The Holland Report - 2026, Week 4

Sara Fuchs

There were many moments at the Capitol this week that brought smiles—welcoming visits from Girl Scouts, meaningful conversations with cancer survivors, and celebrations of Rosa Parks Day and Georgia PTA Day, to name just a few. The week also included meetings that put me on high alert, including a briefing from Senator Jon Ossoff on the ongoing challenges in Washington with the current administration; a press conference with fellow Fulton County legislators to express our outrage over last week’s FBI raid on the Fulton County Elections office; and a meeting with Atlanta Public Schools to review the numbers and better understand how damaging proposed property tax reform could be to school budgets. As we move forward in the session, it’s clear that significant challenges remain—and there is much hard work ahead.

Highlights this week included hearing from the judicial branch during the annual State of the Judiciary and voting to pass the state's amended FY2026 budget. More details on both of these items below!

The House passed the amended Fiscal Year 2026 budget this week — this is a mid-cycle adjustment from last year's budget. Here are some highlights:

$50 million for homelessness prevention and programs.
Full coverage of the $85 million budget shortfall at the Division of Family and Children Services at the Department of Human Services.
Funds to support rural medical and dental clinics.
New funding for a statewide student support initiative that includes mental health support grants to local school systems, social work services grants, statewide out-of-school care programming, and additional supports for economically disadvantaged students.

Notably, the House rejected the governor's proposed income tax rebate program (a one-time rebate of ~$250–$500 per taxpayer) in favor of property tax relief, proposing one-time breaks to lower property taxes for homeowners. This amended budget now moves to the Georgia Senate for its own review and amendments; if the Senate makes changes, a reconciliation process will follow before final adoption.

This week, we heard from Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Nels S.D. Peterson for the State of the Judiciary address. He told us that the state’s judicial system is strong and committed to the rule of law but warned that the rule of law is fragile and must be upheld impartially by everyone. He also highlighted challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence in the courts — including both risks like AI-generated fake evidence and potential help for those without lawyers — and underscored the ongoing need to improve access to justice in rural areas and to strengthen judicial security across the state. He said that our nation has no kings, a line that brought applause from both sides of the aisle. It was a nice reminder that commitment to the rule of law and our country's representative democracy should not now or ever be political issues.

There will be two more listening sessions this legislative season - one right after Crossover Day, and another before Sine Die. You can register at the links below:

March 8th, 4 - 5 pm

March 29th, 4 - 5 pm

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.