The Southern Poverty Law Center is honored to stand alongside the Rights Restoration Coalition of Georgia to celebrate a meaningful step forward: the Georgia State Senate’s passage of SR 429. This resolution establishes a study committee to examine the criminal legal system’s impact on the disenfranchisement of Georgians.
The lieutenant governor will appoint six state senators to serve on the committee. It will meet throughout the year to examine Georgia’s disenfranchisement laws. This is a vital opportunity to expose what so many already know: These laws are outdated, unjust and urgently need reform.
For years, directly impacted Georgians, advocates and allies across our state have called for real solutions to the injustices that have shaped electoral power and the myriad collateral consequences our criminal legal system poses. Thanks to relentless organizing, powerful testimony and unwavering persistence, we reached a pivotal moment with the passage of SR 429.
Earlier this year, when lawmakers failed to advance a thoughtful bill that Georgians directly affected by the issue drafted, our movement did not retreat. Instead, we pushed forward a path to keep this issue at the forefront — a study committee that demands lawmakers listen, learn and, ultimately, act.
Georgia’s disenfranchisement laws stem from policies rooted in the post-Reconstruction era. They are designed to silence communities of color, especially Black people, under the guise of justice. These relics still deny nearly a quarter million Georgians the right to vote today. Undoing these laws is essential to ending systemic racism and creating a truly inclusive democracy.
This study committee marks an important step toward dismantling the harm the criminal legal system causes. But we know it is not the final step. It is a chance to center the voices of those directly affected, rely on lived expertise and data and demand policy solutions reflecting fairness and dignity for all.
People who have been denied the right to vote are not strangers to our society. They are our neighbors, coworkers, parents and friends. They pay taxes, support their families and contribute daily to our communities. Yet they are unjustly barred from having a say in decisions that affect their lives.
This is not only unfair but a betrayal of the democratic values we claim to uphold.
Let’s be clear: The formation of this committee is a milestone, not a finish line. We must ensure this is more than a symbolic gesture. The work ahead demands vigilance, unity and continued advocacy. We must keep the pressure on to ensure that the voices of impacted Georgians are heard — and acted upon.
To everyone who has shared their story, taken action and remained committed to justice, this victory belongs to you. And together we will keep pushing to ensure this moment sparks real, lasting change.
Now is the time to raise our voices and demand justice. This fight is not just necessary. It’s righteous. Join us as we mobilize, organize and stand in unwavering support of people who have been silenced for too long.
The study committee must hear us clearly. Every Georgian deserves the right to vote. Together, we will make sure the government can no longer ignore this injustice.
Let’s get to work.
Isabel Otero is the Georgia state policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Image at top: Photo illustration by the SPLC.