James Nov-Dec 2023 web - Flipbook - Page 51
reating a fairer economy that creates prosperity for all Georgians is our number one
priority. Too many Georgians have given
up and dropped out of the workforce. As of
this summer, our workforce participation rate is at an
all-time low. So we want Georgians to get back to work
so their households can thrive. But doing this requires
more than a simple job posting.
Georgians leave the workforce for many reasons. A
major one is the lack of access to childcare. Too often,
childcare options either don’t exist or are too expensive for a family’s budget. Statistics show, for example,
that for many families, childcare has become equal to
a monthly mortgage payment. This childcare shortage
must end and we must take a hard look at childcare
costs to find ways to reduce them.
Creating greater economic prosperity also means
fully expanding Medicaid. It is ridiculous that we are
still talking about Medicaid expansion. The Affordable Care Act passed over 13 years ago! Full Medicaid
expansion gives up to 500,000 people access to health
insurance. It helps our hospitals keep their doors open,
and it generates over $1.5 billion in economic activity.
Republicans are now trying an alternative to expansion. It’s not good enough. This summer, we learned
that the program had enrolled 265 people. It would be
funny if it were not so serious. It’s time to stop playing
political games with health care.
Republicans believe modifying our Certificate of
Need (CON) laws will help save Georgia hospitals and
improve access to medical care. Democrats are skeptical, but we are always open to new ideas. Democrats
are unlikely to participate in any CON negotiations
unless the Republicans pair the reform with full Medicaid expansion.
We remain committed to protecting our public
schools. Republicans will, of course, attack our teachers and schools to score cheap culture war points.
Most troubling, though, is Gov. Brian Kemp’s voucher
program. This historic disinvestment would decimate
schools across Georgia and badly hurt rural communities by leaving those students with severely underfunded public schools and very few private school options.
We must stop this bill and save the public school system, creating opportunities for all Georgians.
Democrats will continue preparing our students for
college and the workforce. Republicans must join us in
this fight. Last year, I proposed SR 121, which would
require the study of how we can help our students
overcome learning loss caused by pandemic disruptions to education. States across the country are experimenting with new models and methods of learning
to help students overcome this learning loss. In Georgia, Republicans ignored my bill without offering the
dynamic solutions needed to solve this problem. Our
students will continue struggling without our help. We
owe it to them to find a solution.
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