Troup County Democrats

Many of Georgia’s agricultural products are renowned throughout the country and the world for their outstanding quality and taste. Many of our local agritourism destinations are the backbones of their local economies as well as foundational to the culture of their communities. Here in Troup County, several agricultural businesses also host events year round that bring business to our backyard. TCD works to protect and promote partners and candidates who:

• Continue to expand our county’s agricultural heritage into the future;
• Promote Georgia’s signature crops to local, domestic, and international audiences;
• Work with local authorities to promote agritourism in our community;
• Support local alcohol producers (beer, wine, and spirits) by reforming laws that benefit distributors at the expense of small-scale producers.

Georgia’s growers are some of the best in the world, but they struggle with selling into monopolistic food systems with high debt loads and unfair restrictions. Strong local food systems require strong family farms. The small farmer lives closest to their communities and will be the best stewards of the land and environment. TCD is committed to protecting small farmers in our community, throughout the state, and across the Country by:

• Expanding access to sources of financing for small farmers;
• Reforming Georgia’s laws on cooperatives to help farmers band together to receive fair prices for their products and to provide financial support and purchasing power;
• Working to protect growers from monopolies and abusive contract;
• Ensuring that growers have the right to repair their equipment and use and save their seed stock;
• Encouraging small processors to facilitate growers supplying local food systems.

Agriculture is the future of our state, and TCD is ready to support major investments in that future. The age of the average farmer in Georgia is almost 60 years old. We need more young farmers graduating from our land grant universities, as well as more young folks starting new family farms. New businesses in the form of new farms will help grow rural communities from the inside out. TCD will support and promote partners and candidates who work to:

• Create career pipelines for new farmers;
• Expand funding for agriculture programs at public universities;
• Ensure all school districts have access to agricultural education.

Georgia has always been an agricultural powerhouse, but historically, not all of its people have had access to the benefits of this legacy – particularly Black Georgians. The ill effects of slavery, sharecropping, redlining, and a host of other injustices still linger in our communities. TCD will work to ensure that, when the bounty of Georgia’s agricultural industry is served, everyone will have a seat at the table. To that end, TCD will only support partners and candidates who are dedicated to:

• Creating paths for communities historically left behind by agriculture to build generational wealth through farming;
• Fully funding 1892 land grant universities;
• Protecting heirs’ rights by supporting services to retain inheritance;
• Expanding access to capital and loans for traditionally marginalized communities.

TCD recognizes that our agricultural workers, like all workers, deserve respect and protection regardless of industry or documentation status. We support partners and candidates who work to:

• Create a secure channel for all workers through which labor violations can be safely reported without threat of retaliation, including for workers with visas or who are undocumented.
• Ensure safe working conditions, including requiring access to potable water, sufficient breaks, shaded rest areas, and housing.
• End wage theft, quota payments, and worker misclassification.

TCD believes that the primary function of Georgia’s agriculture industry should be feeding Georgia’s people. We support creating strong local food systems wherein local farms feed into local markets. We believe everyone should have access to fresh, affordable foods no matter their income or ZIP code. As such, we will work to:

• Promote policies that incentivize grocers and pop-up markets to operate within food deserts;
• Expand existing local food pipelines to connect more farmers with local markets;
• Increase locally sourced food within school cafeterias;
• Fund community gardens in public schools.

TCD knows that our farmers can be our best partners in sustainability, helping us protect and preserve our natural resources, while also growing our local economy. TCD is committed to promoting sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices that center on the health of our soil, waters, air, and people. To that end, TCD will support and promote partners and candidates who are dedicated to:

• Expanding educational programs and financing opportunities that will incentivize farmers to transition their practices to more environmentally sustainable methods;
• Making strategic investments in nontraditional and innovative growing methods;
• Working with our land grant institutions to promote curriculum and research aimed at sustainability.
• Ensuring that intensive, concentrated animal processing should not be exempted from environmental regulation.
• Advocating and implementing solutions to combat food deserts to provide adequate nutrition to all Georgians regardless of their ZIP code.

