LYNN'S LIST

LYNN’S LIST FOR JANUARY 30, 2023

The Georgia General Assembly is in full swing. The lists are long, but really important with both state and federal advocacy. Are you new to Lynn’s List advocacy and aren't sure who your legislators are or haven’t checked for a while, click here and enter your address. When you are contacting your district state legislator be sure to let him/her know that you are a constituent.

Protection of Civil Liberties

State

In 2019, the Georgia Legislature passed HB487, the Heartbeat Bill, which bans abortions if cardiac activity is detected on ultrasound (around six weeks), essentially banning all abortions in the state. Bills have been introduced in both the House (HB75) and Senate (S15) called the Reproductive Freedom Act, which outline abortion access as a "fundamental right." The bill explicitly bans law enforcement agencies from arresting an individual for getting or performing an abortion, as long as the procedure otherwise follows medical law.  

In the House, the Bill was referred to the Committee on Public Health. Contact the below listed committee members with the suggested script:  My name is — and I am from —-.  I am writing to express my strong support for the Reproductive Freedom Act, HB75. The passage of the Heartbeat Bill in 2019 was a direct attack on the autonomy and well-being of half of Georgia’s population. It is imperative that women have access to all the rights and resources they need to make informed choices about their reproductive health. As a representative of the people of your district, it is your responsibility to ensure that all citizens have the ability to raise their families with dignity. I urge you to stand with the women of Georgia and support policies that protect their reproductive rights and access to healthcare. We deserve the ability to make our own decisions about our bodies and our families without government interference. Vote YES to move HB75 out of committee.

Sharon Cooper, Chairwoman sharon.cooper@house.ga.gov

Dale Washburn, Vice Chairman dale.washburn@house.ga.gov

Mary Margaret Oliver mary.oliver@house.ga.gov

Teri Anulewicz teri.anulewicz@house.ga.gov

Michelle Au michelle.au@house.ga.gov

Karen Bennett karen.bennett@house.ga.gov

Mike Cheokas mike.cheokas@house.ga.gov

Katie Dempsey katie.dempsey@house.ga.gov

Karla Drenner karla.drenner@house.ga.gov

Barry Fleming barry.fleming@house.ga.gov

Spencer Frye spencer.frye@house.ga.gov

Houston Gaines houston.gaines@house.ga.gov

Lee Hawkins lee.hawkins@house.ga.gov

Scott Hilton scott.hilton@house.ga.gov

Penny Houston penny.houston@house.ga.gov

Karlton Howard karlton.howard@house.ga.gov

Shelly Hutchinson shelly.hutchinson@house.ga.gov

John LaHood john.lahood@house.ga.gov

Jodi Lott jodi.lott@house.ga.gov

Butch Parrish butch.parrish@house.ga.gov

Clay Pirkle clay.pirkle@house.ga.gov

Tremaine Reese tremaine.reese@house.ga.gov

Devan Seabaugh devan.seabaugh@house.ga.gov

Deborah Silcox deborah.silcox@house.ga.gov

Doug Stoner doug.stoner@house.ga.gov

Darlene Taylor darlene.taylor@house.ga.gov

In the Senate, the bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Contact the below listed members with the suggested script:  My name is — and I am from —-.  I am writing to express my strong support for the Reproductive Freedom Act, S15. The passage of the Heartbeat Bill in 2019 was a direct attack on the autonomy and well-being of half of Georgia’s population. It is imperative that women have access to all the rights and resources they need to make informed choices about their reproductive health. As a representative of the people of your district, it is your responsibility to ensure that all citizens have the ability to raise their families with dignity. I urge you to stand with the women of Georgia and support policies that protect their reproductive rights and access to healthcare. We deserve the ability to make our own decisions about our bodies and our families without government interference. Vote YES to move S15 out of committee.

Brian Strickland, Chairman brian.strickland@senate.ga.gov

Bill Cowsert bill.cowsert@senate.ga.gov

Mike Hodges mike.hodges@senate.ga.gov

Steve Gooch steve.gooch@senate.ga.gov

Bo Hatchett bo.hatchett@senate.ga.gov

Harold Jones (bill sponsor) harold.jones@senate.ga.gov

John Kennedy john.kennedy@senate.ga.gov

Elena Parent (bill sponsor) elena.parent@senate.ga.gov

Michael Rhett michael.rhett@senate.ga.gov

Ed Seltzer ed.setzler@senate.ga.gov

Ben Watson ben.watson@senate.ga.gov

Federal

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has proposed increasing certain immigration and naturalization fees. Some fee waivers will remain in place, the average fee would increase by 40% with some fees increasing 100%. The USCIS says they have to increase fees because they had a drop in revenue due to COVID and they depleted cash reserves plus had a hiring freeze. Even a modest increase in fees will make immigration out of reach for many working class families. With our workplace shortages, increasing fees will “price out” eligible low-income and working-class families from obtaining green cards or reuniting families. 

