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Volume 9, Issue 4

Greetings! We are in the final week of session, with long days going into night, and legislative days 39 today and Day 40 - Sine Die! - on Thursday, March 28th.

The House has been pacing out our partisan bills, so that we pass a lot of bipartisan legislation, and then we have a party line debate on a bill a day. Our Whip, Rep Sam Park is fantastic, and under his leadership Democrats are speaking eloquently and fighting the bad bills in floor debate. But regrettably, until we change our position of power, most of the time the outcome is a foregone conclusion.

In an unexpected vote, on Day 38, last Thursday, we defeated a bill on the floor that was a protest vote against outside interests, in a bipartisan vote - that was fun!

The Senate is where the pace has been unrelenting and the culture wars are happening. Georgia’s Senate is a launchpad for culture war legislation. Unfortunately, we will be on the receiving end in the House, so we are on our toes for the craziness!

In this issue:

Action Alerts from:

Georgia Equality - No on HB 1104 and HB 1170, Anti Trans bills, in Senate tomorrow
Voices for Children Budget Advocacy
Georgia Justice Project - three Second Chance bills
Georgia Budget and Policy Institute - Protect Public School Funding
Georgians for a Healthy Future

My legislation:

Update on Burial Purchaser Protection Act

Highlights of Bills Where I Voted No:

SB 420 - Alien Land Law
SB 362 - Anti-Union Bill
SB 1339 - Expanding Certificate of Need

An Unexpected Defeat on Floor:

SB 374 - defeated on the floor

Highlights of Two Good Bills Where I Voted Yes

SB 465 - Positive outcome but tragic reasons - Narrowly tailored Fentanyl bill increasing penalty to aggravated involuntary manslaughter
HB 353 - Updating Coin Operated Machines - good $ for universal pre-K

At the Capitol
In the Community

Let Parents Make Healthcare Decisions for Their Kids!

I am proud to support trans kids - We all want what is best for our kids. That's why it is so important for parents to make decisions about the healthcare that is right for their families and allows their kids to grow up healthy and safe.

Monday afternoon, HB 1104 (excluding trans athletes from school sports and facilities) and HB 1170 (ending access to prescribed puberty-delaying medication) were added to the Senate calendar for today. This means we have very little time left to make our voices heard before these bills are voted on in the Senate.

These bills are another attempt to play politics at the expense of transgender youth in Georgia. Send a message to your Senator, RIGHT NOW, letting them know that you oppose these attacks on transgender youth!

Voices for Georgia' Children - Advocacy Asks

Voices for Children Advocacy Asks:

End of Session Budget Asks

We are down to the wire and need some streamlined advocacy to move some dollars and bills. That said, please pick one or two of the following that suits you and make a call to key House and Senate Appropriations members and ask them to ensure that the following dollars are secured in the FY2025 budget. (There are too many emails for folks at this point in the session, so calling is best!)

Click Here: Voices for Children Advocacy Ask

Georgia Justice Project - Second Chance Advocacy Asks

Click Here: SB 157 Take Action Fair Chance for Occupational Licensing

Click Here: HB 909 and HB 926 Take Action
Improve Georgia’s First Offender Act and
Facilitate Driver’s License Reinstatements

Protect Public School Funding

Concerned about the future of our public schools? There are bills on the table, like SB 349, HB 581, and HR 1022, aiming to cap changes in annual property tax assessments. But here’s the problem: this could seriously hurt our schools' funding.

Property taxes are a major source of revenue for our schools. Capping assessments means less money in the pot for education. And when schools lack funds, it's the students who suffer due to widening inequalities that jeopardize the future of our children.

If property tax assessments are capped, local governments might resort to other, less fair ways to fill the funding gap, like raising sales taxes or piling on fines and fees. That's a double blow for the folks who can least afford it.

We know that Georgia’s property tax system is not perfect, but slapping caps on assessments without fixing the underlying issues is like slapping a band-aid on a broken leg. We need real solutions, not quick fixes that could do more harm than good.

