When Georgia legislators, Forsyth’s Greg Dolezal chief among them, sought to institute a ban on abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy, doctors and women’s health advocates warned them that a ban would keep women from getting all kinds of needed healthcare, not limited to abortion. Now it has become apparent, in new reporting this week on the deaths of two young mothers, that those fears were well-founded.
Amber Thurman waited in a hospital for over 20 hours as she became septic, because doctors would not perform a routine D&C to remove unexpelled fetal tissue left from a legal medication abortion. The medical team feared running afoul of Georgia’s abortion ban, which would sentence a doctor to up to a decade in prison. By the time doctors judged Thurman’s life to be sufficiently endangered by her infection, she could not be saved, and died leaving a six year-old child. The official state Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) ruled that she should not have died of her treatable illness. Fear of Dealing with GA’s Compromised Medical System Candi Miller was a mother of three with a complicated and fragile medical history of lupus and diabetes, and was afraid that her unplanned pregnancy would endanger her life. She was also afraid to seek medical care in Georgia, and instead opted for a medication abortion, which left her needing a follow-up D&C. She died of septic shock at home, a death that was ruled “preventable” by the Georgia MMRC. In her appearance to discuss women’s healthcare in Atlanta on September 20, Vice President Harris said that deaths resulting from Georgia’s abortion ban were “not only preventable, but predictable,” because the law has created dangerous confusion for doctors about when they’re allowed to provide life-saving care. And that confusion costs precious time. Delay can be fatal, as it was for Thurman, Miller, and surely others. To those who defend Georgia’s ban, insisting that it allows for exceptions to save a woman’s life, be aware that in states with exceptions, the exceptions are rarely granted. These exceptions serve only to give a gloss of reasonableness to harsh and unreasonable restrictions. Further, it is no accident that both Candi Miller and Amber Thurman were women of color. Georgia has the worst racial maternal mortality ratio of any state in the country: Black women are 3.3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than White women in the state, and Black babies are twice as likely to die. The Choice in November is Clear and Drastic The positions of the two Presidential candidates are clear: Harris would codify the protections of Roe v. Wade. Trump has often said that overturning Roe is the thing he’s most proud of, and that abortion rights need to be decided by states. But a National Abortion Ban remains a possibility under a Trump presidency; he refuses to say whether he would veto one or not, twisting in the wind depending on his audience, often leaving JD Vance to reassure his extremist base that he is still with them. Project 2025 would enshrine a national ban, as well as increased surveillance for pregnancies and miscarriages. Also in Project 2025: A plan to end medication abortion, currently accounting for 60% of abortions, by enforcing the Comstock Act, a nineteenth-century anti-obscenity law, which they construe to forbid the mailing of abortion medication. It’s not only abortion that is under attack by Republicans, but your very right to choose how and when to become a parent. On birth control, Trump has indicated he would be open to laws banning or restricting contraception. What used to be a far fringe position--that contraception should be restricted or banned--is increasingly finding its way into mainstream Republican rhetoric, and we have previously examined the logic and tactics by which this could be accomplished. Georgia women already struggle with access to contraception, with nearly a third of women reporting they have faced barriers to getting birth control. And 60% of pregnancies in Georgia are unplanned. For those seeking to add to their families using advanced reproductive technologies, just last week, Republican Senators again blocked a bill that would have guaranteed access to IVF. This is all of a piece with the extreme conservative goal of enshrining “fetal personhood” as a life-begins-at-conception ideology. In Georgia, in 2021, the most recent year for which we have data, 2% of all births resulted from IVF, for 2,321 live births, resulting from 5,167 transferred embryos. State Senator Elena Parent proposed two bills protecting the right to contraception and the right to IVF in the most recent legislative session, but they did not advance. Clearly, in Georgia, pregnant women, infants, and women of childbearing age are dangerously vulnerable to bad healthcare policy and punitive Republican restrictions on reproductive health. What can you do? Know the facts. Inform yourself on what policies lead to better health outcomes for women and children and vote accordingly. Our local candidates for state legislature fully support the right of everyone to make choices, guided by their doctors, to determine their own reproductive futures. 