TCD believes that a robust and prosperous legal cannabis industry can be a huge boost to Georgia farmers, processors, and consumers. TCD will work to make the most of this burgeoning new industry by promoting policies, partners, and candidates that will

• Prioritize safety, availability, equity, production, and innovation in the cannabis industry;
• Require mandatory testing and safety protocol for Georgia’s legal cannabis industry that will ensure quality and transparency;
• Establish an equitable licensing and permitting system for cannabis growers and processors;
• Create pathways for those formerly incarcerated for nonviolent marijuana (cannabis) crimes to get jobs within the legalized industry.

TCD is dedicated to improving animal welfare, especially companion animal welfare, by supporting and promoting candidates and partners who work to:

• Support statewide “trap, neuter, and release”(TNR) and vaccination programs and ensure well-supported no-kill animal shelters exist in every county;
• Reform oversight of shelters and breeders;
• Standardize penalties for crimes involving animal abuse;
• Support programs that encourage veterinary clinics in underserved areas, scholarship programs, and mental health programs for all in the veterinary field;
• Support policies that promote ethical treatment of animals in agriculture, advocating for regulations that ensure proper living conditions, humane treatment, and responsible management practices for farm animals.

Troup County educators and educational support staff hold a critical position in society and have an incredible impact on the future of our County. TCD will work to support, respect, and protect public school employees by:

• Ensuring they are receiving adequate pay and benefits based on educational credentials and experience;
• Working to Increase funding for students with all forms of special needs including mental and psychological needs;
• Promoting optimal student/teacher ratios;
• Fighting for fair evaluation and dismissal procedures.

TCD believes that our educators are experts in their given fields and should be given wide discretion in how they teach their classes, but recognizes that historically schools across America have promoted revisionist history that works to diminish the faults of our ancestors in order to promote national pride in our children. TCD believes this attempt to paint our past in a better, but dishonest, light is noble in theory, but is ultimately an extreme disservice to the men and women who gave their lives to make our Country better, and only weakens the next generation’s pride in our Country. We do not need to lie to feel proud of the United States of America. Therefore, TCD supports and promotes partners and candidates who work to find a balance between giving educators the discretion they need to ensure our children are well educated while ensuring our schools are teaching cultural, historical, and scientific material honestly. TCD believes that this can be achieved by:

• Increasing educator discretion in curriculum based decision making, provided they adhere to certain minimum educational requirements;
• Encouraging the involvement of parents, caretakers, students, and teachers on advisory panels;
• Supporting librarians, educators and media specialists in protecting intellectual freedom and offering materials for the needs and interests of ALL in their community. Parents maintain the right to manage access by their own children to these materials, but that right does not extend to determining what other people’s children may access.
• Promoting the accurate teaching of history, including southern and racial history.
• Advocate for the teaching of the history of and ongoing struggles with our Civil, Women’s, and LBGTQ+ rights movements here in Georgia and across the country.

TCD believes that strong, fully funded public schools, and financial accountability for all public school programs is essential to bringing Troup County into a better future. More importantly, TCD believes that public schools should be open to, welcoming to, and ultimately a safe space for children of all backgrounds. Students should be able to access programs and information they need both at school and where they live. TCD supports and promotes candidates and partners who are dedicated to:

• Advancing state-wide standards of testing and discipline for all schools receiving public funds;
• Establishing safe and nurturing learning environments for all ages through the creation and implementation of state-wide anti-bullying standards.
• Ensuring school buildings and facilities are up-to-date, safe environments for all students and staff;
• Establishing LGBTQ+ resource centers on all campuses.
• Increasing access to technology, including notebooks, computers, and internet access.
• Expanding and funding universal Pre-Kindergarten programs, increasing access to nutritious meals, transportation, and extracurricular opportunities for every student.
• Creating accountability and transparency requirements for all current voucher programs.
• Enforcing the separation of church and state by opposing the implicit or explicit endorsement of religion through the public education system.
• Creating a statewide database to provide transparent tracking and reporting of data to identify racial disparities in disciplinary actions within the public education system.

