The Holland Report- 2025, Week 3

Welcome to Week 3!

After wintery weather closed down the Capitol last week, we're back in action this week with legislative days six through nine. This week, committee meetings started to fill the calendar, and we expect votes on the legislation to begin in the House by next week. We heard from Chief Justice Boggs for the State of the Judiciary address and hosted some special celebrations under the Gold Dome. More details below about what happened this week and what we're keeping an eye on as the legislative session progresses.

Bills We Love!

On Monday morning I proudly added my name as a co-sponsor to HB1, the Pediatric Safe Storage Act, sponsored by Representative Au. This would require households with children to safely secure their firearms, so as to prevent said children from gaining access to these weapons. It is currently assigned to the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee and I'm very excited to see its' journey. As the number one killer of our children, it is integral that we take action to keep them safe, by keeping firearms out of their reach.  On Wednesday the Higher Education Committee came together and passed HB38 out of committee! HB38, the College Complete Grant, is financial aid for students in their last year of four-year college. This program aims to make sure these students are able to cross the finish line, and not let financial hardship prevent them from graduating. The grant does not have merit or financial requirements, making it possible to help so many more students! Students can apply for the grant multiple times during their last year, accruing a maximum of $2,500. The money will go directly to the institution, and if the entirety of the sum is not used, it will be returned and used to help more students in need.

Atlanta Delegation Meeting

After four years of serving as the chair of the House Atlanta Delegation, I made the decision to step down to make way for new leadership. However, I couldn't get away that easily! The delegation elected me as vice-chair for this biennial. I'm thrilled to congratulate Representative Inga Willis on her new role as chair and Representative Bryce Berry as secretary. On Tuesday, the delegation met with the office of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to discuss the tragedy of Cornelius Taylor. Mr. Taylor passed away on January 16th after a sweep of a homeless encampment. Mr. Taylor was residing in his tent at the time of the clearing unbeknownst to the driver, resulting in the incident. In this meeting we discussed how the city could potentially reform its policies of clearing homeless encampments. Representatives from the Mayor's office wanted to make clear were that Mr. Taylor was not struck by the front loader like news outlets reported, but rather the front loader tipped an undisclosed object that landed on top of the tent were Mr. Taylor was residing. They also reiterated that these clearings are done as a follow up to providing needed care to the unhoused individuals in the encampment, whether that be housing, medical or mental healthcare.  In the last three years 56 clearings have taken place with about 1,000 people receiving permanent housing. After these individuals have received their perspective care and are off the premises, a team comes in and clears the area of trash and other loose items, and lastly the area is cleared with the front loader. There is an ongoing investigation, and we can hope to know more soon about how a tragedy like this one can be avoided in the future.

State of the Judiciary

Each year, Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Boggs addresses the joint General Assembly to deliver the State of the Judiciary. Chief Justice Boggs noted that surveys show that confidence in the justice system is strong, but he highlighted the need for more diversion programs, converting all elections of judges to nonpartisan races, and the desperate lack of working attorneys in many rural counties across the state. You can read the full text of his remarks here.

Happy Lunar New Year! On Wednesday we celebrated Lunar New Year under the Gold Dome. Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is to welcome the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. This gorgeous and colorful tradition is the most significant holiday in China, but is also widely observed in South Korea and Vietnam. This year, 2025, is the year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac, which predicts a year of wisdom, transformation, creativity, and adaptability.  Here at the capitol we celebrated with a traditional Chinese Lion Dance, and by recognizing an absolute legend: Nilima Ghose (pictured in the red coat on the right side). Nilima Ghose was the first Indian woman to ever participate in the Olympics, competing in the Summer Olympics of 1952. It was an honor and a joy to have her celebrate with us.  Bills to Watch HB104 is a disappointing bill aimed at preventing trans girls from participating in school sporting/athletic events.While being a thinly veiled attempt at excluding trans people from third spaces, this bill also brings to light a frightening question: who and how will these schools be determining whether a child is cisgendered? HB104 has been assigned to the Education Committee and awaits a hearing. In better news, we also have HB79 to keep an eye on. This bill proposes a tax credit for the safe handling and storage of firearms, including instructional safe handling courses and expenses incurred in secure storage devices. HB79 has been assigned to the Ways and Means Committee and awaits a hearing. Democratic Agenda Press Conference On Thursday the House Democratic Caucus held our Democratic Agenda Press Conference to present the caucus agenda for the 2025 session. Remarks from Minority Leader Carolyn Hugly and Minority Whip Sam Park included emphasis on the necessity of reproductive rights, the need for common sense gun laws (especially in relation to the safety of children in schools), rising housing costs, underfunded schools, and the fact that so many Georgians continue to have limited access to quality healthcare.   New Staffer Alert! Please give a warm welcome my new Chief of Staff, Gabriella Koyfman! Gabby is of Colombian/Ukrainian descent and has a background in Fine Arts, graduating in 2020 with her B.F.A.. Before joining us here at the capitol, she organized for the Harris-Walz campaign in Gwinnett County. We're very excited to have her on the team and look forward to a great session together! 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. Representative Betsy Holland GA House District 54   Copyright © 2024 Betsy For Georgia, All rights reserved. If you believe you received this message in error or you no longer wish to receive emails from us, please unsubscribe below.  Our mailing address is: Betsy For Georgia 18 Capitol Square SW 409-B, Coverdell Legislative Office Building Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.