Parent Press: Summer 2023
We are all feeling the heat in the Georgia - some more than others. The state legislature is not in session until January 2024, but there's a lot going on and your legislators are still working. It is tempting to focus our attention on the national political scene, but it is also important to remember that all politics is local. This is true more now than ever, as more and more policy decisions are being made at the state level.
Study Committees
How and Why: Study committees are established through resolutions passed during session to dig deeper into specific policy areas that may need legislation to address Georgians' needs.
Background and the Latest: With my passion for and prior work on education in general and on dual enrollment specifically, I was pleased to be asked to serve on the Joint Study Committee on Dual Enrollment and Highly Skilled Talent. During the 2023 legislative session, I worked with Senator Matt Brass from Newnan to pass SB 86. In addition to increasing opportunity for students to complete Career, Technical Agricultural Education (CTAE) courses, SB 86 also made progress on my goal of making sure we collect the right data to make informed decisions so we can serve students better and build a stronger workforce.
The committee has met twice so far this summer - once in Albany and once in Newnan, and the next one is scheduled for September 19. These meetings are live streamed and recorded on the Georgia Senate Youtube channel. The dual enrollment program is complex, in terms of both student access and state resource allocation. As we work to ensure that Georgia is prepared to manage workforce needs in the health, technical, mechanical and manufacturing sectors, offering dual enrollment programs and work-based learning (apprenticeship programs). Encouraging participation in these programs is critical to success.
Here's a flow chart of how students can currently progress through the system. If on the Accelerated Career Diploma track that we have been working to expand, students earn college credentials in addition to their high school diploma. It's complex though, as you can see! I would like to make it easier to understand for students and parents. That will be one way to increase access and participation
Off-Session Standing Committee Meetings
How and Why: Even though we aren't in session, some committees are meeting and scheduling hearings. The Republican majority calls the shots and sets the agenda.
Background and the Latest: The Senate Education and Youth Committee that I serve on heard SB 88, the "Parents and Children Protection Act of 2023" (some compare it to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill) that was heard and tabled in the 2023 session. You can read about the hearing on Rough Draft or watch the hearing and hear my remarks on YouTube.
I do not support this legislation and you can hear the concerns I raised here. While I have no doubt that my Republican colleagues will bring this legislation back to the table in 2024, I am pleased to know that there are members of the majority like Senator Setzler who share some of my concerns.
Drama
If you're reading this, I expect you've been following the news of Fulton County District Attorney's indictments of 19 people accused of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. I was serving on a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee when the former president's legal team, including Rudy Giuiliani, came to testify in December 2020 and proclaimed the election in Georgia had failed. For doing my job - asking questions and pointing out lies in the testimony - I received death threats that extended to my family.
With the media focus on the indictments, I was interviewed on MSNBC three times. While indicting a former president for breaking the law to overturn an election is tragic for our country, I am hopeful that the legal proceedings will move forward with honesty and integrity to bring justice on all counts.
