One year ago, life as we knew it came to a screeching halt. But as the earth continued its journey around the sun, millions of Pandemic Warriors have risen up to tend to the crisis. They have cared for the sick, nurtured the bereaved, fed the hungry, kept the grocery stores open and the shelves full. And working quietly in their labs, scientists have been working molecular miracles, bringing us hope that all will soon be well again. As I said when this all started, “We have the right stuff.” Let’s hope we’re nearing the end.

In Georgia, vaccine eligibility has expanded, which is good news, but finding an appointment can be a bit of a scavenger hunt, to say the least. Particularly in the metro area, finding an appointment takes skill and time. If you’ve got some of both these, please think about who in your community might need help, and reach out. Last week a constituent helped me find appointments for a family who had a medical emergency and needed help. We all need each other right now.

Where to find vaccines:

• Georgia Department of Public Health Vaccine Appointments
• Vaccine Finder at Retail Pharmacies
• Reddit /r/CoronavirusGA/
• Facebook: Georgia Vaccine Hunters

Check these sites frequently as the information is constantly changing. When you see an appointment, grab it! Stay in touch with social media because resources for finding appointments are changing daily. Check your own healthcare provider, hospitals, and county health departments. If you can travel, vaccines are more readily available outside the Atlanta metro area. If you are fully vaccinated, considering offering to drive someone if they need help getting outside Atlanta. I’ve heard many people are getting vaccinated in Alabama, so check the Alabama public health sites too (eligibility differs).

Rental Assistance: If you or someone you know needs help paying rent due to job or income loss during the pandemic, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs recently launched a rental assistance program with the help of federal funding. Consult this website, https://georgiarentalassistance.ga.gov/,  to see if you qualify. Landlords can apply too.

There’s an ebb and flow to the legislative session. Everything starts slow and suddenly builds to a frenzy around Crossover Day, the last day a bill can pass one chamber and still advance to the other chamber this session. After Crossover, things slow down again until it builds to the next crescendo on Sine Die, the last day of the session.

This year’s Crossover Day was short changed in many ways. We had to spend precious time fighting bills that create barriers to voting and therefore lacked time for real problems like vaccination availability, unemployment, and healthcare — a message I shared in a speech from the well that morning (https://youtu.be/VD5jPq389z8). Crossover Day was also literally cut short when the Lt. Governor unexpectedly ended the floor session early, leaving many bills both good and bad untouched.

The Crossover Day Rules Calendar was full of bad voting bills, but we ended up voting on just a few. SB 241, the Senate voting omnibus bill which mainly eliminates absentee voting for most Georgians, prompted a three and a half hour debate. Almost every member of the Democratic Caucus spoke against it.

But not every Republican supported SB 241. Lt. Governor Duncan refused to preside over a vote that he strongly disagreed with. Four Republican Senators “walked,” which means they left the chamber and didn’t vote, a direct result of the pressure they felt from constituents who voiced their strong opposition to the bill. Ultimately, the bill passed by only one vote. Once it passed, the chamber was very quiet. There was no celebration. Everyone knew it was close. Everyone knew it was bad.

When the Lt. Governor ended Crossover Day, he left 7 bad voting bills on the table, including the most egregious one that would end automatic voter registration at the DMV, making it harder to register to vote and significantly decreasing young voter participation. The downside was that my bill to educate high school seniors about voting also didn’t make it to the floor. When I asked the Lt. Governor’s Policy Director why it was not brought up, he said it’s because they don’t like bills that put state requirements on school systems. He said that even without a bill, the Lt. Governor would work with me during the interim to implement these classes at a some high schools. My son, who was recently a first-time voter himself, told me, “It’s a fight worth fighting.” So I’ll push on.

HB 531, the House omnibus bill that limits weekend voting, restricts ballot drop box hours, and criminalizes handing out food and water on hours-long lines at the polls, now crosses over to the Senate while SB 241 crosses to the House. Eventually they will be combined into one bill through a Conference Committee.

What happened on Crossover Day proves that pressure works. With a full court press, we could significantly affect what gets passed, or even stop these bills from making it to the Governor’s desk completely.

Get Loud with GA’s Business Community: Some companies and the Metro Atlanta Chamber have made statements in support of voting rights, but as Cliff Albright, head of Black Voters Matter said, we don’t need empty statements. We need action. These companies can have enormous impact by simply refusing to donate to legislators that support these bills. Contact these businesses (form) and urge them to stop HB 531 and SB 241.

Get Loud with Legislators: Contact legislators on the Senate Ethics Committee to urge them to reject HB 531 and members of the House Special Committee on Election Integrity to oppose SB 241. You can find contact information here.

