Reflective Democracy

It’s a cynical strategy: create artificial “doubt” about our election processes, and then use that doubt to make voting harder for the voters you don’t think will vote for you.

Even though our number of congressional districts remains the same, we know that Georgia has undergone significant population shifts in the past decade. Based on voter registration and turnout data, we know that communities of color represent an increasing share of Georgia’s population. These growing communities deserve to have fair representation, in Congress and in both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly. 

No verdict can make this situation better, for his family and friends. But at least this verdict held George Floyd’s killer accountable. It is a signal call that no one is above the law. It is about time that we saw some justice, as a community. Today, we saw some justice. 

Sixteen grassroots groups have called for amending Georgia’s Open Meeting Act so that it covers meetings of the General Assembly and its committees and subcommittees. “Georgians have the right to witness the open conduct of their business by the General Assembly.”

The Republican-led Georgia State Legislature passed the anti-democratic SB202 to suppress and obstruct statewide voter turnout and further impede the possibility of increased voting from African-Americans and other communities of color, a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia said.

Today, in a matter of just hours, both the House and Senate approved a substitute version of SB 202, an anti-voter ‘omnibus’ that allows the highly-partisan state Legislature to appoint a quorum of the State Election Board, and allows state takeover of county elections offices. Governor Brian Kemp is expected to sign the bill at 6:30pm today.