Parent Press: Week 7 of the 2022 Legislative Session
The news was sobering this week. It has been difficult to bear witness to the Russian attack on Ukraine, and I know you share my concern about the innocent people in its wake. We are also cognizant of the immediate and long-term implications beyond the Ukrainian border, but right now our hearts are with the people of Ukraine.
During times like this, coming together in solidarity often gives us hope. This has happened all through our history, even at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, it seems the chasms that divide us have become too broad for even this, and it’s unsettling.
We see this in the State Capitol as Republicans ram through a national conservative agenda which has little to do with what Georgians want or need. Much of this is in response to manufactured issues driven by right wing extremists and election year politics. The bright spot is hearing from so many of my constituents advocating for the issues you care about with such grace. Thank you for your calls and emails. These give me hope.
Here is what happened this week.
Bills that Passed the Senate
SB 449
This bill has been dubbed the ‘Parent’s Bill of Rights’ and codifies into state law burdensome reporting mechanisms to inform parents of school curriculum. This can only be viewed as an attack on teachers. Parents already have these rights, and everyday parents and teachers have conversations about what is happening in the classroom. But this bill, proposed by the Governor, has been designed as a message to parents that they should be afraid and vigilant. The consequences will be additional expenditures for school districts on document requests, censorship in the classroom as teachers navigate vague bill language and possibly avoid introducing supplemental materials, and more burdens on teachers that are already leaving the profession at an alarming rate.
This bill passed the Senate on Tuesday. I voted no, along with my Democratic colleagues. You can see my comments on the Senate floor here:
SB 435
SB 435, which would prohibit schools from allowing transgender youth from participating in school sports, was on the Senate Floor Thursday. The floor debate was filled with emotional testimony against this cruel bill targeting vulnerable children. What makes it worse, this is completely unnecessary, a manufactured issue brought forward for election year political gain.
This bill passed the Senate. Every Republican in the Senate voted for this bill and every Democrat voted against.
Read More here:
And watch my full comments on the Senate Floor here:
SB 472
Georgia Senate Republicans approved an egregious redistricting plan for the Georgia Public Service Commission, moving 41 out of 159 counties, instead of using standard redistricting principles to maintain core districts while adjusting for population changes. This could have been accomplished with moving 6 counties instead of 41. The new maps target District 2 challenger, Patty Durand, by drawing her out of the district, and leaving the incumbent, Tim Echols, without a viable opponent. Furthermore, residents in some redistricted Counties, including Gwinnett and 10 middle Georgia Counties, will not have the opportunity to run for PSC until 2026.
The Public Service Commission, while sometimes overlooked, is so important. The commission controls how much Georgia Power Co. can charge on electric bills and regulates private natural gas companies. Our current system allows statewide voting on each district commissioner, diluting the voting power of minority communities who are most impacted by the variability in energy costs. There is a lawsuit pending on this claiming there is a violation of the VRA.
I voted no on these maps, but they passed the Senate.
You can read more here:
Bills that Passed Senate Committees
SB 514
SB 514 is the Governor’s most recent attempt to rile up his base prior to election season. SB 514 disallows school boards, superintendents, and teachers from implementing mask mandates in schools. While a school district may have a formal masking policy in place, under this bill anyone could “opt-out” of following the mandate without reason or explanation. This turns any school’s mask “mandate” into a suggestion rather than a requirement. This is a ridiculous policy and a terribly written bill which will hamstring our local school districts from responding if there are significant changes in this pandemic.
The good news is that this bill would expire in June 2023. The short-term expiration date on this bill exemplifies the performative nature of SB 514. It does little to protect or help our students, and everything to fan the flames of the GOP base prior to the 2022 midterms and the Governor’s heated re-election.
This bill passed out of the Education and Youth Committee this week.
Senate Debates Next Week
Three Gun Bills will be on the Senate Floor Monday, February 28.
