Georgia State Capitol Trip
This was my first time going to the Georgia State Capitol, and I had no idea what to expect when I arrived. The building itself was very impressive, but what shocked me the most was how packed it was. There were booths set up on the first floor, and so many people were there to learn about bills and the system in place. It felt less like an official government building and more like a networking event.
I went into the Capitol with a list of questions to ask, and ended up having conversations with three different people there for different reasons. Each discussion I had taught me a little more than I knew before I got there, and informed me how this process actually works. Beyond just the legislative side of the process, but also the communication aspect.
The first person I talked to was Nicole Sinclair. She had a booth set up in the main atrium area, representing human resources services with a connection to Dekalb County grant programs. She informed me about how state funding moves into local programs that cover housing assistance in addition to food insecurity help. She gave me multiple pamphlets and more information on how to contact her as well as support her endeavors.
Next, I met Bo Moore, a lobbyist I ran into on the second floor, who works across human resources, economics, and digital policy areas. Within the conversation, he described his day-to-day life and what he does.
The conversation I spent the most time with was with Gwenda Booth from NAMI Gwinnett. She was there advocating for the advancement of mental health as well as addiction legislation. During our conversation, she talked me through what it takes to go through the bill process, the legalization process, and even some personal career path wisdom.
Overall, it was an exciting learning experience, and it helped me to better understand how state government works. This trip showed me a little sneak peek into what it’s like to be involved in government processes through the lens of everyone involved. The building had a lot to look at and explore. I hope to go back again one day and continue to learn more about the government and legislative processes surrounding the passing of new bills every day.
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