What this bill does.

Is it brings fluorescent pink to the outdoors, to the great outdoors.

The Senate debates about which pink works best in tonight's show.

We'll continue with that theme.

Good evening, and welcome to Lawmakers.

It's Legislative day 31.

I'm Donna Lowry in Atlanta.

During the 40 days of the Georgia General Assembly, legislators deal with serious issues that sometimes lead to heated debates, tense discourse, and an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Despite that, they actually share a lot of mutual respect, regardless of their political differences.

There are also plenty of lighthearted moments with good natured teasing between both sides of the aisle.

That's why tonight we're switching gears a bit and having some fun with legislation and more.

Under the Gold Dome, we'll discuss some fascinating bills aimed at giving Georgia official designations for everything from collard greens to a state heritage horse.

There's a lot of spirit behind these proposals, and later we'll talk with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Maya Prabhu, who for several years has come up with the best dressed Lawmakers list.

One of the winners joins us on a more serious note, we'll discuss legislation that's an outgrowth of Fulton County's trial against rapper Young Thug.

First capital correspondent Sarah Kallis tells us how each chamber is now looking at bills passed across the hall.

Hi, Donna.

Today at the Capitol, the Senate approved new hunting attire in the House, debated a familiar issue in the Senate.

Two bills came to the floor.

HB 81 is an initiative that would form a compact with a minimum of seven other states to allow school psychologists to work in any of those states by allowing equivalent licensing.

We are in desperate need of school psychologists.

There's a shortage like we see in a lot of our workforce areas, and this bill will help with our workforce shortage in that area.

The bill was passed 48-2 and HB 167.

If losing your orange hunting vest when you want to go hunting has you seeing red, relax, think pink.

No longer will you be required to wear a only a fluorescent orange vest, but a fluorescent pink 500 square inches of fluorescent pink will be.

Sufficient.

HB 167 does not limit the use of fluorescent pink to females.

Gentlemen.

Like my friend, the country lawyer from the 42nd who's very comfortable in pink and his manhood, he'll be able to wear that to the great outdoors as well.

But there seemed to be some questions as to which pink was best.

Are you aware that there's 240 different shades of pink?

Now I am.

And is there a specific shade in this bill that we're going to recognize as the official pink of Georgia hunters?

It's fluorescent pink fluorescent.

That's what we've addressed.

I've gotten several calls from my district about pink is pink and pink.

Is that the same color and would that be recognized?

Senator, I live about 2 miles from your district, and the higher we get in elevation there, the longer the draw on the color.

So red is red and pink is pink.

Despite some humorous filibustering by Democrats, it was passed unanimously in the House.

Issues concerning the city of Mulberry were up for debate once again.

SB 139 would allow the city to annex certain parcels of land and surrounding unincorporated Gwinnett.

This type of bad faith, this type of gridlock in the refusal to provide the constituents that I represent, McCollum and other members will represent from receiving the services that they are entitled to, that they pay for with their property taxes, is unacceptable, and it does warrant action by the General Assembly.

When things get this bad.

But Democrats representing Gwinnett County oppose the expansion.

Well, annexation impacts every single citizen of Gwinnett County.

It impacts every single legislator who represents and is a member of the Gwinnett delegation because it is county money that is otherwise being taken I will not call him more because I would call it free.

Bury.

You all heard my colleague, free Barry want everything.

They are looking for free They're looking for service looking for EMS lawyers I mean is free Got Bell passed lines in the aftermath.

The house bill dealing risks pesticides SP1 44 Pesticide manufacturers from being held liable for failing to disclose health risks other than what is required from the FDA.

The bill garnered strong pushback from Democrats, who say it allows companies to put consumers lives at risk.

I refuse to be used by a corporation as a shield for the consequences of their actions.

In fact, just yesterday, in the past 24 hours, because the point of this bill is it says, you know what the standard that we are going to go by is the federal one.

And what this body is trying to do is trying to use federal government inefficiencies to say, we've done our due diligence, but no, we haven't.

The EPA within the past 24 hours, not only has announced almost 1,400 layoffs, but in addition has announced multiple multiple deregulations related to our air to our water, to the things that we need every single day.

But Republicans say farmers need access to as much technology as possible.

We have to have food in this country.

It's a national security.

You think egg prices went up?

You wait till we can't get food in this country.

When our production starts going down.

The world population is going up.

You better, better hold on to your wallet.

The bill passed 100 and 1-58 Also today, the Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus held a press event to mark the fourth anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings.

