Parent Press: Week 10 of the 2023 Legislative Session

With just 6 legislative floor session days left, the atmosphere at the Capitol is frantic and tense, with rumors and negotiations abounding.  While I can’t guarantee the outcome of a vote on any legislation, I assure you that I and my Democratic colleagues are working hard behind the scenes to pass the good, stop the bad stuff and address the ugly.

The Good 

I filed SB 55, The Lemonade Stand Act, so that parents don’t have to face the difficult dilemma of whether to turn a blind eye while their kids break the law when they operate a small business like a lemonade stand without appropriate permits and licenses.  Trusting parents has come up in our legislative debates over and over again this session (more on this later), and I think the state should give parents the tools to do the right thing. 

I was thrilled with the overwhelming support SB 55 received from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and, most important, in the state House where it passed with 139 “yea” votes.  I have many to thank for this success.  First, my constituents who brought the issue forward and who came to testify at the committee hearings in the Senate and the House.  For a family of 4, especially the kids, to come to a hearing at 8am on Monday morning – really 7am thanks to daylight savings time – was quite a show of commitment.  Secondly, I am very grateful to my dear colleague, Representative Mary Margaret Oliver, for carrying the bill in the House.  Because the bill was amended, there will have to be another floor vote in the Senate before it goes to the Governor.  Read Georgia Public Broadcasting's coverage of the story behind this legislation here.

When I filed SB 34, The Georgia Online Third-Party Delivery Transparency Act, I was working to protect restaurant owners and workers as well as consumers.  The bill did not get a vote before Crossover Day ended, but this did not kill the bill entirely.  I was able to add key language from SB 34 to HB 528 (addressing transparency of automatic online service renewals) so that third party food delivery services are required to have written consent from restaurants before offering their delivery services.  I will be continuing to work to get this important legislation passed to protect consumers and business owners.

The Bad 

SB 140 would deny medical treatment for gender dysphoria to our youth and is a scary piece of legislation to begin with.  This bill goes against standard medical guidance and against the advice of major medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association.  Things got worse when this bill crossed over to the House where it was amended to include criminalizing physicians who violate the law.  Sometimes making things worse offers an opportunity to persuade those who previously supported a bill to consider voting against it.  I have heard from many of you urging me to do all I can to keep this bill from becoming law, and I will.  The amended bill is scheduled for a vote in the Senate on Monday.  I am asking constituents to contact Republican senators via email and/or on the ropes outside the chamber to urge them to not vote for a bill that tramples on parents’ right to access medical care for the children and that criminalizes our medical professionals for violating a law that actually violates medical standards of care.  You can also send a message to the Lieutenant Governor telling him this bill goes too far. 

The Ugly

Legislation and budgets speak volumes about our priorities, and I spoke from the well twice this week to address HB 147 and HB 162.  I spoke to highlight the majority's failure to address issues they claim to care about.   

While school safety is of utmost importance, I could not vote for HB 147 requiring active shooter drills in schools annually by October 1 without pointing out the elephant in the room – that these drills are necessary in part because we fail to enact any common-sense restrictions on firearms.  That this bill could progress while the bill I filed – SB 75 – to require safe storage of guns in the presence of minors did not even receive a hearing, is, to me, a dereliction of duty to protect our children.  You can hear my remarks HERE.  My colleague Rep. Au was able to get a hearing for a similar bill in the House – HB 161; though this occurred in a subcommittee after Crossover Day which means it will not progress to a vote.  This may not seem like progress, but, trust me, in the current environment it is.

We also took up legislation that pays tax payers a one-time refund from our budgetary surplus funds.  This will cost $1 billion and taxpayers will receive max $500, if married filing jointly.  I almost voted for HB 162, because tax relief could be a worthy goal as part of a budgetary philosophy that provides balance between important governmental needs and duties, but in the end I did not as I believe that our budget is still too out of balance, with too many significant needs and priorities left unfunded.   First, these refunds are not going to many in dire need and are being sent to many who don’t need them.  As I explained from the well, I believe the funds would be much more effective if used in a collective way in the form of a Georgia Work Credit or to fund the $20 million needed for the CAPS program. Budgets reflect our values, and our failure to fully fund education and health care for all highlights the majority party’s priorities – their own pockets. For those who don’t need these funds, I encourage you to consider your personal priorities and donate all or a portion of your refund to someone who’s need is far greater than yours.

Advocates Have Impact

I was greeted by Presbyterians for a Better Georgia before I spoke about budgetary priorities.  They asked me to “support better permanent housing and services for the homeless, the mentally ill and low income folks.”

Coming Up This Week

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear HB 30, the Anti-Semitism Bill, and HB 404, the Tenants Rights Bill filed in response to the AJC's extensive reporting in the Dangerous Dwellings investigative series.  There are advocates for and against these bills who will be working to either strengthen or weaken the legislation before it heads to the Senate floor for a vote.  The hearing is at 4pm on Monday, March 20 and you can attend in person or watch the proceedings via livestream.

The Senate Education and Youth Committee is expected to hear HB 538, The Georgia Literacy Act, this week.  

Looking Ahead

The legislative session ends on March 29 with Sine die.  With spring break following in early April for many, I am planning a Town Hall meeting for the evening of Thursday, April 20 to recap the session and hear about what you want you want your legislators to work on in the interim as we prepare for the 2024 legislative session.  Stay tuned to details on location and time.