SB 319
SB 319 would allow Permit-less concealed carry. Eliminating the Weapons Carry License will allow gun owners to carry a loaded gun in public without a background check, dismantling one of the few controls we have to protect the public. This bill is an election year priority of the Governor and being pushed by very extreme gun proponents.
It is important to note that public opinion is not on the side of this legislation. The majority of Georgians do not support loosening restrictions on gun owners, and a Johns Hopkins study revealed that over 80% of both gun owners and non-gun owners, regardless of party, believe that concealed carry permits should be subject to more restrictions, like safety training.
SB 259
This law is essentially a local preemption bill, which does 3 things:
This bill broadens the prohibition on GA agencies/offices from creating a database of issued carry permits to include “applicants” for permits.
It preempts municipalities from regulating the discharge of firearms on parcels of land larger than 10 acres if allowed by the occupant of the land.
And, it would force local governments to sell seized firearms and would provide a right to sue for the sale of firearms if the requirement is not followed.
SB 479
SB 479 would increase the penalties for unlawful firearm possession.
Together these are an effort to thwart common sense gun laws with the false claims that permits and other gun restrictions only burden lawful gun owners. However, we know that over 5,000 people in Georgia were denied a Weapons Carry License in 2020. The facts are clear - more guns lead to more gun violence.
Gun Violence is higher in states that have looser gun restrictions.
Gun access increases the likelihood that an abusive partner will kill his female victim by 500%.
The homicide rate in Georgia increased 45% since 2013 when we passed the 'guns everywhere' law. At the time, proponents claimed that this would make us safer, which of course is not true.
Please keep up your advocacy on this critical issue:
President Pro Tempore, Butch Miller
SB 319 Sponsor, Sen. Jason Anavitarte
SB 259 Sponsor, Sen. Jeff Mullis
In Committee Next Week
SB 377
SB 377 will be back in Committee on Monday. This bill would ban K-12 schools and Universities from teaching 'divisive' concepts regarding race, listing 9 banned concepts, and allows any parent to initiate a complaint process that could lead to penalties on school QBE funding. This bill will prevent thoughtful discussions in classrooms about race and racism and prevent our children from receiving a complete and honest education.
This bill will get its third hearing on Monday in the Education and Youth Committee. We expect public testimony to continue. You can watch here.
Monday, Feb 28th, at 3:00 pm, in room 307 CLOB.
HB 1084
In related news, HB 1084 is a similar bill that passed through the House Education Committee last week. The two main differences include limiting the bans to K-12 education and the penalties imposed, changing QBE funding penalties to restricting important Strategic Waivers that allow schools flexibility to innovate.
You can watch the hearing on HB 1084 here (the debate starts at the 20 min mark). On full display is how a lack of a shared understanding of our history can impact our views today.
Continue your advocacy against these bills and in support of teachers:
President Pro Tempore, Butch Miller
Education and Youth Committee Members
SB 513
SB 513 will remove punitive registration fees on electric vehicles. Currently, non-commercial electric vehicle owners pay an additional $200 annual registration fee. This fee is designed to cover the portion of gasoline taxes that support roads not paid by electric car owners. However, the fee is based on driving more than 24,000 miles a year, far beyond normal vehicle use. This also creates an equity issue for EV ownership. We should be providing incentives to expand alternative fuel vehicle use, not barriers.
The hearing for SB 513 is rescheduled for Wednesday Mar 2, at 2pm, in room 450 CAP.
Other Bills to Watch
SB 456
SB 456 will limit abortion rights through barriers to access for women. This bill uses faulty science and misleading definitions to eliminate telehealth consultations for women seeking a pill-induced abortion. SB 456 requires a woman to conduct an in-person consultation with a mandatory ultrasound and blood test, increasing the time-spent in office as well as the cost of the visit. Further, this bill disallows access to abortion-inducing pills on college campuses.
No date set, but SB 456 will likely be on the Senate Floor this week.
Questions? Please contact me at elena@elenaparent.com.