The Holland Report - 2023, Week 3

Sara Fuchs

After nearly three years of limiting events and visitors to the Capitol, the change this year is definitely noticeable! Suddenly, we have constituents visiting our offices, advocates waiting to speak with us outside the House chamber and lots and lots of in-person meetings and events to attend. The third week of the 2023 session was certainly eventful - it's hard to believe it's still only January!

If you had bald eagle on your 2023 Session bingo card, go ahead and cross it off! Here I am pictured with Freedom, the Georgia Southern University live mascot.

On Thursday, we welcomed Gov. Kemp, the State Senate and the Judiciary onto the floor of the House for the annual State of the State address. Gov. Kemp proposed some promising initiatives, such as a $2000 teacher pay raise, fully funded Quality Basic Education, fully funded HOPE scholarship program, and allowing pregnant women who qualify to receive benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. He also unveiled a Rural Workforce Housing Fund, partnering with local governments to develop home sites.

However, with the budget surplus that Georgia has, and after more than a decade of budget cuts, we must work on policy initiatives that help everyone in our state, by adequately funding healthcare, childcare, and education. Georgia may be the number one state to do business, but it also needs to be the number one state to live. We have an opportunity to invest in our infrastructure and our people - we can and should do better.

This week, I was also elected as Chair of the Atlanta House Delegation. I look forward to continuing my work as chair and working with my colleagues in the city of Atlanta. We'll be meeting soon to discuss legislative priorities and agendas.

And I congratulate Rep. Park Cannon on her election as chair of the Fulton County Delegation!

Chaplain of the Day

I've been a member of Morningside Presbyterian Church since 2005. It's the church where my child was baptized, where I was ordained as a deacon and where you'll find my family most Sundays. In 2017, I chaired the search committee for our church's associate pastor, which eventually called the Reverend Emma Neishloss to serve our congregation. This week, I had the honor of hosting Pastor Emma as the House's Chaplain of the Day. She had a chance to meet legislators and deliver the scripture reading, remarks and prayer that start our day in the chamber. Her remarks are available below.

Every year, the Buckhead Coalition gathers its members, business leaders and elected officials to its annual luncheon. This year's event included a panel with District Attorney Fani Willis, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum and Atlanta Police foundation leader David Wilkinson addressing public safety in Buckhead. The news was encouraging - not only is crime down in Buckead but it's down in our community more than anywhere else in Atlanta. DA Willis has significantly reduced the backlog of cases she inherited from her predecessor, and a Court Watch program has been instituted to hold judges accountable for their sentencing of repeat offenders. Mayor Dickens addressed the crowd, and while he touted the improved public safety stats, he also talked about the success of the state, county and city working together to make Atlanta the best place to live and work in the country. His remarks touched on affordable housing, transportation, and improved city services. And he mentioned that 2023 is the Year of the Youth - expect to see initiatives focusing on training up our youth in terms of education, out-of-school supports, job readiness and other resources.

Join me on Zoom on Sunday, January 29th, 4 - 5 pm, as I resume my Listening Sessions! Pre-register on Zoom for the link here.

If you haven’t already, please browse my website, betsyforgeorgia.com.

As your Representative, your concerns are important to me. Please contact me at betsy.holland@house.ga.gov or 404-656-0116 with questions, concerns, or solutions you may have regarding legislation or other happenings in District 54.

To stay updated, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and follow the Georgia House of Representatives @GAHouseHub on Twitter. Additionally, in-depth information regarding current bills, Georgia's annual and supplemental budgets, committee meetings, and livestreams from the General Assembly can be accessed via www.legis.ga.gov.

I encourage you and your family to visit our State Capitol and my office, where all constituents are welcome. I look forward to connecting with you!

My office is located at:
18 Capitol Square, SW
409-B, Coverdell Legislative Office Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative.