In Georgia, two lawmakers are working together to keep other lawmakers safer. One is Ruwa Romman, the first Muslim woman elected to the Georgia state House. The other is Esther Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia House of Representatives. They are working together to introduce a new security bill in the state assembly.
The bill they support is called House Bill 1004. It was written by six Democratic lawmakers from the Atlanta. The goal of the bill is to give more security to state lawmakers and their families if there is a serious threat to their safety. This means if someone threatens a lawmaker and the threat seems real, they could get more protection.
In Georgia, only the governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the House get security officially. The new bill would give this extra protection to leaders in both the House and the Senate, including the minority leader, and also to their families if they face a real threat.
Ruwa Romman serves in the Georgia House for District 97. She made history by becoming the first Muslim and first Palestinian woman elected to that position. Romman grew up in Georgia after moving from Jordan when she was young. She is now a Democratic lawmaker who is also candidate for governor.
Esther Panitch represents District 51 in the Georgia House, and she is the only Jewish lawmaker in the state assembly. She has been in office since 2023 and has involved in making laws. Panitch lives in Sandy Springs with her family.
Lawmakers who support the bill say that threats against elected officials have increased in recent years. Some lawmakers and community leaders think that giving extra security to more members of the legislature could help protect them and their families.
Supporters say that people who serve in public office sometimes receive unsafe messages and threats, especially online and on social media. They say this makes lawmakers and their families feel unsafe or afraid. The new bill would create rules so that when lawmakers face real danger, more help and protection from government would be available for them .
Not all lawmakers have shared their thoughts on this bill yet, but the idea of protecting lawmakers from real threats is something that many legislators take seriously. Georgia is a state where people from different backgrounds live and work, so safety for officials is important.
The effort by Romman and Panitch is notable because it shows lawmakers from different religions working together for a same goal. Religious tensions and safety concerns have been topics of discussion in the past in Georgia, including debates about defining hate crimes, antisemitism, and protecting religious groups from threats.
Romman and Panitch’s work on this bill has got attention because it involves safety and respect for lawmakers who represent different communities in Georgia. It also sends a message that people from different backgrounds can join together in government to try to make public service safer for everyone.
As the Georgia state house continues its session, the bill will move through committees and discussions before lawmakers vote on it. If it becomes law, state leaders and their families could get more protection when they face real threats while their tenure.