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Meanwhile lets just say that we are proud Sally Harrell contributed a whooping 142 entries.
No Man is an Island I’ve been thinking about the word “constituent” lately. The word comes from two Latin roots that when combined mean “to establish together.” By the 17th century, the word evolved to mean someone who appoints a representative, leading to its modern usage referring to a voter. Simultaneously, the word also evolved […]
Despair Breeds Hope, and Hope brings Action This week I was reminded of the work of Cesar Chavez during the 1966 Delano Grape Strike, when 100 farmworkers marched 300 miles over 25 days, arriving at the State Capitol in Sacramento on Easter Sunday to present their list of demands. By the end of the march, […]
Outside In and Inside Out Typically, actions taken inside the Capitol are meant to impact people outside the Capitol. But this week things felt backwards. Events happening outside the Capitol drove the action inside the Senate chamber. Outside In Murder in Minnesota: I wish you could have heard all the speeches made on the Senate […]
Sally’s Senate Snapshot 2026 #2 Budget Week — Rhetoric vs. Reality The second week of Georgia’s legislative session is reserved for what we colloquially call “budget hearings.” Officially, these are Joint Committee meetings of the House & Senate Appropriations Committees. The “hearings” give agency heads the opportunity to pitch their budget proposals to legislators. Most […]
Sally’s Senate Snapshot 2026 #1 First of Session Jitters I get the jitters before the start of every new legislative session. When I reflect on the years I’ve been in the Senate, there’s reason to be anxious! My first year, the abortion ban was slammed through. The next year we shut down early due […]
Capitol Chaos: Peak Mayhem Mode It’s that time — the wild, whiplash-inducing final days of session. Bills are getting gutted, stuffed, and pushed through faster than you can say “committee substitute.” Thank goodness for our hardworking Senate Democratic Caucus staff, including our team of externs, that help us keep track of it all. Staying Focused […]
Bugs in the System The germs circulating at the Capitol finally found me. I stayed home sick the early part of the week, but got busy as a bee later in the week keeping my legislative agenda moving. Bitten by the Trump Bug I was glad to be cocooned at home Tuesday when the Senate […]
Rising Up at the Capitol Rising Tensions Over Tort Reform Governor Kemp’s blood pressure must have been rising this week as the heat turned up on SB 68, his signature tort reform bill. The week kicked off with a bombshell article landing on our desks in the House and Senate chambers, revealing that Florida’s Republican […]
Opposing Forces Those of us working at the State Capitol this week felt wedged between a clash of forces. Inside the Senate chamber, 33 Republicans forced through their Trump-aligned agenda while the 23 members of the Democratic Caucus pulled out every tool we had to fight back. Outside the chamber, crowds of people poured into […]
Congestion around the Capitol In January of 2000, I was serving my first term as a Georgia State Representative. I had also just become a new mother. Prior to the start of session, I received a phone call from Speaker of the House Tom Murphy. “What are you planning to do with that baby during […]