Top Row: Ashwin Ramaswami (SD 48), Hamza Nazir (SD 27), Elaine Padgett (HD 25), Jennifer Ambler (HD 100)
Bottom Row: Randye Dugan (HD 24), Kayla Hollifield (HD 11), Lakiea Bailey (HD 26), Michael Henson (HD 28) In the aftermath of the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, Georgians have been left with a patchwork of confusing and contradictory laws and bills that leave even basic reproductive healthcare in chaos. For Republicans not quite satisfied with overturning Roe v Wade, there is now Project 2025–which would go even further to police and criminalize all aspects of women’s reproductive care–from conception, to abortion care and pregnancy loss. We are faced with a dystopia that not even Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale depicts. First, we must educate voters on the fact that “abortion” is an umbrella term and includes procedures that are used to save a woman's life and maintain her future ability to have children. Since most women do not know they are even pregnant at six weeks, Gov Kemp’s six-week abortion ban has made all women's lives unsafe. We need to trust women to know what is right for themselves in all aspects of their healthcare. These decisions are medical and personal between a woman, her loved ones, and her doctor. Second, we must know the dangers of Republicans’ Project 2025. Women will lose access to birth control, IVF, and basic bodily autonomy. Finally, we must elect more women and men who support and trust women with their own bodies. We need healthcare workers in the legislature. Many legislators--mostly men–do not understand the most basic aspects of human anatomy, and thus electing more women to the legislature will help remedy this knowledge gap. In summary, educate yourself on what have been taboo topics for too long. Spread the word on what reproductive healthcare truly comprises, and how Trump, the GOP, and Project 2025 threaten us all. Vote Democrat all the way up and down the ballot, and let's elect women who have first hand knowledge of their bodies, and men who understand the facts.
It is estimated that over 100 million Americans owe at least $220 billion in medical debt. In 2021, 23% of U.S. adults had one or more unpaid and past due bills from a medical service provider.
Medical Care is Far Too Complicated Medical coverage is complicated, as we are structured for more employer-based plans offered by private insurers. If you work independently, for a small business with less than 50 employees, work part-time, or are in between jobs, getting coverage can be costly. The dance we go through with changes in premiums, coverages, deductibles, total out-of-pocket maximums, in-network, out-of-network, pre-approvals, referral requirements, navigating care and claims is extraordinarily complex and with the ever-nagging thought, when will I get a surprise? The difference in the GOP-Trump-Project 2025 plan and the current and proposed changes by the Biden-Harris team is stark and a lot is at risk in this election. Key Takeaways
The GOP Wants to Eliminate the Affordable Care Act For those who work independently, work for small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, work part-time or are in between jobs, the Affordable Care Act is the most utilized way to gain access to healthcare and take the bite out of healthcare costs. In 2024, this represented 45 million Americans, 1.3 million of them from Georgia. The Affordable Care Act has 3 primary components:
Consumer Protection Provisions that Apply to Us All No Discrimination Based on Pre-existing Conditions: Insurers cannot deny coverage or charge higher premiums based on pre-existing health conditions. Essential Health Benefits: The ACA requires that all health insurance plans sold on the Health Insurance Marketplace cover a set of ten essential health benefits, including emergency services, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use disorder services, prescription drugs, and preventive services including contraceptive coverage. Limit on Out-of-Pocket Costs: The ACA places limits on out-of-pocket maximums for health coverage, which protects consumers from high medical costs. Preventive Services Coverage: Insurance plans are required to cover certain preventive services without charging a copayment or coinsurance, such as vaccinations and screenings. Ban on Lifetime and Annual Limits: Insurers cannot impose lifetime or annual limits on most benefits, ensuring that individuals do not lose coverage when they reach a certain amount of benefits. Clear and Transparent Information: The law mandates that insurers provide clear and concise information about health plans, including coverage details and costs, to help consumers make informed choices. Young Adult Coverage: Young adults can stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until they turn 26, providing extended coverage during early adulthood. No Gender Rating: Insurers cannot charge higher premiums based on gender, helping to reduce cost disparities. Grievance and Appeals Process: The ACA requires that health plans have a process for consumers to appeal coverage decisions, allowing individuals to challenge claims that are denied. Consumer Assistance Programs: The law provides for support programs to assist consumers in understanding their coverage, assisting with enrollment, and addressing issues with their insurers. Additional Resources: To see an updated comparison of health policy between Trump and VP Harris by KFF, click here. To see the impact of Medicaid and Medicaid expansion in Georgia, check out our May 30th edition of The Kicker.