Amending Soil Amendments: When SB 260, a bill that prohibits the Agricultural Commissioner from regulating soil amendments made from forestry byproducts, came up in our Natural Resources Committee, a representative from the Sierra Club mentioned to me that black liquor, a toxic byproduct of pulp digestion, sometimes leaks into waterways. I raised the issue in Committee and then drafted and introduced a floor amendment to continue to regulate byproducts of pulp digestion. As a courtesy, I gave Chairman Harper, the bill’s sponsor and the Natural Resources Chair, a heads up and he accepted the amendment as “friendly” which allowed it to pass. This is a good example of how Republicans and Democrats can still work together to improve legislation, even during these politically polarized times.

Creating a Chief Labor Officer: This turned out to be a rare bill that had support and opposition on both sides of the aisle. SB 156 creates a new Chief Labor Officer position for the Georgia Department of Labor that would oversee and improve its operations to address the department’s inability to adequately serve Georgians during the pandemic. Some legislators worried that it created a bad precedent to allow the legislature to bypass the authority of elected statewide officers. While I understand that concern, I felt that this specific situation was so dire, we need to do whatever we can to improve it. I worked with Senator Blake Tillery to whip Democratic votes for this bill while he whipped the Republican vote. Ultimately, we got it passed.

Signage for Polling Location Changes: SB 253, freshman Senator Nikki Merritt’s bill, requires signage at former polling locations to notify voters of polling location changes. This was a major issue in Dekalb County in 2020 when several polling locations changed due to the pandemic and voters received very late notice from the county. Volunteers went and sat at polling locations to notify voters of the change.

Repealing Citizens Arrest: While the Senate was weighed down in voting bills on Crossover Day, the House had a chance to celebrate a successful bipartisan vote to repeal Georgia’s citizens arrest law prompted by the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County. This effort is supported by the Governor, many Republicans, and all Democrats. I look forward to supporting this bill when it comes to the Senate floor in the coming weeks.

Committee meetings have begun in the Senate for the 2021/2022 “big” budget, but they’ve been overshadowed by voting bills. It’s easy to forget that Georgia’s budget was slashed to the bone last year, even before the pandemic.  And in 2018 the legislature passed a tax cut, counting on revenue that never came in. Governor Kemp would like us to forget all this. And this year the House has already passed another tax cut, all while 7000 disabled Georgians remain on waiting lists for Medicaid Community Care Waivers.

• If eligible, get your vaccine!
• Help your neighbors who need help finding vaccines
• If vaccinated, offer rides to vaccine sites (they might be long drives)
• Contact members of the business community and ask them to take a stand against the anti-voting bills (see above “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over”)
• Contact the Republican members of the Committees hearing SB 241 and HB 531 (see above “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over”)

This week at the Gold Dome, everywhere I turned there were really bad bills. It felt like bombs dropping. And just because you know the bombs are coming doesn’t mean they don’t do major damage when they hit.

Following a particularly bad Committee meeting, a student intern came to me very upset. “Why do you continue to ask questions,” she asked, “when they clearly don’t feel they owe you an answer?” I told her it’s because people expect me to fight. She paused and said, “Yeah, it does make me feel better when you speak up, because they are the questions I want to ask. You’re being my voice, aren’t you?”

This is what keeps me going.

I’ve been spending a great deal of my time in Ethics Committee meetings where the election bills are debated. These meetings start early — like 7am. And often we don’t get done so we take them up again at 5pm.

I know these bills are very upsetting, so keep this in mind: it’s not over until it’s over. There’s disagreement within the Republican Party about how far to go with these bills, and the Speaker, Lt. Governor and Governor, who all have voices of moderation, have not really weighed in to this process yet. Don’t forget — should these bad bills pass, there will be court cases — and as the Black Caucus told us this week, lawsuits are already being prepared. Lastly, please advocate to your members of Congress, including our newly elected Democrats, to pass HR 1, the For the People Act, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Both of these federal bills will help counteract many of the damaging state level bills that could ultimately pass this session.

Ending Automatic Voter Registration: This is one of the most egregious anti-voting bills yet, because it’s singular goal is to decrease voter turnout. It’s authored by the powerful Senate Rules Committee Chairman, who stated, “I’m bringing this bill on behalf of my constituents, who have lost confidence in the election system.” I asked him, “how does this bill address their lost confidence?” He simply replied, “It does.” Often called “motor-voter”, this automatic registration system was put in place in 2016 and since then, more than 680,000 Georgians have registered to vote this way, bringing our state total to a record 7 million voters. How is that a bad thing?

Ending “No-Excuse” Absentee Ballots: SB 71, also authored by the Senate Rules Chairman, ends absentee voting for the vast majority of Georgians. Under this bill, only adults 65 and older, the disabled, and out-of-town voters will be able to vote by mail.

The Senate Omnibus Voting Bill: Much like HB 531 in the House, the Senate Republicans introduced SB 241, their own omnibus anti-voting bill. We received it at the last minute, just before the Committee meeting, and it was full of confusing changes and duplicative measures from other voting bills, including limiting absentee voting. One Republican Senator came prepared with an amendment to remove this repeal section, but it wasn’t taken up because the meeting was a hearing.

