State Senate session report: Week seven.
Monday, February 19, 2024:
Why post about the session every day?
This is a photo of me after Ellie dragged me away from my laptop while I cried, “Stop … I want to watch more streaming sessions from. the state Senate on Vimeo! Photo by Ellie Jordan.
When Ellie and I first considered running for Georgia state Senate District 56, we were lucky to have some well-informed people to guide us. Everything from an invaluable checklist to help set up our campaign to probing questions about why we wanted to run (to protect our kids from ignorant bigotry and government overreach) and what goals we wanted to hit besides victory (elevating causes we care about, moderating our easily-cowed opponent, etc.).
But part of why I choose the campaign team I did was because they asked a question no one else did:
What do I want from the campaign experience?
A lot of the problems that led me to run can be traced back to our opponent’s disconnect from the people in our district—his lack of listening, his lack of communication, and his dismissal of different opinions. A net-negative constituent experience.
It turns out, what I really wanted was to start modeling what a people-centered approach to governance could look like:
I want to be available and I want to listen. Seriously, drop me a DM or a line at jdjordan@forthe56.com or 706.804.0456 and say hi. Tell me what matters to you.
I want to share what’s going on in the state Senate. The very least our legislators can do is to keep their district up to speed on what they’re doing.
I want to make measurable improvements in our community. That’s why I came out the gate with a Little Free Library sweepstakes which will see a new LFL soon in the Woodstock area.
You know, things I wish our current state senator did.
If you pop over to our opponent’s blog (Shhh … don’t tell my campaign team I’m linking to him), you’ll probably notice his blog is really just a list of press releases about how great he is—not about the district, not about what he’s doing to represent us and our concerns, or even about what’s going on under the Gold Dome unless it’s a line item for his resume.
Let me know what you’d like to see during this campaign. And if you like what we’re doing, please consider supporting our campaign, either with a donation or by hosting an meet and greet (my team will make it easy and fun!).
Tuesday, February 20, 2024:
What to expect before Crossover Day.
You can tell it’s not Spaghetti Junction because the roads are straight. Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash
If a bill doesn’t pass at least one chamber of the legislature by Feb 29—Crossover day—then there isn’t enough time for it to pass the other. So, where do some of our issues stand, heading down the pike?
THE GOOD
Sports betting
The Senate passed a plan to get a constitutional amendment on the November ballot to authorize sports betting and heap new funding into pre-K and the Hope Scholarship. The House may take this up in March.
THE BAD
Medicaid expansion
There’s been buzz all session that state Republicans would push for a semi-private expansion following “the Arkansas model” but nothing is in the hopper, much less in committee.
Certificate of need
The state Senate—especially Lt Gov Burt Jones—wants to eliminate the certificate of need requirement for new medical facilities but the House proposal is more limited and there may not be enough time to reconcile them.
Second Amendment tax holiday
In what would be our only remaining tax holiday, Senate Republicans have pushed a 5-day tax holiday under the guise of deer-conservation rhetoric despite not tying the holiday to hunting and with deer populations already in decline. The House is close to a vote. At least gun safes are included.
THE UGLY
Attacking LGBTQ kids
House and Senate Republicans are passionate about making LGBTQ kids’ lives worse—in the classroom (even at private schools, so you know they’re serious), libraries, the DMV, even stripping their hate-crime protections. Some of these bills are crawling and may not make crossover.
Attacking librarians
Republicans also want to take their campaign of censorship beyond public schools and expand it to public libraries. These bills are also moving slowly.
Making elections less secure
Under the guise of Trump’s Big Lie, a variety of proposals are want to increase ballot audits, add watermarks, use less efficient (and more expensive) scanning technology, post ballot pics online, remove drop boxes, and ban ranked-choice voting. Some of these will certainly make it through.
Wednesday, February 21, 2024:
Not today, Satan.
I tried finding a photo of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (a recognized religion in some countries) but the Iowa hearings inspired an unflattering Devil. Photo by Максим Власенко on Unsplash
Are you familiar with the First Amendment to the US Constitution? Apparently, Marty Harbin (R-16), Max Burns (R-23), John Albers (R-56), and friends aren’t:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
These two phrases—known as the “establishment clause” and the “free exercise clause” respectively—form the textual basis for the Supreme Court’s long-established “separation of church and state” doctrine:
No coercion in religious matters.
No expectation to support a religion against one's will.
Religious liberty encompasses all religions.
Pretty. Straightforward.
Enter SB 379 and SB 501, both discussed in today’s the Education & Youth Committee and both in direct violation of the First Amendment (and common sense).
SB 379 authorizes public school systems to employ or accept as volunteers school chaplains (with or without professional credentials) under the guise of relieving pressure on secular counselors. And while there’s no religious test in the bill, we can assume they’re not looking for chaplains from the Satanic Temple (who recently volunteered to serve in Iowa schools in response to a similar bill).
SB 501 requires classrooms to feature a 16x20 copy of the Ten Commandments—at state expense if necessary. It also suggests 13 other totally appropriate historical documents (e.g., the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address) but goes into line-by-line detail of what the Ten Commandments poster should say and how big it must be (as worded, it’s basically an impossible creative brief).
IF YOU LIVE IN THE 56, NOW IS THE TIME TO CALL OUR SENATOR:
Call John Albers’ senate office at 404.463.8055. You’ll likely get a staffer or voicemail.
State your name.
Tell them you’re a constituent of SD56.
Tell them you support the clear separation of church and state and that you oppose SB 379 and SB 501.
Let me know If you get through. Albers is notorious for avoiding constituents who disagree with him.
Thursday, February 22, 2024:
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
At least a few residents of the 56 reached out to our opponent about his sponsorships of SB 379 and SB 501, bills which would (respectively) authorize public school systems to employ or accept as volunteers school chaplains and require classrooms to feature a 16x20 copy of the Ten Commandments.
In response to one Cherokee County resident, our opponent (quite uncharacteristically) responded about the Ten Commandments bill:
I support our freedom of expression as outlined by the Constitution. I do not believe the display of historical documents such as the ten commandments or other text is in opposition to the Establishment Clause or Free Exercise Clause.
Just like he doesn’t understand the concept of Federal Supremacy, he clearly doesn’t understand the First Amendment.
Historically, displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms was common before the 1980 Supreme Court decision in Stone v. Graham which declared the practice unconstitutional. In a 5-4 unsigned opinion, the Court struck down a nearly identical Kentucky law and held that displays of the Ten Commandments serve a “plainly religious” purpose that ran afoul of the “Lemon Test.” In Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971), the Court held that programs challenged under the Establishment Clause must have a secular purpose, writing: “The Ten Commandments are undeniably a sacred text in the Jewish and Christian faiths, and no legislative recitation of a supposed secular purpose can blind us to that fact.”
By tucking it in amongst 13 US history documents, the architects of SB 501 might’ve hoped to disguise the Ten Commandments as an American document. Our Founding Fathers—many of whom were Deists with a desire for religious freedom—would’ve likely found the Magna Carta or Luther’s 95 theses more relevant to our history.
I have nothing against the Bible or Christianity. But even if everyone in the district were Christian (which we’re not), SB 501 flies in the face of our secular Democracy and freedom of religion (and freedom from religion), serving only the needs of Christian Nationalists.
Friday, February 23, 2024:
The good, the bad, and the ugly of week seven.
This image doesn’t constitute an endorsement—in either direction.
Day 26 of the 40-day session is a wrap and Crossover Day looms large! So, what exactly did our state Senate accomplish this week?
THE GOOD
Helping veterans
The senate passed a package of bills to support our veterans: SB 375, adding the Veterans Service commissioner to the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council; SB 385, expanding the Georgia Military College; and SR 527, studying veterans’ mental health & housing.
A new senator‽
Tim Bearden (R- 30) joined the chamber following a special election. The Carrollton district seat has been vacant all session since Mike Dugan left the office to run for the US House. To quote John McClane: “Welcome to the party, pal.”
THE BAD
Religious rights over law?
SB 180, limiting the government’s ability to pass or enforce laws that conflict with religious beliefs, passed the Judiciary Committee, 6-3. This bill is similar to Federal law but without the relevant part about the First Amendment.
THE UGLY
Public school chaplains
SB 379, authorizing public school systems to employ or accept as volunteers school chaplains, passed out of the Government Oversight Committee on a 6-5 vote. Opponents argue that chaplains often lack the proper certification and training for dealing with diverse student backgrounds and religions and may not meet the standards set for counselors—this is especially concerning in the more religiously diverse metro-ATL districts such as ours.
Attacking librarians
SB 390, banning public or private funds from being used to purchase materials, services, or operations by the American Library Association, cleared the Government Oversight committee.
Publics schools aren’t Sunday schools
SB 501, requiring classrooms to feature a 16x20 copy of the Ten Commandments, passed out of committee. In a rare example of Senatorial dissent, half the Government Oversight committee walked out in protest of the vote. This bill ignores our state’s growing religious diversity and plainly violates the separation of church and state.
JD JORDAN FOR GEORGIA STATE SENATE DISTRICT 56
For anyone in East Cobb, Roswell, or Woodstock alarmed by the state’s escalating attacks on our bodies, our families, our doctors’ offices, our classrooms and libraries, even our polling places, I’m running for state senate district 56 to fight for our freedoms and to deliver a better future for everyone in Georgia.
And unlike my opponent who’s spent 14 years rolling back our freedoms, failing to safeguard our kids, and gerrymandered his district to stay in office, I promise to bring everyone in the 56—regardless of ideology—the best possible constituent experience so you feel heard, valued, and supported. As we all deserve to be.
I’m running for the 56. Let’s make a better Georgia for all of us.
—
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Jordan For Georgia, LLC
10800 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 208 #629
Roswell, GA 30076-1467
jdjordan@forthe56.com
706.804.0456