This is a moment that leaves us with profound sadness and anger, but it is also a moment that demands our unity, our compassion, and our resolve.

To the families and loved ones of the victims, your loss has been our community's loss.

I hope we continue to remember to stand on the side of love, respect and dignity for all.

Donna, with nine days left in the session, we're still waiting for the Senate's tort reform bills to make their way to the House floor.

As you know, that's Governor Kemp top legislative priority this session.

That's my Capitol report.

Thanks, Sarah.

The Fulton County DA's prosecution of rapper Young Thug and other members of Young Thug Life, YSL became the longest and most expensive trial in Georgia history.

It accused the defendants of operating a criminal enterprise under Georgia's Rico, or Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

Part of the prosecution's evidence came from song lyrics, a move that upset many in the creative arts community.

From the beginning, they blasted prosecutors for going after artistic expression.

In November of 2022, artists and industry leaders took out a full page ad in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The New York Times called Art on Trial protect Black Art.

One of the creatives unhappy with the prosecution actually joins us.

She's Grammy nominated songwriter and Democratic Representative Inga Willis of Atlanta, and she's on the house Creative Arts and Entertainment Committee.

Thanks for coming on.

Lawmakers always love having you on.

So to give the audience some background on you.

Sure.

Your connection to this issue you co-wrote, you know what's Up for Donell Jones and you also did the lyrics for Anthony Hamilton's song twisted on Carlos Santana's record.

Yeah.

Originally a record written for Al Green.

Yeah.

No kidding.

In the music business, you know, you don't always land the record in the moment.

Yeah, sometimes years later, it'll come back.

So with that particular record, I was asked to bring in someone who sounded like Al Green, and there was an aspiring artist living in a basement apartment next door to me in Harlem named Anthony Hamilton.

So I offered him $20 and a pack of ramen noodles to come and sing a record for me.

And he did gladly.

And about three years later, it made it onto Carlos Santana's album, and he called me from the airport on his way to Italy.

So that's a part of my background.

But yes.

That's so cool.

And you worked with TLC?

I did.

That was my professional introduction to the music business was through Lisa Lopez and TLC.

So this is personal for you.

So what were your first thoughts when you heard about this trial with Young Thug?

It's we live in a country of polar opposites sometimes, and especially in this season, there's so many hypocrisies.

So I it gave me pause to hear people tout, you know, freedom of speech every chance they get.

And then close in on artistic expression as just that.

And so I'm a principled woman.

It was just a hypocrisy of such, you can't scream free speech, for one thing.

And then art is life.

Life is art, you know, artistic expression should be protected by the First Amendment.

Okay.

You signed on to HB 214, which is actually Representative Eric Bell's bill.

It is.

And as the main sponsor, but deals with making artistic, artistic expression even beyond lyrics, not just the lyrics.

Inadmissible at trial.

Explain what that would actually do.

Well, through my lens again, it was just extremely principled for me.

And this was not a new concept.

This is something that had been talked about legislative seasons before, and Representative Bell has come in and done an excellent job at bringing it to the forefront.

It also talked to talk to Representative Kasey Carpenter about it as well.

And so if we're going to have energy for free speech, I want us to keep that same energy for the artistic community.

If there has been a crime committed, you know, bring forth evidence and such and let the process be what it may be.

But when it comes to artistic expression, it should be protected by the First Amendment.

It was just that simple for me.

I've written for all types of artists.

I've done hip hop, I've done R&B, I've done rock music.

I've done political speeches.

I'm a writer.

And so when it comes to the written word and the protection of it and the protection of artistic expression, I'm serious about that.

The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic movement, difficult conversations were had because of this artistry.

And I believe that these artists have the same rights to that same protection.

You guys had a hard time pushing this through.

It didn't get a hearing.

It's still out there.

So next year I expect maybe you're going to fight a little bit more for it.

Absolutely.

And I think this is my second year coming to see you.

When we were pushing for that statewide music office as well.

So sometimes the legislation doesn't stick, the landing doesn't get the hearing doesn't become law, but it doesn't mean we won't bring it back again the next year.

So these are things that we will continue to fight for and want to make people aware of the issues.

And you're getting that information out there and you're going to stick around for our next segment.

So thanks for doing that.

Because coming up, we're going to talk about the best dressed Lawmakers list that came out in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution today.

The AJC, Maya Prabhu will tell us who won and why.

Coming up.

Georgia Farm Bureau, a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving Georgia agriculture.

Farm Bureau advocates for all Georgia farmers at the state Capitol during the session and year round.

Georgia Farm Bureau, the Voice of Georgia Farmers.