The voting bills that passed the Ethics Committee last week showed up on the Senate floor this week. This included the Absentee Voter ID bill and the State Takeover of Local Elections bill.

Senate Democrats fought hard. From the Senate well (https://youtu.be/4MOWbCMEvTI), I encouraged my colleagues to focus on the real problems voters face instead of the “voter fraud” problems that our state elections officials said don’t exist. My suite-mate, Senator David Lucas, wept at the well as he recalled his fight against voter suppression during his 45 years in office. And our Senate Black Caucus held a press conference. But in the end, we simply don’t have enough votes to stop these bills.

At the very end of the week, Senate Republicans passed Senate Bill 221 which allows the Governor, Lt. Governor, and certain members of the General Assembly to create “Leadership Committees,” that could raise unlimited funds from special interest groups, foreign actors, or big money donors at any time, including during session. As an example, if the legislature was considering a bill to increase tobacco taxes during session, Phillip Morris could write a huge check to one of these “Leadership Committees” to put a stop to it. Current Georgia law prohibits legislators from raising money during session to prevent this very thing.

In her well speech against the bill, Senator Jen Jordan suggested that this bill be called “The Rules Don’t Apply to Us Act,” “The Incumbency Protection Act,” or the “We Should Be Ashamed Act.”

This week’s Senate Higher Education Committee meeting was a welcome reprieve from all of the contentious issues. We approved several good bills from Republicans and Democrats with unanimous support:

Breaking down Higher Ed Silos: SB 204 is a pilot program that would allow kids to earn their high school degree while also attending technical school. This is a terrific solution for kids who may have had to drop out of high school, or those who may be ready to move on to technical school before they graduate high school. It allows a continuity of education and helps to eliminate the “high school dropout” stigma.

Free Post-Secondary Education for Foster and Adopted Kids: SB 107 waives tuition and fees at Georgia’s technical schools for kids that have been in our foster care system. This will give thousands of kids, most of whom have had a rough start in life, a post-secondary education that they may not otherwise be able to afford.

Attracting HBCU Students: SB 97 allows Georgia’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities to attract talented out of state students by increasing the number of waivers for in-state tuition. Current law allows Georgia’s universities to offer in-state tuition waivers to 2% of their out of state applicants. This bill would raise that to 4% for HBCUs.

The State Institutions and Property Committee held my requested public hearing about the crisis conditions in our state Corrections facilities. We heard heartbreaking testimony from inmate families about overcrowding, lack of basic mental and healthcare, lack of staff and security cameras to prevent murders and suicides, lack of stimulation and idleness which only exacerbates mental health conditions.

Prison Education: We also heard from a former House colleague, Dr. Roger Byrd, now an Associate Professor of Social Sciences and the Director of Prison Programs at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia. Dr. Byrd spoke of the importance of prison education programs which give inmates a stronger sense of self-worth, self-reliance, and critical skills they can use to support themselves when they are released. I wholeheartedly believe that prison education is the key to stopping the revolving doors in our prison system and combating the dangerous idleness that breeds drugs and violent gang activity.

I filed several bills this week, some of which are a direct response to our current environment:

Banning Plastic Carry Out Containers in State Facilities: SB 224 requires the cafeterias in Georgia Building Authority facilities to switch to paper-based carry out containers and cups. It’s a more targeted approach to the single-use plastic and styrofoam container ban I filed last session and a way to continue pursuing the issue without placing any extra burdens on struggling restaurants and grocery stores. I heard a colleague refer to this as “unrelenting incrementalism.” We’re making progress where we can.

High School Voter Education: SB 240 creates an instructional program for 11th and 12th graders in Georgia on the importance of elections in our democratic system. It would teach them all of the basics about registering to vote, the voting process, and even allow them to practice voting on our voting machines. This idea has been met with enthusiastic support from colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

State Education Board Reform: Some Republican voting bills grant Georgia’s State Election Board more power to intervene in local voting matters, claiming that it is a “bipartisan” body. In truth, the selection process currently outlined in state law highly favors the majority party, 4-1. So I filed a bill that would allow each caucus in the House and Senate one appointee. The Secretary of State would continue to serve as the fifth member. This would provide a much better balanced State Elections Board.

Campus Carry Repeal: I re-filed my Campus Carry repeal bill, now SB 229, but I’m also continuing to look at new ways to tackle the gun safety issue. I’ve already started to work with one of my Republican colleagues on another bill that would require gun safety training before you can receive a carry permit.

Monday marked the official halfway point of the session which means there is a lot more to do and much less time to do it. Crossover Day, the day where bills must pass one chamber in order to be passed by the full legislature this year, is usually on Day 27. But to give us a little more time, the Senate passed a resolution to push Crossover Day back one day to Day 28 on Monday, March 8th.

