Jewish Groups Eye Georgia Legislature

Beneath the gold-leafed dome of the Georgia capitol in downtown Atlanta, the state House and Senate reconvened on Jan. 12.

Anyone playing Gold Dome bingo should expect to find the already ubiquitous word “affordability” in the center square.

A couple of months ago, Greg Bluestein, political reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, told the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta (JCRC) to expect a “wild” session.

Wild because this is an election year and more than a dozen legislators are seeking offices above their current station, guaranteeing more political preening than usual.

The General Assembly session, scheduled to run for 40 legislative working days, is set to adjourn April 2. [Passover begins the night of April 1.] This being the second year of the legislature’s two-year cycle, measures that failed to cross the finish line in 2025 may get another hearing.

Several weeks after sine die (Latin that, in this case, means “time to go home”) will come Tuesday, May 19, primary day in Georgia. The general election is Nov. 3.

Every seat in the legislature — 180 in the Senate and 56 in the House — will be on the ballot.

State representatives and senators are paid $17,342 plus per diem annually for their part-time jobs. Senate districts average 191,000 residents and House districts 59,500.

Republicans hold a trifecta, with majorities in the House (98 seats) and Senate (33 seats), and Gov. Brian Kemp as the state’s chief executive.

State law bars Kemp from seeking a third consecutive term and the contest to succeed him will play into the legislative session.

Democratic Rep. Esther Panitch remains the only Jewish member in the General Assembly.

Panitch, who represents a north Fulton County district, accounts for 0.4 percent of the General Assembly. An estimated 1.3 percent of the state’s population is Jewish.

Rusty Paul — the president of iSquared Communications, Inc., as well as the mayor of Sandy Springs — lobbies on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta (JFGA).

Paul told the AJT: “The legislative agenda will be driven by issues these individuals think will help their electoral chances. More tax relief is expected as Lt. Gov. Burt Jones makes eliminating the state’s income tax his key issue” as he seeks the Republican gubernatorial nomination against key challengers Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Jewish organizations have issues they want to see addressed.

An outlook provided by the Jewish Federation identified five “core impact” areas, starting with “essential services.”

The JFGA statement said: “With healthcare access and affordability emerging as major themes statewide, we support measures that strengthen telemedicine, behavioral health, and dental care, especially for vulnerable and underserved populations.”

Affordability made a second appearance under Jewish education. “Jewish day schools and educational institutions continue to face rising operational and security-related costs. As affordability issues gain legislative attention, we will evaluate proposals that influence education funding, infrastructure, and family support,” the statement said.

Affordability turned up again regarding Jewish engagement: “Community-building remains essential, especially as affordability and demographic shifts influence where and how families engage with Jewish life. We will monitor legislation related to cost of living, energy regulation, and public infrastructure, issues that directly impact household stability and the nonprofit organizations that support community engagement.”

Georgia’s relationship with Israel and the Jewish world also made the list. “We will also support legislative efforts that ensure Georgia remains a welcoming and safe environment for Jewish individuals and institutions with ties to Israel and global Jewry,” the Federation said.

That “welcoming and safe environment” was the fifth impact area. “We appreciate the state’s initial investment last session to support security needs for Jewish and other at-risk institutions. However, demand continues to significantly outpace available resources. This year, one of our top priorities is advocating for increased state funding for security enhancements at schools, synagogues, community centers, and nonprofits,” the statement said.

On security spending, Paul said, “The legislature put some money in the current budget to help Jewish and other threatened entities with security costs. The amount was small, but significant since it recognizes the greater security threats and costs that Jewish institutions face in today’s world. Jewish leaders are pushing Lt. Gov. Jones and others to increase security funding for schools and other institutions in the next budget.”

Hunger is the Jewish Community Relations Council’s primary issue.
“The one thing we feel that we can lead on this year is hunger and food security,” JCRC Atlanta President Michael Jacobs said. “Taking on hunger represents part of our Jewish values.”

JCRC members met with Republican Rep. Matt Hatchett, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, to voice concerns that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be cut, as $47 million in administrative costs have been pushed onto the state by the federal government.

The Journal-Constitution reported that, as of June, 1.3 million Georgians, in 705,000 households — about 12 percent of the state’s population — received SNAP benefits. In May, the average recipient household in Georgia received $384, slightly more than the national average of $350 per household.

The legislature put some money in the current budget to help Jewish and other threatened entities with security costs. The amount was small, but significant since it recognizes the greater security threats and costs that Jewish institutions face in today’s world.

A JCRC statement said: “Judaism compels us to care for the poor and the hungry. Leviticus 23:22 states: ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger.’” The agency also cited the Midrash Tannaim, a set of rabbinic Torah commentaries, in which it says, “whenever you give food to the poor, G-d accounts it to you as if you gave food to Him.”

JCRC pointed out that the state has $14.6 billion budget surplus, of which $5.6 billion is a revenue shortfall reserve, sometimes called a rainy day fund. Kemp’s eighth and final “State of the State” address, scheduled for Jan. 15, could provide guidance on his intentions for utilizing the surplus.

Jewish HomeLife (JHL), which serves the elderly, disabled, and others in need of care, wants Georgia to join the federal Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), an effort to provide medical and social services that help frail elderly stay in their homes. JHL also wants the state to ensure that Medicaid reimbursements reflect the costs of care; recruit and retain more nurses and doctors specializing in geriatric care; maintain a focus on healthcare tort reform, and allocate money to upgrade care facilities, including generators to maintain electricity during emergencies.

Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) wants the legislature to continue funding dental training programs associated with the Ben Massell Dental Clinic. Working with Republican Rep. Deborah Silcox, $500,000 previously was allocated.

“The Washington debate over health insurance subsidies has focused attention on healthcare access and we expect more legislation to expand telemedicine access, particularly in rural Georgia where provider resources are evaporating. The legislature expanded access to teledentistry in 2025 and similar bills for other fields are likely,” Paul said.

Looking ahead to the 2026 elections, Democrats were heartened by statewide votes in November that unseated two Republican incumbents on the Public Service Commission and by a December special election win that flipped an Athens-area House district.

“Affordability issues will also grab center stage,” Paul said, referencing these Democratic wins. “Concerns about who pays for the electrical infrastructure to feed Georgia’s burgeoning data center farms all played roles in these elections. Georgia Power is used to having unchallenged sway in the legislature, for example, having won the ability to charge for certain infrastructure costs before the assets came online. Expect legislation to rein in data centers and to force those businesses to pay all costs associated with feeding them the power they demand.”