A joint statement from Black Voters Matter Fund, Fair Fight Action, Georgia NAACP, Georgia Shift, and New Georgia Project Action Fund called on Georgia’s leaders to delay Crossover Day in the face of the ongoing threat of Coronavirus.
Here is the statement in full:
On one of the most significant days of the legislative calendar, with votes scheduled on dozens of bills that will impact Georgians’ lives, the people’s presence must be seen and their voices must be heard. Georgia legislators should not hide behind an internet stream and dissuade citizens from participating in the legislative process, as Speaker Ralston has done, send mixed messages to the public, as Lt. Governor Duncan has done, or say nothing at all, as the governor has done. Statehouse leaders should wait until public health concerns over COVID-19 subside before holding these quintessential votes. Governor Kemp, along with House and Senate leadership, should do the right thing and close the Capitol until such time that citizens are able and encouraged to participate.