Issues
Affordable Healthcare
Georgia’s failure to expand Medicaid has led to far too many citizens in our state going without affordable healthcare, and the closure of a major Fulton County hospital. We continue to face rising costs for healthcare and prescription drugs, and high medical bills that can crush families or lead to the avoidance of needed care. Josh is prepared to put his expertise in insurance to work, crafting policy solutions including Medicaid expansion that will lead to lower healthcare costs and better coverage for everyone in our state. The recent pandemic exposed cracks in our healthcare system, and showed why we need to invest proactively to ensure every Georgian can have a healthy future. That includes addressing our state’s poor track record on maternal mortality and ensuring families are getting the support they need.
Women’s Rights and Protecting Choice
With the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the US Supreme Court, the health, lives, and safety of Georgia women has been placed at risk by an extreme ban on abortion and reproductive healthcare enacted by Georgia Republicans. Josh will support policies that protect women’s reproductive choice, access to reproductive healthcare, and the freedom for women and their families to have medical autonomy and choice. Josh believes that all healthcare decisions should be between a patient and their doctor, and that it is not the role of government to interfere with bodily autonomy and medical freedom. The women of Georgia deserve equal rights.
Supporting Our Schools
Josh’s children graduated from Fulton County public schools, having been involved firsthand in our local school system, Josh understands the state has a critical role to play when it comes to supporting our schools and our students. Josh supports fully funding our schools and increasing teacher pay to ensure that schools in District 48 have the resources they need so every student can achieve their dreams. He supports an approach to education that provides different pathways for students to achive excellence, including access to apprenticeship and job training programs, and full support for AP classes, dual enrollment, and other hybrid solutions that help students perform best in, and outside of the classroom.
Josh believes that parents and educators, not government bureaucrats, should be responsible for what is taught in the classroom, and believes our schools should be focused on preparing students for the future, they should not be a battleground for out of state political agendas, local education issues should be resolved locally by our school boards and parents. Josh opposes efforts to eliminate vaccine requirements in our schools that will lead to unsafe classrooms.
Josh came to America to pursue higher education, he believes higher education should be accessible to everyone in our state that is willing to work hard for it, regardless of their background or financial circumstances. Josh supports restoring the cuts to the Hope Scholarship program, and efforts to get tuition costs and student loan debt under control, we cannot educate and prepare the next generation if we are pricing them out of a future.
Strengthening Our Economy and Lowering Taxes
While our economy has seen a recovery since the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Georgia families are now feeling the pressure of inflation and high gas prices that are outpacing wages. Josh will work on policies that will strengthen our economy, get inflation under control, and lower taxes, including a long-term suspension of the gas tax until prices return to normal, increasing the homestead exemption to lower property taxes, and using the state’s budget surplus to provide a substantial tax rebate of at least $500 to every Georgia taxpayer to put money back in your pocket. A successful job creator, Josh knows what it takes to create good Georgia jobs that support families, Josh wants every Georgia worker to have dignity in work, including paid family leave, a minimum wage that reflects the cost of living in our state, and solutions that give Georgia families access to affordable childcare.
Josh will work with our small businesses and entrepreneurs as he has for decades, working to craft policy that will allow them to be successful and create jobs, rather than hindered by excessive red tape, high taxes, and burdens to entry on their businesses. Josh will advocate for occupational licensing reform, investments in broadband internet, and the promotion of international trade relationships that help local and Georgia businesses engage with the world.
Josh also supports strong workplace protections because every Georgia worker has the right to health and safety, and he supports job training and career skilling programs that help prepare Georgia workers for the jobs that will provide opportunity for years to come.
Protecting Our Voting and Civil Rights
Josh rejects the outrageous and harmful claims of fraud in recent Georgia elections including attacks on our election workers, and believes in order to have election integrity, we must have free and fair elections where the voice of the people matters. Josh will champion voting rights, and believes voting should be an easy and efficient process for eligible voters, whether they chose to vote by mail or in person. No one should have to wait hours in line to vote. Josh will support legislation that strengthens our democracy and increases voter confidence in the electoral process.
Josh is proud to call our diverse community home and wants to ensure that everyone in Georgia has strong civil rights protections that protect against all forms of discrimination. Georgians from all walks of life have found opportunity in our district, and no one should feel singled out because of who they are. Discrimination harms the citizens of our state and our economy and we must reject extreme agendas that lead us down a discriminatory path in law or practice. Josh will champion protections that allow every Georgian to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Investing in our Infrastructure, Public Safety, and Communities
From investing in public safety and law enforcement to prevent crime to funding infrastructure that will help address our traffic gridlock in District 48, Josh will prioritize securing funding and resources for our district to ensure that taxpayers receive the full value of the taxes they pay and our communities are safe. Josh will work with county and city leaders in district 48 and champion their priorities in the State Senate, and ensure there is a strong working relationship between state and local government. Josh believes that Georgia state government can be a productive partner towards stronger communities and wants to ensure district 48 has a powerful voice in the State Senate as funding and policy decisions are made.
Ethics and Transparency
Integrity is a bedrock value for Josh, he has lived his life and his business career with respect for ethical rules and boundaries, and he believes in transparency. The Georgia State Legislature is entrusted to be the steward of taxpayer dollars, and for too long special interests have controlled what happens under the Gold Dome. Josh will advocate for campaign finance reform, strong fiscal controls, and a comprehensive audit of state government and the state budget to address waste, fraud, and abuse, and root out the corrupting impact of special interests on state policy and budgeting.
Taxpayers deserve a leader who is looking out for their interests in the State Senate, and Georgia families deserve an ethical and transparent state government that puts them first.
Join Josh's Team
Keep up with the Josh Uddin campaign for State Senate by contacting our campaign.
Phone number: (404) 519-0109