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• Gabriel gets Sworn In!

• Honoring our Fallen Leaders

• This Week’s Resources

• Environmental Justice & our First Speech in the House Chamber

• Keeping our Communities Safe and our People Healthy

• Bills to watch

• Our first Town Hall!

Gabriel gets sworn in!

First things first: it was an honor of a lifetime to be sworn in as your State House Representative for District 42!

At the swearing in ceremony I was excited to have my fiancé Anna stand with me in the House Chamber, with my family in the Gallery cheering me on amongst many supporters who I would like to thank for their continued support!

I was also excited to be there with my legislative team. A big thanks to my Chief of Staff, Laura McNeil, and my Legislative Aide, Phill Kelly, who have immediately thrown themselves into working for our communities. Another exciting part of the week was meeting with our new interns: Sam, Yamila, Josh, Jose and Eli! They have been truly amazing and are devoted to work for our District.

We also received our office and committee assignments. I am excited to serve our District in the following committees: Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Governmental Affairs, and Interstate Cooperation. If you need to see us in person, come find us at 411-G Coverdell Legislative Office Bldg, right across from the State Capitol!

Honoring Our Fallen Leaders

 Honoring the legacies of those who dedicated their life to public service

This week my team and I honored the lives of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, President Jimmy Carter, Georgia State Senator Vincent Fort, and founder of BlackPush, Shaun Smith.

Rev. King was a Georgia native who spoke against injustice and fought tirelessly for the advancement of Civil Rights in our country, while also speaking out for the working class. I was excited to honor his memory with a day of service, cleaning up our streets and parks. We must always follow in Rev. King’s legacy to fight injustice everywhere, no matter the cost.

On January 9th, President Carter was laid to rest in Plains, GA. He was the first and only U.S President from Georgia. But somehow, Jimmy Carter managed to do even more after his presidency, dedicating his life to bringing peace and doing good all around the world. He was a passionate defender of human rights and continued his public service until the very end. He was a true inspiration for any elected leader.

This past month we also lost State Senator Vincent Fort. Known as the People’s Champion, he served for over 20 years in our Capitol and authored our state’s first predatory lending law, while championing legislation on education reform, healthcare access, and economic equality. He also was a good friend and an amazing supporter for our campaign. I will always be grateful for his service. You will be missed comrade.

There was also a good friend of mine, Shaun Smith, founder of BlackPush, who was a public servant in his own right. He did so much to elevate and help his community, and bring forth issues that not many were talking about.

These four men have demonstrated their commitment to building a better future and a better Georgia for our communities, through empathy, justice, and service. Something I will always aspire to do as your State Representative.

This Week's Resources

With the inauguration of President Trump’s second term in office, our immigrant communities are under attack. On his first day in office, President Trump, signed a myriad of executive orders curtailing our civil rights, attacking our constitution, and torpedoing our environmental regulations. But some of the most inhumane orders were reserved to some of our most vulnerable communities. He cancelled all appointments scheduled through the CBP One App for legal border crossings, empowered federal agencies to “repeal, repatriate, or remove” any immigrant including near schools and churches, he suspended U.S. Refugee Admissions Program resettlements, and promises to begin mass deportations. He also attempted to end birthright citizenship, but a federal judge has temporarily stopped that order.

 Finally, Congress passed an anti-immigrant bill, known as the “Laken Riley Act”, which would require any person charged with (not convicted of) nearly any crime - even minor ones - to be turned over to ICE if they are an undocumented immigrant. It is a clear violation of people’s due process and will empower hateful extremists to terrorize our immigrant communities. Unfortunately, both our Congressional Representatives, Representative Barry Loudermilk and Congresswoman Representative Lucy McBath, and both Senators Ossoff and Warnock supported this legislation that will hurt our immigrant communities.

 I worry greatly for our communities, and wish for you to know your rights, stay alert, and do not hesitate to contact my office for any issues. I will do everything in my power to protect everyone in our community. 

Email: Gabriel.Sanchez@house.ga.gov
Phone: 470-531-7251

 Here are some resources you can share with friends and family. These resources are in English y en español. If you’d like to print out resources, please go to this link to find more information.