Upcoming Events

Sally’s Legislative Town Hall: Save the date! Please join me and Georgia House Representatives whose districts overlap Senate 40 for a virtual legislative town hall on Thursday, February 18th at 7:00 pm.

Register here: http://bit.ly/legtownhall
Submit questions in advance here: http://bit.ly/Sd40questions

The Zoom link will be emailed to all registered participants prior to the event. We will also livestream the event on my public Facebook page Sally Harrell Senate District 40.

Vaccines UP — Cases DOWN

Cases on the Decline: COVID positive cases are currently decreasing throughout most of Georgia. The same is true in the Senate — we had zero positive test results this week! This news seems to have settled the question about whether or not the session should continue. We now have a schedule that takes us through the end of this month, to legislative day 25 (out of 40).

Vaccinating Teachers: I want to thank those who responded to my last Snapshot and offered thoughtful suggestions for ways we could start to vaccinate teachers while we wait for more vaccines to cover our 65+ population. Several supporters proposed systems for alerting nearby school Principals when there are no-shows so that we can start to vaccinate our most at-risk teachers and school personnel. I plan to summarize and share your ideas in a letter to the Department of Public Health.

When will “1-B” Begin? Many of you have asked when Georgia will move on to phase “1-B” (critical infrastructure and essential workers). Most of us realize why we must wait our turn, but waiting is very hard when you have no idea how long the wait will be. Our Department of Public Health needs to be more forthcoming about the current status and future plans. This week, according to the best data available to the public, the number of vaccines administered increased 21% over last week (now approx. 283,000/week), and the number of vaccine doses shipped by the Federal government increased 22% (to approx. 282,000/week).

‘Morning, Mr. Oglethorpe!

The most germ-free route from my office to the Senate Chamber is up the north stairs, where every morning I pause to say a silent “good morning” to General James Oglethorpe, whose statue rests on the landing between the second and third floors. As a young man in England, James Oglethorpe was a prison reformer, exposing overcrowded and abusive prison conditions where many were jailed for being unable to pay their debts. To give these debtors a second chance, Oglethorpe proposed to King George that he send these prisoners to America, giving them a second chance through a business venture to produce silk — farming mulberry trees, the sole food of silk worms. This month marks the 288th year since the establishment of the Colony of Georgia.

Oglethorpe was a progressive social reformer and activist. His vision for Georgia was to create an egalitarian economy completely free of slave labor. He allowed Jewish refugees to settle in Georgia after they had been rejected elsewhere and he worked respectfully with Native Americans to purchase land and negotiate treaties.

Sadly, Gen. Oglethorpe’s progressive policies did not endure. The colonists eventually argued their way into repealing the ban on slavery, saying they could not compete with the economy of neighboring Chartleston, South Carolina. But I believe that Georgians, as part of our unfolding story, are continually called back to our founding. Perhaps it’s not coincidence that Georgia became the center of the Civil Rights Movement, that we’ve recently led our country on some issues of Criminal Justice Reform, and that we just sent a Black man and a Jewish man to represent us in the US Senate.

Correcting Our Corrections Crisis

Georgia needs to call on Gen. Oglethorpe for inspiration today, as our state corrections facilities are at a crisis point with massive staffing shortages and increased murders and suicides among inmates. I’ve heard from several constituents that this issue is affecting loved ones that work in the system or are incarcerated. The mid-year budget includes a pay raise for our state corrections officers, but we have to do much more.

To address this issue, I sent a letter to the Chair of the State Institutions and Property Committee, Senator Ed Harbison, requesting that we hold a public hearing on the current conditions of our prisons to see what we might do to help. Senator Harbison agreed and we’re now in the process of scheduling the hearing. Stay tuned for more on this issue.

Education: The Antidote to Incarceration

The best way to prevent incarceration is to ensure a free, quality education for every child. One of the main reasons I ran for office was to advance “whole child” education. Our education system is so focused on academics that we’ve forgotten about kids’ psychosocial and developmental needs. Research is clear that when we address the whole child, kids learn better.

This week, I filed three bills to improve the physical, developmental, mental health, and safety of Georgia’s students:

School Recess: Senate Bill 122 requires local school boards to schedule at least 30 minutes of unstructured recess time daily for first through eighth grade students. I’ve worked for decades now on making sure every child gets a daily recess. You may recall that Governor Kemp vetoed a recess bill last term, but I’m not giving up. The pandemic has robbed our kids of critical free play time with their peers. Requiring recess is as basic and fundamental as requiring lunch. I plan to reach out to discuss this with the Governor directly as the bill moves forward.

Young Children & Graded Homework: Senate Bill 110 gives Georgia’s kindergarten through second graders and their families more freedom during family time by prohibiting graded homework. It also levels the field for kids who don’t have parents who can help them get the homework done.

Permanent Classroom Act: Overcrowding has plagued the schools in our district and around metro Atlanta for decades, which has made it so hard to safely send kids and teachers back into schools during the pandemic. I’ve spoken to many parents about this well before the pandemic, and this bill includes their suggestions.

Senate Bill 123 directs the State School Board to establish better safety standards for mobile classroom units, including maximum useful life, minimum fire exits and windows, proximity to water sources to extinguish fire, and safe pathways to and from school buildings. The bill requires school districts to develop a plan to retire mobile units and move students into permanent classrooms within five years. It requires school districts to collect and report data on square footage of each school per student to better understand school overcrowding, improve facility planning, prevent disease spread, and improve the general school climate for our students.

Bills on the Senate Floor

The Amended Budget and Bonuses for State Workers: The Senate finalized the “small” mid-year adjusted 2020/21 budget by passing an amended version with a last minute addition of $1,000 bonuses for more than 57,000 state employees who make less than $80,000 a year, thanks to federal funds that have offset state funding. These bonuses acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of our public health workers, Department of Labor employees, law enforcement officers, and many others during the pandemic. Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler reminded us that so many Georgians are still struggling. “We could and should have done more,” she said.

Protecting our Very Vulnerable: The Senate passed several bills this week to protect some of our most vulnerable citizens, including a bill to prevent patient brokering — a kickback scheme whereby drug abuse treatment centers pay third parties to procure patients for them. Sadly, this practice preys on people in desperate need of help and sometimes deliberately sets them up to relapse so they can return to treatment centers to increase profits. We also passed two bills to protect human trafficking victims stemming from First Lady Marty Kemp’s GRACE Commission — one that allows human trafficking victims to change their names without having to publish it in the newspaper as the state currently requires, and the other to allow victims to sue their perpetrators.

Time to “Be LOUD” on Voting

State Voting Bills (the bad ones): The GOP’s voter suppression bills are starting to make their way through the legislature. There are 20 voting bills currently assigned to the Senate Ethics Committee so we’ve been divided into subcommittees. I will serve on Subcommittee A, and next week, we’ll consider SB 67, a bill that requires photocopies of ID along with absentee ballots, and SB 71, that will eliminate absentee voting for the vast majority of voters. The sub-committee has been set for Tuesday, Feb. 16th, 7am (room 307 “CLOB” Coverdell Legislative Office Building)

Federal Voting Bills (the good ones): While we deliberate these state measures, there are federal measures awaiting action in Congress that could mitigate their effects. For example, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act would restore the protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that prohibited states from enacting discriminatory voting measures. The We the People Act, or HR 1, expands voting rights by requiring same-day voter registration for federal elections, permitting voters to make changes to their registration at the polls, requiring 15-day early voting periods, and establishing automatic voter registration.

So like James Oglethorpe and John Lewis, we need to make some good trouble and “Be LOUD” at both the state and federal levels. Call, email, and send postcards to your state representatives, members of the Senate Ethics Committee, and your Members of Congress. Tell our state legislators that you oppose any bill that limits voters’ ability to vote, and urge your members of Congress to advance HR 1, The John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and all other legislation that expands and protects voting rights as soon as they can.

Sally’s Senate Snapshot #3

The Sun Will Come Out

As the week started off rainy and cold, it reminded me that this time last year, both of my kids were starting new schools on college campuses in cold, rainy January weather. I told them to hang in there because soon spring would come when they could enjoy their campuses more. The same can be said for these rainy days for our state and country. There will be better days ahead!

Brighter Days Ahead for Vaccines

Slow vaccine rollouts, difficulty obtaining appointments, and the threat of new virus variants are tempering the elation we all felt with the good news of effective vaccines last December. But it’s important to remember that it’s only been 6 weeks since the first vaccine was administered in Georgia. Already, almost all long term care residents have been vaccinated (where 40%+ of the deaths occur), most healthcare workers, plus the age 65 and up Georgians who have been lucky enough to get an appointment. If you’re a math person, you’ve already calculated how long it will take to vaccinate the rest of us and the numbers aren’t good — but I believe the pace will speed up.

Increased Supply: The Biden administration announced that states will soon receive a 16% increase in the amount of vaccines and Governor Kemp announced that CVS and Walgreens have almost finished their contracts with nursing homes which will free up an additional 40,000 vaccines per week. The maddening web of systems to find a vaccine should also improve when Georgia’s centralized vaccine system goes online in a couple of weeks.

Georgia Dept. of Public Health: If you qualify for stage 1A+, you can go to any public health site in Georgia to get a vaccine and you may have better luck if you are willing and able to drive outside of metro Atlanta. You can find a full list of sites on the Georgia Department of Public Health website at https://dph.georgia.gov/locations/covid-vaccination-site

Grocery Stores: You can also periodically check Ingles, Publix and Kroger. Walmart will participate as well, but right now most Walmart vaccination sites are outside the Atlanta area.

Private Providers: Be sure to ask your doctor to see if they have vaccines, or if they will get them soon. Some small pharmacies may be administering the vaccine and may have a waitlist. Follow your county health department on social media. Some like Dekalb may announce when they have new appointments available.