Kitchen Table Did You Know
Voter Rights Did You Know
At worst, many consider it to be a weaponized, politicized version of a normally staid, administrative election body. And as of the publication of this issue, the SEB isn’t finished yet.
The SEB passed three rules in August with a 3-2 vote that threaten to delay or even deny election certifications, bog down election officials, and intimidate voters. And, these rules passed even after the requisite public comment period showed most Georgians are overwhelmingly against them. These rules are: Reasonable Inquiry, Examination Rule, and Drop Box Surveillance. The Reasonable Inquiry Rule is likely what you’ve heard about most in the news. This rule gives local elections board members the power to conduct “reasonable inquiry” into elections before certifying; however, the rule does not define “reasonable inquiry,” thus injecting confusion and varying standards into Georgia’s elections. It is important to note that Georgia law does not give local elections boards the power to challenge election results; it does require local election boards to certify election results 6 days after election day. Their role is not to verify the accuracy of an election but to confirm that the local officials completed tabulation and verification processes as the law indicates. If local elections boards do not certify, they are at risk of criminal indictment. The Examination Rule requires our county Board of Registration and Elections (BRE) to meet on Friday at 3pm following the election to determine whether to count provisional ballots or require additional verification to count those provisional ballots. Provisional ballots are used for situations where a piece of information about the voter's registration is still being verified, giving a voter several extra days to provide it and thus, have their votes count. This new rule would essentially nullify these votes from being counted. The new rule also requires investigation into any discrepancy between total ballots cast versus total persons voted. One might argue these sound like reasonable rules, right? No. These rules enable any BRE member with an intention to delay and cast doubt to access documents they normally wouldn’t have needed to access. Remember, their role is to verify that local officials completed the tabulation. Any investigation into any accusations of fraud occurs only after certification. Worth understanding is that there could be several reasons why the number of total ballots may not equal the total number of persons voting. Reasons include that some voters check in to vote but decide to leave before finalizing casting their vote, and the election system being slow to update the counting and recording of corrected provisional ballots. Drop Box Surveillance is the third rule recently enacted by the SEB. This rule requires every person who drops off an absentee ballot to show their ID and to sign an affidavit swearing they meet the requirements to drop off the ballot. While seemingly benign, this rule is primed to cause confusion as 159 counties across Georgia must quickly create or find the right form and train personnel on administering this new rule. What happens to your absentee ballot if an election worker makes an administrative error at this point of contact - will your vote no longer count when you’ve done everything correctly? This action illustrates again how the SEB--by creating new rules so close to the election– puts Georgia’s elections and your vote at risk. Many organizations and individuals across Georgia have already filed lawsuits (our own Forsyth BRE member, Anita Tucker is a signatory) and amicus briefs to stop the rules from being enacted. Concerns range from county boards not certifying their election results to new rules surrounding absentee ballot drop off, Even some Republican members of the Georgia Legislature have expressed concern. And the pushback continues as the DNC lawsuit has been scheduled for a hearing on October 1. As noted above, Georgia law requires election board members to certify the election and the law lays out consequences should they not do so. Under Georgia law if a board member refuses to certify, emergency court orders could be filed to compel officials to follow the law. If they do not, the court then has the right to replace the local official or press criminal charges. It is also important to note the law protects citizens’ right to vote and for our vote to count. Any citizen (or group of citizens) could file suit against the election board member for violating that right. There are several more rules very recently passed and many moving parts as we publish this issue. And as with the above, they are aimed at causing delay, chaos, and denying millions of Georgians their votes. We urge you to check your voter registration regularly and make a plan to vote in person during Advance Voting. Stay tuned for more updates in our next issue of The Kicker! 
