In this Edition of the Draper Paper

• I’m running for State Senate!

• Crossover Day Today

• Amended FY 2026 Budget

Since I’ve been in the Georgia House, Senator Elena Parent has been a champion for Senate District 44. I’m so glad we’ve had overlapping districts and I had the opportunity to work with her and learn from her. Senator Parent has served her constituents honorably in the Senate for 12 years, not only as the Senator for the district, but as Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Recently she shared with me she has decided not to seek re-election. I was deeply touched she asked me to run for the seat. I am accepting the challenge, and I am hopeful the voters of Senate District 44 will select me to continue her work to serve the district, win a Democratic majority, and elect Democrats up and down the ballot!

The decision to leave the House is bittersweet. I’ve made a lot of progress in the four years I’ve served, and have made many good friends and connections. But that work can and will continue on the Senate side. Importantly, I’m excited to continue my voting rights and pro-democracy work in the chamber where some of the worst voting and election bills originate.

I hope to have your support on May 19, 2026 and in November. I have a Democratic primary opponent and a Republican opponent in the General election!

We have five great candidates running to represent House District 90. I hope you’ll take the time to learn more about them over the next few weeks.

On our radar: Republicans may try to bully us into voting yes on the property tax bill by threatening to bring a bill that would increase county property taxes on the Atlanta Airport for the benefit of Clayton County, where 80% of the airport is located. This bill represents an inter-party dispute for Democrats, with some Clayton County representatives being in favor, and the majority of the Democratic Caucus being strongly against. If Republicans vote in favor of the bill, it would have enough votes to pass. That would be beneficial to Clayton County’s budget, but majorly destabilizing and financially deleterious for the airport.

Despite these kinds of bully tactics at their disposal, I am hopeful Republicans will see the bigger picture: The Atlanta airport is about more than Clayton County, or even Atlanta. It’s the crown jewel of Georgia and of the South. Forcing financial instability on the airport, its vendors, and the airlines is a sure way to disrupt business interests and make business think twice about calling Georgia home. Hopefully we can negotiate on the property tax bill in good faith without having to resort to such hardball tactics.

This week I also spoke against HB 1247, which would prohibit courts and administrative officers from deferring to agency interpretations - Georgia’s version of overturning Cheveron deference. You can see my remarks on why HB 1247 would be bad for Georgia businesses below.

Each year, the General Assembly passes two budgets: an amended budget to adjust spending for the current fiscal year and a full budget for the year ahead. This week, the legislature finalized the Amended FY 2026 budget. While not every choice reflects the best use of our surplus, there are some genuinely important investments.

High on that list is a badly needed forensic mental health hospital — a long‑overdue step toward reducing the backlog that leaves people in crisis waiting in jail for treatment. This new facility will be built in HD 90, next to the GBI headquarters in South DeKalb. The amended budget also provides one‑time supplements for state employees and educators, expands needs‑based college aid, and directs additional resources toward housing, transportation, and behavioral health capacity. It also includes large tax rebates, which are politically popular but come at the expense of longer‑term needs.

As we turn to the full FY 2027 budget, there’s still significant work ahead to ensure our investments match the challenges facing Georgia.

Yours in service,