TCD believes that post-secondary education, such as attending a college or university, is the best gateway for our County’s next generation to find a better tomorrow. With LaGrange College, Point University, and West Georgia Tech operating in Troup County’s borders, TCD knows that promoting the success of these institutions is vital to the success of every person in Troup County. As such, TCD promotes and supports partners and candidates who are dedicated to:

• Expanding the HOPE scholarship and grant programs to include trade/technical schools and to meet the needs of all students by using a needs-based approach.
• Allowing undocumented Georgia residents who came to the United States as children, who are DACA recipients (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), to pay in-state tuition and attend public colleges, universities, and trade/technical schools in the state they grew up in.
• Increasing funding for HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and other minority-serving institutions of higher education across the state of Georgia.
• Protecting the academic freedom of students and faculty to learn, research, and pursue knowledge free from political, religious, or governmental interference.

TCD knows that a healthy society is one where all people are employed and contributing, but it is also one where those employed people are able to care for themselves and their loved ones without needing to sacrifice their own lives in the process. To that end, TCD is dedicated to promoting policies, partners, and candidates who advocate for:

• The creation of jobs for Georgians that provide liveable wages and benefits;
• Safe and healthy workplaces that are free from discrimination and ensure equal opportunity employment practices.
• Unions, which are critical to our labor rights and protect the interests of employees;
• The right to organize and bargain collectively to ensure fair wages, including in the public sector;
• The repeal of Georgia’s right-to-work law, which unfairly impedes on the organization and bargaining power of employees to the benefit of large scale employers;
• Skilled Labor Education, which is the key to any successful employment;
• Increased funding of apprenticeship and internship programs to expand skilled labor in Georgia, in partnership with our unions, businesses, and trade schools.

TCD recognizes small businesses as the backbone of any community, and TCD knows that with growth comes challenges for those businesses that may have difficulty keeping up with large scale employers. TCD will continue supporting small businesses as a primary driver of job growth in Georgia. While TCD will always push for higher wages and more jobs, TCD believes that Mom and Pop businesses must be protected and endure. Therefore, TCD supports policies, partners, and candidates who are dedicated to finding a balance that protects small business interests and their ability to do business while ensuring economic growth and prosperity for all.

TCD knows that it is easy to talk big about improving the economy, but it is much harder to actually build a better economy. Any economic growth or security requires a strong foundation, otherwise it will fall through the moment tides change. As such, TCD will support and promote policies, partners, and candidates, who continuously work to improve the economic infrastructure of Troup County, the State of Georgia, and the United States, by:

• Increasing funding for programs like healthcare, labor, and job training;
• Advocating for affordable housing availability, providing the security of a stable home for self and family while pursuing future career paths;
• Expanding and increasing funding for childcare options for working Georgia families;
• Investing in infrastructure development of high-speed broadband to all homes and businesses so that everyone, especially in rural and underserved areas, can have access to the economic power of the Internet.
• Affirming the state’s role in developing vital infrastructure needs such as Georgia’s ports, multimodal transportation, and the state’s water supply to not only create jobs now but also to make Georgia more competitive in the future.

TCD believes in the three A’s of private health care, Affordable, Accessible, and Advanced. TCD will promote policies, partners, and candidates who work towards the three A’s by:

• Ensuring access to quality, affordable physical and mental healthcare in all communities, including developing and increasing access to services for vulnerable, rural, and penal populations, and those entering substance use disorder treatment programs.
• Promoting programs that provide accessibility to participation in health and wellness services.
• Empowering individuals to make healthcare decisions freely.
• Utilizing technology and innovation for cost-efficient healthcare options.
• Promoting Georgia as a premier health research location through partnerships with private enterprises and research universities, including support for embryonic stem cell research.

TCD recognizes access to affordable, quality healthcare as essential to the well-being of every community, and TCD believes that no Georgian should have to choose between seeking medical care and meeting basic living expenses. TCD supports the expansion of Medicaid in Georgia so that more individuals and families can obtain the coverage they need. While TCD believes that healthcare must remain financially responsible and sustainable, TCD also believes that working Georgians deserve access to care before a treatable condition becomes a medical or financial crisis. Therefore, TCD supports policies, partners, and candidates who are dedicated to expanding Medicaid, strengthening access to preventive care, and ensuring that affordable healthcare is within reach for all.

