Brookhaven State Lawmaker Holds Town Hall Meeting

told her constituents on Tuesday night that she will continue working to educate voters on the merits of a that will be voted on later this summer.

"It certainly seems like in this neighborhood, there is more sentiment against cityhood," Parent said, during a town hall meeting at Clairmont Baptist Church. "There have been several organizations formed that are in opposition to the idea."

Parent, whose 84th district includes much of Brookhaven, voted against the Brookhaven cityhood bill this past legislative session. on the final day of the Georgia General Assembly.

Also present at the meeting was , who represents the neighboring 82nd district. Both Parent and Holcomb have been drawn into the same district as a result of the most recent state legislative redistricting, which is mandated every 10 years in conjunction with a new census.

Both Parent and Holcomb said they are close friends, and Parent was noncomittal when it comes to whether she and Holcomb would actually run against each other this summer.

Other items that Parent said the General Assembly acted on include:

• reforming the state's tax code;
• reforming Georgia's criminal justice code to focus on rehabilitation instead of incarceration;
• stronger laws when it comes to theft of metal, such as copper wires;
• reducing state unemployment checks from 26 weeks to 14-20 weeks; and
• the bill that was recently signed by Gov. Nathan Deal.