MAGA activists across the country and here in Georgia continue to focus their attention on schools as the site of their culture war efforts, attacking teachers, librarians, books, and classroom content that they feel advances a “woke agenda.” Indeed, a third of all school children in the US now live in a state that has recently passed laws restricting, rather than expanding, what can and should be taught, effectively creating different educational possibilities based on a state government’s political orientation. This, while our children remain in danger from gun violence at school. Click through for a few alarming trends to watch: Attacks on the teaching of social and emotional development It should be a simple and non-controversial idea that in order to learn, children need to know how to get along with others and manage their own emotions. The core concepts of building emotional intelligence in children have been around as long as schools have been around. But in recent years, the Right has tried to link social and emotional learning (SEL) to the boogeyman of Critical Race Theory (which is not taught in public schools), and advance the argument that teaching emotional development is a Trojan horse for leftist “indoctrination.” Here at home in Forsyth, in the last few years, school counselors at at least one local elementary school were accused by parents of trying to indoctrinate their children by way of a social and emotional learning module. A Forsyth school administrator hired as a DEI trainer and coordinator had her job rescoped and retitled as a “community engagement specialist” despite “social and emotional health” being one of five strategic objectives of the 2025 budget plan. In neighboring Cherokee County, a new administrator hired to focus on diversity and equity in the school system was chased out of town by extremist parents. Bills in at least eight states have sought to limit or ban SEL, despite decades of research showing improved student academic and even health outcomes of SEL. Book Banning and Academic Censorship Many locals remember that starting in 2022, our Forsyth Board of Education meetings were filled with red-shirted activists clamoring for attention, insisting on reading aloud from library books they felt were “sexually explicit,” eventually filing a lawsuit, and resulting in a finding by the Office of Civil Rights that student rights had been infringed upon by district book removals--removals of books that were largely by or about people in marginalized groups. Even the youngest children’s classrooms were not exempt from reactionary book removals, as last fall, K and 1st grade classrooms had to jettison their new sets of ARC readers because a book like “Who’s in a Family” contained images of children with family structures other an one mom and one dad. In our county, even after the book removal furor of 2022 died down, teachers have continued to censor themselves and feel the chilling effect of the intense anger of right-wing activists. Parents need to proactively let their children’s teachers and principals know that they support book choices that include and represent all students. Academic Whitewashing That same spring of 2022, Brian Kemp chose Forsyth as the setting for his signing into law two reactionary education bills: the so-called Parents’ Bill of Rights; and the “Divisive Concepts” bill, which prevents classroom discussion of nine concepts including any discussion of race or racial history that would “induce psychological distress.” (The fact that this was an election year, and Kemp was being challenged from the right by David Perdue, is a salient fact here.) In a county like Forsyth, with a history of lynching and white terrorism, the restriction of how our racial history can be taught feels, unavoidably, like a turning away from and denial of that history. Into the vacuum left by restrictions on teaching real history and social studies, a for-profit company called Prager U is marketing a right-wing K-12 education curriculum that has been approved for use in Florida, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, Montana, Louisiana, and Arizona. A privately-funded effort to use disputed videos to teach conservative values in public schools is gaining traction, as Louisiana recently became the sixth state to endorse educational materials produced by Prager U. Prager U is NOT a university and has no academic affiliation, but rather a media company producing short videos that push right-wing talking points and extremely conservative views of history, race, sex and gender, among other topics. For example, their video “Los Angeles: Mateo Backs the Blue” dismisses George Floyd’s murder and blames Floyd for resisting arrest, compares the BLM movement to Mexican drug cartels, and calls claims of racial injustice in policing “false.” In “Leo and Layla Meet Booker T. Washington,” the child characters ask Washington if he wishes he’d been born in a country without slavery, and he reassures them that “slavery has been a reality everywhere in the world,” and that “future generations are never responsible for the sins of the past.” More Christianity in Public Schools In a flagrant violation of the separation of Church and State, in July, the Governor of Oklahoma mandated the use of The Bible in all levels of public school curriculum, and then released a set of guidelines for incorporating it into lesson plans in every subject, cautioning, “immediate and strict compliance is expected.” The State School Superintendent, when confronted with the illegality of this, said, “We feel very confident in President Trump's nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, that, if we can — if we get sued and we get challenged, we will be victorious, because the Supreme Court justices he appointed actually are originalists that look at the Constitution and not what some left-wing professor said about the Constitution.” This force feeding of the Bible to public school students is in service of the Christian Nationalist myth that the United States is inherently and only a Christian country. Oklahoma took this action close on the heels of Louisiana becoming the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom, a move from a GOP-dominated Legislature pushing a conservative agenda under a new governor. Dumbing Down in the Name of Culture Wars Educational historians claim that this explosion of laws dictating what can and can’t be taught in schools is unprecedented, and that local districts traditionally have had a lot of power to direct their own classroom content. The