TCD understands that abortion is a challenging topic for Troup County Residents. We know that those opposed are concerned for the well-being of the next generation of Troup County, are concerned about their relationship with their faith, and are concerned about society's role in enforcing the values of the people. However, we are committed to protecting the interests, health, and well being of all women, and that requires reasonable access to abortion. TCD will continue to support and advocate for reproductive freedom for all including abortion, in-vitro fertilization (IVF), and any other fertility or contraceptive use. Further, Georgia has some of the Nation’s worst morbidity and mortality rates for women giving birth, especially Black women and women of low income. Georgia must research the causes of the high maternal mortality and implement programs to reduce it, and TCD will continue to support policies, partners, and candidates who are dedicated to solving this life threatening issue.

Unfortunately, the number one cause of death for children in the United States of America is gun violence. TCD considers gun violence a public health emergency, requiring action from governments on the County, State, and National scale. TCD believes in the freedoms guaranteed in the United States Constitution, especially the Second Amendment’s Right to Bear Arms. However, TCD will continue to support common sense gun safety legislation and red flag laws aimed at reducing firearm deaths and protecting our children. Nobody will take our guns from us, but we recognize that not everybody should be trusted with a firearm, and those who are should be adequately trained on safe storage, firearm maintenance, weapons handling, and emergency response protocol. Additionally

TCD recognizes that individuals with special needs deserve care that protects their safety, dignity, and independence, and TCD believes that children and seniors must receive particular attention to prevent neglect and address their needs early. TCD supports preventive interventions and increased funding for home healthcare programs so that individuals can remain in their homes when appropriate, including greater support for family members who provide in-home care. While TCD recognizes that long-term care facilities serve an essential role, TCD believes that their residents must be protected through consistent enforcement of existing regulations and safety checks. Therefore, TCD supports policies, partners, and candidates who are dedicated to strengthening special needs protections, expanding care options, and ensuring quality care in both homes and long-term care facilities.

TCD believes that owning one's home is a cornerstone of the American Dream, but the interests of investors and the richest among us have made this cornerstone a pipe dream for many. Worse yet, many who are fortunate enough to own their home today are unable to properly upkeep it, and are ultimately forced to sell it for a fraction of its potential value to investors who are not members of the Troup County community. As such, TCD will continue to support policies, partners, and candidates who are committed to:

• Implementing regulations to restrict the conversion of residential properties into short-term rentals, ensuring that housing remains primarily available for long-term tenants and owner-occupants;
• Ensuring the implementation of grants and low-interest rates for first-time homebuyers;
• Discouraging unfair market speculation perpetrated by large corporations and manipulation of the market via surplus buying of single-family homes that hurts working-class people and children and families;
• Prioritizing high-density, transit-oriented developments;
• Providing subsidies for energy efficiency upgrades for low-income households, affordable housing units, and public housing units;
• Promoting programs designed to support homeowners facing foreclosure;
• Removing restrictive zoning laws that prevent housing from being built in business and commercial zones;
• Encouraging adaptive reuse policies by using current vacant state/city-owned property for housing development;
• Incentivizing affordable housing and sustainable dense development on public and private blighted properties, through tax incentives, land use policies, and direct investment.

TCD knows that not every person is in a position to buy or own their own home and must rely on rental housing, but that does not mean these people should slip through the cracks of housing legislation. A house is not only a single family unit on a plot of land, it is any place where a family calls home. As such, TCD will continue to promote the expansion of rental assistance and affordable housing opportunities for all. TCD will continue to advocate for legal representation for low-income tenants in landlord disputes and eviction proceedings. TCD will not rest until all housing development projects receiving public funds are required to adhere to applicable code and quality standards, with union pay and safety standards being the desired goal.

