William Harris
William Harris
GA State Rep. (D-74)From William Harris:
I believe that our communities should be the bedrock of our society, not some government in Washington D.C. or even in Atlanta. By electing me to serve as your next Representative you will be sending someone who understands that we’re only as strong as our small communities are and the role of State Government is to assist our communities in governing themselves.
Georgia State House District 74 needs strong leadership with a strong vision and I hope you give me the privilege to serve this community as your next Representative!
View all Fayette County Candidates
Issues:
Expand Healthcare
The healthcare system in Georgia ranks as the second worst in the country (Source), we have the third highest uninsured population in the United States, and our infant mortality rates are 125% higher than the national average. Expanding healthcare in Georgia improves our healthcare infrastructure and saves lives. It's past time for us to pass healthcare expansion.
Medicaid currently covers 1 in 5 Georgians making it one of our most vital public health institutions but the Republicans in Atlanta consistently block Medicaid access for our most vulnerable citizens. By expanding Medicaid we can insure more than 250,000 of our neighbors and community members keeping them healthy.
Invest in Rural Hospitals
Georgia is one of the most dangerous states to give birth in as shown with our 120% higher than national average infant mortality rate. We know that the closing of rural hospitals is a key reason why. By expanding Medicaid we can keep our rural hospitals operating which saves peoples lives, including our newborn populations.
Minimum Wage
The minimum wage in Georgia in $5.25 per hour while the Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. In 1968 the federal minimum wage peaked at a modern-day-adjusted-value of around $12 per hour. If the 1968 minimum wage grew at the same rate as the United States economy then the minimum wage would be around $22 per hour.
Workers in Georgia deserve higher pay for their hard work. Higher wages will stimulate our economy and lift our communities up.
Lower Taxes
The majority of the taxes paid in our country are paid by working class individuals like you and me. Income-based tax plans hurt the hardest working members of our state the most. Too many tax cuts are being written for the wealthiest citizens among us while the folks who actually need the help are left on their own.
When the state experiences a surplus in revenue then it only makes sense that "We the People" either find good investments to make in our state or we give that money back to our taxpayers.
Cooperative Business
Ronald Reagan said it himself, “I can’t help but believe that in the future we will see in the United States and throughout the Western world an increasing trend towards the next logical step, employee ownership. It is a path that befits a free people.” Georgia doesn’t currently have the legal classification for worker cooperatives. We should work to encourage the creation of worker cooperatives within our legal framework to ensure that more companies can follow the ideals of employee ownership.
Legalize Cannabis
30,000+ Cannabis Arrests in Georgia per Year
$4,390 in Taxes Wasted per Cannabis Arrest
$73,170 in Taxes Wasted per Cannabis Felony
Cannabis laws disproportionally affect marginalized communities of Color and represent a huge waste of taxpayer time and resources. Electing William Harris means sending someone to Atlanta who will fight to end the immoral prohibition on cannabis including the expunging of non-violent cannabis-related convictions releasing otherwise innocent folks back to their families and communities. Legalizing cannabis in Georgia could result in more than $2 billion dollars in extra revenue for the state allowing us to invest more in tax cuts, our infrastructure, and our society.
More than 13% of Georgians consume cannabis on a normal basis and 2 out of 3 citizens believe that it's time we end the prohibition on cannabis. A majority of people in society believe that we should cease overcrowding our prisons with non-violent drug offenders.
Black and Brown people are 3x more likely to be arrested for cannabis charges than our white community members (Source). It is vital that these same communities that the "War on Drugs" has devastated are properly re-invested in to remedy the decades of state enforcement and oppression.
About William Harris
Georgian Father
William Harris was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and has lived in Georgia his entire life where he raises his two children. He lived in Spalding County for a majority of his life until moving to Fayette county in 2015.
Within his community he helps individuals seeking to do good in their neighborhoods realize their dreams by helping them organize into functional institutions.
Left-Libertarian
We can only be a free country when everyone is free. The United States of America is 5% of the global population but has 22% of the global prison population. Our society has the largest number of total prisoners and the largest number of prisoners per capita compared to every other country on Earth. We need to scale back our oppressive institutions enforced by the State.
We can find solutions in decentralized policy, giving political power back to the communities of our state
Small Business Owner
William Harris has been a small business owner in Fayette County since 2015 so he knows the various nuances of how businesses are run and operated. Since 2015 his company has expanded to employing five workers and he is able to dedicate his time to his family, company, campaign, and community.
A graduate of Georgia College & State University with a Bachelor's of Business Administration, William Harris is prepared to represent District 74.
