Parent Press Week 3 of the 2022 Legislative Session
Greetings!
The third week of the Legislative Session brought a flurry of legislation and our first major vote on an unnecessary amendment to the Georgia Constitution. Several 'culture war' bills were introduced as expected, and there is likely to be more of these to come.
Read on for the details.
Virtual Town Hall
Reminder: Please join me for a Virtual Town Hall on this Monday at 6:00 pm. I will be joined by Representative Bee Nguyen, DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, and Atlanta Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari.
Register at: https://bit.ly/Jan31-TownHall
Submit Questions in advance: https://bit.ly/Jan31-Questions
Constitutional Amendments on Elections
This week the Senate voted on a resolution to amend the Georgia constitution. The Republicans claim this will prevent non-citizens from voting, but the Georgia Constitution already clearly states this:
Paragraph II. Right to register and vote. Every person who is a citizen of the United States and a resident of Georgia as defined by law, who is at least 18 years of age and not disenfranchised by this article, and who meets minimum residency requirements as provided by law shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people. The General Assembly shall provide by law for the registration of electors.
So, this is just another attempt to foment their base regarding false election fraud claims. I voted no on this resolution. It failed to pass the required 2/3 vote for a constitutional amendment, but it may be reconsidered and brought back to the floor this session.
What the Georgia Constitution is actually missing is a reference to free and equal elections, protected from outside interference. So I, along with many of my Senate Democratic colleagues, introduced SR 393, which would add this paragraph:
"Paragraph IV. Free and equal elections. Elections shall be free and equal; and no power, civil or military, shall at any time interfere with or prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage."
Over 30 states have clauses that require free and/or equal elections, and over 15 protect against interference. This is not unprecedented, and similar language has been successfully used in courts to challenge some voter suppression laws and gerrymandering. It is important that we continue to shift the narrative to what we need in Georgia to protect our right to vote.
SB 319 - Permit-less Concealed Carry
As we pointed out last week, Permit-less concealed carry is a priority of the Governor during this contested election year. SB 319 may be in the Judiciary Committee Tuesday at 4pm. You can check here for updates on the agenda Monday morning.
A recent AJC poll showed Georgians overwhelmingly disagree with this legislation. https://www.ajc.com/politics/ajc-poll-georgians-oppose-permit-less-gun-carry-repeal-of-roe-v-wade/AWT3EBPIY5GYLINCHDRERGIKSQ/
And the facts support this view:
Gun access increases the likelihood that an abusive partner will kill his female victim by 500%.
Multiple studies have shown that loosening gun permit restrictions lead to an increase in violent crime, gun injuries and death.
The loophole that allows Georgians to buy a gun without a background check through a gun show or private sale, means that some individuals will be allowed to carry a concealed weapon without any oversight at all.
Please continue your advocacy against this dangerous bill with members of the Judiciary Committee by phone or email:
Brian Strickland – Chairman
Bill Cowsert – Vice Chair
John Kennedy – Secretary, Republican Caucus Chair
Bo Hatchet – Member, Governor’s Floor Leader
Harold Jones II – Member, Democratic Whip
Kay Kirkpatrick – Member*
Elena Parent – Member, Democratic Caucus Chair
Michael ‘Doc’ Rhett – Member
Blake Tillery– Member
Ben Watson– Member*
* Senator Kirkpatrick is a doctor who has advocated for public health and domestic violence legislation. Her district includes parts of Cobb County. Senator Watson is also a doctor, whose district includes parts of the Savannah Metro area. Senators Kirkpatrick and Watson would be particularly important people to reach out to express your opposition. You can also contact Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan.
Education Gag Orders
These bills may be referred to in the press as ‘anti-CRT’ bills, but this is not an accurate reflection of content. These bills actually limit the teaching of anything considered a 'divisive element' regarding race, racist elements of history, and diversity or inclusion in public schools. There are several versions of these bills right now, and all would limit and/or punish teachers and include potential financial penalties for schools. The house bill (HB 888) could reduce school funding by up to 20%, triggered by just a few complaints. The language on how and what is limited is vague and will leave our well-intentioned teachers and school districts subject to complaints and repercussions. The senate bill (SB 377) also extends these bans into Universities, limiting what and how professors teach.
We should have faith in and support our teachers and schools. This is simply bad policy, proposed at a time of great stress for both teachers and school systems caused by the pandemic. One teacher called this debate heartbreaking:
https://www.ajc.com/education/get-schooled-blog/former-georgia-teacher-of-the-year-debate-over-critical-race-theory-is-heartbreaking/SLWUYBH2VBHKTA6P3VFLYINMK4/
SB 377 along with SB 375, which deals mostly with diversity training in schools and government agencies, have been assigned to the Education and Youth Committee. You can reach out to members of the committee and let your views be known:
Chuck Payne – Chairman
Jason Anavitarte – Vice Chair
Freddie Sims – Secretary, Republican Caucus Chair
John Albers – Member
Matt Brass – Ex-Officio
Greg Dolezal– Member
Steve Gooch– Member
Lester Jackson -Member
Sonya Halpern – Member
Donzella James– Member
Sheila McNeill– Member
Elena Parent – Member, Democratic Caucus Chair
Lindsey Tippins– Member
Other Bills to Watch
A Bill to allow car and truck manufacturers who only produce zero-emission vehicles to sell direct to consumers in Georgia. This bill would expand an exception allowed for Tesla in 2015 to allow Rivian, and future electric vehicle startups, to sell direct in Georgia.
This bill would require utilities to use monthly net metering to credit solar customers and remove some fees imposed on those with rooftop solar systems.
Is a bill limiting how a woman can obtain Mifepristone, known as the abortion pill. The FDA currently allows a virtual consult and the medication to be obtained by mail, this bill would require an in person visit. More attacks on women’s access to reproductive health care.
Legislative Priorities
We are continuing to work on a number of bills we filed last session, and several new bills which I'm particularly enthusiastic about!
Last session I filed several bills to expand voter access, and we will continue to push for these to get a hearing. SB 147 would allow Early Voting on the Saturday and Sunday prior to Election Day, and SB 99 would allow voters to vote at their precinct or any Early Vote location on Election Day. We will also continue work on common sense gun legislation. SB 146 would institute penalties for adults who store their weapons unsafely, or in a manner that allows minors to gain access to them and do harm to themselves or others. And we are working on additional bills to close loopholes in background checks.
We continue to focus on expanding opportunities for Georgians to access higher education and skilled training programs. Look for several bills on bolstering and understanding the Dual Enrollment program.
Covid-19 Resources
Please stay vigilant, get vaccinated and boosted, and wear a mask in public settings.
Order 4 free at home Covid tests: www.COVIDtests.gov,
DeKalb County testing and vaccine resources:
https://www.dekalbhealth.net/covid-19-dashboard/