Peach Tree Times

I walked out of the Georgia House Chamber on April 2nd, prompted by my conscience and the demands of my constituents. Senate Bill 185, aiming to ban gender-affirming care for transgender individuals in state custody, represents more than legislation; it signifies a critical point in the state's political landscape.

State Representative Sandra Felton expressed her opposition, stating, "It’s a reflection of what this Republican-controlled legislature has become: a place where punishment is policy, and hate is hidden behind headlines. And I refuse to be complicit." She emphasized her commitment to serving District 76 in Clayton County, an area she describes as filled with "working families, educators, veterans, small business owners and young people with big dreams."

Felton highlighted her reasons for protest, noting, "SB 185 may have been the bill we chose to walk out on, but it could just as easily have been Senate Bill 86, undermining the autonomy of our locally elected district attorneys; The Religious Freedom Act, a door-opener to discrimination; or the proposed 'America First' license plate, whose origins are rooted in white supremacist movements dating back to the KKK."

She criticizes the Republican legislative agenda as a "calculated strategy to divide us, distract us and dismantle progress." Felton accused the legislature of failing to address crucial issues such as Medicaid expansion, public school funding, and prison privatization, stating, "While Republicans push these toxic bills, here’s what they’re not doing: They’re refusing to expand Medicaid, while people in rural Georgia die without care; they’re diverting money from public schools and starving classrooms to fund private vouchers; they’re privatizing prisons, turning incarceration into profit off of Black and brown bodies; they’re attacking local leadership, trying to silence the voices elected by voters to speak for them."

Her protest, articulated as a stand against "cruelty" becoming the norm, underscores the tensions within Georgia's political environment. "I walked out because I will not be silent while cruelty becomes the law of the land. I walked out because silence is complicity. I walked out because the people of Georgia deserve more than what they’re being handed under this Gold Dome."

Addressing her constituents, Felton assured them of her continued commitment to their interests, stating, "To the people of District 76, let me be clear: We are not going backwards; We are not giving up; We are not done fighting. And I will be right here with you—walking out when I must but never walking away."