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Reaching the Peak – Covid-19

Reaching the Peak There’s so much stress in the world right now. My kids are stressed; my family and my friends are stressed. We’re all hurting and worried. Georgia Hospitals are Climbing Mountains Last week I had the chance to hear from leaders of WellStar, one of the largest healthcare systems in Georgia. Here’s what […]

Georgia Hospital Association Call Notes On Covid-19

Sunny Days Cast Shadows Another week has passed as we anticipate “the surge.” The words of Nathaniel Hawthorne seem written for our time: “Time flows over us, but leaves its shadow behind.” As cities and counties across Georgia took the lead to enact their own Stay-at-Home ordinances, pressure mounted on Governor Kemp to do what […]

Governor’s Office Conference Call on Covid-19

Living in Suspense We’ve all watched apocalypse movies — even ones about pandemics. And even though experts warned us we were due for a pandemic, we never expected it to hit in 2020. We feel fear, and when we are fearful we want information. My role as a State Senator gives me access to information […]

We Have the “Right Stuff”

Right now I’m on official quarantine because a Georgia Senator came to work sick. The quarantine was the right thing to do, because now at least four other Senators are sick, and one was hospitalized in critical condition (he’s doing better now). Fortunately, my family’s fine, but I’ll admit I am worried, frustrated, and restless. […]

All Politics is Local

The last couple of days I’ve been pleading with local mayors and city council members to take action at the local level to slow the rate of coronavirus pandemic. Since I live in unincorporated DeKalb County, I also reached out to DeKalb County elected officials. The Chief Elected Officer, who has unilateral authority to act, […]

Sally’s Senate Snapshot 2020 #10

Crossing the Rubicon on Crossover Day Last week began with anticipation as we ramped up to Crossover Day, the day when all bills must pass one chamber in order to be considered by the other chamber before the close of the two-year session, or biennium. But that anticipation was coupled with a feeling of nervousness […]

Sally’s Senate Snapshot 2020 #8

Reminder: Upcoming Town Hall Meetings: Thanks to everyone who came out to our Dunwoody/Sandy Springs town hall meeting. We had a great turnout! We have two more coming up:. Peachtree Corners with Representative Beth Moore: March 18th, 6-8 pm at the Peachtree Corners Community Chest Annex, 310 Technology Parkway. Chamblee/Brookhaven with Representatives Scott Holcomb and Matthew Wilson: March 26th, 6-8pm […]

Sally’s Senate Snapshot 2020 #7

Reminder: Upcoming Town Hall Meetings: I’m pleased to be co-hosting several town hall meetings with House Representatives in various parts of Senate District 40 so that we can update you on the legislative session, answer your questions, and hear your thoughts. Dunwoody/Sandy Springs with Representatives Mike Wilensky and Josh McLaurin: March 4th, 7-9 pm at the Dunwoody […]

Sally’s Senate Snapshot 2020 #6

A Public Service Message: Verify your Voting Information! February 24th is the registration deadline if you want to vote in the Democratic Presidential Primary election on March 24th. Even if you are registered, be sure to verify that your voting status is “Active” and your information is correct. Three legislators learned last week that despite […]

Sally’s Senate Snapshot 2020 #5

Putting on the Brakes The legislature has burned through 12 of its 40 legislative days, and has passed very little legislation. The problem is the budget, but it’s more than that — it’s a constitutional crisis of the balance of powers between Georgia’s legislative and executive branches. At the core has been the refusal of […]