TCD believes that in the great United States of America, every person should have a bed to sleep on and a roof to sleep under. TCD is ashamed to live in a world where veterans, children, and the elderly have no safe space to sleep at night. TCD believes the unhoused and unsheltered should have access to wraparound services that lead to more stable living environments. TCD will continue striving to end homelessness among veterans, the elderly, children, the LGTBQ community, those with mental health needs, and all communities at higher risk of being unsheltered. TCD believes the State of Georgia should provide government-issued ID to allow unsheltered or unhoused people to provide documentation to law enforcement and access to government services.

TCD believes that a fair criminal justice system must protect public safety, ensure equal treatment under the law, and uphold the dignity of every individual. Furthermore, we believe that charging, bail, sentencing, and incarceration decisions must be impartial, and that everyone deserves access to qualified legal representation. As such, TCD is committed to supporting candidates that stand for:

• An impartial and efficient court system, including investigations into all cases of suspected judicial discrimination;
• Adequate court funding and equitable access to qualified legal representation, including public defender caseloads that allow effective representation;
• Eliminating pretrial detention and cash bail for misdemeanor and nonviolent offenses;
• Stronger protections against exploitation of incarcerated workers, including a mandatory minimum wage and preservation of their labor rights;
• Stronger hate crime penalties for violence or intimidation motivated by a victim’s age, race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, familial status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, pregnancy, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or membership in another protected or marginalized group;
• Prohibiting private operation or management of prisons and detention centers, reducing for-profit probation services, and eliminating telecommunications charges imposed on detained and incarcerated individuals by private, for-profit companies.

TCD believes that rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society are essential purposes of criminal justice reform. Individuals must receive appropriate care while incarcerated and have meaningful opportunities to rebuild their lives after release. As such, TCD is committed to supporting candidates that stand for:

• Reforming criminal record restriction laws and removing criminal history questions from initial employment and housing applications to expand access to work and housing;
• Restoring voting rights to formerly incarcerated individuals who have completed their sentences;
• Legalizing marijuana and extending clemency to individuals convicted of nonviolent marijuana offenses;
• Expanding effective drug courts, veterans courts, accountability courts, and other diversion programs, with participation based on individual needs and an emphasis on rehabilitation;
• Ensuring unrestricted access to feminine hygiene products for female inmates and access to all medically necessary medications for every incarcerated individual;
• Establishing regional rehabilitative programs that are accessible and affordable to all concerning transportation and economic ability;
• Counting incarcerated persons as residents of their last location of free residence rather than residents of their present location of incarceration for purposes of redistricting at all levels of government.

TCD believes that public safety depends on trust, accountability, and strong relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Furthermore, we believe that public safety personnel must have the training and support necessary to respond appropriately to people with disabilities and individuals experiencing a crisis. TCD also believes that protecting public safety requires respect for human dignity, including the rights of incarcerated individuals, people experiencing homelessness, and victims of harassment. As such, TCD is committed to supporting policies, partners, and candidates that stand for:

• Investing in community policing initiatives and establishing community-level review boards to strengthen public trust and oversight;
• Expanding funding for co-responder units and crisis response teams staffed with social workers, peer specialists, and medical and mental health professionals;
• Requiring training for public safety personnel to improve interactions with people with mental, physical, and social disabilities;
• Establishing a Georgia-specific database of all officer-involved shootings and clear guidelines governing the appropriate use of force;
• Combating discriminatory policing and police brutality, including appointing independent special prosecutors to investigate all cases involving accusations of police brutality;
• Requiring all law enforcement officers to use body cameras.
• Restricting solitary confinement in federal, state, and local correctional facilities;
• Decriminalizing homelessness by eliminating laws that criminalize individuals for being unhoused;
• Strengthening legal protections for victims of online harassment and cyberbullying.
• Creating community-building opportunities with local law enforcement through investments in community policing initiatives and the establishment of community-level review boards.
• Expanding funding for co-responder units and other crisis response teams staffed with social workers, peer specialists, and medical and mental health professionals.
• Requiring mandatory training of public safety personnel to enhance interactions with people with mental, physical, and social disabilities.
• Creating a state-specific database to track all officer-involved shootings.
• Issuing guidelines for the appropriate use of force by Georgia law enforcement officers.
• Implementing measures to combat discriminatory practices and police brutality.
• Appointing independent special prosecutors to investigate all cases involving accusations of police brutality.
• Requiring the mandatory use of body cameras by all law enforcement officers.
• Restricting the use of solitary confinement practices in all federal, state, and local correctional facilities.
• Decriminalizing homelessness by eliminating laws that criminalize unhoused individuals.
• Promoting legislation to protect victims of online harassment and cyberbullying.

