Parent Press: Week 3 of the 2024 Legislative Session
Busy with scoring political points versus working to solve problems is how I would describe much of the past week at the Capitol. While I would like to address the real issues facing Georgia - Medicaid expansion, gun violence, quality pre-K through higher education access and good governance - the State Senate spent many hours debating nonsensical Republican legislation to placate a far-right base of election-denying, anti-democracy voters. As we get deeper into the legislative session and closer to a rematch of the 2020 Presidential election between President Biden and Donald Trump, I fear that this will only increase, though hope springs eternal that we could get a few good things done in between the red meat to the base bills.
Election Bills
With the number of pieces of legislation related to elections in Georgia, you might think that we have a serious problem with our election system. Don't be fooled! I expect you are not.
Unsurprisingly, the votes were entirely along party lines. It seems there are still no Republicans of conscience in the Georgia Senate when it comes to partisan issues.
For starters, the Senate confirmed former state senator and outspoken election denier Rick Jeffares to the State Election Board, which is currently comprised of 4 Republicans and 1 Democrat. (The appointing entities are the Governor, State Senate, State House, and 1 from each political party. This is why there is only one Democrat.) This vote came after the Senate Republicans declined to re-appoint Matt Mashburn after he crossed them by declining to vote to investigate the Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger. (More on that below.)
This represents the opposite of good governance and serves to undermine election integrity. In slightly better news, we also confirmed the Governor's appointment of John Fervier, a Waffle House executive, who does not have relevant election law experience, but from all accounts is a decent person and not an election denier. Credit where it is due to Gov. Kemp. I am very concerned, however, about the potential descent of the State Election Board into an election-denying entity that could cause problems in 2024 if the MAGA base, which has been harassing the Board for months and believes the election was stolen, gets their way.
Next up was SB 355, a bill to ban rank choice voting which a) does not exist legally in Georgia except for military and overseas voters, b) was just put into place by Republicans in SB 202, the election law rewrite, in 2021; and, c) offers many time and cost-saving benefits while facilitating broader voter access. So I had to call this out for what it is, more of the latest performative effort to continue the disinformation campaign about elections. You can read more at the Savannah Morning News and hear my remarks HERE.
SB 358 seems borne of the same election-denying belief system. This legislation would remove the Secretary of State, elected by the people of Georgia, from the State Election Board entirely. Before SB 202, the Secretary of State was the Chair of the Board and a voting member. It would also allow the Board to hire election investigators instead of relying on the Secretary of State's, and it would give the Board powers to investigate the Secretary of State. The Board deadlocked on whether to investigate Raffensberger in recent months, with some members viewing it as unconstitutional. The Secretary of State objected. His attorney wrote in a letter that allowing an unelected Board of political appointees to have power over an elected Constitutional officer is indeed against Georgia's constitution. Kowtowing to election deniers and their temper tantrums fosters conspiracies and fundamentally undermines democracy.
SR 465, a resolution that targets DA Fani Willis passed the Senate. For the first time since I have been serving, and one of apparently only a few times in Georgia history, the State Senate has formed a special committee with subpoena power to investigate DA Willis. There is much intrigue but no proven facts yet about DA Willis' personal life, and if and how it might have impacted her professional duties as district attorney. It is a fact that there IS a grand jury indictment, acquired lawfully through our fair justice system, stating that there is sufficient evidence in the record to warrant an inquiry into the integrity and legality of 19 people efforts to interfere with the 2020 presidential election. Repercussions, if any, regarding the case will be decided in court, which is the appropriate venue. Senate Republicans are trying to embarrass and undermine DA Willis and the case. This is partially because some of them want to keep themselves very close to Trump and the MAGA base, and partially because DA Willis targeted 3 people with ties to the State Senate in this probe -- current Senator Shawn Still, former Senator David Shafer, and LG Burt Jones, all of whom were fake electors.
Another fun little nugget of a bill introduced this week would ban drop boxes entirely.
