That’s a Wrap! Sine Die 2023
Legislative Update April 2, 2023
We gaveled out Wednesday night–well, really Thursday morning–at around 12:30 am. My first session came and went in the blink of an eye. I am so honored by the trust given to me by the people of HD 90, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to represent them. The responsibility of proposing and voting on laws that will shape the future of Georgia is one that I take seriously and personally. Every decision I make under the Gold Dome is based on feedback from constituents and deep contemplation of what will best serve our district and Georgians.
(Credit: Natrice Miller/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
This legislative session came to a close with the passage of a number of disappointing outcomes. All session, Democrats in the House and the Senate worked tirelessly to stall bills that we believe will harm Georgians, but that got through anyway: discriminatory anti-trans legislation, legislation that criminalizes homelessness, legislation that imposes bail requirements for non-violent offenses pre-conviction, and partisan elections legislation, just to name a few. I was also disappointed to see good bills, like the mental health bill and the tenant protection bill, fall victim to politics before crossing the finish line.
There were successes too. In a real moment of joy, we were able to stop what would have been the most aggressive and damaging school voucher bill ever passed in Georgia. I’m a proud product of Georgia public schools, and I know how crucial they are to Georgia’s families. SB 233 would have drained funds out of our already under-resourced public schools.
The moment we realized SB 233 had not passed. (Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC)
Success can’t always be measured by what we see. Some successes come from preventing bad bills from reaching the committee stage or the House floor. Some also come through amending bad bills to make them less bad. On these fronts, we’ve had good progress. (Not good enough? I get it, but that’s the reality of operating in a Republican-dominated legislature. If you, like me, want more, help us flip the House.)
On a personal level, I had several successes as a first year legislator. First, I fulfilled my campaign promise to my district to be a leading voice on issues pertaining to our right to vote and our democracy. I brought attention, passion, and expertise to these issues– from runoff reform, to partisan boards of elections, to fighting bad election bills (please see my full speech against SB222 below). And at the end of year one, whether they agree with me or not, my democratic and republican colleagues see me as a credible and go-to voice in these discussions. That sets me up well for 2024, where democracy, elections, and voting rights are only going to become more critical.
I am also pleased I had two bills heard in committee (HB 419 and HB 559), and one that was voted out of committee (HB 559). That’s no small feat for a freshman in the minority party! I look forward to continuing to push these bills next year, as well as some others I’ve been contemplating.
Also this session, I worked hard to develop genuine relationships with colleagues and stakeholders. I hear it again and again, and I’ve seen it be true– relationships are the richest form of currency under the Gold Dome. Integrity and credibility follow closely behind.
I was delighted to be highlighted by the AJC earlier this week as a first-term lawmaker making “an immediate impact!”
“State Rep. Saira Draper, D-Atlanta, advocated against new election changes.” (Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC)
As a new legislator, I was really struck by how many bills seemed to be outside our purview as state legislators. Too many bills were designed to control the actions of other elected officials, usually at the local level (District Attorneys, city council members, and county commissioners). Other bills allowed us to supplant our judgment for those who were eminently more qualified, like in the case of SB 140, which supplanted our judgment for the judgment of parents and medical professionals in caring for transgender youth. As one GOP colleague candidly told me, “We believe in local control… until we don’t.” When we mess with issues outside our lane, the harm is doubled; not only are we meddling in areas we aren’t best suited for, we are NOT spending the time on the problems only we can address. You can catch more of my hot takes on the Politically GA Podcast: Inside Look at Sine Die, beginning at 10:15.
Recording “Politically Georgia” on Sine Die.
What’s next for me over the next few months? Next week is my kids’ spring break. I’ll be offline and focusing on them. Our family needs some time to reconnect and relax, that’s for sure. It’s so important for young families to be represented at the legislature, but the work certainly takes a toll, too! Here’s what my family had waiting for me when I returned home after Sine Die 😭. I’m so thankful for their unwavering support.
We love you mama from Oscar Amira and Remy 😭😭❤️❤️
Over the next few months I’ll be doing a series of post-legislative session town halls throughout the district. We’re confirmed for May 9, 2023 at the County Line Library in Ellenwood, GA, and I’ll be announcing a few more dates and locations shortly. And now that the all-consuming legislative session is over, I’ll have time to put focus back on our district 90 community– from constituent services to community support. As always, if you want to get together or have community issues to discuss, please let me know through the contact form on my website.
Zoom information coming soon.
In this edition of the Draper Paper, I’m covering the following additional topics: 1) SB 222, the partisan election bill that’s meant to keep our election offices underfunded, 2) the 2024 budget, and 3) fundraising. If you make it until the end– heck, if you made it this far– I hope you’ll consider a donation to support my work for the people of Georgia.
Look out for more information in upcoming newsletters and on my social media platforms!
Thank you all for following along this session. I’ve deeply enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to share this experience.