Ready to take action? Here’s what to do:

Click the link below and let’s tell our legislators to say NO to these bills. Instead, let's push for fair reforms that ensure every child gets the education they deserve.

Don't sit this one out. Our schools are counting on us.

Click Here: Protect Public School Funding

Georgians for a Healthy Future

GHF testifies to close Georgia's coverage gap
Budget updates
Legislation on the move: housing, paid leave, Medicaid financing, & more!
GHF's got you covered this session!

Click Here: Georgian's for a Healthy Future March 25 Legislative Update

My Legislation:
Update on Burial Purchaser Protection Act

With encouragement and help from colleagues and legislative counsel, and persistence on my part, the Burial Purchaser Protection Act language , which did not pass the House before Cross Over, was stripped and placed into HB 498, another Cemetery bill, in the Senate to go before Regulated Industries.

But then it was strangely re-assigned to Public Safety. I found out from Chairman Albers that the Senate had a higher purpose for HB 498, the Georgia Consumer Privacy Protection Act. Now HOW does that relate to Cemeteries??!!

If I am re-elected, this is my highest priority to get this passed at the beginning of next session, Lord Willing.

Highlights of Bills Where I Voted No:

SB 420 Alien Land Law 97 - 67 I voted no

No nonresident alien shall acquire or own agricultural land or land within a 10 mile radius of any military base, military installation, or airport. As Whip Sam Park stated, it is easy to vote yes to look tough on China, but this undermines the American constitution.

National Security is a goal to prioritize. This legislation does not accomplish that goal.

Hate against Asian Pacific people is real. The phrase “legal resident” has many different possibilities. Florida passed a similar bill, and the plaintiffs prevailed.

As Rep Long Tran stated, this bill will create additional regulatory burdens. Small businesses will be most affected - they will be hurt the most. Republicans claimed this was about Americans feeding Americans, but if it is about farming, we should take out the exception for Chinese agriculture.

This is one of several controversial immigration bills under consideration this session:

Controversial immigration bills move through Georgia legislature – WABE

SB 362 Anti Union Bill Passed 96 - 78 I voted no

It is undeniable that Georgia has a labor shortage. And 72% of Georgians have a favorable opinion of organized labor.

However, Unionizing just got harder. With the House approval of SB 362, there will be less chance of unionizing in our “right to work” state.

The measure will bar companies that accept state tax incentives from recognizing unions without a formal, secret-ballot election.
Why it matters: It comes amid a national push from the United Auto Workers to unionize the South.
GA will join TN and SC among other southern states that have adopted or supported similar legislation.

HB 1339 Streamlining and modernizing Certificate of Need 95 - 68 I voted No

This session began with a question - will we expand Medicaid in exchange for modernizing Certificate of Need? Unfortunately, the answer is no… not yet.

On Day 37, after the House passed major Senate changes to HB 1339 — relaxing Certificate of Need regulations — it went back to the Senate for final approval of the last minute House amendments.

Chairman Butch Parrish is greatly respected, and he asked us to think of it like the budget, not perfect but a step forward for expanding the healthcare workforce.

I voted no because Georgia has the 2nd highest uninsured rate in the US, and this bill does nothing to expand coverage. You can build all the shiny new buildings you want, but if patients can’t pay for care, what good will that do?

The momentous plan passed 34-17 with most Ds voting against the bill in protest of not going further on Medicaid expansion.
Democrats voted no because the bill allows private equity to invest,
Yes, but: Sen. David Lucas (D-Macon), who’s spent decades trying to move the needle on access to care, voted yay after introducing a surprise medicaid expansion bill that got a 7-7 vote in committee only hours before.
For Lucas’ bill – a private insurance waiver program similar to Arkansas’ model, Sens. Matt Brass (R-Newnan) and Carden Summers (R-Cordele) joined the Democrats in support, but Chairman Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) cast the tie-breaking vote to kill it.

