AJC/ACC Voter Guide - Local & Legislative Questionnaire

Ballotpedia, Robert Dawson (Georgia)

Candidate website

Said, "The state must do more to bring quality development and jobs to our region... We all want smart, safe, clean communities."

Supports using "future-forward technologies like electric vehicles, solar energy, blockchain technology, and cybersecurity to upgrade the state’s grid and capabilities." 

Said, "I support creating a more mobile district by investing in on-demand public transportation services to support our residents’ options to travel throughout our region"

Supports investing in public transit and believes it provides more "options to travel throughout [the] region."

- Supports using "future-forward technologies like electric vehicles, solar energy, blockchain technology, and cybersecurity to upgrade the state’s grid and capabilities." 
- Supports investing in public transit and believes it provides more "options to travel throughout [the] region."

Economy

The candidate's website says, "District 65 must use future-forward technologies like electric vehicles, solar energy, blockchain technology and cybersecurity to upgrade the state’s grid and capabilities. Let’s become an information technology hub! Computer Science, STEM, IT and Skilled Trade training programs are also needed."

Said, "I support building partnerships to enhance State parks in our district"

Said, "I support investing in public gardens, community gardens and “pocket parks”"

Supports improving state parks through partnerships and investing in public and community gardens.  

- Supports improving state parks through partnerships and investing in public and community gardens.  

Energy & the Environment

Said, "I will work to expand medicaid in Georgia and demand that all Georgians have access to adequate healthcare"

Wants to reform the process of building new hospitals in Georgia.

The candidate's website says, "Access to healthcare should be equitable across all racial, economic and demographic lines"

Said "Access to healthcare should be equitable across all racial, economic and demographic lines."

- Wants to expand Medicaid.
- Wants to reform the process of building new hospitals in Georgia.
- Said "Access to healthcare should be equitable across all racial, economic and demographic lines."

Healthcare

Said, "I will fight to protect the integrity of our elections and combat attempts to disproportionately prevent minority applicants from registering to vote"

The candidate's website says, "A federal judge threw out those maps, calling them racially discriminatory, and instructed Georgia lawmakers to draw new ones..."

The candidate's website says, "Republican leaders of the State House pushed through new maps that have been approved by the judge, even though they still give Republicans unfair advantages."

The candidate's website says, "After Governor Brian Kemp signed maps into law in early 2022, voting rights groups sued the state, calling the maps racially discriminatory... The groups argued the districts violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits racial discrimination in state voting policies and redistricting."

The candidate's website says, "Georgia is not the only state facing allegations of racial gerrymandering ahead of the 2024 US General Election. Tennessee, North Dakota, Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina have all faced legal challenges to proposed maps based on racial gerrymandering"

The candidate's website says, "David Scott (D-Ga) will no longer be the congressman for our area after a federal judge approved a GOP-led redistricting plan, which moved his district further south into the Macon area"

The candidate's website says, "Robert Dawson (D-Ga) announced he is pursuing election in Georgia's new State House District 65. Election Day is May 21, 2024... Dawson is subject matter expert on the issue of redistricting and has been advocating for fair representation in our area and beyond..."

The candidate's website says, "Your State House District map is changing. Some voters will remain in State House District 65 and many voters from the old District 61 are now living in the new District 65"

Said, "I will continue to stand against attacks on civil rights and voting rights in Georgia and beyond:"

Plans to "stand against attacks on civil rights and voting rights in Georgia and beyond:"

Believes Georgia's redistricting maps diluted Black voters' power, violating the Voting Rights Act, and ordered new maps with more majority-Black districts by a set deadline, with a third-party alternative if lawmakers failed to comply.

Believes Georgia's redistricting maps "violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Georgia's growing Black population...ordered...new maps with more majority-Black districts".

Said, "I am calling for the repeal of Georgia's restrictive voting laws and attempts to block fair access to the ballot"

Opposes "Georgia's restrictive voting laws."

Support third-party redistricting to prevent partisan maps.

Supports making Election Day a state holiday.

- Opposes "Georgia's restrictive voting laws."
- Support third-party redistricting to prevent partisan maps.
- Supports making Election Day a state holiday.

Voting & Elections

Said, "I support funding and implementing streetlight masterplans throughout the region"

Plans to federally fund and implement streetlight masterplans. 

Said, "I support funding the installation of sidewalks near schools to promote safe routes for our children"

Wants to install sidewalks near schools as he claims it will "promote safe routes for our children."

- Plans to federally fund and implement streetlight masterplans. 
- Wants to install sidewalks near schools as he claims it will "promote safe routes for our children."

Public Safety

Said, "As a proud product of public schools, I am an advocate for quality of education in our district... I want all our children to have the same opportunity."

The candidate's website says, "It’s time to prioritized public education and equip our students with forward-facing skills. We can enrich our students in the classroom and beyond"

Plans to prioritized public education and equip our students with forward-facing skills. We can enrich our students in the classroom and beyond"

The candidate's website says, "By hiring more public school teachers we lower class sizes and relieve overcrowding for our students"

Said, "I wrote one of the first United States Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Hope 6 grants, successfully securing $100,000+ in funding for public housing tenant training... I have also written other pro bono grants including a grant from CVS for A. G. Gaston Junior High School and grant from CVS for the Alabama School of Fine Arts. I am a dedicated supporter of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. I have had the privilege of developing art programming at Morehouse College, Alabama AM University, Alabama State University, Tuskegee University, Morris Brown College, and others."

Supports America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). 

Said, "We need to hire more public school teachers and pay them better. I support increasing the minimum public school teacher salary in the state from 42,000 a year to over 50,000"

Supports hiring more public school teachers and increasing pay from $42,000 a year to over $50,000  a year.

Said, "I oppose special interests groups who want to take money from public schools and send it to private schools and charter schools that don't have proper oversight and that rally even open their doors in our communities"

Opposes "special interests groups who want to take money from public schools and send it to private schools and charter schools that don't have proper oversight."

Said, "I support extending HOPE Grant eligibility and making college accessible and affordable for all"

Supports extending "HOPE Grant eligibility and making college accessible and affordable for all."

Said, "I support skilled-trade, information technology and cybersecurity training to upskill our public school students"

Supports skilled-trade, information technology and cybersecurity training in public schools.

Said, "I support expanding access to childcare and Georgia's Pre-K to ensure our children have the start the deserve in live"

Supports expanding childcare and prekindergarten access. 

- Supports hiring more public school teachers and increasing pay from $42,000 a year to over $50,000  a year.
- Opposes "special interests groups who want to take money from public schools and send it to private schools and charter schools that don't have proper oversight."
- Supports extending "HOPE Grant eligibility and making college accessible and affordable for all."
- Supports skilled-trade, information technology and cybersecurity training in public schools.
- Supports expanding childcare and prekindergarten access. 

Education

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Robert Dawson

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Georgia State House of Representatives.
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws. All bills dealing with the state budget originate in the Georgia House of Representatives.
- The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up our state lawmaking body: the Georgia General Assembly.
- There are 180 members of the Georgia House of Representatives, each representing a single district.
- State Representatives are elected to two-year terms. They are paid a yearly salary of $17,342. They only serve in the role part-time.