TCD has and will continue to support the self-determination of indigenous peoples who call Georgia their traditional home. TCD supports reforming the civil asset forfeiture system to protect personal property rights and to remove unjust financial incentives for law enforcement to generate revenue for local police departments and governments. TCD hopes to see the State of Georgia increase funding and infrastructure investments towards economic and mental health policies that address poverty and economic inequality as a root cause of crime. TCD will continue to promote the creation and funding of community youth programs to reduce local violence and gang involvement.

TCD believes that protecting our environment is essential to the health, safety, and prosperity of Georgia’s communities, and that our state must work together to reduce energy consumption and move toward renewable energy. TCD supports reducing statewide carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and by 100% by 2050, and TCD will continue working with the governments of and school system of Troup County to develop plans for buildings and vehicles to be powered by renewable energy by 2035. TCD also supports protecting communities from coal ash toxins by requiring all coal ash to be stored in dry, lined, and capped facilities, along with increased monitoring and regulation of commercial data centers to limit their negative environmental impacts. TCD will continue supporting policies, partners, and candidates who are dedicated to cleaner energy, responsible development, and the protection of Georgia’s air, water, and communities.

TCD believes that Georgia’s transition to cleaner energy should make new technologies more affordable and bring meaningful benefits to every community. We support consumer financial incentives for solar panels, electric vehicles, and charging equipment, with particular attention to disadvantaged communities that have historically had fewer opportunities to benefit from environmental initiatives. We also support reforming Georgia’s Public Service Commission to strengthen accountability, reduce monopoly power, and encourage competition and renewable energy expansion. Power companies should bear the investment risks of their own projects rather than shifting those risks onto consumers. Through these efforts, TCD seeks to see lower utility costs, expanded access to clean energy, and advances in Georgia’s sustainability goals.

TCD believes that healthier communities begin with reliable transportation, energy-efficient homes, and responsible stewardship of our natural resources. We support bringing zero-emission bus routes into, and increasing access to public transportation options for, Troup County communities, along with monitoring underserved areas and providing incentives for equitable access to vehicle charging facilities. Home energy-efficiency programs should serve every income level, with clear energy-consumption rating guidelines to help residents make informed decisions. TCD also supports protecting and expanding public lands, wetlands, and watersheds through stronger laws and consistent enforcement of protections for state parks and forests. By encouraging compact, walkable communities, strengthening local oversight of clear-cutting and land grading, and promoting waste reduction, Troup County can grow responsibly while preserving its natural spaces. TCD further supports programs that study and protect biodiversity, sustain wildlife populations, and monitor and contain invasive species throughout the state.

TCD remains committed to protecting and preserving Georgia’s role in America’s national security strategy by strengthening our support for Veterans and their families. We believe one of the fundamental roles of the government is to provide for national security. We support the courageous people in the armed forces who protect our country. We support our military and promote diplomacy as a first option. We must provide good care for our service members, Veterans, and their families in recognition of their service and sacrifice and ensure their benefits are protected. This means supporting them and their families mentally, physically, and emotionally.

TCD believes that people seeking to immigrate to the United States deserve a simple, safe, and secure process, and that immigration policies must respect family unity while protecting public safety. TCD supports fair and timely pathways to legal status and citizenship that meet the workforce needs of Georgia and our nation. TCD also supports policies that keep immigrant families together, strengthen trust and cooperation between immigrant communities and law enforcement, public safety officials, and other government agencies, and expand opportunities for immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, vehicle insurance, tags, and titles. TCD will continue to support policies, partners, and candidates who are dedicated to a fair and orderly immigration system that strengthens our communities, supports our economy, and safeguards the people of Georgia.