Text Notifications: The text notification system I announced last week has a new number, 844-554-4024. Text VAX to this number, or visit https://discodroid.ai/vaxapp/, and the system will alert you when appointments open up in the following counties: DeKalb, Fulton, Clayton, Gwinnett, Rockdale and Newton. Unfortunately, all of these systems require computer access and literacy, which leaves too many of our citizens behind, especially the elderly. We need to find better ways to make vaccines accessible to everyone.

Weathering the Pandemic at the Capitol

Masks and twice-weekly testing continue to be the norm at the Capitol. I was happy to see House Speaker Ralston, who expelled one of his members for failing to get tested, taking things very seriously. Since session began, six Senators have tested positive, two of whom are in the hospital. Testing has helped to limit viral spread, but I was shocked to discover that no formal contact tracing is being done, after learning through the grapevine the entire Gwinnett Senate Delegation was exposed to a colleague that tested positive last week. After speaking with Minority Leader Gloria Butler, I hope that will be remedied soon.

So much of our work relies on conversations between colleagues, which is tough when you’re wearing masks and wanting to keep interactions as brief as possible. Many meetings are done via Zoom, including the Women’s Legislative Caucus, which I co-chair again this year with Representative Kim Alexander. We held our first Zoom meeting this week and heard from the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute about how the pandemic has affected working women.

The “Small” Budget Moves with Lightning Speed

The “small” budget that adjusts current fiscal year spending flew through the House and into the Senate to get it done as soon as possible in case the pandemic worsens and we have to cut session short. After back to back appropriations subcommittee meetings, the House passed the budget on Thursday and immediately transmitted it to the Senate so that the Senate could start our subcommittee process bright and early at 6:30 am the next morning.

Despite being in the midst of a global pandemic and state revenues being up 4%, Governor Kemp’s recommended budget included only a 2.5% increase, opting instead to rely primarily on federal funds and preserve the state’s $2.7 billion “rainy day” fund while it pours down rain on hard working Georgians. The House added funds to cover several new senior level public health positions, replace our state’s outdated vaccination tracking system, boost funding to nursing homes and a program that provides HIV/AIDs medication to low income Georgians, and purchase 500 new school buses to replace a third of the state’s aging fleet.

There were no new funds for the Georgia Department of Labor, even though the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute estimates that there are nearly 10 times the number of Georgians in our unemployment system than this time last year. In an unplanned coincidence, two of my colleagues and I took to the Senate well (video) on Wednesday to speak about how we are frustrated and failing hard working families that can’t get their unemployment benefits. Speaking from the well, especially en masse, helps to amplify issues, especially for those of us that don’t serve on the appropriations subcommittees. I will continue to push these issues to help as much as I can.

Bringing Sunshine to Issues

The Senate Democratic Caucus began rolling out our legislative agenda that focuses on our priorities of expanding voting access and helping our struggling working families. Here are some bills to watch:

• SB 26: Requires dropboxes at all early voting locations
• SB 35: Allows poll workers to be from any county to address poll worker shortages
• SB 36: Establishes a pilot program for voting awareness grants, particularly in rural areas
• SB 37: Joins the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement among a number of states to award all of our electoral votes to the presidential candidate that wins the national popular vote
• SB 38: Allows people to request to permanently opt in to vote by mail
• SB 39: Restores voting rights for people with drug offenses
• SB 40: Allows counties to start counting absentee ballots before Election Day
• SB 24: Raises the Georgia state minimum wage from $5.50 to $15
• SB 25: Provides childcare tax credits to Georgia families

Democratic Caucus Whip Senator Harold Jones asked me, along with Senator Tonya Anderson, to be Assistant Whips, which means that we will help ensure our party stays unified on key votes.

In the coming week, I’ll begin rolling out my own legislative agenda that focuses on issues I know are important to you: expanding access to affordable health care, eliminating barriers to voting, saving our environment, tackling gun safety, making higher education more affordable, and improving our educational environment.

The Local Forecast

Our county delegations heard from a member of Congress and our county commissioners this week. It’s so important that all levels of government are connected so that we can serve you as effectively as possible. I was elected Vice Chair of the Dekalb Senate Delegation and I look forward to working closely with Dekalb Caucus Chair, Senator Emmanuel Jones. Cityhood is a major topic of discussion in Dekalb as we have active cityhood initiatives in both Central and South Dekalb. We now have the opportunity to look at cityhood thoughtfully and holistically, and to think through how these initiatives impact the entire county.

The Gwinnett Senate Delegation met with newly-elected Congresswoman Carolyn Bordeaux of the 7th Congressional district. Her district office is now up and running and she would very much like to hear from her constituents about what you need from our federal government. Her district director is Arthur Tripp and you can reach his office at 770-232-3005.

