Proposal would set aside room on Georgia Capitol grounds for nursing mothers
When she was a new mother in 2016, Georgia Sen. Nikema Williams said she would step out of the state Capitol — where she was a registered lobbyist — and sit in her car to pump breast milk.
The Atlanta Democrat said she and most mothers find using a public restroom “gross,” so she opted to make the walk to the nearby parking lot where she parked.
State Sen. Jen Jordan said that should not be the case for nursing mothers is pushing for state officials to set aside a room in the Capitol or the adjacent Coverdell Legislative Office Building for women who need to pump.
The Senate State Institutions and Property Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved the proposal, Senate Bill 4.
Jordan, also an Atlanta Democrat, said passing the legislation was a “no-brainer.”
“With more women serving, with so many women working in the Capitol and over in the (legislative office building) and with lobbyists and just the public, it really has become an important issue,” she said.
Williams told the panel, comprised of five men and two women, that she would sit under a scarf or blanket while breastfeeding in her car.
“No other woman should have to face what I did when trying to pump breast milk for their nursing baby back home,” she said.
About the Author
Maya T. Prabhu covers the Georgia Senate and statewide issues as a government reporter for The AJC. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in northern Virginia, Maya attended Spelman College and then the University of Maryland for a master's degree. She writes about social issues, the criminal justice system and legislative politics.
