PRIORITIES
BUILDING A HEALTHIER, STRONGER GEORGIA
Every Georgian deserves access to quality, affordable health care. From Sam’s own lived experience of having a mother who developed terminal cancer, he knows firsthand that access to care can be a matter of life or death. Under the leadership of Republican politicians and their refusal to expand Medicaid coverage for more Georgians, our state consistently has one of the highest uninsured rates in America, which intensifies our rural hospital closures, maternal mortality crisis, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The Affordable Care Act allowed Georgia to choose to expand Medicaid, which would mean more Georgians can access health coverage through Medicaid, with the federal government paying a large portion of the cost. It would draw down $21 billion in funds from the federal government to help pay for the program, which comes from federal taxes Georgians have already paid. Georgia is one of just ten states that has refused to expand Medicaid.
Expanding Access to Healthcare:
The facts about medicaid expansion:
Expanding Medicaid would provide over 500,000 Georgians (including nearly 60,000 people in Gwinnett County) with access to affordable health care and help the state save on uncompensated care costs, which in 2019 alone cost Georgia hospitals $2.7 billion.
Medicaid expansion would not make anyone ineligible for private health insurance or raise healthcare costs, it would help reduce healthcare costs across the board, including for people with private insurance who are unlikely to need Medicaid coverage.
Medicaid expansion would be the single largest economic development initiative in Georgia history, creating $65 billion in new economic activity and over 64,000 new jobs.
Expansion provides funds for struggling hospitals. With nine rural hospitals closing since 2010, including two which closed during the pandemic, Georgia ranks sixth in states with most rural hospital closures. Nineteen rural hospitals are currently at risk of closing.
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Healthcare Legislation:
House Bill 669 (2018) - Authorizes funding to Medicaid Expand in Georgia.
House Bill 786 (2018) - Prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against victims of domsetic and sexual violence.
House Resolution 1318 (2018) - Creates a Study Committee within the Georgia House of Representatives to look into the best ways to providing long-term care for Georgia’s aging population.
House Bill 158 (2019) - Increases access to important treatments for people living with HIV and AIDS.
House Bill 719 (2020) - Modernizes and decriminalizes Georgia’s antiquated HIV laws.
House Bill 961 (2020) - Identifies high-cost prescription drugs that Georgia’s state government spends significant public funds on and authorizes Georgia’s Attorney General to require drug manufacturers to provide certain information.
House Bill 989 (2020) - Creates an advisory working group to update and/or develop tools and protocols to screen children for trauma within the Early Periodic Screening Diagnostic and Treatment program, which provides comprehensive and preventive health care services for children under age 21 who are enrolled in Medicaid.
House Bill 1063 (2020) - Prohibits terminating Medicaid coverage of elderly, disabled, or low-income people unless a manual review is conducted that verifies the patient is no longer eligible.
House Bill 1128 (2020) - Provides transparency and accountability measures for pharmacy benefit managers to help keep drug costs fair for safety net health care facilities that serve the nation's most vulnerable patient populations, like children’s hospitals and rural hospitals.
House Resolution 1168 (2020) - Creates a Study Committee within the Georgia House of Representatives on adverse childhood experiences to investigate ways to improve the health of women and children in Georgia.
Environmental Conservation & Protection Legislation:
House Resolution 1041 (2018) - Opposes oil drilling off Georgia’s coast to protect natural waterways, fisheries, and tourism. Also filed in 2019.
House Resolution 1634 (2020) - Urges the Georgia Governor to join the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 25 governors working to secure America’s net-zero future by advancing state-led, high-impact climate action with the goals of reducing pollution and emissions, building climate resiliency, and growing our economy with new clean energy jobs and energy savings.
House Resolution 930 (2020) - Encourage the State of Georgia to endorse the Stand4Forests platform and its objectives of protecting and conserving forests, which help supply our drinking water, purify our air, store carbon from the atmosphere, and are one of the best tools we have in the fight against climate change.