In service,
SB 222: The Partisan Election Bill that We Could Not Stop
SB 222 makes it a felony (!) for counties to solicit outside grants for their local election offices. It’s a bad, partisan bill. SB 222 cuts off a stream of important funds to our chronically underfunded election offices in the name of preventing partisan outside influence even though there is no evidence that outside funds have had any partisan or improper influence on the counties that received them.
In 2020, 43 counties in Georgia, both red and blue, asked for and received outside funds to the tune of 45 million dollars. This money allowed election offices around Georgia to hire extra staff, buy equipment, and offer more training – essentially do their jobs well. Every county that requested money got money, and received the full amount they requested.
Counties that received funding from the Center for Tech & Civic Life in 2020.
Something that really irks me about SB 222 is that bill proponents were not transparent about why they brought it.
I’ve been tracking SB 222 since it was dropped in February 2023. It is clear it was brought only after DeKalb County– deep blue DeKalb county– received a 2 million dollar grant for the 2024 election cycle. In fact, up until the day we passed SB 222, it included a provision that required DeKalb to return the 2 million dollars.
Obviously bill proponents couldn’t say they were bringing this bill to keep DeKalb from receiving a grant. So they instead said things like SB202– a bill passed in 2021– already prohibited counties from receiving outside funds, and that SB 222 simply clarified existing policy. That’s demonstrably false. They also said outside funds in 2020 funds were directed to Democratic counties. That’s also demonstrably false.
The public relies on legislators to be transparent in our policy making. Being coy about the reasons behind a bill erodes the public’s trust in our work.
Republicans brought SB 222 to the House floor around 11 pm on the second to last day of the legislative session, hoping to pass it without too much attention and without too much opposition. I wasn’t about to let that happen. Check out my full remarks here.
My remarks against SB 222
Something I made sure to point out was that we have a real problem we should be grappling with that involves outside influence on our elections, and it’s NOT donations. It’s the mass, meritless voter challenges that have been weaponized against blue counties and in counties with large numbers of Democratic voters.
Over a hundred thousand meritless voter challenges have been levied in these counties since March 2021. Biden votes are in blue, Trump votes are in Red.
At the end of my remarks I said I would collaborate with anyone who was willing to put aside partisanship and approach the voter challenge issue with the seriousness it deserves. I’ve had several legislators reach out, from both sides of the aisle, who want to help. You’ll be seeing legislation on challenges from me in 2024.
The 2024 Georgia State Budget
It was down to the wire with the State Budget. Interestingly, passing a budget is the only thing the General Assembly is constitutionally required to do each session, so naturally we left the vote until nearly midnight on the last day of session!
The final version contained both good and bad. Here are some highlights of the changes in the final iteration of the budget.
Budget changes of concern:
Funding for a prosecuting attorneys qualifications commission
No funding for a crisis stabilization unit at Highland Rivers, Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network for peer services, or the Crisis Response Team at View Point Health
Reduced funds by $5 million for rural stabilization grants
Reduced funds by $66 million to our public universities, with critical cuts being made to our already chronically underfunded HBCUs
Significantly less funding toward College Completion Grants than the House requested
Budget changes I feel good about:
100% tuition funding for students who receive the HOPE scholarship, increased HOPE
Increased funds for home and community-based service providers
Increasing funds for 300 additional Medicaid eligibility caseworkers to process Medicaid redetermination cases due to the Public Health Emergency expiration
Funding to help process the Medicaid redetermination cases that will arise as a result of the Public Health Emergency expiration
Provide alternative housing options for youth with complex needs
Increased funds to bridge the education gap
Increase funds for feminine hygiene products for low-income clients at community organizations
I voted yes for the budget, in part because we had little choice given the late date, and in part because there was good in the document. The final vote for the budget was 170 yea, 3 nay.
It’s that time again… Fundraising.
We aren't allowed to fundraise during the legislative session. But now, the session is over.
If you’ve appreciated my work and session coverage, I hope you’ll support me with a campaign contribution– or even better yet, a recurring monthly donation.
What does your contribution go toward? Mostly it allows me to communicate with my supporters and constituents, and to pay my skeletal staff.
We receive $7k a year from the state for staff and expenses, the rest has to be raised!
The less time I have to actively fundraise, the more time I have for doing the critical work your support has put me in the position to do.
I appreciate your consideration!
Contributions to Friends of Saira Draper are not deductible for tax purposes. State law allows individuals, corporations, and Political Action Committees to contribute a maximum of $3,300 for the primary, $1,800 for the runoff, and $3,300 for the general election.
Questions? Concerns? Need Help?
There are several ways you can share your concerns, request assistance, or let me know about activities in our neighborhoods.
The best way to get in touch is through the contact us form on my website. But, you can also reach me by calling the office (404-656-0265), sending an email to saira.draper@house.ga.gov, or visiting the Capitol. My office is 604-D in the Coverdell Legislative Office Building across the street from the south side of the Capitol.
For more frequent updates, please follow me on social media (links at bottom).
HD90 Spotlight
Our people make our community great. And I want to spread the good news.
If you know a person, business, or organization in HD90 that is doing amazing things, please let me know. We'll feature them in a future installment of the Draper Paper.
