Dear General Assembly: Good Luck

Today at 10 AM, the 154th Georgia General Assembly will convene and begin conducting business on behalf of Georgians.  A number of our readers happen to be some of those 236 members of Georgia’s legislature.

To them, I (and to a larger extent we as citizens of Georgia) wish y’all luck today as you’re sworn in and dedicate a large portion of your lives to serve Georgia over the next 40 legislative days and beyond.  Remember those that you are serving under the Gold Dome, and remember that we have sent you to Atlanta to do business on our behalf.  Be reverent of the office that you’re entering to craft, debate, and pass laws that will affect all Georgians.

It’s easy for those of use who are on the outside looking in to be cynical of elected officials and the legislature.  Commentary of how awful it is for the legislature to be in session will be written over the next 40 legislative days, but perhaps we should try to change our perception and start the session out on a positive footing.

To my fellow citizens, rather than griping how horrible our/your legislators are, perhaps send them a note of encouragement and thank them for their willingness to take time away from their families and careers to listen to and help constituents, analyze the needs of their communities, study legislation, serve on committees, and work with their fellow legislators to help bills navigate their way to the governor’s desk.

I’d be willing to say that most (hopefully all) of our legislators are appreciative of the great trust that has been placed in them to serve their respective constituencies.  They know we are watching what’s happening under the Gold Dome over the next 40 days, and I believe they know that they will see more stories and emails disapproving certain bills than those praising them for other positive actions.

Let us, we the People, keep our legislators informed of our opinion, but let’s also give them an opportunity to work.  After all, they are ultimately a representation of us and reflection our values.

Good luck to our legislators, their administrative staff, clerks, researchers, interns, and the other folks who keep our legislative branch functional.