PROTECTING THE AmERICAN DREAM
To protect the American Dream, Sam knows we must build an economy that supports working people, create economic opportunities that empower Georgia’s communities to thrive, ensure all children in the Peach State have access to high-quality education, and defend Georgians’ freedoms to exercise their Constitutional right to vote and choose leaders who will support their priorities.
creating a working Economy:
A thriving economy that empowers working families is the foundation for a stronger Gwinnett County and a better Georgia for all of us who call it home. As a state representative, Sam has pushed to support working families and enact a state earned income tax credit, create good-paying jobs, prevent wage theft, establish a living wage, and prohibit discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Sam believes that creating economic opportunities, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and investing strategically in transportation, education, and public-private partnerships are key to addressing the problems faced by Georgia’s communities.
Defending Freedoms for all:
The American Dream is anchored in the principles of democracy and the fundamental right of everyone to have a voice in the governance of their country through voting — Sam believes that our democratic system protects our freedoms. By safeguarding our voting rights and ensuring free, fair, transparent, and accessible elections, we uphold the values of equality and freedom, empowering every individual to actively shape the future of our country and pursue their own version of the American Dream.
Educating the Next Generation:
The American Dream is deeply intertwined with educational opportunity — education opens doors to good-paying jobs and the realization of our full potential. By ensuring access to quality education for all children in Georgia, regardless of background or zip code, Sam thinks we can build the foundation for a brighter, more prosperous future where everyone has the chance to succeed and contribute to our nation's progress.
In addition to investing in Georgia K-12 schools, Sam wants to invest in higher education and ensure that whether it’s a two or four-year college, or technical school, everyone has access to opportunities in the Peach State. Growing up with a mother who worked multiple jobs to give him and his sisters a better life, and attending college on the HOPE Scholarship, Sam understands the struggles that working families face and knows the value of a quality education.
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Economic Opportunity Legislation:
House Bill 984 (2018) - Creates a refundable earned income tax credit for working families. Also filed in 2019.
House Bill 1131 (2020) - Expands the child and dependent care tax credit for all Georgia families.
House Bill 1129 (2020) - Expands the state tax credit for family caregivers and qualified caregiving expenses to support those who are taking care of another family member.
House Bill 52 (2017) - Provides access to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for children with legal custodians. TANF is the monthly cash assistance program, with an employment services component, for low-income families with children under age 18, children age 18 and attending school full-time, and pregnant women.
House Resolution 1224 (2018) - Creates a Study Committee within the Georgia House of Representatives on establishing a living wage.
House Bill 1002 (2018) - Addresses employee misclassification and prevents wage theft. Also filed in 2020.
House Bill 552 (2017) - Prohibits discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
House Bill 461 (2019) - Exempts all real property if used exclusively for multiple-family housing.
House Bill 1184 (2020) - Reforms Georgia’s eviction process or dispossessory proceedings including additional notice to tenants and allowing hardship to be considered when granting a writ of possession.
House Resolution 1641 (2020) - Recognizes the need for federal fiscal relief to ensure an equitable economic recovery in Georgia due to the COVID19 pandemic that prioritizes the well-being of working families and Georgia’s most vulnerable citizens.
Education Legislation:
House Bill 376 (2017) - Removes a provision in law that makes students ineligible for the HOPE scholarship seven years after graduating high school with the goal of allowing more Georigans to access higher education.
House Bill 770 (2018) - Secures funding for county law libraries by removing a population provision.
House Resolution 1102 (2018) - Creates a Study Committee within the Georgia House of Representatives on increasing access to pre-kindergarten and after school programs, which would provide more children with early education opportunities and support working parents with after-school child care.
House Bill 880 (2020) - Establishes a pilot program that will create a sustainable community school to focus on the whole child model, which will provide wraparound services to support students’ health, safety, engagement, and ensure they’re challenged academically and prepared for success in higher education or employment.
House Resolution 291 (2020) - Creates a Study Committee within the Georgia House of Representatives on increasing access to after school programs, which helps keep kids engaged and safe, while supporting working parents with after-school child care.
House Resolution 1642 (2020) - Recognizes the importance of ensuring access to higher education and encouraging the University System of Georgia Board of Regents to repeal rule 4.1.6 and allow all Georgians to enroll in our state’s public colleges regardless of immigration status.
ACHIEVING LIBERTY & JUSTICE FOR ALL
To live up to our America’s promise, we must continue working towards achieving liberty and justice for all. Reforming our justice system is a vital step toward creating a fair and equal country, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their race, religion, or background.
By addressing systemic issues and ensuring accountability at all levels, we can build trust between communities, law enforcement, and government, fostering a safer, more just country for future generations.
We are a nation of immigrants united by common principles of equality, opportunity, liberty, and justice — and Gwinnett County is one of the most diverse counties in Georgia. As the son of immigrants, Sam will stand and fight for those who have come to the United States in pursuit of a better life for themselves and their children.
Sam will fight against any discriminatory legislation proposed in the Georgia State Legislature that would harm any minority community — the great diversity of our country and state is a source of strength, not weakness.
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Liberty and Justice Legislation:
House Bill 177 (2017) - Requires reasonable access to public services for non-English speaking Georgians.
House Bill 602 (2017) - Creates an income tax credit for qualified citizenship expenses for low-income families, which would help families who have gone through the process of becoming United States citizens save money on the required costs.
House Resolution 710 (2017) - Calls for the protection and historical preservation of Hooper-Renwick High School — the only school for African American children in Gwinnett County up until 1968, when schools were finally desegregated.
House Bill 746 (2018) - Creates statewide uniformity in policies and procedures concerning law enforcement contact with sexual assault victims.
House Bill 987 (2018) - Creates comprehensive civil rights in Georgia to protect people from discrimination in housing, public accommodations, and employment.
House Resolution 1294 (2018) - Creates a Study Committee within the Georgia House of Representatives on comprehensive civil rights legislation.
House Resolution 1692 (2018) - Recognizes the 75th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited the immigration of Chinese nationals.
House Bill 670 (2019) - Provides the opportunity for noncitizen Georgia residents who are otherwise ineligible for a driver’s license to access a driving card, which would empower them to easier commute to school and work, access other important services, while increasing safety on our roads.
House Resolution 193 (2019) - Recognizes and commends the contributions of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta.
House Resolution 194 (2019) - Commends the contributions of immigrants and refugees in Georgia.
House Resolution 402 (2019) - Urges the President of the United States and Congress to enact legislation securing the citizenship of internationally adopted adult individuals.
House Resolution 571 (2019) - Recognizes the 100th anniversary of the Korean Independence Movement, a significant part of Korea’s national history, symbolizing the resilience and determination of the Korean people in their fight for freedom and sovereignty as they resisted Japanese colonial rule and sought to achieve independence.
House Resolution 671 (2019) - Commends fifteen years of contributions from the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, whose mission is to increase civic participation by educating and empowering the Latino community and to develop Latino leaders through strategic leadership programs throughout Georgia.
House Resolution 706 (2019) - Condemns Islamophobia and other hateful expressions.
House Resolution 822 (2019) - Commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Inn Movement and recognizes that LGBTQ rights are human rights.
House Bill 819 (2020) - Authorizes issuance of a veterans’ license to a U.S. citizen ally of the U.S. during armed conflict.
House Bill 1244 (2020) - Creates the Georgia State Law Enforcement Citizen Review Council to increase accountability and transparency among Georgia law enforcement agencies.
House Resolution 1530 (2020) - Commends Georgia Equality for twenty-five years of service to Georgia’s LGBTQ communities.
House Resolution 1643 (2020) - Condemns racism and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
House Resolution 1648 (2020) - Recognizes systemic racism present in America and proclaiming that Black lives matter.
House Resolution 1650 (2020) - Recognizes the need to reform Georgia law enforcement agencies’ use of force policies to protect lives and keep communities safe.