who is interested in the political process, I encourage them to sign up to be a Page during the Legislative Session! Sign up is HERE.

Legislative Team

I am excited to introduce you to our 2024 Legislative Team: Our intern, Ms. Zakiyyah Saleem, who is starting her Masters in Public Policy at Georgia State, and who I met, through Georgia WAND, at our October 28th Environmental Justice Forum. And I am thrilled that Muriel Kennedy, who has her PhD in Psychology, and her Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology, is my new Chief of Staff. Muriel was one of my pages two years ago, when she shadowed me for her study of Faith and Public Life.

In the Community

The DeKalb Juvenile Justice Council met on Thursday, at Grove Garden Senior Living, to review our Strategic Plan. Pastor Flippin has turned over the reins of the DeKalb JJC to Dr. Sharnell Myles, pictured on the left. Thank you Pastor Flippin for your inspirational and motivating leadership over the past four years!