The Parent Press: 2020 Session Week Five
The General Assembly resumed meeting on Tuesday, February 18 and now the pace is fast and furious. Read on for updates about some of the legislation being considered. But first... Save the Date for my next Town Hall, which includes a demonstration of Georgia's new voting machines (you all know I thought these were a bad purchase due to their cost and their use of barcodes to scan voters' choices in, among other things, but they are here and we have to learn how to use them).
Legislative Town Hall and Voting Machine Demo
I will be holding another legislative update on Wednesday, March 4th at 6 PM at the Central DeKalb Senior Center. I'm hosting alongside the Secretary of State's Office, who will be demonstrating how to use the new voting machines. See below for all of the information -- I hope to see many of you there!
The State Budget
As I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, the 2020 legislative session got off to a rocky start due in large part to a dispute over the 2020 amended budget and the 2021 budget. Governor Kemp and Republicans in the State House (led by Speaker David Ralston) disagreed on a number of provisions in the budget, which struggled to adequately fund several key agencies and programs. A key catalyst was a tax cut passed last year that substantially decreased revenue, setting up an inevitable fight thanks to Governor Kemp’s desire to increase teacher salaries. Cuts were made across the board, including to rural areas (which angered many Republicans), and called for negotiations.
Because of this financial shortfall, the Assembly was out of session from February 5 to February 17 while key players in the debate attempted to rehash a new budget. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed their version of the 2020 amended budget, which you can read more about here. The new budget keeps the pay raises for teachers but maintains about $300 million worth in cuts. Many of the new cuts come from assorted parts of government, with tens of millions taken from the judiciary and the departments of corrections and public safety. Another $13 million came from so-called “true ups” to the Quality Basic Education Formula, which determines school funding. And while much of the budget - including K-12 education, health, Medicaid, and transportation - is exempted from cuts, Speaker Ralston has continued to press for a tax cut this year, which could complicate next year’s budget even further. Evidently, the Republicans have still not learned from the budget crisis we are currently struggling through. I intend to learn more specifics about where the money is coming from for the new budget and will keep you updated on how the battle over it progresses, with a watchful eye on how important agencies are funded.
HB 545 - Right to Farm
Over the past few weeks, a number of you have reached out to me in opposition to HB 545, a rewrite of Georgia’s Right to Farm Bill. These laws were originally passed years ago partially to ensure that as exurbs grew, people couldn’t move right next to a farm and put them out of business by filing nuisance lawsuits. This bill was controversial, as it sought to restrict the ability of property owners (mostly in rural areas) to take legal action against large-scale agricultural operations or others that might move in next to them and cause nuisances. Opposition arose from farmers whose families have worked their land for generations, some of whom have had their operations threatened by big animal farms that have expanded in recent years, as well as from environmental groups.
On February 21, the bill was tabled due to a lack of support among Senate Republicans and none among Senate Democrats, despite passing the House last spring on a party-line vote. Though HB 545 may return in the near future, I will work to prevent its passage in its current form. I want to thank the many individuals and groups who mobilized to stop this bill by reaching out to myself and to other members of the Senate. Without your dedication, this could have had a very different outcome. Never doubt that your voice can make a difference!
Testing Reform -- Good or Bad?
Governor Kemp announced last week a slate of reforms to Georgia’s education testing policy that are reflected in SB 367. Kemp has pushed to decrease testing since taking office, claiming that “Georgia just tests too much.” This bill eliminates four standardized tests at the high-school level and one for fifth graders in social studies. It would also allow the Georgia Board of Education to decide whether or not the remaining tests will factor into students’ grades.
I have concerns that eliminating exams in high school would leave students unprepared for college, where courses are heavily exam-focused. I also know that these tests can be helpful in establishing a rigorous curriculum, which truly is necessary to adequately prepare our kids for a global knowledge economy. With that said, I understand the frustrations of teachers, parents, and students who feel overworked by exams. It remains to be seen how the fight over this bill will play out, but I am eager to hear your thoughts about the bill and whether or not you feel it would have a positive outcome on our children’s education.
SB 368
SB 368 was referred to the Judiciary committee on Tuesday. This bill would allow agencies to have their own discretion on the “placement of a child for foster care or adoption when the placement violates certain religious or moral convictions.” According to an article on this bill in the AJC, “advocates for the LGBTQ community say the bill could ultimately harm Georgia’s estimated 12,000 foster children by decreasing the number of families able to adopt.” Every child should live in a safe and loving home and by limiting adoption and foster care on a form of discrimination will never be okay with me. Because I will always oppose discrimination of any kind, I will be ready to oppose the bill when it is heard in committee.
This is not the first bill I have been against with similar effects. SB 375, a bill in the 2017-2018 legislative session, would have allowed a “child-placing agency” to decline services based on “religious beliefs.” I voted no on this. I am not sure when SB 368 will come up for a hearing/ vote in committee, but I will keep you updated when it comes out. I have heard many of your concerns about this bill as well and by sharing our joint concerns we can hopefully work towards making sure this bill does not pass.
CAPS/ SB 354
I wanted to share some updates on my sponsored bill CAPS/ SB 354 bill which had a hearing on February 11th. As mentioned in my previous newsletter, this bill would allow the CAPS program, a joint federal- state program that assists low-income families with the cost of child care, to allow four-year Bachelor’s programs as one of their eligible activities. The good news is that right before the hearing, DECAL announced that they were going to add the four-year program as an activity internally in April. You can read about the hearing here.
Because of this good news, our legislative effort has turned a bit. Instead of focusing on pushing the policy stated above, we have been focusing on making sure that DECAL has the necessary budget in order for this program to flourish. According to the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS) (that I posted on my Twitter), an additional $10 million would expand the CAPS program to 1,500 infants and toddlers. The cuts slated for this year mean that 100 kids and their families will not receive child care assistance.
Things to Look Out for
Permanent absentee ballots for those who want them....I have been working on sponsoring a bill that would allow voters to not have to renew a request for an absentee ballot year after year for any election. The new system will automatically renew the absentee ballot for you until you decide that you want it to stop. Seven States and D.C. allow voters to have these automatic absentee ballots for future elections. I am always looking for ways to help make voting easier for my constituents and this change is very common sense, so I am excited about this bill. I will keep you all updated and would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Guns in churches and church schools...There is a bill before the Judiciary committee, SB 357, that would change the law around the ability to bring guns into churches and into schools operated on the premises of a place of worship. The bill's author states that right now, churches can either ban guns or allow them, and that this would permit them to allow only certain individuals to have guns. It also does this for church schools. I am very concerned about any loosening of gun regulations, especially with regard to schools
As always -- thank you for the opportunity to represent you in the State Senate! It is a great honor.