The Holland Report - 2024, Week 5

Florence Luranc

Lots of Activity at the Capitol
Legislative days 15 through 18 were lively at the Capitol with large crowds of visitors in the rotunda, the Georgia Supreme Court visiting to deliver the State of the Judiciary, and meaningful legislation hitting our desks. A few bad bills slipped through the House this week, but we also worked together to pass several good measures for the people of Georgia. Curious what to expect next as we approach the halfway point of the session? Join me and Senator Jason Esteves for a joint Town Hall on February 12. It's the day after the Super Bowl when we can provide our own version of a halftime show!

Good Bills That Passed This Week
HB 130 finally achieved passage this week after we worked so hard to get it through both the Higher Education Committee and the floors of the House and Senate. This bill creates a program for tuition forgiveness for law enforcement officers. The hope is that this program can reduce the college debt carried by men and women who choose to serve in police departments, attract new officers to serve in Georgia, and reinforce the importance of training and education for officers.

The House passed a trio of tax relief bills – HB 1015 reducing the state income tax rate, HB 1019 which expands a state homestead exemption, and HB 1021 which increases the exemption for children and other dependents.

We also came together for a near-unanimous vote to pass the state's midyear budget. The midyear budget gives us the opportunity to adjust spending from the budget we approved in the last session based on demand and new revenue data. Thanks to a significant budget surplus, we were able to allot millions of dollars to road infrastructure projects, college facilities and public safety measures to prepare for the arrival of the FIFA World Cup events among many other projects.

And for fun on Friday, we passed two bills that brought some laughter in the chamber. HB 1034 designates the fourth Friday in November as National Sugarcane Syrup Day. HB 1048 designates cornbread as Georgia's official state bread.

SB 63
I was among the 70+ representatives to vote no on SB 63. This bill adds dozens of new misdemeanors to the list of bail restricted offenses, which means a judge must set cash bail for the accused to be released from jail while awaiting trial. The new list includes crimes such as trespassing and failure to appear in court for a traffic offense. But the most concerning thing about the bill is that it criminalizes people, churches and nonprofits who work to raise bail for people in jail awaiting their trial. You often hear of The Temple or area churches bailing out moms in time for Mother's Day or juvenile defendants in time for Christmas with their families. Criminalizing these acts of compassion is reprehensible.

Check Your Voter Registration
Believe it or not, the Presidential Primary is just around the corner in Georgia, scheduled for March 12. If you plan to vote in the primary, you must be registered by Monday, February 12. Even if you believe your registration is up-to-date, I encourage you to visit My Voter Page to make sure your information is correct. The Secretary of State regularly purges the roles, and you don't want to find out the day you show up to vote!

Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce
On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of speaking to the GNFCC about their legislative priorities for this year. We spent a great deal of time talking about two areas of passion for me – strengthening public education and developing an excellent workforce.

Realtors
The Capitol was a sea of blue on Thursday while realtors from across the state came to advocate for issues that impact their industry. I met with Atlanta realtors at the Freight Depot where we talked about the drop in crime in Atlanta and other public safety measures, strengthening public schools, measures to stabilize property taxes and improving access to healthcare.

Physicians Day
I hope no one in the district was feeling ill on Wednesday, because it seemed that every doctor in the state was visiting the Capitol for Physicians Day! It was great to meet with physicians on so many important topics–from expanding access to Medicaid; to maternal health; to increasing opportunities for young people to study medicine at public universities; and many more. I'm so grateful for so many healthcare professionals getting engaged with the legislative process.

State of the Judiciary
Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs addressed a joint session of the General Assembly this week to deliver the State of the Judiciary. In his remarks, he emphasized the need for competitive pay to better attract district attorneys, public defenders, court reporters and judges. With many in the justice system retiring and younger professionals choosing private practice over public service, the courts are seeing an alarming number of vacancies in critical roles.

City of Atlanta Delegation
Every two weeks the City of Atlanta Delegation meets to consider proposed legislation affecting our city. We heard from MARTA about plans for improving access to public transportation.

Students Advocate for Medicaid Expansion
Most days of the session, I'm called to "the ropes" to meet with constituents who have come to share their concerns. Imagine my delight when I met several high school constituents who may not be old enough to vote but are old enough to stand with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to advocate for expanding Medicaid to allow greater healthcare access and disease prevention in our state!

Page Program
Any student aged 12 or older can apply to serve as a page, and it's a delight to discover a familiar face in one of the page chairs. I've known Hunter since he was a tot playing baseball at Bagley Field in the district. Keep an eye on this young man – if he doesn't pursue a career in the MLB, maybe we can get him to run for office!

Join us for a Town Hall Monday evening via Zoom. Preregister for the Zoom 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.