Issue Position: Equitable Growth-Supporting Working Families and Small Business

Issue Position

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the cracks in leadership and our economy. Many of our families feel the impact and stress of the crisis in different ways. We need to focus on how we survive and thrive. Too many families are being left behind. Unemployment is high, wages are stagnant, and small businesses are struggling to remain viable. The state must continue to expand options for assistance, eligibility, and support programs designed to help small business and their employees.

Georgia ranks 40th in the nation for the number of households living below the poverty line, 44th for the disparity between the highest and lowest income individuals, and 32nd for food insecurity. The impact on our children is stark. Approximately one in five children in Georgia live in poverty, one in four have parents who lack secure employment, and nearly one in three live in households where the cost of housing exceeds 30% of monthly income.

Two years ago, the Georgia General Assembly reduced the top income tax rate by 0.5%, assuming that these savings would trickle down into the economy and increase overall revenue. The reverse has happened, and we are falling short, triggering Governor Kemp to call for across the board budget cuts. As a result of these shortsighted decisions, the wealthiest among us are paying less. At the same time, the most vulnerable are shouldering the burden of cuts to services like child welfare, senior services, and mental health care. I will fight to preserve the essential services that are lifelines for working and low-income families who struggle daily to make ends meet.

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