State District 46 Representative John Carson hosted a town hall meeting
on Monday, February 20th at the Mountain View Public Library in a
standing room only situation with over 100 people present. Tension was high
throughout the meeting due to the presence of #Resist: Marietta at the meeting.
The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a
prayer. The meeting started with a request for respect and civility, which,
with the exception of a couple of loud outbursts, held for most of the meeting.
Topics covered included the 2018 Budget being voted out of
the House. There was a $514 million funding increase for k-12teachers.
There was a $160 million for a 2% pay increase for teachers.
Quality Based Education (QBE) was discussed.
HB 65 medical cannabis was discussed. This is specific to
cannabis oil products and is favored by Carson.
2nd Amendment issues were discussed and included Constitutional
Carry, Campus Carry, and Reciprocity.
Mary Margret Oliver’s ban on assault weapons was also
discussed.
Discussions continued over the repeated interruptions of a
protester named “Trevor”, who grew impatient with Carson’s summary.
Mercy billing was discussed, it is currently being reviewed
by the Insurance Committee.
The summary continued with the controversial topic of Casino
Resort Senate Bill 79/ HB 158 for “Destination Resorts”. If these bills are
voted out of committee and passed, it will require a Constitutional Amendment.
Finally, School Choice, and the Auto Policy Insurance Bill
were discussed.
After the summary, Carson entertained questions. The first
came from Tanya Peterson, who expressed her concern over guns.
Other questions involved School Choice, the proposal for a
State appointed “turn-around” consultant for failing schools, and
transportation for the Public-School System.
I found the meeting very informative in spite of the
occasional shouting and interruption and have a feeling we may see more of the
same at Carson’s next town hall on Monday, March 20th.
Additional Information:
Town Hall Meetings
Monday, January 30th,
7-8pm
Monday, February 20th,
7-8pm
Monday,
March 20th, 7-8pm
Mountain View Regional
Library
(not the community
center!)
3320 Sandy Plains Road
Marietta,
GA 30066
Contact Information: