Parent Press 2020

The first week of the 2020 Legislative Session is behind us.  This week, legislators hear testimony from the Governor, State Economist and department heads as to what their budget proposals and needs are.  The budget remains the most pressing issue of this legislative session, as we cope with a shortfall over $300 million and new spending priorities (and proposed cuts) laid out by the Governor in the budget he submitted to the legislature at the end of last week.  Read below for more details.

The State Budget

Governor Kemp delivered his “State of the State” address last Thursday, in which he outlined his legislative priorities for 2020. His plans for the year include dismantling Common Core standards in K-12 schools, lowering premiums for healthcare, cracking down on gang violence, ending human trafficking, and making the adoption of children in foster care easier. Though we do not agree on all of these proposals (and may not agree on how to achieve the ones we do agree on), I look forward to putting our constituents first and finding common ground where possible.

Governor Kemp also unveiled his 2021 budget, which included millions of dollars in spending cuts, particularly for the Department of Corrections. Despite deciding to slash spending for state prisons by more than $30 million, his budget increases spending for private prisons. This decision reduces spending on training for state prison officers, which runs the risk of making prisons less safe and could put prison guards and prisoners in danger.

Further, Gov. Kemp is proposing cuts to the accountability courts that Gov. Deal expanded as part of his heralded criminal justice reform efforts to direct low-level offenders into treatment rather than to jail, and it proposes $3.5 million in cuts to the public defender system. All of this has sparked worries that Gov. Kemp is returning to the old "tough on crime" mentality that led Georgia to lock lots of people up. Additionally, his budget reduces funding for small and minority business development and cuts more than $1 million for environmental protection. I have serious concerns about some of these cuts.

Governor Kemp’s budget includes a $2,000 pay increase for Georgia’s public-school teachers, with a cumulative cost expected to be approximately $380 million. This salary raise is a step in the right direction for Georgia’s hard-working educators, and I fully support the move. Nonetheless, raising the budget for educators does not by itself necessitate expenditure cuts for other important public services, which is the route Gov. Kemp is proposing.  

As I told you in the last Parent Press, our budget shortfall is largely the result of an ill-considered cut to the state income tax rates two years ago.  Fortunately, Gov. Kemp did not include plans for the second round of the 0.25% tax cut. I am pleased that he recognized there was simply no way to meet the shortfall and increase teacher pay while also delivering another income tax cut.  This is not the end of the conversation, though -- it is a certainty that some Republicans will still be agitating for the tax cut, and they could still get their way. 

Higher Education

I am concerned about the ever-increasing cost of attending college. Our state has a responsibility to guarantee that students can attend a college or technical school.  It’s also the only thing that makes economic sense, because the vast majority of Georgia’s jobs require at least some post-secondary schooling.

Did you know that the cost of college is now more than half the annual income of a quarter of Georgia’s families, and Georgia continues to be one of only two states in the country not to offer state aid programs based on a student’s financial need? The General Assembly must work to change this so that higher education becomes more accessible to more families. The rapid increase in the cost of attending higher education programs in recent years is largely a product of budget cuts made by the state. I am fighting to invest in our future generations by improving and funding the student-need scholarship that we initiated a couple of years ago.

Hate Crimes

A bipartisan bill (HB 426) that would mandate harsher sentences for people who commit hate crimes passed the House last year, and is now sitting in the Judiciary Committee (on which I serve).  I am supportive of this legislation and would like to see the committee schedule a hearing. We have seen an increase in the number of hate crimes in recent years, including an anti-Semitic synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh and a shooting at a Walmart in Texas that targeted Latinos.

Georgia is currently one of only five states with no law aimed at punishing hate crimes. This is the year to change that. The solution is not merely to condemn hate crimes with words; it is to halt them with our actions.

Refugees

Recently the Trump Administration released an executive order which allows state and local governments to decide whether to participate in refugee resettlement. Texas became the first state to opt out of the refugee resettlement program, while over 40 other states have said they will allow refugees.  Recently, a federal judge temporarily blocked the executive order from President Trump, and it now appears that Gov. Kemp will not announce his decision while legal action is pending. (You can read more about Texas and the temporary ruling here.) 

I have heard from many constituents who want our state to be open and welcoming to refugees. I have been listening, and before the federal judge blocked the executive order this week, I sent a letter to Governor Kemp urging him to continue allowing refugees into our state.  I am proud that DeKalb County has often served as a safe haven for refugees. 

Cityhood/Carl Vinson DeKalb Holistic Review

The Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia looked at the effect of potential new cities (Greenhaven and Vista Grove) in DeKalb and the associated costs. I was honored to serve on the Steering Committee for this study, entitled the DeKalb Holistic Review.  The final, full report should be available shortly, but you can read about some of the key findings and analysis here.   In the meantime, DeKalb legislators are in discussions regarding the pending new city proposals. I will keep you posted.

The Marketplace Facilitator Bill - HB 276

This week, HB 276, one of the first bills to be voted on in the House and Senate, was passed with my support. The bi-partisan bill subjects third party sellers on Internet platforms to sales and use tax under Georgia law.  This bill didn’t gain final passage last year, and the first action by both chambers was to form a conference committee to hash out differences, which was done expeditiously.  Given our budget shortfall, action on this legislation had become increasingly important.  If signed by Governor Kemp, it would go into effect on April 1, 2020.  Projections are that the change could bring in $150 - $180 million in revenue to our state. 

As always -- thank you for the opportunity to represent you in the State Senate! It is a great honor.