This was a busy week in that we completed and voted on the midterm budget, and it did not have any significant changes. Next years budget is still in progress. The House Democratic Caucus also rolled out our legislative agenda for this session. The agenda covers topics that include: education, economic security, healthcare and other issues. A total of 35 bills were introduce as part of the package. Among the legislation offered is the Expand Medicaid Now Act. This would bring health care to nearly 500,000 people and and great 56,000 jobs in Georgia. It also includes the Georgia Voters Bill of Rights, which will, among other provisions, implement automatic voter registration when obtaining a drivers license or registering for classes at a public college. Finally, it includes in the package is the Too Young to Suspend Act, which would prohibit the use of suspension or expulsion as punishment for children enrolled from Pre-k through 3rd grade. I will include other legislation in future newsletters. If you have any questions about any of these bills please visit my website  http://www.rogerbruce.net or contact my office at 404.656.7859

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This past week, Representative Bruce submitted two of the bills that we mentioned last week, HB 21: The Economic Growth Act and HB 22: The Any Precinct Act. Both pieces of legislation will now go to the Governmental Affairs committee that is chaired by Representative Ed Rynders. 

Representative Bruce has managed to gain bipartisan support for both pieces of legislation. Republicans have even gone as far as co-sponsoring both bills. 

The next steps for the legislation are to gain committee hearings, which Representative Bruce and his team will be working diligently to urge Chairman Rynders to hold. 

The Economic Growth Act has attracted the interest of people throughout the whole state of Georgia because of the positive aspects it can bring to the state. Some of these aspects include  
improving economic growth in distressed rural and urban areas,  increase job growth, more consumer spending, better education for some families and  improved standards of living for some.  This act will also create a Division of Supplier Diversity, which provides better rules and regulations that help women and minorities by insuring they are given their far share of government contracts. If you have questions concerning this legislation, please contact staffer Jason Gathing at [email protected]. 

HB 22: The Any Precinct Act -

 With all of the attacks on voting rights happening across the nation, Rep. Bruce believes that we should always be protecting one of our most sacred rights; which is the franchise (right to vote). This legislation intends to extend the rules of Early Voting in the State of Georgia to Election Day. What that means is that during Early Voting, voters are allowed to vote at any precinct in their registered and recongnized county. This legislation would allow for those same rules to apply on Election Day, which would make it easier for citizens to participate in the process.  If you have questions concerning this  legislation, please contact staffer A.D. Fields at  [email protected].