Un mensaje de Gabriel

Con todo lo que está pasando con Trump y los Republicanos atacando nuestras comunidades inmigrantes, yo quiero asegurar a todos que yo estoy aquí como tu Representante para ayudar. En el link arriba, hay recursos para conocer tus derechos cuando te encuentras con ICE o la policía. Si necesitas ayuda o si tienes preguntas, por favor mandame un correo electrónico o llama a mi oficina.

Environmental justice & our First Speech in the House Chamber

Taking care of our environment and serving our community was something that was on top of my agenda this week as we commemorated the second anniversary of the passing of Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, AKA Tortuguita. Manuel was killed by police two years ago while peacefully protesting to protect the forest and prevent the building of a $100 million Cop City. Last week I spoke in the House Chamber to honor their legacy and recognize their family, including Tortuguita's mom, Belkis Teran, and their brother, Pedro Teran, as well as friends and colleagues.

Watch the Full Speech on TikTok!

House Republicans did not pay their respects to Manuel’s grieving family, choosing not to stand for a moment of silence on the floor. Their disrespect over grieving families was in full display last week. However, we did not let their lack of integrity dissuade us from commemorating the legacy of Tortuguita. I joined a mass mobilization in their honor last Saturday and vow to continue the fight to make Georgia a state that works for all of us. As MLK said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice anywhere”. We must protect our environment, support our right to free speech, and invest in our communities through healthcare, education, and opportunity. Let's work together to build a future for all of us, free of the corruption and greed from the major corporations and the wealthy elite!

Keeping our Communities Safe and our People Healthy

One of the first bills I signed onto last week was House Bill 2 (HB 2), the “Safe Storage Tax Credit Act”, authored by State Representative Michelle Au. This will provide tax credits for expenses incurred for firearm safe storage devices. As a longtime advocate for gun reform in our state, I was honored to be asked to co-sponsor this bill and help keep our communities safe from the threat of gun violence. I also signed on to HB 3 and 4, which require Universal Background Checks and a 3-day waiting period to purchase a gun respectively. 

I also co-sponsored a resolution by State Representative Stacey Evans recognizing the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium and their important work in bringing cervical cancer education and awareness in our State. Access to reproductive care is a high priority of my office and this was a great way of offering our gratitude to the many healthcare workers who tirelessly work to keep our communities safe.

Bills to Watch

SB1 & HB04

On the very first day of session, as their very first bill, Senate Republicans introduced an anti-trans Bill. The House joined them soon after with HB 104. Both bills would prohibit transgender children from participating in school sports across our state in the gender they identify as. There are currently 0 trans students playing in school sports in Georgia in the gender they prefer, yet the Republicans deemed this to be their #1 priority. Not the cost of living, not housing, not healthcare, but attacking the rights of our students who have done nothing wrong.
We must ensure that children have a right to be themselves and grow up without fearing persecution. Studies have also shown that there is no evidence to suggest transgender athletes have an advantage against cisgender athletes. But of course, Republicans don’t care about having conversations, looking at the facts, or treating our children with the respect and dignity they deserve. Our office will be working diligently with the community and local organizations to fight back against this hateful and unnecessary legislation.
I was happy to see so many LGBTQ+ rights organizations and community members flood the State Capitol on the 1st day of session, making sure to put the Republican Party on notice regarding their attacks on our children.

HB18

Republicans in the State House have introduced a bill preventing the Dual Enrollment Act to apply to students who are not legal residents, in other words, undocumented immigrants. My office and I will be monitoring the situation closely and are joining efforts with community leaders and local organizations to prohibit the passage of such terrible legislation that would prevent students from accessing higher education. Stay tuned for more updates.

Our first Town Hall of 2025!

I am excited to invite you to our first town hall of my term! On February 9th at 2 PM at the Smyrna Public Library we will be discussing the $20 minimum wage bill that I will be introducing in the House and more about the state of our economy and what needs to change. Joining me will be Atlanta Democratic Socialists and Workers United Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

If you’d like to talk about economic justice, or have any questions, concerns, or issues to bring up, please come by!

Sign Up for Our First Town Hall! 

If you can’t make it, please email us any concerns or questions you have to info@sanchezforgeorgia.com

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Thank you for your continued support and active engagement with everything we do. 

Your State Representative,

Gabriel Sanchez