fact that schools and school curricula have become so politicized should alarm us all. A heightened sense of scrutiny of teachers and classrooms leads to censorship and restricts students' access to diverse perspectives, and restricting a school’s curriculum leads to an inevitable dumbing down of that curriculum. More than a dozen studies over the last forty years show that numerous measures of student performance, from attendance to graduation rates, increase when students see people like themselves in a school’s curriculum. Simply put, representation matters. Just this summer, Georgia’s Superintendent of Schools, Richard Wood, canceled the planned rollout of AP African American History courses after a pilot program. It is strange that an educator at the highest level of state government would decide that Georgia’s students need fewer AP course options, not more. Only public outcry and pushback from education advocates, along with the Attorney General’s clarification that college-level courses are specifically exempt from the divisive concepts law, made Wood reverse his decision. Eighteen states have passed “divisive concept” bans. A Trump Future: Increased Military Access to Schools, Less Safety, More Poverty, More Guns in Schools Project 2025 recommends “improving military recruiters’ access to secondary schools” by requiring students in public high schools to take a military entrance exam called the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The proposed requirement would extend to schools that “receive federal funding,” the document says. That means the requirement would apply to students attending public schools and any private schools that receive federal funds. In 2023, the U.S. military services collectively missed their recruiting goals by 41,000 recruits, the Department of Defense said in December, attributing this to a strong economy with more options for young people, and a smaller population of those eligible to serve in the military. Also, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not currently conduct enforcement actions on school campuses, as these are considered “sensitive locations,” like churches and hospitals. Project 2025 would rescind that designation, and schools would be subject to ICE raids and a regular ICE presence. Donald Trump has vowed, “I will sign a new executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing Critical Race Theory, and I will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate.” Like most of Trump’s half-baked assertions, the feasibility of him actually accomplishing this is doubtful, but public health experts fear that even the rhetoric around it could lead to less vaccine participation and an uptick in child deaths from preventable diseases, like measles. Project 2025 calls for eliminating Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which invests in children from low-income households so they become proficient in reading and math. It would also eliminate Head Start, a federal early education program that serves more than 833,000 children living in poverty, from birth until they turn 5 years old. Head Start has served nearly 40 million kids from low-income families since 1965. Also concerning is the right’s apparent belief that our schools need more guns, not fewer. Georgia’s own Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones proposed, for the 2024 legislative session, that teachers be offered a $10k stipend to carry guns in classrooms. He made this announcement in Barrow County, the site of last week’s tragic school shooting, no less. The Georgia Association of Educators, plus every public health, pediatric health, and gun safety advocacy group opposes the idea. Earlier this year, Tennessee passed a law allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons in school, without requiring them to inform parents or even their fellow teachers. Teachers, even teachers who have taken a firearms training course, are not law enforcement officers. More guns in schools is the wrong direction for us to be going. Vouchers and Inevitable School Defunding Meanwhile, the push on the part of dark money special interests for school vouchers finally succeeded in Georgia this year with the passage of SB233, sponsored by Forsyth’s State Senator Greg Dolezal. Far from increasing parental choice and driving better educational outcomes, as its proponents argued, we know that vouchers will divert funds from public schools, exacerbate educational inequalities, and lack true oversight and accountability measures. We know this because we have seen the damage done by vouchers in every state that has implemented them. Arizona’s state budget is nearly bankrupt from the cost of their voucher program; Florida is being forced to close public schools, leaving students and families in the lurch. In Indiana, costs of the voucher program have increased 263% in five years, draining the state school budget by 40%. Nowhere do educational outcomes of tax-funded voucher programs exceed or even meet those attained by public schools, with certified teachers. The Republicans’ Project 2025 would dramatically accelerate the funneling of public, taxpayer money into private hands, and also dismantle the Department of Education, along with protections for poor students, students in marginalized groups, and students needing special education. The new overturning of the Chevron deference by the Supreme Court this summer now threatens to further undermine the Department of Education and its ability to advocate for quality education for all students, including here in Forsyth, with their signed agreement with Forsyth Schools, stemming from the 2022 book removal. Why Does All This Matter? When teachers and classrooms are restricted, censored, and starved of funding, what is the cost to the future adults we are schooling? “When children are being taught very different stories of what America is, that will lead to adults who have a harder time talking to each other,” said Rachel Rosenberg, a Hartwick College assistant professor of education. With educational professionals confused about what to teach and in fear for their jobs, and students receiving an incomplete or biased education, the politicization of schools risks undermining quality education for all children. This election year in Forsyth, there are three open seats on the Board of Education up for election. The Democrats are running three strong candidates against three MAGA opponents. To halt an extremist takeover of our Forsyth school board, vote blue all the way down the ballot. 
