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Legislative Session Newsletter: March 9, 2022
What Happened Last Week
The Georgia House of Representatives reconvened for another impactful week of legislating on Monday, February 28. The House had a full schedule all week, and we are counting down the days until Crossover Day, which is the last legislative day that a bill can pass out of one chamber and still be eligible for consideration this year. As such, we worked diligently to pass dozens of bills on the House floor in preparation for this critical deadline.
On Monday, as we celebrated the last day of Black History Month, it was an honor to join in the celebration of the Atlanta NAACP’s 105 years of social justice movement building. I am deeply grateful for the NAACP’s leadership for so many years fighting at the forefront to ensure civil rights for all Americans.
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On Tuesday, the House was proud to recognize Coach Kirby Smart for leading the Dawgs to their 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship victory, and we wish his team the best of luck as they defend their national championship title next season.
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On Wednesday, Governor Kemp signed the Republican gerrymandered Cobb County school board and county commission maps into law. I am disgusted by the Republicans' use of raw political force in this process, but this is not the end of this fight. This simply marks the beginning of the next phase. We will pursue every legal avenue we have to overturn these unfair maps.
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As Crossover Day approaches and with qualifying this week, the House Republicans are picking up the pace of passing problematic, election year bills. Here is a list of bad bills that I voted NO on last week:
House Bill 1150 [[link removed]] - Bad Neighbor Bill
This bill rewrites the Right to Farm Act that has successfully protected Georgia farmers from nuisance lawsuits for more than 3 decades. This new bill removed the “changed conditions” clause of the old bill that protected existing farms from new neighbors or development in their area. By removing this clause, we would grant every farm protection from nuisance lawsuits after one year. This will open the flood gates for large investment chicken farms to move into Georgia and be protected as long as they keep their operation lowkey for the first year. These farms smell bad, have terrible impacts on the environment, and will drive out local Georgia farmers.
House Bill 1175 [[link removed]] - Raw Dairy Act
This bill will legalize the sale of raw milk for human consumption. Human consumption of raw milk can lead to health concerns, and this bill does not go far enough to regulate the sale and provide proper warning on labels.
House Bill 1216 [[link removed]] - Enhanced penalties for violations of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer
This bill will increase penalties and make it a felony for multiple violations of fleeing a police officer. This will only add to our disaster of mass incarceration and will not solve the issue at hand. This bill opens the door for people to be arbitrarily charged for fleeing a police officer if they wait to pull over in a safer or more well lit place.
House Bill 1 [[link removed]] - Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act
This would establish that unrestricted outdoor areas of University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia campuses are public forums for their campus communities, and this bill would prohibit these institutions from restricting expressive activities in those areas or designating any campus areas as a “free speech zone”. This will allow for outside groups not paying tuition to the school to spew hate and misinformation on campuses.
House Bill 1084 [[link removed]] - Banning Critical Race Theory
This piece of legislation is creating a solution in search of a problem. Republicans have manufactured outrage over the idea that divisive ideas like Critical Race Theory are being taught in our K-12 Schools. In reality, this bill will limit teachers' ability to speak openly about the realities and history of race in America. If the state school board arbitrarily decides that a school breaks these new rules, then they can cut vital funding to that school district. Legislation such as this could lead to a slippery slope of erasing uncomfortable parts of our nation’s history from school curriculums.
House Bill 1178 [[link removed]] - “Parent’s Bill of Rights”
This bill codifies a list of rights that parents already have when dictating their child’s education. The dangers of this bill are that it sends a message to our teacher that we don’t trust them, and it puts an undue burden on our already overworked teachers and administrators. I rose in opposition to the legislation, and in support of a healthy parent-teacher relationship. [[link removed]]
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Update on Vinings Cityhood:
Governor Kemp signed HB 840 [[link removed]] into law on February 23rd. This will put a referendum on the May 24th primary ballot for citizens of Vinings to vote on whether or not they want to incorporate.
A new group, the Vinings Village Alliance, has started to organize in opposition to the referendum. They will be working hard to educate their neighbors on why this is not in the best interest of Vinings and our future. View their website here: [link removed] [[link removed]]
Bills to watch this session:
SB 435 [[link removed]] - Banning Trans Youth from Sports
SB 456 [[link removed]] - Banning Abortion Pill Access
SB 319 [[link removed]] - "Constitutional Carry Act"
It is hard to believe that we are now in the final month of the 2022 legislative session. While I am legislating on behalf of our community over this next month, I hope you reach out to me with any questions or concerns you have about the legislative process or bills that may be pending. My Capitol office number is 404-656-0109, and my email is [email protected] [[email protected]] . As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative.
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