Georgians’ cost of living is too high. My plan makes life more affordable.

Editor’s note: The AJC editorial board invited Georgia gubernatorial candidates to write guest opinion columns during the midterm election season. You can find Republican Rick Jackson’s submission here.

I can still picture the dread on Mama’s face, standing in the aisle of the grocery store. We would fill the cart with the essentials for the week. Nothing extra or extravagant, the bare minimum.

Then came the moment of truth. If we had $50 to spend and the bill came to $62, we all knew what happened next. We would look at the groceries, look at the total and start putting things back — one item at a time. We kept going until the number on the register matched the amount that Mama had in her pocket.

Today, as I travel across our state, I keep hearing versions of that same story. Different families, but the same daily problem: the cost of living is too high. We feel it at the checkout counter, the gas pump, the pharmacy, every time we pay the mortgage or see the car insurance renewal come due.

I am running for governor because I know the struggles working families face, and I’ll use those experiences to lower costs for all the little girls and boys across Georgia who are living the same scene that I lived as a child.

Five priorities centered around citizens’ pocketbooks

I’ve built my agenda around the stories of Georgians struggling to get by — from students in Dahlonega choosing between tuition and their next meal, to South Georgia cafeteria workers struggling with housing costs, to an Atlanta small business owner who can’t afford her family’s healthcare. They all deserve a governor who will fight for them.

Listening to Georgians has inspired me to develop plans to lower the cost of five of the biggest drivers of our affordability crisis: healthcare costs, grocery costs, gas and auto insurance costs, housing and homeownership costs, and the cost of education. Affordability will be my top priority — and together, these plans would save Georgia families nearly $1,500 per year.

First, as governor, I will take action to lower the cost of healthcare by passing Medicaid expansion and lowering premiums for families. My CARE Plan for Healthier Georgia expands Medicaid, lowers premiums, protects consumers through Georgia Access and pursues targeted state premium support to help keep costs low and prevent coverage loss for Georgians who rely on the ACA.

Second, I will take action with my local grocery and family essentials tax relief plan, which will empower localities to eliminate the local sales tax on groceries and essential items like diapers, baby formula and feminine hygiene products. This would save the average family in counties with a 5% sales tax up to $427 per year.

Third, my DRIVE Plan will eliminate the state’s 2.25% tax on auto insurance premiums, roll the state tax on gas back to 28 cents per gallon and end automatic annual fuel-tax increases. This will put about $110 annually back in the pockets of Georgia drivers. Georgians are facing some of the highest auto insurance rates in the country and should not have to worry about affording their daily commute to work. My opponent has not proposed any plan to permanently lower the gas tax.

I’ve built my agenda around the stories of Georgians struggling to get by — from students in Dahlonega choosing between tuition and their next meal, to South Georgia cafeteria workers struggling with housing costs, to an Atlanta small business owner who can’t afford her family’s healthcare. They all deserve a governor who will fight for them.

Listening to Georgians has inspired me to develop plans to lower the cost of five of the biggest drivers of our affordability crisis: healthcare costs, grocery costs, gas and auto insurance costs, housing and homeownership costs, and the cost of education. Affordability will be my top priority — and together, these plans would save Georgia families nearly $1,500 per year.

First, as governor, I will take action to lower the cost of healthcare by passing Medicaid expansion and lowering premiums for families. My CARE Plan for Healthier Georgia expands Medicaid, lowers premiums, protects consumers through Georgia Access and pursues targeted state premium support to help keep costs low and prevent coverage loss for Georgians who rely on the ACA.

Second, I will take action with my local grocery and family essentials tax relief plan, which will empower localities to eliminate the local sales tax on groceries and essential items like diapers, baby formula and feminine hygiene products. This would save the average family in counties with a 5% sales tax up to $427 per year.

Third, my DRIVE Plan will eliminate the state’s 2.25% tax on auto insurance premiums, roll the state tax on gas back to 28 cents per gallon and end automatic annual fuel-tax increases. This will put about $110 annually back in the pockets of Georgia drivers. Georgians are facing some of the highest auto insurance rates in the country and should not have to worry about affording their daily commute to work. My opponent has not proposed any plan to permanently lower the gas tax.

Fourth, my property tax and homeowner relief plan will put $855 per year back in the pocket of the average qualifying homeowner. We will do this by fully funding the homeowner tax relief grant every year, increase the statewide homestead exemption and eliminate the state tax on homeowner insurance. My plan will also streamline permitting, expand down payment and renter assistance, and establish an affordable housing trust fund to support the development of affordable and workforce housing. Whether you own or rent, you deserve to be able to afford a comfortable place to live here in Georgia.

Finally, my early learning plan will make it easier for Georgians to afford an education — whether it is an affordable local pre-K for working parents or an opportunity to gain job skills at a technical college. I will guarantee pre-K and require full-day kindergarten for Georgia students to give our youngest a bright future and to lower expenses for parents. I will also create a path to free technical college so workers can gain new skills and new jobs.

Listen to Georgians and put families first

I’m running to fight for Georgia families, while Rick Jackson, the Republican nominee for governor, celebrates how President Donald Trump’s tariffs and tax cuts grow his wealth at the expense of Georgians, raising their annual cost of living by nearly $1,200 and pushing working people into poverty.

I’m running for governor to fight for Georgia families by lowering costs, expanding affordable healthcare, investing in education and protecting our rights.

By listening to Georgians and putting families first, we can build a stronger state — a state where no one has to stand at the checkout counter wondering what they can afford.