District 35 Georgia State Sen. Jaha Howard, District 38 Georgia State Sen. Rashaun Kemp (above), and District 39 Georgia State Sen. Sonya Halpern, this town hall invited the community to hear about legislative priorities and issues affecting local neighborhoods. Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlant a Voice Atlanta City Councilmembers Andrea L. Boone and Eshé Collins invited the public to a “Meet Your State Senator” Town Hall Meeting and QA on Tuesday, March 17, at the C. T. Martin Recreation Center. Featuring special guests District 35 Georgia State Sen. Jaha Howard, District 38 Georgia State Sen. Rashaun Kemp, and District 39 Georgia State Sen. Sonya Halpern, this town hall invited the community to hear about legislative priorities and issues affecting local neighborhoods. During the town hall, community members were given the opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns to the senators. Various community concerns included illegal split pad house arrangements, difficulty in contacting the mayor’s office, and issues with code violations. “I feel ambivalent about these split pad arrangements, but I have one of these houses across the street from my home, and the house is overburdened,” Southwest Atlanta resident Kevin Price said. “There are six or seven people in the house, and no one takes responsibility for the trash that does not fit into the receptacles, and when I’ve spoken to them, I’ve been cursed at. I need some help.” District 35 Georgia State Sen. Jaha Howard (above). Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta Voice Resident Quincy Jordan voiced his concern over missed opportunities for affordable housing and infrastructure development. “I remember years ago, you all said, ‘we’re going to make this MLK, the best MLK in the United States. I haven’t seen that happen yet,” he said. “What I have seen happen are a lot of the missed opportunities. We all like affordable housing. However, it’s too much in this one court, but also, that’s one of the largest land tracks. Another resident, Steven Nichol, raised concerns about accessible sidewalk ramps for people with disabilities and the burden on teachers. Other concerns included property damage from highway construction and the need for urban farmer support, vibrations/noise from a nearby project, a tree removal, increased noise from highway construction, and the need for neighborhood protection measures. Community members express concerns about environmental justice, school closures, economic disinvestment, and crime. On literacy and education, Kemp said, for about 20 years, kids have been instructed to use a method that taught them to guess the word by looking at pictures. He said there was a lack of use of the science of reading and a greater reliance on multiple-choice methods. “That’s what the literacy bill did in terms of funding our state QBE, the way that all our school districts get money, is called the QBE formula.” He says the QBE formula has not been updated since 1985. “It requires the state to update that funding formula. In the meantime, I did introduce legislation that will put additional funding into schools with students who are in poverty,” he said. “We do have a bill this year that is going to place literacy coaches in every single elementary school across the state.” Howard discussed the public’s concern about tax reform and said Senate Republicans would introduce a budget plan that would address affordability by slashing income taxes. Howard also says they understand the people’s concerns, and the senators can’t just sit on their hands and need to communicate more with the public. “We want to make sure the public is aware of how it affects their senior services and schools. The only way to make up for that type of revenue dip is to make it up somewhere, and that comes from spending sales tax,” he said. “If you’re going to promise people you’re going to lower your income tax, we have to lower your property tax.” He also mentioned a concern about access to Medicaid, where he says they were able to get a Medicaid expansion vote on the floor of the Senate. “The republican senators voted it down. If we want a Medicaid expansion, you must get us a democrat governor and get us some folks in the state house, the state senate, who are Democrats,” he said. “Some things are complicated, but Medicaid expansion is not. This is a high priority for Democrats on the Senate side and the House of Representatives.” Halpern addressed certain concerns about tax rebates, saying if you paid state income tax in 2025 and you are single, you should expect a $250 property tax rebate as well if you own your property. “You will be receiving anywhere from $500 to $750 each in a direct check. If you are somebody who has paid state income tax or owned a property, and you didn’t get your check, you need to reach out to your representative and allow us to help you figure out what happened,” she said. District 39 Georgia State Sen. Sonya Halpern. Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta Voice Halpern addressed concerns about MARTA and public transportation. “MARTA was started in 1971 as a state act, and we understand MARTA has not delivered in the ways we all would like to have them deliver in terms of excellence. We all know there are some ridership issues and safety issues,” she said. “I will only tell you from everything that I have heard from MARTA executives, including the new interim CEO, these are things that they are aware of. They are working to address these issues.” Halpern says MARTA wants to be the preferred method of public transit, and not just because you must do it, but because anybody, even with a car, wants to ride with MARTA. “It will take time, but they are testing a new MARTA Breeze Card to make it easier to swipe and pay to get in and out,” she said. “MARTA is an important piece of Atlanta’s ability to attract the big-scale events that we attract, like the World Cup and the Super Bowl, other major sporting events, and conventions.” The post ‘Meet your State Senators’ town hall invites public to address concerns appeared first on The Atlanta Voice. ...read more read less