SESSION is BACK: 2020 Legislative Session began on January 13th convening for the second regular session of the 155th Georgia General Assembly.
You are encouraged to contact me with your input and thoughts on proposed legislation that may impact our community. Please visit my Capitol office, which is located at Coverdell Legislative Office Bldg. Suite 611-C. You can also reach me by phone at my Capitol office at 404-656-0314 or by email at valencia.stovall@house.ga.gov.
Some Highlights:
Week 1: Adopted an adjournment resolution setting our calendar for the first few weeks of session. House committees also hit the ground running.
*The House passed House Bill 276, which requires online retailers that facilitate online sales in excess of $100,000 annually to collect sales tax. (Voted Yes)
*We also adopted House Resolution 882, which urges the American people to support President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. Armed Forces and intelligence agencies on a recent military operation that resulted in the death of Qasem Soleimani. (Voted No)
Week 2: "Budget Week" we are constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget each year. Over the course of three days, the House and Senate Appropriations committees held a series of joint budget hearings, and Gov. Kemp presented his recommendations and priorities for the amended budget and upcoming 2021 fiscal year budget, which is set at $28.1 billion in total funding. Fiscal year starts June 1 and ends July 31. Several agencies have reported ways to cut spending by reducing administrative and overhead costs, leveraging technology and reorganizing behind-the-scenes operational systems. In my opinion, these cuts are going to have a devastating affect on the government services provided to constituents. There were a lot of questions during the first round of budget hearings by department heads.
Week 3: Time was spent in our committees and subcommittees to carefully review proposed legislation and hear testimonies from area experts along with hearing concerns from constituents and others. This week, my colleagues and I also observed International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday, January 27, 2020, which marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. The House adopted another resolution this week to dedicate a space in the State Capitol to our friend and colleague, the late State Rep. Jay Powell, former House Rules Chair of Rules. Gov. Kemp signed the first major piece of legislation of the 2020 session. House Bill 276 was passed via a conference committee report during the first week of session and allows the state to collect taxable revenue from marketplace facilitators whose online platforms or apps are used to sell goods or services.
Week 4: House unanimously adopted House Resolution 935, a bipartisan measure that would reauthorize the Georgia Commission on Freight and Logistics. (Voted Yes) The commission, which was first created in 2019, would continue its work to develop unique and specific solutions for trucking, rail and air cargo. This week, the House passed enabling legislation, House Bill 663 (Voted Yes), to allow judges of the recently created statewide court to become members of the Judicial Retirement System of Georgia (JRS). House adopted Senate Resolution 712, which is a second adjournment resolution that determined our legislative calendar for the coming weeks. This adjournment resolution is unique in that it allows the General Assembly to remain in recess until February 18 so that we can better focus our time and energy on the Amended FY 2020 and Fiscal Year 2021 budgets. The House and Senate will reconvene on Tuesday, February 18 for Legislative Day 13
Week 5: Governor Brian Kemp previously instructed our state agencies to reduce spending by four percent in AFY 2020 and six percent in FY 2021. It would reduce operational spending by $216 million in the AFY 2020 budget and an additional $341 million in the FY 2021 budget. Even with these reductions, the FY 2021 budget is still set at several hundred million dollars above the current fiscal year’s budget. We heard in more detail from state agencies throughout our subcommittee meetings and gained a better understanding of the proposed budget and how state dollars may be appropriated for statewide services. Some of the subcommittees have met and made revisions to the initial proposed budget. The remaining will meet this week.
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Inaugural Radio Show "Issues and Answers"
on WCEG Network
TODAY Monday, February 17, 2020 @6 pm.
Topics:
Education, African American Women’s Health, What role will the 2020 Census play?
Log on to: wcegtalkradio.com
Call in 1-678-619-1402
SmartTV-YouTube: Wceg Network:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtR2Q9HY4mxHU7XNEQB8rfw
#wcegnetworkTv #wcegnetwork #wcegtalkradio #wcegradio
#issuesandanswersonwceg #gostovall
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Register for Single Parent Day Events March 19 & 21st
SPONSORS & VENDOR OPPORTUNITIES
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Clayton County Chamber Day
Clayton County Public Schools Employee Recognition Event
Entrepreneur Car Detailers advocating for better policies for them to operate
Celebrating National School Choice Week with my yellow scarf
Albany State University Day
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I enjoy serving the constituents of District 74 in portions of the cities of Morrow, Lake City, Forest Park. Riverdale, and College Park in Clayton County and the entire state of Georgia. Legislation which I have sponsored and co-sponsored from 2019 session are still alive and capable of becoming law. Click here
Here is a partial list:
*HB 11 reintroduced as HB 263- Open Enrollment for school
Read the article in Henry Herald
*HB 476 Child Entertainer Bill on attendance
*HB 504 Taxation of property at airport (Replacement for loss of Jet Fuel Tax)
*HB 691 Consumer Protection for Homeowners (Protect against deceptive practices by home repair businesses)
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Rep. Stovall was appointed by House Speaker Ralston to the
House Study Committee on Maternal Mortality HR 589. The recommendations are published. I didn't agree with the totality of the recommendations and suggested that an emphasis on research on causes why African American women are dying at a higher rate should be a part of the list. My suggestion was not honored. As a result my office is working on legislation to create a Commission on African American Women's Health.
