Hi Friends,
Amani and I took our ballot and pulled the larger statewide races/ballot measures to create a voter guide that we hope is useful for you. We tried to keep our explanations brief. We’d love your feedback!
US SENATE: Jon Ossoff
We picked Ossoff over Perdue because we are more aligned with his policies regarding basically everything. Also, the children were really sick of the anti-Ossoff ads on all their Youtube videos.
US SENATE: Raphael Warnock
We’ve seen Pastor Warnock’s commitment to community welfare over many years; not long after moving to Atlanta, I sat on a panel with him to discuss abolition of the death penalty. We both especially like his pledge to work to end mass incarceration (though Tamika is unsure how that will happen with more money going to police for training and a platform that reforms rather than ends cash bail). Tamika is also very into his agenda for Black farmers.
US REPRESENTATIVE, 5TH DISTRICT: Nikema Williams
First things first, and for transparency’s sake, Nikema is the homie. Tamika has known her for nearly a decade and seen her fight for reproductive justice and for workers’ rights. Her platform also felt the most progressive of all the candidates on the ballot in every race. Amani particularly liked her positions on Medicare for All, ending cash bail, the Green New Deal, and the BREATHE Act. Also, her opponent has literally no plan or policy position for anything.
STATE SENATOR, 39TH DISTRICT: Zan Fort
The son of former progressive State Senator Vincent Fort, Zan is definitely walking in his dad’s footprints. Tamika especially supports his position on Medicaid expansion and expanding the Georgia Department of Labor. Amani is excited about free public and technical college. We both support Zan’s positions on the minimum wage and ending qualified immunity for police officers.
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER: Robert G Bryant
The Public Service Commission is responsible for overseeing and regulating Georgia’s public utilities. Considering that the current all-White commission is responsible for passing controversial rate hikes and fees that adversely impact low-income communities, and communities of color, we’re all for getting rid of the incumbents. Amani is very excited about clean energy, so all of his picks have that in common, including Bryant. Tamika is excited about him bringing the experience of Black rural communities to thinking about public services in Georgia.
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER: Daniel Blackman
Blackman has extensive experience working in environmental justice, something that we didn’t see in any of the other candidates for either PSC positions. Blackman also was clear about addressing disparate impacts of utility pricing and development on low-income communities. We have been talking a lot about our opposition to nuclear energy, so we both support Blackman’s position there.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 1 (Dedication of fees and taxes to their intended purposes by general state law): Yes
Voting yes on this amendment means that whenever you pay taxes and fees, and the state government says it is going to pollution or any other service, it has to actually go to that purpose. We think that’s a good idea.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 2 (Waiving state and local sovereign immunity): Yes
Voting yes on this amendment means that if the government does something to you that violates the law, then you have the ability to sue the state or local government. Also a good idea.
STATEWIDE REFERENDUM (Tax exemption for certain real property owned by charities): Yes
Voting yes on this allows charities to spend more of their funding on providing low income housing rather than paying property taxes. Amani says it’s the right thing to do, and his mama agrees.
Love Good Live Free 