To comment on this legislation, click on the link and the green “Submit a Formal Comment.”  The deadline for comments is March 6, 2023. You should create your own script when submitting a comment, but some ideas could include that the rule change will disproportionately impact low-income and working communities seeking green cards or family reunions. We already have a workforce shortage and this rule will make low income jobs harder to fill.

State

A new bill would create a state definition of antisemitism in Georgia and will potentially aid in hate crime prosecutions. House Bill 30 proposes to align Georgia’s definition of antisemitism with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition which expands the definition to include harming Jewish people, negative stereotypes, and denying the Holocaust. Hate crimes are up overall and 59% of all religious hate crimes are committed against Jewish people according to 2020 FBI reporting. The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. 

Contact the following Committee members with the suggested script: My name is —- and my name is —-. HB 30 creates a state definition of antisemitism and adds that definition to the Hate Crimes Act. I am in full support of this bill. Please vote to move it out of committee.

Stan Gunter, Chairman stan.gunter@house.ga.gov

Matt Reeves, Vice Chairman matt.reeves@house.ga.gov

Rob Leverett rob.leverett@house.ga.gov

Roger Bruce roger.bruce@house.ga.gov

James Burchett james.burchett@house.ga.gov

Omari Crawford omari.crawford@house.ga.gov

Chuck Efstration chuck.efstration@house.ga.gov

Stacey Evans stacey.evans@house.ga.gov

Scott Holcomb scott.holcomb@house.ga.gov

Soo Hong soo.hong@house.ga.gov

Todd Jones todd.jones@house.ga.gov

Trey Kelley trey.kelley@house.ga.gov

Mary Margaret Oliver mary.oliver@house.ga.gov

Mitchell Scoggins mitchell.scoggins@house.ga.gov

Deborah Silcox deborah.silcox@house.ga.gov

Tyler Smith tyler.smith@house.ga.gov

Doug Stoner doug.stoner@house.ga.gov

Protection of the Environment

State

An Alabama-based company, Twin Pines Minerals, LLC, is proposing a mining operation that threatens the Okefenokee and tourism related jobs in the area. The Okefenokee is the wrong place to mine. 

Mining next to the swamp can cause lasting and irreversible negative impacts to the swamp, its wildlife, regional ecotourism and adjacent timberlands. Industrial mining operations near the entrance of a world-renowned wilderness area threatens jobs. The Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge brings an estimated $64.7 million in tourism dollars and local jobs. The cities of Homeland, Kingsland, St Marys, Waycross/Ware County, and Valdosta, GA have passed local resolutions asking state officials to do everything possible to protect the Okefenokee.

One more time on commenting on Twin Pines mining of titanium dioxide at the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp. Even though we have already commented on this issue, the comments don’t carry over to the next comment period.  The Georgia Environmental Protection Division is accepting public comments until March 20, 2023 using the email address twinpines.comment@dnr.ga.gov. If the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) approves Twin Pines plan, there will be another 60 day comment period for the overall permit but will be meaningless. Let’s take ownership of the mission to protect the swamp.

Our partners at the Georgia Conservancy have suggestions and tips for comments and recommend that we flood the EPD with comments. Please select one (or more) and create your own email using the ideas listed below. 

• Explain why the Okefenokee is so important to you—if you haven’t visited the Swamp, explain how you want to have the opportunity to do so in the future;

• If you have been to the Okefenokee, mention how you supported the local communities by buying food, staying in hotels, renting kayaks, etc.;

• If you live in Georgia or visit Georgia, make sure that you mention that in your comment;

• What is going to happen to the local communities if the Okefenokee is harmed and people don’t want to visit it anymore?

• Won’t the light from the mine make it harder to see the stars at night?

• Won’t the noise from the mine ruin the wilderness experience and adversely affect the wildlife?

• If the mine can’t discharge its process water to the nearby waters, how is it going to get rid of it (Twin Pines says it is going to evaporate it)?

• How is Twin Pines going to evaporate all its process water when it is so humid in South Georgia?

• Is EPD considering how climate change with its more severe storms is going to affect the mine?

• Is Twin Pines going to be required to restore the hundreds of acres of wetlands that it plans to destroy?

• How could EPD ever find that building a mine next to a wildlife refuge is consistent with local land use?

• If the mine causes the water levels in the Okefenokee to go down, won’t that make the Swamp more prone to forest fires?

• How will the mine affect the museums and observatory that have been proposed for the area?

There is also a bill that has been introduced in the House by Republican Representative Darlene Taylor called HB 71, the Okefenokee Protection Act. The Okefenokee Protection Act prohibits the Georgia Environmental Protection Division Director from issuing a permit to conduct surface mining operations on Trail Ridge for any permit application made on or after July 1, 2023.

Georgia Water Coalition, another of our partners has made it easy for us to comment. Follow this link to take action now by sending a message to Georgia legislators asking them to protect the Okefenokee.

As always, it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

The link to your legislators is here. It will be updated with the new information soon.