The Holland Report - 2024, Week 2

Sara Fuchs

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Legacy

Between the holiday weekend and the chilly temperatures that caused schools and events to shut down, this week has just flown by. On Sunday evening, I had the honor of attending Hands on Atlanta's MLK Sunday Supper, a roundtable event that brings together people from nonprofits, corporations, government and academia to talk about the challenges facing our community. It was a spectacular event, hosted at the Atlanta History Center, where I bumped into old friends and made new friends, too. Then, as has been our tradition for years, my family volunteered on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Budget Appropriations

Following the holiday, the House Appropriations committee got busy with budget hearings while other events took place at and around the Capitol.

Given the budget surplus, I'm optimistic about the future of funding priorities the Democrats have championed for years. One example is Georgia Pre-K. Fellow early education program proponents and I have advocated for using the overflowing Georgia Lottery Reserves to expand Pre-K access. Speaker Burns and Speaker Pro-Tem Jones made an announcement this week that they hoped the reserves could be used for up to $100M more funding for the program, including money to raise teacher pay, invest in classroom supplies and expand the number of Pre-K classes available. Right now, students in Georgia can only attend public Pre-K if they qualify via a lottery system, leaving many kids without an option for schooling before kindergarten begins. It's past time for Georgia to provide universal Pre-K.

We were not in session this week, but the House will gavel in again on Monday morning.

On Thursday, I was pleased to stand with my fellow legislators and Georgia STOMP to modernize Georgia's tax code to allow Georgia to become the 30th state to eliminate state tax on Menstrual Discharge Collection Devices (period products).

Listening Sessions

Join me throughout session to learn what's happening under the Gold Dome! Register in advance for the Zoom links below.

Register for the January 28th Listening Session
Register for the February 11th Listening Session
Register for the March 3rd Listening Session
Register for the March 24th Listening Session

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.