Parent Press: Interim Gold Dome News May 2023

Parent Press: May 2023 Interim Gold Dome News

The legislative session ended just seven weeks ago, but things don't slow down much.  Apologies for the length here, but there are several updates I want to share.

It's the Guns and the GOP

As you all know, our community was hit hard on May 3 by gun violence.  Every time a tragedy like this occurs it hurts, as you know well how much I care about this issue.  The legislature is not in session, and with Democrats in the minority, there is little we can realistically do.  Democrats in the House called a press conference on May 10 to ask for a special session to address the violence that guns are raining down on us. I wanted to share my remarks from the press conference with you.  You can read my remarks below or watch here on YouTube.

Like many communities, here we are again.  We are mournful for the precious life lost last week and the many survivors and their families whose lives will be forever marked by tragedy.
The shooting in Midtown last week imposed collective trauma on millions of people in during the many hours of the manhunt. 
We are outraged that we are forced to live with gun violence.   Terrified that we could be next, or our child or another loved one could be next.  Exhausted because we have spoken out, donated, lobbied and marched time and time again begging for the violence to stop.
No right is absolute.  All rights afforded each of us must be balanced against other peoples’ rights. The constitution has second amendment.  But it starts with ENSURING DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY.  And the right to domestic tranquility is being denied to us each and every day.  The misuse of guns and the frequency of terrifying incidents is an every-day occurrence with 200 mass shootings logged already this year in our country.  This, I argue, is a predictable consequence of a complex society, with almost no restrictions – in some states like ours - on who, where, and when someone can acquire, deadly weapons, including those that can kill dozens in minutes. 
As no right is absolute, it must be balanced against other rights. The position that no laws should be changed in response to a crisis of gun violence in Georgia is not sustainable because the people are crying out for change, and the voters are demanding change.
We must and will change this. We must march on.  We must all pull together for as long as it takes to crack the code to stop the guns before they stop us.  Each of us has a role to play.  Each of us must do what we can. There is no one person, organization or policy that can fix this. But in my legislative role, I say: the level of carnage in our society must be addressed, by the people who have been elected to set policy for this great state of Georgia - lawmakers, the Governor and the Lt. Governor. 
I am not going to scream out to those who already agree with me.  I am calling my Republican colleagues to see if they might be willing to talk and listen so we can find a path forward to some legislative solutions that will help the situation.  Minority Leader Beverly laid out some that are widely supported by the public – gun safety measures that are common sense. We don’t need every Republican in this General Assembly to come to the table, but we need enough to penetrate the barrier of the majority.  I am hopeful that by knocking on the door of reason and humanity incessantly, we just might get a safe gun storage bill passed.  Guns are the number one killer of children and have been for a number of years.  With Republican legislators in Texas considering raising the age to buy AR-15s from 18-21 – a modest but important step; with the Republican Governor of Tennessee calling for a red flag law; and, even with the US Congress coming together to make modest progress after the Uvalde massacre, I have hope and we will continue to march on.
What can all of you do?  A lot!  Republicans control our state’s agenda.  This is why of the 16 gun safety measures that Democrats - I and my colleagues - not one was heard and voted on in committee or in chambers.  And, let’s not forget that many of these bills have been pending for a decade or more. They control the agenda but they don’t control YOU.  YOU can work to change Republican elected officials’ minds.  And please do not forget that YOU can run for office.  And, YOU can vote for Democrats.  And, YOU can reach and teach your communities to do the same.
Together, we are the solution, and we do have the power. 

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Never one without the other, they say.  On the same day a gunman destroyed the tranquility of our community, the Governor signed my bill, SB 55.  The Lemonade Stand Act allows kids to sell lemonade, packaged foods, and other non-consumable goods without a permit or license from their municipality as long as they’re on private property without paying taxes if revenues don’t exceed $5K per calendar year. 

While allowing kids to sell lemonade without having to comply with expensive permitting rules was not a top legislative priority, I am proud of this bipartisan success.  I know my constituents, the Genauer family, learned a lot from initiating and participating in the process, and I hope this will set an example for engagement for all.  You can watch some of the press coverage on WSBTV.

Budget Shenanigans

We have witnessed a most unusual political maneuver with the Governor vetoing items in the 2023 budget while doling out $2 Billion in one-time tax rebates.  During the budget debates I argued strongly against these one-time "gifts" and I remain opposed them.  Understanding how a Governor and his Republican leadership can cut free meals for hungry school aged children when the funds are available is hard to comprehend or explain.  

I urge you to follow this story in the news.  You can listen to  Political Rewind and read the full article in the AJC.

Constituent Matters

If you missed my post-session Town Hall Meeting with Representatives Evans, Oliver and Crawford, you can watch HERE. 

Please know that even though the legislature is not in session, my office continues to do all we can to help constituents with any concerns and requests.  You can email my legislative assistant, Paige Terhune, at Paige.Terhune@senate.ga.gov.

Looking Ahead

Thank you for reading this update and staying engaged.  If you know others who would like to be receive my newsletter, please direct them to elenaparent.com to subscribe.  All previous newsletters are on my website.

As always, it's an honor to serve and represent you in the Georgia State Senate.  I want to thank those of you who've donated already on my web site.

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