I'm a queen.

I don't fear anyone.

This is a woman people wanted to follow.

You are an important part of our work.

You're stronger than you know.

Saddle my horse immediately.

She's a female trailblazer.

We did it by acknowledging our own worth.

So please do continue.

I got my head out the showroom.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa.

Da da da da da da.

Understanding the past gives a sense of the future.

Heart like a lion.

This is the first time that anyone has seen this in 2000 years.

Oh, stop.

The big is happening.

So hurry up.

We're diving in.

Oh.

This is amazing.

Well, I'm excited now.

Pompeii is a battle against time.

Eyes wide open.

Oh.

You think I'm joking?

But look at this.

It did really happen.

Don't let anybody tell you who you are.

Yeah, I love this life.

History teaches us to honor the past.

We're jumping in with our eyes wide open.

When you look back, you're like, wow, that was pretty special.

This is something that's actually altering the course of history.

You're charged with keeping these stories alive.

I know that you.

Welcome back to Lawmakers.

I'm Donna Lowry.

If you're a Lawmakers regular, you may remember our interviews recently with representatives Kasey Carpenter and Rick Townsend and our discussion about their interesting yet quirky bills.

Carpenters bill makes cornbread the official state bread of Georgia, and Townsend's bill makes Brunswick Stew the official state stew.

Well, they're not the only Lawmakers with unconventional legislation.

I talked with four other lawmakers who authored bills that are a little more on the fun side.

Marsh tacky horses along the coast, they go all the way from, like St. Mary's, all the way up to South Carolina and North Carolina.

There's and then down into Florida as well.

We've got a vidalia Queen in there.

Vidalia onion Queen, and hopefully be the next collard green queen.

One must wear at least 500 square inches of fluorescent orange if you're hunting in certain situations.

This bill just simply adds fluorescent pink to that so that you would have an option.

I was approached by the.

Native Plant Society and Native Plant Society in my district to bring this bill, and they are interested in promoting us.

Everyone planting native plants in Georgia because it has so many benefits.

You got HB 466, the Marsh Tacky Horse, as the official Georgia Heritage horse, and I know that heritage horse breed is important.

Tell us about it.

Okay the Marsh Tacky horse came over with the Spanish about 5-6 hundred years ago, and they were used in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War.

The Native Americans used them for everyday work.

They're a smaller horse, about 14 hands tall, which is about 55-60 inches.

So they're pretty durable.

And the hooves are bigger.

So they don't.

The way they picked up the marsh thing is that they they don't get stuck in the mud because their hooves are bigger and they can navigate where a bigger horse would get bogged down.

So that's why they were used a lot.

And the Gullah Geechee.

People use them and they used them for everyday work.

They could plow a garden, or they could ride them to go hunting.

So they were very durable horses.

And, you know, the population is diminished in the South.

It's about 2000 left and about 200" Georgia.

And the people are starting to worry that they're going to just totally go out of existence.

And so if we lose the horse, we also lose the history.

And that was that's a big part of it for me, that we teach children.

This horse was a thread through our history in Georgia for the last several hundred years, and why that's important.

So that's why we went ahead and did the bill to help some folks.

And that brings awareness to the people who are trying to increase the populations.

It's a beautiful horse, but it's the marsh Marsh horse.

And taki.

Taki is an Old English word for common.

So what it is, it's a common marsh horse.

What?

What it is.

And it was used, like I say, by people, you know, Francis Marion, the swamp fox in the Revolutionary War.

He wrote a marsh tacky horse in the troops in the Civil War in the South they used the marsh tacky horses.

This is what they had.

In collard greens, as the official state greens and potlikker as the official dipping sauce for the state bread, which, if Representative Kasey Carpenter gets his way, it will be cornbread.

Where did you come up with this?

Well.

Everybody knows I'm a foodie.

One and two.

When I heard that there was something called cornbread as the official bread of Georgia, and there was a legal argument on the floor of whether it should be cornbread or whether it should be biscuits.

Ooh.

I could not be outdone.

I was not going to let these guys outdo me, even though his cornbread is the best cornbread I have ever had.

But I started thinking, you know, collard greens has so many medicinal purposes.

A lot of people don't know what Potlikker is, and it's spelled p o t l I k k a.

That's it.

Well, back in the slavery days, I had a press release out and I wanted to tell people how serious this was.

So back in Africa, when they started growing the greens there, they started cooking them and they came over to America and they were planting them here.

Not only did other ethnic groups have them, the Mexicans were using collard greens.

They loved them.

