The Watcher
 News from Georgia Watch
February 2022
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The 2022 Legislative Session of the Georgia General Assembly is underway. Today is day 9 of the 40-day session and Georgia Watch is at the Capitol looking out for Georgia consumers. We are actively working to support passage of:


Download our full 2022 Policy Priorities and keep up-to-date on all the bills we're following on our Take Action page.

Our success depends on you. Please be on the lookout for action alerts from us throughout the session as we call on you to contact your legislators to amplify consumer concerns on the issues that matter most to you.
Liz Coyle,
Executive Director
Georgia Watch Releases Report on Need for an Equity Impact Tool
The public health and economic crises associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have shone a light on disparities affecting communities of color and other demographic groups who have historically experienced barriers to opportunity. To remove existing disparities and prevent the emergence of new ones, Georgia legislators should have the means to analyze the potential impacts of proposed laws or regulations along demographic lines through an Equity Impact Tool.
An Equity Impact Tool (EIT) is a process permitting a legislator to identify, assess, and communicate the potential impact—positive or negative—of proposed legislation on a particular demographic. This process is performed with the assistance of the Office of Legislative Counsel, the nonpartisan, impartial research arm of the Georgia General Assembly.

Currently, nine state-level governments employ EIT programs, and even more states have proposed legislation that would create similar tools. Georgia Watch believes that amplifying the voices of community members who would be disparately impacted by pending legislation will ensure legislation advances equity and justice for all Georgians. Georgia Watch produced "Taking a Closer Look at the Equity Impacts of Legislation Pending in Georgia" to highlight the need for adoption of this tool. The paper provides examples of successful equity impact tools in other states and scenarios in which this tool would advance equity in Georgia legislation.
Engaging the Community to Promote Medical Billing Transparency and Reduce Debt in Southwest Georgia
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is the largest hospital system serving Southwest Georgia. Every three years, Phoebe conducts a community health needs assessment (CHNA) to collect information about the health status of its community. Community health needs are then prioritized based on the findings and programs are implemented to target these needs.

Georgia Watch teamed up with our partners at Georgians for a Healthy Future and SOWEGA Rising as part of the Community Benefit and Economic Stability Project to analyze how Phoebe can prioritize the needs of its community in future CHNAs in "Engaging the Community to Promote Medical Billing Transparency and Reduce Debt in Southwest Georgia." Together, we aim to protect consumers in Southwest Georgia from unaffordable medical bills and debts so that all Georgians can afford the care they need.
Liz Coyle Recognized Among Top 500 Leaders
Each year, Atlanta Magazine recognizes the city's top leaders in the special publication, The Atlanta 500. The annual publication, which debuted in 2019, highlights "the city's most powerful, influential, and impactful people," across all industries, from banking and law to education and healthcare. For the fourth year in a row, Georgia Watch Executive Director Liz Coyle has been recognized.

We are very proud that our organization is being recognized again as one of Atlanta's top leaders in advocacy, and look forward to a successful and productive 2022.

Read The Atlanta 500 here.


In the News
Georgia Watch
55 Marietta Street NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
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