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State senators meet more than 200 residents at Southwest Atlanta town hall to discuss Medicaid, street lights and senior programs
Summary
State senators Sonia Halpern, Jason Estevez and Rashawn Kemp joined a Q&A at the C.T. Martin Recreation Center, where residents raised questions about Medicaid and Medicare, street lights on state highways and services for children and seniors.
State senators Sonia Halpern, Jason Estevez and Rashawn Kemp met with residents at a recent town hall at the C.T. Martin Recreation Center in Southwest Atlanta, where more than 200 people raised questions about Medicaid and Medicare, street lights on state highways and programs for children and seniors, an event organizer said.
Organizers said the meeting was a meet-and-greet and Q&A intended to connect community members with their state representatives and to surface local concerns that senators can carry to the state capitol.
"It was a Q and A and it was a meet and greet with myself and 2 of the other senators who represent Southwest Atlanta," a state senator said, describing the format. At the event, attendees asked about health-care coverage and access, the placement and maintenance of street lights on state-controlled roadways, and expanded programs for children and seniors, organizers said.
"It is critically important to know you're a state senator because, 1, we are passing bills daily during our legislative session that impact your lives directly," a state senator said, urging residents to follow state-level legislation. Another senator told the audience that lawmakers can help connect constituents with state agencies when they have service problems: "we are the folks that will get you connected with state level agencies when you're having issues."
Event hosts thanked Councilwoman Andrea Bull for prioritizing the conversation and said the session reflected local and state officials working together to address neighborhood needs. "Thank you, councilwoman, prioritizing this conversation tonight," a state senator said during remarks.
Speakers encouraged attendees to bring concerns directly to the state capitol and to meet other lawmakers as a way to influence policy: "Until we get everybody down at the state capitol, which we hope that you will because that is how we change minds ... we're gonna keep coming out to you," a state senator said.
Organizers described the gathering as part of ongoing outreach; no formal actions or votes were recorded at the event.
