“My wife and I raised three children in DeKalb County, and we became grandparents this spring. I see how hard young parents work to build a career and a family.

Start with affordability. Infant care in a Georgia center runs about $920 a month, and with a toddler too it tops $1,800. That’s more than the typical $1,770 rent on a 2-bedroom in District 41 or the $1,750 a typical homeowner pays monthly for mortgage, taxes and insurance. Every tax dollar is one a parent cannot spend on care. This year’s House Bill 136, a $250 credit for each child under 6 and a bigger child care credit, was a first step. I support it and would take it further with a larger child care tax credit, property tax relief and bigger homestead exemptions. Every Georgian’s income tax needs to come down.

Next, connect young parents to careers that pay. Georgia has a shortage of electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and construction workers. I will expand career and technical education pathways, bring employers in to shape them, and add an early childhood education track so our graduates can staff our child care classrooms.

The best place to do business and the best place to raise a child can be achieved. It takes jobs that support a family, housing they can afford, and a state that cuts working families’ tax burden. Georgia families need a Senator who will reduce income tax and pass jobs bills. Sen. Jackson hasn’t done either.”