Hb 30
The Anti-Semitism bill, HB 30, sped through the legislative process after 3 years of hearings and votes. This bill provides for a definition of anti-semitism in Georgia law and means that anti-semitism could be a form of bias when considering whether an action was a hate crime or otherwise discriminatory. While all, I believe, agree that hate in general and anti-semitism in particular are increasingly plaguing our communities, not all are in agreement on how to address this pervasive issue.
Some of my colleagues in the Senate and the House had concerns about the legislation itself, feeling that it could chill speech that is critical of the state of Israel. As you can imagine, this is particuarly fraught as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues in the Middle East. Because this conflict has dragged on for centuries and is top of mind currently, it was an emotional issue for many. Both sides had fair points, although I do not believe that there will be much, if any, implications to free speech. I heard from many constituents in favor of and against the bill, and ultimately decided to support the bill both in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and on the Senate floor. The bill is on its way to the Governor's desk for his signature.
You’re invited - town hall
Connecting with constituents is essential to serving you as State Senator. I encourage you to attend Town Halls to stay up to date on what's going on at the Capitol, on stage and behind the scenes.
I started the year with two Zoom sessions for constituents and we discussed the budget, addressed upcoming legislation and took many questions. On Sunday, February 4 at 6:30PM at Glenn Memorial Church, I will join Representatives Evans and Oliver for a Town Hall meeting to discuss the 2024 legislative session. Please join us!
To register : https://bit.ly/2024TownHallFeb4
To submit questions in advance: https://bit.ly/2024TownHallFeb4Questions
Anniversary of Roe
I couldn't let the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade go by without speaking about the injustice women are suffering in Georgia as a result of the Supreme Court abdicating its jurisdiction over the right to reproductive choice. The result has been devastating to women around the country. Here in Georgia, where the rate of maternal pregnancy related deaths have been rising and far exceeds the rate of other states in the US, particularly among black mothers, denying reproductive choice adds to the existing poor access to broader reproductive healthcare.
I wish I could say that I'm optimistic about the possibility of expanding Medicaid in 2024. Sadly, with the Senate Republican majority seemingly focused on pandering to their base in an election year, I am becoming less hopeful that they will turn away from the Governor's failing Pathways to Health to embrace Medicaid expansion. But stay tuned - I have been surprised before! If we did make a move toward expansion, it would almost certainly be in the model of Arkansas, which uses federal dollars to help people in between 100% and 138% of poverty buy insurance on the exchanges instead of directly expanding Medicaid. It would almost certainly be coupled with a relaxation or elimination of current Certificate of Need requirements that limit where new health-care facilities can open.
Click on the image above to hear my full remarks.
Gun Violence Survivors
Click on the image above to hear my remarks about Amy.
This week was the 6th National Gun Violence Survivors Week. Like me, I doubt you've forgotten that awful day in May last year when Amy Wald St. Pierre died in gunfire at a doctor’s appointment during her lunch break, shot by a troubled young man, who had no business owning a gun.
I was honored that Amy's family allowed me to share their story and Amy's memory and that they came to the Capitol with so many friends, survivors and those working to build the better world that Amy envisioned. Amy's dedication to working for fairness, justice and a safe community for all must be continued by each of us who survives her death. Random gun violence is pervasive here in Georgia, and I will continue working on legislation to address it. You can listen to my remarks in full HERE on YouTube.
Be Vote Ready
Many of you have reached out asking if your district has changed. With the March presidential primary around the corner and February 12 being the LAST DAY to register to vote in the primary, be sure to check My Voter Page to confirm your registration - even if you've been voting for years. If you see an inconsistencies or have any questions, call the Secretary of State's office or your county Board of Elections office immediately. You can reach DeKalb County BOE at 404-298-4020.
To keep you up to date, I will send newsletters often during the session. Please connect with me on social media to get updates.
Thank you for the honor to serve you in the Georgia State Senate.