The the aristocrats in London were using them.

It wasn't until slavery was almost at its end that the Anglo-Saxons here in America found out what we've always known, that collard greens are good.

And so as they started backing away from the fried chicken, they were starting to eat and drink more of the collard greens in its pot liquor.

And as they got sick during the winter months, they always stockpiled that, froze it up, put it up and they would drink it.

As you know, a tonic.

So collard greens have several medicinal purposes, and I would hope that we would get this bill passed and that the next medicinal purpose for collard greens is to help the state of Georgia, not only in its notoriety, but the agriculture here as well.

Yeah, it didn't pass out this house this year.

But you're going to you're sticking with this.

I'm going to stick with it.

And I do believe it will bolster some agricultural content here in Georgia.

And we'll start to see more more farmers planting collard greens.

People will come from all over.

Once they pass through, they'll grab a peach, they'll grab an onion, and they'll grab a handful of collard greens.

Absolutely will.

And then on that note, hopefully we'll be able to put some money in the budget for collard greens growing.

Farmers here in the state of Georgia.

This bill was brought to me last year.

A young lady in Gwinnett County, a high schooler, loves to hunt with her brothers, but she didn't like orange, so she did her research and found that other states allow fluorescent pink as well as orange.

So the idea was presented to me and I thought, well, I had an interest in hunting.

So I decided I'd run with it.

And it's it's been a it didn't make it through Senate rules last year, so I reintroduced it this year.

Chairman Matt Brass asked if the color was going to scare turkeys.

Right.

I answered that the best I could.

I don't know, I don't I don't think turkeys are scared of our colors.

I think they're just trying to find their next meal and stay as hidden as possible.

But why wouldn't orange scare them, huh?

Pink was going.

To do it.

You know our.

Exactly.

Let's talk about Senator Rhett, who said, if it's hot pink, should we drop it like it's hot?

I didn't really know what to do with that question.

Yes.

If it's hot pink, should we drop it like it's hot?

Ooh.

Well, you wouldn't want to drop it like it's hot while you're hunting.

Okay.

Will you demonstrate what that means?

Yes.

You might.

This is something you feel passionate about because this young woman came to you?

Yes.

I'm a former middle school teacher.

And what I want is for young people to be engaged in the process.

And so when I found out that this was the idea of a high schooler, not because of an assignment that she had to complete, but just her pure interest in in this that is what what attracted me to this bill.

And through some research that we did last year, we actually found out that fluorescent pink is more visible to some people who suffer with color blindness than fluorescent orange.

So that that actually made it a more important thing for me as well, because we certainly do want safety for our hunters and anybody who's accompanying them when they're out on a hunt.

So I think this is a good option for multiple reasons.

We also know that in states where it's been adopted, that hunting license sales have gone up.

So that would always be a good thing for our Department of Natural Resources.

We want to get more people outside and enjoying nature.

HB 444 to designate April of each year as Georgia Native American Plant Month.

What's that all about?

You know, I had some constituents, actually, they're members of the Native Plant Society.

Reach out to me and say, you know, we're interested in this.

We want to promote native plants, particularly with Hurricane Helene coming to Georgia with all the invasive species that have been introduced to the state because of the storm.

You know, we now have armadillos in the state.

We have this awful hornet that the agricultural commissioner has been trying to get rid of.

There's a lot of invasive species that were never there before.

And so I went to them and and they talked to me and I said, yeah, I think this is a great idea to promote native plants because they grow the best.

They provide habitats for animals and plants to particular animals to live in.

And it's just it's better for our ecology in Georgia to plant and to plant native plants.

So the main thing is education.

So what do you want people to know every April?

They need to plant native plants as they get out and start to prepare their gardens and their beds for the spring.

And how do you find that out?

Which ones are native?

I don't.

Know, you can look it up.

I mean, anybody can Google it, but, you know, all the ones that you see the most of like azaleas, magnolias, those beautiful flowers that you see on the Masters tournament.

All of those are native to Georgia.

How are.

You feeling about your bill dealing with Native American plants in the Senate?

Yeah, I'm feeling good.

Senator Rick Williams is carrying an identical bill, and he's interested in this as well.

And he's from Milledgeville.

So middle Georgia.

So they're interested in it.

And I'm just hoping we're going to not have forest fires and prevent drought and plant more native plants.

Wow.

Now, most of those bills passed out of the house before crossover Day.

The collard greens and pot liquor bill did not move.

But Representative Angela Morris plans to keep up her fight to be the Collard Greens queen.

We're going to change gears now and talk about something else fun.

