During the 2021-2022 biennial legislative sessions, we shined a light on critical consumer protection issues, calling for solutions to meet the urgent needs of financially vulnerable Georgians to help stabilize their families during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and set them up to thrive afterwards. Entering into 2022, we recognized many Georgians still face a tidal wave of debt associated with insecure employment, the end of unemployment benefits, un-insured and under-insured medical bills, deferred rent, mortgage and utility payments, and high-cost borrowing to stay afloat. This session, we advocated for:
- A utility financing option called securitization to lower power bills and protect consumers from cost overruns at Plant Vogtle.
- Statewide regulation of car title lenders by the Department of Banking and Finance, making them subject to the state's regulation on small dollar loans.
- New wage and bank account garnishment protection rules that ensure families can meet their basic living needs.
- Creation of an equity impact tool to analyze potential impacts of proposed legislation on certain demographic populations.
We look forward to building support around these issues and more in anticipation of the next session. To stay up-to-date about issues we are focusing on, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.