The Train has Left the Station
Georgia GOP Engines are Stoked
With the inauguration around the corner and all the anxiety of impending unknowns, Georgia’s legislature this week got quietly underway. Well, mostly quietly.
The evening before our first gavel-in, part of me dreaded walking into the Senate chamber, because I knew my Republican colleagues would be stoked. After all, their guy won. I would have been stoked too if my gal had won. Yet my unease was tempered by the fact that there were no changes in our Republican leadership — at least I would walk into familiar territory that I know how to navigate.
The Georgia legislature has a long-standing tradition of featuring a “Peacher of the Day” each morning. For our first day, Lt. Governor Burt Jones introduced us to his hometown Pastor, who tried to set us on the right track by urging us to “wipe the slate clean and start anew.” But just minutes later, the session quickly veered into the same old polarizing politics when Republicans introduced a resolution to continue the investigation of Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis. Yes, very familiar territory.
Switching Tracks for the New Session
The Senate Democratic Caucus meets for an hour every morning before our day gets into full gear. This year we have a fresh face leading us: newly elected Minority Leader Harold Jones, II, whose intellect and passion I have long admired.
When I walked into the Caucus meeting room, I was greeted by a brand new conference table that offered a seat to every Senator. We had long outgrown our old conference table, having increased from 17 Senators in 2016 to 23 now. Our new Caucus staff projected our new motto onto the screen above at the head of the table: “”23-Strong.” In our Caucus, everyone counts.
Leader Jones wasted no time in advocating for his members to receive fair Committee Assignments from the Lt. Governor. Last term, I was removed from several Committees, likely because I was too vocal on issues such as voting rights. I have since joked that I am in Committee Jail. Now with the new addition of the Health & Human Services Committee, which has been my top pick for several years, I feel more like I’m in a Committee Halfway House. I will also continue to serve on Higher Education, Government Oversight and State Institutions & Property.
Kemp’s Final Express: Relief, Reform, and a Hard Deadline
Later in the week as the Senators processed to the House Chamber for Governor Kemp’s State of the State address, northwest Georgia’s Senator Colton Moore (R) caused quite a stir when he tried to enter the House Chamber after being barred from entering by Speaker Jon Burns (Sen. Moore had made denigrating comments about David Ralston last year during a House ceremony honoring the late Speaker). It was quite a scene as he was physically detained and arrested. I expect we have not seen the end of this issue, as barring an elected Senator from entering a legislative chamber for a Joint Session because his spoken words were offensive is a serious action. Any of us could be accused of the same.
After the shenanigans, the Governor’s speech went on, highlighting hurricane relief for farmers and timber producers, plus more school safety funds following the tragic school shooting last year at Apalachee High School. There was no mention of gun safety reform that could prevent these tragedies.
Kemp’s big priority is tort reform, aimed at limiting access to Georgia courts in order to protect big business. The Governor made it clear he’s ready to force his legislation through—even if it takes a Special Session to get it done.
I’m waiting to see exactly what the Governor is proposing, but I’m wary of limiting everyday Georgians’ right to a fair day in court to pursue justice when they’re wronged. In the end, it can undermine one of our most critical safeguards: open, accessible courts for all.
All Aboard — Action Needed!
Since passing legislation in 2008, Georgia has given tax credits in exchange for donations to private school tuition scholarships. The total amount of state revenue that can be spent on these credits has almost doubled since 2008, now totaling $120 million.
This week I got more than a dozen identical emails supporting these tax credits and private schools, stating, “I just received approval for my 2025 GOAL Tax Credit, which was prorated to only 53% of the amount I requested due to overwhelming demand, popularity, and success.” This makes is sound like the state is underfunding private schools.
I also got this one thoughtful email from a constituent (paraphrased/shared with permission):
“I have long supported the Goal Scholarship Program. It’s wonderful, but I am becoming more concerned about our public schools. I now think public schools might be able to put the funds to better use than private schools. Based on my son’s experience teaching in both private and public schools, I see his private school has two gyms, a world-class swimming pool, state-of-the-art facilities and is building yet more classrooms. At the public school my son had to beg for supplies and sports teams struggled with equipment and transportation. He became so frustrated with the lack of resources he returned to the private school. I really wish the program could be altered to allow us to also direct funds to public schools. The kids in private schools simply don’t have the needs the public schools do.”
I’m grateful this constituent took the time to share his thoughts with me. Please feel free to reply to this email and tell me what you think. I need to hear from you, as do my colleagues in the Georgia House & Senate. When legislators only hear from one side, it can sometimes seem like everyone is thinking the same way, when actually there are other opinions out there that we need to hear!
My Crew is Back on Board
I’m thankful my team will be returning for the ride this session:
• My Chief of Staff, Amy Swygert, who has been with me since the beginning of my Senate journey, will keep my legislative agenda and communications on track. You can reach Amy at amysenate40@gmail.com
• My Legislative Assistant, Kathlene Dorking, is heading into her second session managing the twists and turns of my schedule and constituent services. Kathlene can be reached at kathlene.dorking@senate.gov.ga or by calling 404-463-2260.
• Jay Harrell is my campaign manager and political advisor whose behind-the-scenes work keeps us on the rails. He can be reached at jay@sallyharrell.org
Off we go for another legislative journey. I hope you’ll come along with us! Feel free to share “Sally’s Senate Snapshot” and encourage others to sign up. One of the best ways to protect democracy is to get involved at the local level.