An Unexpected Bi-Partisan Defeat of a Bill on the House Floor

Waiting with baited breath and watching the board for the votes on SB 374 with Rep Washburn and Chairman Collins

SB 374 Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Act of 2021 - update Defeated on floor 59 - 96

This bill, revising the licensing requirements for land surveyors and soil classifiers, on the surface seemed like a basic bill like many we have passed this year, streamlining and updating licensing for occupations.

But my seatmate, Rep Washburn, had a different view. He spoke with passion against the bill, out of frustration that special interests had too much control over the legislation process, intervening in removing amendments that had been vetted and voted for in committee.

And the mood on the floor was with him, voting it down not only for the original vote 59 - 96 but also for the reconsideration vote, 82 - 68.

Highlights of Two Bills Where I Voted Yes

HB 353 Updating Coin Operated Amusement Machines 142-16 I voted yes

Coin Operating Amusement Machines, or COAMS, are fixtures at many DeKalb gas stations. There is a lot of crime in the areas around where they are, and one of those reasons is that they are using cash. Operators want to move to gift cards.

I have opposed this bill in the past, thanks to impassioned advocacy by Rep Stacey Evans, because we felt the operators should contribute more than 10% of their proceeds to the lottery.

But I am glad to say the bill this year includes Rep Stacey Evans' language to address two key issues:

Releasing lottery reserves, which will mean $50 to $100 million more for Pre-K for the foreseeable future!
3% Increase in what the industry pays the state, going from 10% to 13% - that's probably $40 million
I am all about increasing access to early care and learning, so I am glad to support this bill.

SB 465 Increasing penalty for Fentanyl to Felony Aggravated Involuntary Manslaughter 175 - 0 I voted Yes

The vote results speak. Fentanyl is a scourge upon our nation and has affected almost all of us. This was an emotional bill, as the sponsor, and several other legislators, came to the well and wept. Many of us were moved to tears - the atmosphere of grief was palatable. They spoke of loved ones they had lost to taking a pill, like a Xanax, that was laced with Fentanyl, and their loved one never woke up. This is a narrowly tailored bill, increasing penalty to aggravated involuntary manslaughter.

2,600 Georgians died from drug overdoses last year. Naloxone trainings may help reduce that number | Georgia Public Broadcasting

At the Capitol

I was delighted to host Page Ian Stewart from Ellenwood. Pictured here with Ian and Speaker Burns is his mother, Shevondah Leslie, who is the Dept of Driver's Services Legislative Liaison, and Chairman Corbett, Chair of Motor Vehicles.

I love seeing Xander at the Capitol every year - his mom Amanda Lee, a Librarian advocate, was kept busy this year!

We continue to be in a Blood Shortage - I was glad to be able to give last Thursday. I drank a LOT of grape juice and water before and during giving. And I was bummed they didn't have Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich cookie, but I enjoyed my Oreos!

In the Community

Thank you to S DeKalb Precinct Commander, Major BK DeLoach, and DeKalb School Board Member Deirdre Pierce, for co-hosting our Public Safety and Education Town Hall and Listening Session.

Thanks to those who attended our Education and Public Safety discussion - we had a vibrant interactive conversation about issues facing our students at school.

I was honored to join the Von Holland family at their baby dedication at Bethel Original Free Will Baptist Church!

At the OLPA Gala with Council members Alex Wan and Liliana Bakhtiari

At the OLPA Gala with DeKalb Commissioner Michelle Long-Spears and Senator Elena Parent!

That's all for now. It is my honor and privilege to serve as our State Representative. Please let me know if I can be of service to you.

I probably won't write another newsletter until after Sine Die. So for those friends who are Christian, I hope you have a wonderful Easter Weekend! I am looking forward to being with my family!

And for my Muslim friends, stay strong in your fasting! I admire your discipline.

And for my Jewish friends, I see that Passover is not until April 22nd, so I will wait on that!

And for those of you with children in public schools, I hope you have a lovely Spring Break!

And I hope you are ALL enjoying this beautiful Spring!

I humbly ask for your prayers and positive thoughts for wisdom, justice, and moderation to prevail at our Capitol over the next few days!

Blessings to you all!