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- The Draper Paper: Week 1
What an honor it was to have my kids and family by my side to swear in for my second term!
We’re one week into the 40-day session and, as usual, the first week is mostly ceremonial with members sworn in, the governor offering his legislative and spending hopes, and Republican House leaders handing out seating and committee assignments.
This session had a lovely start with a moment of silence to remember the passing of Georgia native son President Jimmy Carter.
But then House Republicans pushed through a new set of procedural rules that limit the topics legislators can speak about from the House floor, the time they have to speak, and the number of bills they can file.
The week concluded with a shunned-by-his-own party Republican, Senator Moore, getting arrested after he tried to enter the House chamber from which he had been banned for insulting the late Speaker of the House.
I want to be clear that I found Sen. Moore’s words about the former Speaker, and his choice to make his remarks in front of the late Speaker’s grieving family, abhorrent. It’s not a choice I would have made. But should Senator Moore have been punished for speaking out and challenging authority? I may not have a lot in common with the far right members of the Republican party, but in this incident I saw the outline of a common struggle: when we – whether it’s Democrats or Republican outliers like Sen. Colton Moore– challenge those who are in charge of the legislature, they try to silence us. The recently passed House rules are but another example of them trying to shut us up rather than engage with different points of view.
The Republicans in charge will try to evade the perception of authoritarianism by couching their tactics as necessary to maintain civility and decorum. Well, I think civility and decorum are important and have their place. But where is the civility in not expanding Medicaid and allowing rural hospitals to close down? Where is the decorum in watching Black maternal death rates rise and not meaningfully intervening? Where is the decency in mourning the loss of life at Apalachee High School, but refusing to make gun safety a legislative priority?
On this day of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. remembrance, I recall his prescient words:
“Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it political?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' But, conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?'
May we all maintain his moral clarity over the next 40 legislative days.
In this Edition of the Draper Paper
My new role
First, I'm proud to share that my House colleagues selected me to be the minority party’s Chief Deputy Whip for the 2025-26 term.
As a member of the leadership team, I’ll have a central role in designing and executing our strategic vision. The direction of our caucus (and of the Georgia Democratic Party more broadly) is something I’ve given a lot of thought to, and I’m grateful my colleagues have entrusted me with helping lead us into these next pivotal years.
Of course, we are still the minority party, but we are stronger than in previous years. The 2024 election brought us closer to parity; Democrats now hold 80 House seats while the Republicans control 100.
Because Republicans also control the Georgia Senate and the Governorship, they maintain the GOP trifecta that they have enjoyed since 2005.
But with Republicans beholden to private interests and refusing to move on the issues the majority of Georgians care about, our opportunity to flip the House is closer than ever.
House Democrats are laser focused on breaking up the Republican trifecta so that the needs and issues of all Georgians – like my friends in House District 90 -- will be addressed at the Capitol.
Thrilled to be a member of this stellar leadership team for the 2025-2026 term.
Governor Kemp’s State of the State Address
During the first week, as is tradition, Gov. Brian Kemp laid out his proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. You can see the whole speech here.
I’ll note that the speech from the outset took a surprisingly bi-partisan tone. Kemp thanked the Democrats and Republicans of the Georgia congressional delegation and both President Biden and Trump for their support of disaster relief grants post Hurricane Helene. Only a year ago, at the Eggs and Issues event with the Georgia Chamber, Governor Kemp was excoriating Democrats and the Biden Administration at every turn. In this post-election landscape, I think we are going to see many politicians with eyes on the future mold themselves differently to appeal to Georgia’s purple electorate. It is rumored Kemp is considering a run for Senate in 2026 (Senator Ossoff’s term will be up and he will be running for re-election) or president in 2028.
Kemp is proposing additional income tax cuts, a proposal for which Republicans stood and applauded and Democrats remained seated. While the state sits on a $16 billion surplus, our schools are woefully underfunded, Georgians can’t access basic services because agencies are underfunded and understaffed (in part because staff are underpaid), and our healthcare costs more to serve less people. There’s a difference between conservative budgeting and hoarding resources that can make systemic, large-scale impacts.
The Governor spent the majority of his speech speaking on a single issue: tort reform. He even threatened a special session if we don’t pass a bill this session.
The Governor frames the issue as lawyers vs. small business- he claims that civil lawsuit verdicts force insurance companies to increase their premiums and pass those increases to the consumer.
But to me, the issue could just as easily be reframed as big insurance vs. the people. Our insurance premiums keep going up and we seem to get less and less for what we pay. I have not yet seen data to support the notion that the reason for increased costs/less benefits is court verdicts, especially when many insurance companies are making record profits. People need to be able to access the civil justice system. If a company’s negligence leads to a person’s death or injury, there needs to be redress.
I am sympathetic to the notion that small businesses can be one lawsuit away from ruin. So all that to say, I look forward to seeing the Governor’s proposed solutions in writing (we have not yet seen a bill on this issue) and ensuring that any proposed solutions actually address the underlying cause of the problem. I find the Governor’s adversarial rhetoric concerning, but I will withhold further opinion until we see the substance of the bill.
Finally, I was very disappointed that the Governor did not mention gun safety legislation when he spoke about protecting our schools. He brought up the Apalachee school shooting and proposed increasing mental health services for students and increasing funding for school resource officers– measures I support. But I know I speak for many Georgians when I say Governor Kemp, it’s the guns.
Here’s a short excerpt from Governor Kemp's address.
But I know this issue is complicated and will not be easy to fix. There are many different stakeholders, with competing ideas about how to move forward. However, doing nothing is no longer an option.
We will do what is right by the people of our state. We will be fair to all involved in this important debate, and we will work together to pass legislation that strikes the right balance and puts hardworking Georgians first. But I also want to be very clear: there is always room for compromise, but there will be no room for excuses, half-measures, or failure.
…
Because if we take seriously our mission to keep Georgia the best place to live, work, and raise a family for the next generation, we have to get off the sidelines and get to work!
Wouldn’t it be nice if these righteous remarks from our Governor were about gun safety rather than what they were about– tort reform?
The Speaker of the House has expressed some openness to passing gun safety legislation this term, but he is under a lot of pressure to do nothing or take half measures. I will do what I can to keep this issue front and center this session, and welcome your help. There are incredible gun safety advocacy groups already hard at work, and they need your support. On the heels of the deadliest school shooting in our State, parents and families are scared, and want action now. In the words of Governor Kemp, “there’s no room for excuses, half-measures, or failure.”
Democrats have already filed an impressive slate of gun safety bills. I’m proud to be a co-sponsor on several.
Apply to be a Legislative Page
Do you have a student who is at least 12 years old and interested in state politics? Be on the front lines as a legislative page! It’s a wonderful opportunity. Please fill out the application here if you are interested, and send it to [email protected]. Copy [email protected] on your email.
HD 90 resident James D. had a great time being a page in 2024
Get in Touch
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 [email protected], or visiting the Capitol. My office is 604-D in the Coverdell Legislative Office Building across the street from the Capitol.
Yours in service,
