GAWL Legislative Preview

by Megan Hodgkiss

Health care advocacy. Financial literacy. Government transparency. These are just some of the issues that lobbyists will focus on during the upcoming Georgia legislative session. Legal professionals got a sneak peek of these agendas during the recent Legislative Preview Happy Hour Event. The Georgia Association for Women Lawyers’ Public Affairs Committee hosted the event, along with co-host and sponsor Troutman Sanders LLP.

The legislative preview took place at the Troutman Sanders offices overlooking the city of Atlanta. Attendees had the opportunity to network and mingle prior to the presentations. As the event got underway and the eight speakers took their places at the podium, the issue of government accountability quickly surfaced as a theme for the upcoming session.

“We need a lot more people to pay a lot more attention to what our government is doing right now,” said Elena Parent, executive director of Georgia Watch.

Several of the evening’s presentations dealt with health care accessibility, especially concerning the advocacy of reproductive rights. A few of the lobbyists discussed the revision of Georgia’s juvenile, property and corporate laws. The speakers addressed regional energy issues and the need for generating revenue for the City of Atlanta. Georgians can also expect to see bills concerning ignition interlock devices, a state hotline number for human trafficking, and continued funding for legal programs benefitting low-income individuals and domestic abuse victims.

Although the presentations covered a wide spectrum of issues, all of the speakers agreed that the key to their success is collaboration. “All of us, all of these groups tonight, shouldn’t be fighting over one piece of pie — we should be making sure the entire pie is adequate,” said Kirsten Widner, lobbyist for the Barton Child Law and Policy Center. “I know we can do the work we need to do, if we work together,” concluded Amanda Ptashkin, director of outreach and advocacy for Georgians for a Healthy Future.

To learn more about Georgia Association for Women Lawyers, the GAWL Public Affairs Committee, or upcoming GAWL events, visit the organization’s website at gawl.org. For more on Troutman Sanders LLP, an international law firm with practice areas including civil and commercial law, visit troutmansanders.com.

For More Information

Barton Child Law and Policy Center: bartoncenter.net
City of Atlanta: atlantaga.gov
Feminist Women’s Health Center: feministcenter.org
Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network: georgiaasylum.org
Georgians for a Healthy Future: healthyfuturega.org
Georgia Watch: georgiawatch.org
Mothers Against Drunk Driving: madd.org/local-offices/ga
State Bar of Georgia: gabar.org

All photos courtesy of Max Ruthenberg-Marshall