On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp outlined his agenda for this year’s legislative session. Unfortunately, again, the Republican Party and the governor are relying on a hope and a prayer that their agenda will help your family. Take a look at what they are prioritizing. Defunding public schools and propping up private schools? Investing billions of dollars in corporations but refusing to close the coverage gap for 500,000 Georgians? Every single time, the governor puts corporations over people. This is the reality of Kemp’s Georgia. Kemp’s agenda doesn’t work for families. Our agenda will.
We have seen the cost of living skyrocket under Republican leadership. For generations, Georgia’s middle-class families have struggled to support themselves on a state minimum wage that is nothing short of shameful. At just $5.15 an hour, the current minimum wage is a relic of the past and cannot cover even basic needs. That is the governor’s Georgia. Senate Democrats want to ensure our state helps more than just big corporations. Senate Democrats would raise the minimum wage to $22 an hour so all Georgians can support their families. Coupled with a billion-dollar investment in affordable housing, this initiative would help more families achieve the dream of a safe, stable home.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
In rural Georgia, residents often have to drive hours to access basic medical care, and the burden of medical debt makes it harder for millions of families to get a mortgage they need to take that next step toward homeownership. Meanwhile, women’s bodily autonomy has been stripped away by a restrictive six-week abortion ban, which has led to increased maternal fatalities. This session, we will continue the fight to repeal that ban and restore women’s fundamental right to make their own health care decisions. These choices should remain between a woman and her doctor, not be dictated by politicians.
In Kemp’s vision of Georgia, his Pathways program will do just fine, despite it proving an ineffective and inadequate response to our state’s health care challenges. Using just a fraction of the $16 billion surplus to increase health care access would finally allow uninsured Georgians to receive the care they deserve. Nearly half a million Georgians remain without access to affordable health care because of the high cost of health insurance. Closing this coverage gap is not just a moral obligation; it’s a necessity. Let’s end his failed and costly Pathways program and give 500,000 Georgians access to quality, affordable, private insurance. Cover a few thousand or 500,000? We all know the right path.
Republicans have also created the threat of rural school district bankruptcy through their efforts to push for private school vouchers. Diverting funds from public schools is barely a plan and doesn’t even put a Band-Aid on the larger issue of inadequate school funding. Senate Democrats will work to invest public education across Georgia. We will champion increased funding for schools, support for teachers and investments in educational resources to help every student succeed.
Kemp’s Georgia is his Georgia — a Georgia for corporations and moneyed interests. My promise to you is that Senate Democrats will continue our work to fight for our shared values, for our Georgia. That is who we are, and when we fight for you, never wavering, our state will always be strong.
Harold Jones II, a Democrat, represents Augusta in the Georgia state Senate, where he is the minority leader.
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