February 7, 2025

GA General Assembly Heats Up

We have completed 13 days of the 2025 Session, with 27 days to go until adjournment on April 4th. This week, I joined Senator Kim Jackson and spoke at her press conference for SB 41 to support and enhance opportunities for girls' participation in sports. Representative Dale Washburn visited Decatur to hear from constituents, city leaders, and school officials who strongly oppose his legislation to ban all speed cameras in school districts.

GEORGIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY HEATS UP

We have completed 13 days of the 2025 Session, have 27 days to go, and we already know that we will adjourn on April 4th. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in both the Senate and House has returned its focus on transgender children. In contrast to the public's focus, as well as a nonexistent prevalence of trans children, the Georgia General Assembly has made this their core issue from the first day of the 2025 Session. This week I joined Senator Kim Jackson and spoke at her press conference for SB 41 to support and enhance opportunities for girls' participation in sports. We hope to turn the focus away from a divisive discussion of trans children and focus instead on opportunities that serve the vast number of athletes who benefit from sports across the state. Watch the entire press conference below. I start speaking at 4:53.

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SCHOOL ZONE SPEED CAMERAS

State Representative Dale Washburn from Bibb County, Georgia has introduced legislation to ban all speed cameras in school districts. The vast majority of my constituents, the leadership of the City of Decatur, and the leadership of the City Schools of Decatur are all strongly opposed to this legislation. Representative Dale Washburn accepted our invitation to visit us in Decatur this past Wednesday at 3:30pm, the period of time in which both DHS and BHMS end their school days. We gathered at the intersection of McDonough and College Avenue to watch both the high schoolers and middle school children leave school and try to cross a very busy intersection. Our crossing guard, Betty, was helpful to us all, and a large group of parents, the Decatur Police Chief, and elected officials joined us. I am very grateful to Representative Washburn for joining us and taking his time to listen to all of my constituents. I hope he understands how strongly most of the citizens of Decatur feel about keeping speed cameras in place. Remember, in my December 2024 newsletter poll, 520 people voted and 75% of those voters stated that they wanted speed cameras to remain in place.‍

Read this article from the AJC by Ashley Rose-Toomer. A former school principal, she is the executive director of Give School Kids a Brake.

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GUN SAFETY BILLS

As I reported earlier, I have introduced House Bills 63 and 64 to enhance gun safety. There are now approximately 10 bills already introduced in the House on proposals for gun safety. Speaker Burns is endorsing legislation giving tax credits for expenditures for storage devices and gun safety education. I appeared this week on GPB Lawmakers with Representative Dr. Mark Newton to discuss the variety of good bills, and I am hopeful that all of the attention and discussions will result in some progress. There have been competing rallies at the Capitol for gun legislation, and my hope is that we can have a discussion on the many ideas and issues that are proposed. You may follow HB 63 here and HB 64 here. Here we are on Lawmakers Monday night.

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STONE MOUNTAIN AND VETERANS MEMORIAL DRIVE BILLS INTRODUCED

As we did last year in the 2024 Session, the entire DeKalb Delegation has introduced two bills in the 2025 Session to address issues of continuing memorialization of the confederate dead through Stone Mountain Park: House Bill 243 and House Resolution 206. The Stone Mountain Action Committee (SMAC) brought HB 243 to me and Rep. Billy Mitchell, and you can read the bill and its entirely here. HB 243 repeals the language relating to the confederate memorial and replaces it with language about the natural history of the Park, as well as the "history of human interaction with the mountain and its surroundings." I will keep you updated on both of these measures, and I'm hoping to have some momentum this year at least on changing the name of Memorial Drive to Veterans Memorial Drive.

Since HB 243 is now assigned to the Governmental Affairs Committee, all of your advocacy activity should be focused on the Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee, Rep. Victor Anderson, and members of the Committee, particularly Republican members. Please let me know if you are able to make contact with the Chair or any committee members and what if any responses you get from them.

Watch the Atlanta History Center's excellent short film on Stone Mountain, Monument: The Untold Story of Stone Mountain.

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AMENDED 2025 BUDGET

As is true every year, the budget is the most important piece of legislation we pass. The General Assembly has now completed 13 days of the 2025 Session. House Bill 67 is the Amended Budget for Fiscal Year 25, which adds and subtracts specific items from the ongoing 2025 fiscal year budget which ends June 30, 2025. You can review details here about the amended budget that is now before the Senate for its review and consideration. Significant sums of our $16 billion reserve have been appropriated for Hurricane Helene recovery, and infrastructure needs for water, sewer and roads. But an additional $15 million is being appropriated for school safety. Each school system will receive an additional $67,000 and is entitled to use that money for services and treatments as they wish, including for services such as counseling in addition to hardware infrastructure like tasers and gun scans.

I have been particularly interested in what the Department of Human Services is saying about a $44 million deficit in its midyear budget analysis in relation to foster care services. The numbers don't quite add up as to why they are in this budget hole, and I am continuing to ask questions. They say they've had a dramatic increase in the number of children coming into foster care, but the numbers seem inconsistent with earlier data collections. If it's true that DHS has over 15,000 children in foster care right now, that is an unusually high number, perhaps higher than I have ever seen. We continue to work to understand what the actual number is and what the actual care costs have to be for these children.