Jessica Fleming (District 2), Debbie Stair (District 3), Claudia Wood (District 4)
Forsyth County Schools is one the best, most well-run school systems in the state of Georgia and the U.S., with an amazing strategic plan, solid administration, great teachers and support staff, and financially prudent and sound. We are three Democrats running for every open seat on the Board of Education. We are running to keep our district focused on high quality education, ensuring that students are learning in a safe environment both physically and emotionally, where teachers are trusted and supported and have full access to the best teaching materials available, and where communication with parents is high. We will fight to prevent any of the MAGA-inspired trends we are seeing across our country to influence our district, as represented by our opponents. Tell your friends and neighbors to vote Blue this November to ensure our children get the best education possible for their personal success!
The BOE also approved a decrease in M&O millage from 15.30 to 15.208 and separately a debt service for bonds millage of 1.418, no change from last year. With the increase in property values assessed by the County of 7.58%, the millage rates represent an increase in property taxes of approximately 4.13%, all exemptions being equal.
Let’s look at the overall school budget for 2024/5 and highlight what the additional $69 million is funding for this year: First the budget increase of $69 million $68 million of the $69 million is for salary and benefits for teachers, paraprofessionals and support positions. Here is the breakdown: 140 new staff members: $14 million New pay scale/Cola of 5% $20.5 million Step Increase(pay band changes) $5.3 million Healthcare and Pension increases $28.4 million Of the 140 new personnel, 118 are teachers and paraprofessionals and 9 are support positions. These numbers reflect the impact of the approved $2,500 in teacher pay as signed by the governor, pay band changes, $1,500 annual supplement for specialized instruction teachers and state-mandated increases for healthcare and the retirement fund. It’s important to note FCS is playing catch up with other districts in teacher compensation and, even with these changes, has not caught up. Teacher retention is an on-going issue and focus for FCS. FCS is BIG and well run With nearly 54,000 students, 8,000 staff members, and 42 schools, FCS is the largest employer in Forsyth County. It has the highest graduation rate in the Atlanta area at over 96%, highest SAT, and ACT scores and the highest Financial Efficiency Rating. It has the lowest cost per student of area districts. The total budget is $714.788 million, with 90.35% going to salaries and benefits and 9.65% to operating expenses. The top 5 line items are: $$Millions Instruction $523.126 Maintenance & Operations $52.712 School Administration $38.458 Transportation (bus) $36.733 Pupil Services $17.228 Central Support $16.927 Key Points on the Budget for Property Owners This budget is the operating budget, where most of your property taxes go. Capital expenditures like new construction, additions to buildings, major equipment and vehicle purchases and the like are paid for through sales taxes (SPLOSTs) and bonds and are handled separately. As highlighted in the 3rd Edition of The Kicker, funding overall is diverse. Property taxes provide 46% of funding for the operating budget and include residential and commercial property. The State of Georgia provides 47% of funding. In Forsyth County we rely more on residential property taxes than other districts for lack of commercial property development. Due to the Over-65 exemptions, where seniors do not pay the school district portion of their property taxes, FCS does not see what would amount to $60 million in additional revenue. We are one of the few counties that offer such an exemption. If you want the deeper dive: Got questions? Ask a Candidate. We have 3 BOE candidates: Jessica Fleming, Debbie Stair and Claudia Woods. We encourage you to reach out to them with questions about the BOE, FCS, their candidacy and, if you can, donate, offer support to their campaigns and VOTE!