Click to read resolution
Click to view the presentation materials from previous meetings and the final report
Why is a study committee created?
Women in the United States are more likely to die of childbirth or pregnancy-related causes than are women in other high-income countries. According to numerous organizations that rank mortality rates, Georgia is among the top ten states with the highest maternal death rate. Maternal deaths are a serious public health concern and have a tremendous family and societal impact, affecting diverse populations. The Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee has reviewed three years of maternal death data; and there is a need to develop strategies and institute systemic changes to decrease and prevent maternal deaths in Georgia.
*By Race:
White, non-Hispanic 14.3 deaths per 100,000 live births
Black, non-Hispanic 47.0 deaths per 100,00 live births
*By Age:
Under 25 yrs of age 17.5%
25-29 yrs of age 22%
30-34 yrs of age 26.7%
35 + yrs of age 52.2%
*Leading Causes of death are Heart related.
*Other causes: Suicide, Homicide, or Opiods
*60% of the deaths were preventable
**To better understand why women were dying during and after childbirth at such a high rate in Georgia, a partnership was formed between the Ga. Dept. of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control, and the Georgia Obstetric and Gynecological Society. The result after a 3 year process resulted in 2014 the forming of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee through legislation SB 273. The MMRC is a multidisciplinary group comprised of over two-dozen professionals from across the state with expertise in obstetrics, gynecology, neonatology, cardiology, nursing, and public health. Starting in 2017, the General Assembly began funding initiatives to address the maternal mortality crisis. A total of $6.6 million is being appropriated annually in Ga.
**75 counties in Ga have no practicing OB/GYN
(resulting in a void of prenatal care in almost 1/2 of Ga counties)
**45% of hospitals were operating at a level of care lower than they stated
**6% of pregnancy-related deaths were due to mental health conditions
(there is inadequate screening of pregnant & postpartum women for depression & other mental health issues)
***Hospitals are encouraged to adopt AIM bundles (Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health) for best practices in maternal safety practices with a check list. There are still some which have not adopted any of the AIM bundles according to Sept. 2019 report by Ga Perinatal Quality Collaborative
Click to view listing
*Medicaid stops paying for pregnancy care 6 weeks postpartum
Many Black women have a lack of trust in the medical system and are treated differently. When they complain about symptoms, some of the doctors ignore them without investigating further.
*Statistics from Georgia Dept. of Public Health
**House Budget & Research Office
*** 2019 American Medical Association JAMA published online
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WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT A PARTICULAR PIECE OF LEGISLATION?
If you would like to learn more about any legislation go to http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/Search.aspx, and with using the bill number (comes after the letters “HB, HR, SB, SR”) search for legislation that you want to know about, because Knowledge is Power!
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*Click to view the report: The State of Literacy in Georgia: Action Needed For Georgia's Thriving Workforce and Economy
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Read more information on featured articles & resources
Did you know high school students can attend high school & college simultaneously at no cost to parents?
www.mowrga.org
Adult Protective Services for Senior Adults & other resources
https://aging.georgia.gov/adult-protective-services-aps
Job Search
http://dhsjobs.dhs.ga.gov/Public
Special Housing Credit with Downpayment Assistance in Georgia
for Teachers, Nurses, Firefighters, Police, Veterans, Seniors, and others
https://www.dca.ga.gov/newsroom/news-releases/housing-tax-credits-awarded-30-development-projects-across-georgia
HB 614 Landon Dunson Act
http://www.news-daily.com/news/gov-deal-signs-rep-stovall-s-landon-dunson-act-into/article_5bac50f0-799c-5a84-8461-610c8fbe1489.html
Women In Politics Award
http://www.ncsl.org/legislators-staff/legislators/womens-legislative-network/women-in-politics-making-a-difference-awards.aspx
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The new CCRPI scores have been published. For more info click http://gosa.georgia.gov/ Did your school show improvement?
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