‍LAST POLLING QUESTIONS

Do you think that Governor Kemp should further reduce state taxes? yes: 34.2% no: 65.8%

Do you think that Governor Kemp should pursure tort reform? yes: 45.1% no: 54.9%

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DEKALB NAACP BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION THIS SATURDAY

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EMPATH

I have enjoyed working with Representative Imani Barnes on EmPATH emergency room proposals for children in mental health crisis. Representative Barnes has gained much of the precinct of my former House District 82, and she is doing a good job and introducing herself to her new constituents. We are working on EmPATH together with Rep. Karen Lupton and CHOA Director Dr. John Constantino. Dr. Constantino's leadership at CHOA is expanding mental health services for children and particularly focuses on the needs of children in crisis in CHOA's emergency rooms, including the new North Druid Hills campus, the Scottish Rite campus and the Hughes Spalding campus at Grady.

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OUR 2025 INTERNS

Caroline Hansen, originally from El Dorado Hills, California, is a legislative aide this session while working on her Master's in Bioethics at Emory University. She previously received her bachelor's degree at Emory University in Human Health and Economics with a minor in ethics. Her work experience includes four years of interning at Kaiser Permanente in the Northern California region in consumer experience, creating interest in patient advocacy and equity. Outside of work, Caroline is on the track and field team at Emory University.

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Hailing from the city of Atlanta, Kit Moore joins us this legislative session as part of her graduate work at Emory studying bioethics. A former Grady EMS paramedic with over 10 years of experience serving our densely urban communities, Kit is intimately familiar with how socioeconomic determinants of health drive short and long term outcomes. Her many experiences offer a lens into how policy affects the lives of people from every background, and how the work we do in the legislature translates to the real world.

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OUT AND ABOUT

Thanks to DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson for coming to the Capitol yesterday! She actually visited twice this week, including on Monday, when she met with the DeKalb Delegation.

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We often take on the monsters at the Capitol. I would rather spend time with this cute little alligator from the Okefenokee Swamp any day! Thanks to the Okefenokee Swamp Park and the Georgia Conservancy for visiting the Capitol yesterday.

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Thanks to Callan Wells, her new baby, and fellow colleagues from the GGEARS Rolling Thunder Day at the Capitol.

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Congratulations to our former Emory Intern, Olivia Davis, who won a prestigious award at the Emory Law Inspiration Awards Ceremony and Reception on Monday night. We are proud of you!

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On Monday, Capitol families and students came urge us to do more for gun safety. We do something every day — thank you for your support!

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Congratulations to STEM teacher Alicia Reno from Talley Upper Elementary School. Here we are on Monday morning at the Capitol for the GYSTC Don Cargill STEM Scholars Recognition program with City of Decatur Schools Superintendent Dr. Gyimah Whitaker.

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On Sunday night, Elena, Saira, Omari, and I visited with the smart and informed Glenn Memorial crowd — thank you for always asking the right questions!

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On Thursday, February 1st, I was visited by James Turner from Disability link, and Isaac Harper and Patrick Ryan advocating for Science for Georgia. Science needs an advocate in these times!

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The General Assembly celebrated Lunar New Year on Wednesday, January 29th - Year of the Snake! Lunar Year, Dance of the Dragon at the Capitol—- way cool. Everyday is a show— please join us.

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I enjoyed participating in the Gold Dome 2025 Legislative Preview on Tuesday, January 28th! Thanks to the Georgia First Amendment Foundation for asking me to join.

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The 3rd Annual Legislative Welcome Shabbat took place on January 24th - a good new tradition, slightly delayed start based on the snow—- for both legislators and the court house crowd, including Sherry Boston and Debra DeBerry.

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Decoding Dyslexia Day this week at the Capitol! Here I am with Decatur resident and Legislative Chair Meagan Swingle and Decatur resident Laura Bollman. My colleagues Rep. Viola Davis and Rep. Long Tran enjoyed coming to the lunch also! Decatur residents have worked hard to make dyslexia an issue at the Capitol, and we should all thank them for doing so. Well done!

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UPCOMING DATES

Saturday, February 8th - DeKalb NAACP MLK, Jr. Celebration

Monday, February 10th & Wednesday, February 12th-Capitol visit from Talley Upper Elementary students

Monday, February 10th - Emory Statewide Impact Lunch at the Capitol

Monday, February 10th - DeKalb Delegation meeting

Tuesday, February 11th & Thursday, Febraury 13th - Georgia House Democrats Caucus Meetings

Tuesday, February 11th - Interfaith Children's Movement Day at the Capitol

Tuesday, February 11th - Council of Superior Court Judges at the Capitol

Tuesday, February 11th - Judiciary Committee

Wednesday, February 12th - Governmental Affairs Committee and Technology and Infrastructure Innovation Committee

Thursday, February 13th - Global Village Project visit

Thursday, February 13th - CRSA New Americans Day at the Capitol

Wednesday, February 19th - Carter Center Mental Health Parity Day at the Capitol/Central Presbyterian

Wednesday, February 19th - Faithful Advocates Day from All Saints' and St. Luke's Episcopal Churches

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QUICK LINKS FOR YOU

I am on the following legislative committees. You can watch live every time they meet. Click on the links below for livestreams, agendas, archives and more.

Committees:

Subcommittees:

Appropriations - Human Resources
Governmental Affairs - State and Local Government
Judicial - Leverett (two)

You can search for and track bills, watch the House (or Senate) in Session, watch committee hearings, monitor legislation by committee, and find contact information —- all on the revamped General Assembly website. Here are quick links:

General Assembly website: https://www.legis.ga.gov/
House Session meetings and many committee hearings are available to watch online: https://www.legis.ga.gov/house
Archived videos of meetings and hearings: https://www.legis.ga.gov/house/media-services

Make your views known and tell me what issues interest you the most.

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