Recently some writers from The Kicker sat down with consumer advocate and Public Service Commission (PSC) candidate Patty Durand to learn more about the Georgia Public Service Commission race, Plant Vogtle, and why Georgia isn’t transitioning more quickly to clean energy. Durand is a former resident of Forsyth and plans to run for the PSC in 2025.
Kicker: What should Georgians know about the Public Service Commission (PSC)? PD: The PSC is tasked with regulating Georgia Power, gas companies, railroads, and certain parts of Electric Membership Corporations’ (EMCs) structure. Georgia Power is a government guaranteed monopoly which was done to incentivize it to build expensive electric power lines and infrastructure during the first part of the 20th century. The PSC was set up to oversee this monopoly by regulating in the public interest, which includes ensuring reasonable profits and rates that are just and reasonable. But that’s not what they’ve been doing. Georgia Power has the blessing of the PSC to receive the highest profit margin of any utility in the country. Kicker: What should Georgians know about Georgia Power? PD: Georgia Power takes actions that benefit” their shareholders more than their customers; they’re not doing good work to provide good value to ratepayers or to offer cleaner and cheaper energy options. Georgia Power massively overspent on Plant Vogtle while blocking options like residential and commercial rooftop solar. We don’t have more renewables in Georgia because Georgia Power doesn’t want them. People are confused and deliberately misled about what the clean energy transition could do to lower our energy costs, improve our air quality, and stop climate change. The PSC could curb this, but instead they do not. Kicker: Wow, this doesn’t sound right. PD: This past year we’ve had Georgia Power asking to build more capacity with demand predictions than match reality. There has never been any accountability by the PSC for Georgia Power’s past false demand predictions. Even if demand were surging, new energy sources can and should be clean. We had the Department of Defense, Microsoft, and concerned citizens asking for any potential new energy demands to be met by expanding renewables. Despite that push, the PSC caved to Georgia Power and authorized a massive amount of new fossil fuel capacity. Kicker: How did you decide to run for a seat on the PSC? PD: I've been in advocacy for years. I led a chapter of the Sierra Club for four years, and I ran a non-profit in Forsyth County called Forsyth Forest Conservation. I decided to run for the PSC after the commission approved a so-called Smart Usage Rate plan, even though it was very bad for low-income people. It was clear to me that nobody on the PSC was advocating for Georgia Power ratepayers. In fact, no official on the PSC is even a Georgia Power customer. Many don't have a background in energy and are on the PCS because of political patronage, meaning they were big donors to the governor. The process is that a commissioner resigns between elections so the governor can appoint a member who will then appear as an incumbent during the next election. Kicker: Can you explain the controversy surrounding the PSC races? PD: PSC candidates must live in the district that they represent. However, voters across the state vote for all the candidates on the commission. Black voters in 2020 sued the state arguing that this structure disenfranchised Black voters because voters across the state can join together to dilute Black voters' right for representation in a district. The judge ruled in their favor. The state appealed. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals did not rule on the merit of that claim. Instead they ruled that the federal courts should not rule on state elections. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case. While this was going on, my election was one that was put on hold. The Georgia legislature decided to extend the current PSC members terms. It’s been a mess. Kicker: What can be done? PD: A lot, but I’ll give you three to start:
Kicker: How can our readers keep up with this issue? PD: My newsletter! People can sign up for it at pattyforpsc.com. And, I encourage all consumers to watch their power bills closely and ask questions. Forsyth readers are mostly getting power through Sawnee EMC and their bills will also be heavily impacted from Plant Vogtle’s cost overruns, but it’s less transparent than Georgia Power since EMC rates are not regulated by the PSC. However, everything Georgia Power does affects you because climate change affects us all. Reaching out to legislators is helpful even if you aren’t a Georgia Power customer. It’s worth noting that many Republican legislators think that GP has gone too far. As I said earlier, none of the PSC Commissioners are Georgia Power customers. You don’t have to pay your bills to Georgia Power to have your views heard. State legislatures have the power to legislate. Call them and email your legislators, especially if they are Republican, and ask them to require more lower cost clean energy like solar and storage instead of expensive gas and nuclear that has been Georgia Power’s preferred solution due to profits.
Did You Know? Voter Protection
Did you Know? Education
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