Storm Clouds Ahead: Redistricting

The ACLU presented to the Democratic Caucus on redistricting this week, a topic that is increasingly top of mind and anxiety-provoking for all of our elected officials. The legislature is responsible for redrawing district lines every 10 years just after the Census to make sure our districts account for population shifts. This means that all of our districts will look different the next time we run for re-election. We already know that Census data is running late this year due to the pandemic and other factors, so we believe that the Governor won’t be able to call the special redistricting session until mid to late fall.

In the meantime, I encourage you to learn about redistricting, demand an open and transparent redistricting process, and keep a close eye on the redistricting session to ensure that the General Assembly draws districts that allow voters to choose their representatives and not the other way around. As you often hear me say, redistricting will require us all to use our voices and to Be Loud!

Sally’s Senate Snapshot #1

Finding Normal in the Sea of Anomaly

As I arrived at the Capitol Monday morning for the start of the 156th Georgia General Assembly, I felt a little like Nemo trying to find his way through the sea anemone. I admit I was scared. It’s not the first time I felt scared at the Capitol, so I told myself I knew I could push through it — like the time in the early 2000s when in order to get to my office I had to push a baby stroller through a swarm of angry men waving 1956 Confederate flags.

As the week progressed, I realized the only way to govern through scary times is to look for the “normal.” Experiencing the rites and rituals of the legislative process, and dealing with the necessary mundane business of organizing, gave me the stable ground I needed to calm my nerves.

Many of you have reached out to express your concern for my safety and health. Your concern has sustained me. And, you’ll be pleased to know that the legislature will not be in session next week. It is a longstanding tradition that following the MLK holiday, we recess for budget hearings, and I will watch those budget hearings from the safety of my own home. Security at the Capitol has been ramping up all week, though I must say, it is very disconcerting to see State Troopers all decked out in military garb and holding M4s. Sadly, it is necessary.

Georgia’s Vaccine Rollout is having a Whale of a Time

There is no doubt Georgia is having a difficult time rolling out vaccines and that people are very frustrated. The hope we felt when we first heard of the vaccines has unfortunately turned to frustration at the difficulty of getting it into people’s arms. Like everything else about this pandemic, the Trump administration has punted the vaccine deployment to the states, and Georgia is relying on a public health infrastructure that has been severely underfunded for decades. As recently as January of 2020, during good economic times, Governor Kemp asked public health to make draconian cuts to their budgets. Even Republican legislators thought this was a shortsighted move.

That being said, help is on the way and I am confident the situation will improve. There’s talk of a centralized, statewide registration system being developed and many commercial entities such as grocery and drug stores are signing up to be providers. There’s also a massive effort to recruit volunteers, including healthcare and non-clinical volunteer positions. If you are interested, please apply through Georgia Responds (https://dph.georgia.gov/georgia-responds).

Out to Sea: The First Legislative Week 2021

At my first freshman legislative training, a veteran legislator said travelling to the Capitol for the legislative session felt a little like being on a ship out at sea.

I personally think it would have been more responsible to postpone Georgia’s legislative session until things settle down from the election, and vaccines are rolling out more smoothly. By Georgia’s constitution, we must begin the second Monday of January, but we could have all been sworn in, then gone back home. The General Assembly is the perfect superspreader event. We bring people to Atlanta from every corner of the state, put them together in two big rooms, then send them back out. And we do this every week for about three months. The Governor, public health, GEMA and the National Guard don’t need the distraction of the legislature right now. That being said, the legislature is taking the virus much more seriously now than they have in the past.

COVID Testing: My first trip back to the Capitol since June began the week before session, as I went for my first COVID test. Many years ago I learned from Speaker Tom Murphy that the legislative desks in the chamber used to all have spittoons so legislators could spit their tobacco. Now legislators are spitting into plastic specimen cups!

Last fall, I learned about Georgia Tech’s very effective COVID surveillance testing through my own Tech student’s experience. I was so impressed, I called Georgia Tech to suggest they offer the same service to the General Assembly. I’m thrilled to report that Georgia Tech is now on-site at the Capitol doing mandatory testing for all staff and members twice a week. Four Senators (out of 56)  have already tested positive, including the Majority Leader.

This is the kind of testing program that should be provided to every K-12 public school in the state, so that teachers are safe, and kids can return to the face-to-face learning and the socialization that they so desperately need.

Swearing-In: Following Monday morning COVID testing (which almost half the House skipped), members of the Senate were sworn-in by Georgia Supreme Court Justice Charlie Bethel. For me, taking the oath is always highly emotional. Two years ago, fresh on the heels of winning a very intense campaign, I could hardly get the words out. I did much better this time. This year I chose to place my left hand on the Constitution of the State of Georgia, since in the oath I promise to “support the Constitution of the state and of the United States.”

