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Meanwhile lets just say that we are proud Sally Harrell contributed a whooping 137 entries.
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 […]
Behind the Scenes Recall in your mind a familiar graphic that explains how a bill becomes a law — one little box moves to the next as the bill moves from committee to the floor and to the other chamber — like a child’s boardgame. I’ve always said it’s not what happens in the box […]
Sailing through a Mirage You can’t take everything you hear at the Gold Dome at face value. And sometimes you’re really sold a bill of goods. This is the case with tort reform this year. You might have heard that tort reform will lower your insurance premiums, particularly automobile and homeowners. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, […]
Correction on Medicaid ACTION! (Wrong Link Last Week) Thanks to all of you who pointed out that the link to the Medicaid Waiver Public Comment was wrong in last week’s Snapshot! Review of the Issue: — the Georgia Pathways program (low income Medicaid) requires 20 hours of work or school to be eligible. In Governor […]
Alternate Realities This week has felt like living in an alternate reality that gets more bizarre everyday. I found a bit of solace in reading Anne Lamott’s opinion piece titled, “The resistance will not be rushed,” She tells us that it’s okay that our resistance lacks the flash and vigor of 2017’s marches and protests. […]
A Polar Vortex Shuts Down the Georgia State Capitol This week at the Capitol, almost nothing happened. Public budget hearings were cancelled due to snow, and rather than being rescheduled they were replaced with private meetings with Republican leadership. In the era of virtual technology, this seems unconscionable. The elimination of state public budget hearings […]