Celebrating and Taking Care of Georgia’s Mothers and their Children on Mother’s Day

Friends,

As you know, this past Sunday was Mother’s Day - a chance for us to celebrate the women in our lives who have made us who we are.  

As the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, I have the honor of serving alongside some of the most dedicated and hardworking women in our state. In the House of Representatives alone, over 60 women represent their communities - many of them mothers who entered public service to advocate for their children and families. Mothers from all backgrounds and all walks of life - from rural Georgia to our large cities, from single parent households to long term marriages - these women have made our state a better place.

Just this last session, we passed legislation to ensure Georgia’s new mothers have the tools to keep themselves and their children healthy - the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Act.  Carried by Representative Sharon Cooper of Marietta in the House and signed into law by Governor Kemp on May 2nd, this legislation provides for a three year pilot program to provide remote maternal health services through Medicaid. Too often Georgians in the rural areas of our state don’t have access to the care of those in our cities; this legislation will seek to harness modern technology to provide great care to Georgia’s mothers no matter where they live. 

To help Georgia’s young children get the start they need in literacy, we passed HB 538, the Georgia Early Literacy Act.  Introduced by Representative Bethany Ballard of Warner Robins and signed into law on April 13th, this important bill will implement the science of reading in our schools, ensuring that elementary school students in Georgia and their teachers have access to the best tools for reading success.

And because our children are always our children even when they leave home, we passed HB 142.  This legislation was introduced by Representative Mesha Mainor of Atlanta and was signed into law by Governor Kemp on May 3rd.  The law will keep young men and women safe on Atlanta University Center Consortium campuses by allowing these colleges and universities to partner together to join police resources to protect the campuses they serve.

I look forward to continuing to work with these and all the strong mothers that I serve with in Georgia - relying on their unique insights to keep our state the best in the country in which to live, work, and raise a family.  

Always remember that should you have questions about my work as your Representative or as Speaker of the House, you can always reach out to me at 404.656.5020, Jon.Burns@house.ga.gov, or on Facebook at www.FB.com/JonBurnsGA.  If you wish to sign up for my weekly emailed newsletter, visit https://www.friendsofjonburns.com/home to sign up.