Rules & Preachers: This year’s Senate Rules passed easily and without controversy. Instead of the volatile changes we saw last term, we approved some minor rule adjustments to allow for flexibility due to COVID safety. Though guests are not allowed this year in the Senate chamber, we still have our Chaplain of the Day. As I’ve said before, I enjoy a moment of quiet reflection in the morning, and many of the preachers do a good job of offering thoughtful and appropriate words. But too often that is not the case.  Monday was the first time I needed earplugs. The Preacher of the Day spoke of love, but yelled it so loud it hurt! Wednesday’s preacher was a bit rattled because he had a car accident that morning with the Preacher of the Day scheduled to address the House!

Committee Assignments: This year, I hoped to be placed on either Health & Human Services or Appropriations. I did not get either of these committees, and instead was placed on Retirement. I will continue to serve on Ethics, Higher Education, Natural Resources & the Environment, and State Institutions and Property. You might have heard that three prominent Republicans were stripped of their Committee chairmanships ostensibly due to their participation in promoting voting conspiracy myths. Ironically, these three legislators are ones I found reasonable to work with last term. Only three Senate committee chairs this term are women, out of 26 committees, and these three committees are relatively minor committees that don’t receive many bills.

Senate Resolution 5: The Senate Democratic Caucus filed Senate Resolution 5 this week, condemning the disgraceful action of right wing violence and sedition that took place in the United State Capitol on January 6th, 2021.

The Big Fish: Governor Kemp’s State of the State

On Thursday, Governor Kemp gave his State-of-the-State address to a Joint Session of the House and Senate. In order to properly distance, only three members of the Senate sat in the House chamber, while the rest of us watched through video streaming in our offices. The State-of-the State address tends to establish the “tone” of the legislative session, since Georgia’s government is structured so the Governor is the “big fish” with the resources available to push through a strong agenda. The Governor’s 2021 – 2022 budget was released to legislators following the address, and next week we will focus on presentations from the executive branch on proposed departmental budgets. The state fiscal year runs from July 1 – June 30.

Here are some highlights from the Governors address:

• No additional departmental budget cuts or furloughs have been requested (though the budget is still lean and most cuts from last year have not be restored)
• $20 million for Rural Broadband Grants and $10 million in each year moving forward (Bringing broadband to all rural households will cost around $3 billion and would need federal intervention)
• $76 million to GA Pathways and Access, the Governor’s Medicaid Waivers. (Please read my analysis of these waivers in my Op-Ed published by the AJC)
•  Restoration of $647 million of the previous billion dollar cut from the education budget
•  The Governor is committed to holding schools harmless for pandemic related enrollment reductions.
• The Governor wants to use Federal stimulus money allocated to local school districts to provide $1000 bonuses to teachers and other school personnel (although final decision about how to spend the funds will be left to local school districts)
• $10 million in Governor’s emergency funds for care of special needs children
• $5 million in grants for public university Juniors and Seniors to help them stay enrolled in classes
• Reform the Citizens Arrest Statute.
• Legislative packages for Adoption Reform, reduce Human Trafficking, and assistance for victims.

New Office & Staff Introductions

Many of the decisions about who gets what in the Senate are based on seniority. Last year I ranked 53rd out of 56. Now I rank 42nd. This earned me an office inside the Capitol (110-D), which will make it easier to get around, rather than having to trudge across the street to the Legislative Office Building.

I’m thrilled that the same team that served me so well last year will be in place once again.

Amy Swygert, Communications Director: I’m thrilled that Amy will be continuing as my Communications Director. Amy has three decades of communications experience that she’ll be using to keep all of you informed and to help amplify my work. Amy serves as my chief aide and helps me with my legislative agenda and other duties. You can reach her at amy@sallyharrell.org.

Laurie Lanning, Political Director: Laurie, who has been a devoted volunteer since the beginning of my campaign, will again serve as my Political Director. In this role, she keeps her ear to the ground and monitors which issues we’re hearing most about from you. You can reach Laurie at laurie@sallyharrell.org.

Jay Harrell, Operations and Strategic Advisor: Jay keeps the wheels turning and the train on the track.  jay@sallyharrell.org

Administrative Assistant, Keridan Ogletree: Keridan will continue as Administrative Assistant to both me and Senator David Lucas, with whom I now share an office suite in the Capitol building. Keridan is a Georgia native and Georgia State political science graduate. I owe so much to Keridan who has been on the front lines answering phone calls, keeping my meeting schedule updated, and helping to address constituent needs. You can reach her at (404) 463-2260 or Keridan.Ogletree@senate.ga.gov.

   

Resources for Tracking the Georgia General Assembly

I always love seeing constituents at the Capitol, but during the pandemic, for the safety of members and staff alike, certain operations like the rope lines, the Senate page program, and access to the Senate gallery have been suspended. I invite you to watch our chamber sessions and committee meetings online. Here’s a great guide for how to tune in. Also, Georgia Public Broadcasting’s show “Lawmakers” is very informative.

Please look for my next Snapshot, where I will highlight pieces of my own legislative platform, as well as the legislative agenda for the Senate Democratic Caucus.