Join us.

Joining us is the Ajc's government and politics reporter Maya Prabhu, to give us the scoop on the release of her much anticipated list of the best dressed lawmakers in 2025.

And also back with us is Representative Inga Willis of Atlanta, who's on the list?

Welcome.

Thanks for coming.

So you started this in 2019.

So it's been six years since you've been doing it, except for 2020.

Were you going to show some of the winners beginning with 20?

We're going to show some of the winners beginning in 2019.

What made you start it?

Honestly, it's it was a couple of things.

One, I'm sitting in these chambers and walking the hallways every day, and a lot of things are very heavy.

And I noticed, Senator Elena Parent had on something that was really nice.

This is back in 2019.

I was like.

Oh, this is her.

Yeah.

I'm like, oh, this is a beautiful.

I was like, oh, I love your dress.

And then the next day I was like, oh, I love your shoes.

And the next day I was like, oh, I love your coat.

And I was like, I need to start this list.

And so that's that's really what it is.

It it's become kind of a moment of levity for us at the Capitol, because things can be tense, like, like you've been saying this whole show, like, things can be tense, things can be heavy.

And so this gives us something to kind of just be lighthearted about.

And people have really wanted to be on this list or want to recommend people.

Right?

Yes, yes, I have had lawmakers text me, say, where are you?

I think they want to give me a scoop.

And then I get there and they just model for me and I'm like, oh, okay, you have on a nice outfit today.

Okay.

Thank you.

And then yeah, I have people who are constantly making recommendations and, and telling me who needs to be on the list every year.

Okay.

So let's get to 2025.

And talk about who's on the 20 2025 list.

And let's begin with Representative Willis.

Why was she chosen?

We're going to see her picture in a second.

To she had to be.

So she's she's obviously so she has been on the list before a few years ago.

And then last year, I kind of did a best of the best bracket, which she also won.

And then up until this year, I wasn't letting people be on the list more than once.

But it's been, like you said a while since I started and you know, it was time to bring some people back.

So that's why you saw you'll see Elena Parent on the list this year, and there was no way I couldn't have Brett Willis.

On next.

Representative Charlice Byrd of Woodstock.

Yes.

So it was the same thing, you know, I said to her a couple of times, I was like, you are very on trend.

She had on a vegan leather pleated skirt.

I was like, look at you.

Like, so that's that's how I started paying attention to her outfits.

And I love that dress that she wore.

Next Park Cannon of Atlanta, Park Cannon.

What I love about Park Cannon is that she takes risks.

They don't always land, but I do appreciate someone who takes risks when they are getting dressed.

Okay.

Representative Katie Dempsey of Rome.

Katie Dempsey is just.

I don't know how to explain it, but she's just classic.

Exactly.

She is just classic.

She just always is.

Always dressed impeccably.

And her clothes and she's, you know, a petite woman.

Her clothes fit great.

And she just.

You can tell that she takes a lot of care into that.

Okay.

Next to the Senate, Representative Drew Echols of Alto.

Drew Echols.

He, like his wife before him, he replaced his wife in the Senate.

She was on the list in her first year, and it's his first year, and he's on the list as well.

He loves clothes and loves to talk to me about how much he loves clothes.

Okay, we're going to go through the next one's a little faster so we can get everybody in Mitchell Horner of Ringgold.

And then Senator Harold Jones, the second of Augusta, Senator RaShaun Kemp of Atlanta.

Senator Elena Parent, you mentioned too.

So.

Yes, so Senator Jones and Representative Horner, three piece suits often people, you know, love that we're trying to bring them back.

Elena Parent just always looks wonderful.

And RaShaun Kemp started lobbying me when he was standing in the line to qualify to run for office.

So, yeah.

We don't have a lot of time, but I need you to tell me how you feel about this.

Twice now.

Or three times.

Three times?

That's right.

You're on the bracket.

I'm I'm I'm honored.

Like, I come from women who take pride in their appearance.

So my father's the best dressed man I've ever seen.

And it's truly just the uniform.

As I was sharing with Maya each day, I'm like, what's what uniform am I putting on today?

And I just view fashion as a way of communicating before you speak a word.

I love that.

So it it gives me it helps me bring more pride to my work to put the effort into it.

And it does.

Inspire others to do.

The same.

And her list does bring levity to the and we need.

So okay, we'll run out of time.

But thank you both for being here today.

That does it for Lawmakers today.

The legislature is off tomorrow and Monday and so are we.

We'll be back on Tuesday with a breakdown of what's in the state budget.

Good night.