Georgia Dem takes heat for claiming every child in state is hers: Does she 'understand how creepy this is?'
State Rep. Anne Allen Westbrook made the controversial comment while discussing the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Twitter users scratched their heads at a Georgia Democrat's spiel during a State House discussion on the state's SB 233, also coined the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, that failed to clear the House of Representatives before the end of legislative session on Wednesday.
"The question that came to my mind is: Who is my child? Every single child in Georgia. Every single one. Without exception. Not just my own. Not just the ones that I gave birth to," Georgia State Rep. Anne Allen Westbrook said while discussing the state's Senate Bill 233.
School choice advocate Corey DeAngelis posted the clip to Twitter, where users weighed in on Westbrook's take.
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Democratic Georgia State Rep. Anne Allen Westbrook. (Twitter/@DeAngelisCorey/Georgia House of Representatives/Screenshot)
"Does she even understand how creepy this is?" Rep. Nick Freitas, R., a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, commented.
Another user joked, "Her child support payment must be ENORMOUS."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"These people don’t understand the difference between advocating and actually being the parent," a third said.
Others criticized Westbrook for allegedly touting a Marxist concept that the state supersedes parents, a common criticism among parental rights advocates that swept school board races last year and continue to push to make their voices heard now.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Georgia State Capitol Building, state house, interior, chamber of the State House of Representatives. (Walter Bibikow via Getty Images)
"This is the language of Marx & its not aligned with reality. PARENTS are the parents. The STATE does NOT supersede the decision making rights of parents. Period. Full stop," one user typed.
The bill, endorsed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, R., looked to expand school choice in the Peach State by creating a promise scholarship account (or voucher) to help families alleviate costs of private school tuition.
Kemp and Republicans allied on the bill in the hope that it would pass both chambers since the GOP holds majorities in each, but it ultimately failed to pass the House of Representatives.
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The Georgia State Capitol Building in Atlanta. (iStock)
Four rural state Republicans defied party lines and voted against the measure Wednesday.
Westbrook, a Democrat from the Savannah-area 163rd district, was among the 89 nay votes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DeAngelis, in the comments of his tweet, pointed out that Westbrook attended a private school yet voted against the measure.
He shared a screenshot taken from her campaign website sharing her educational background, pointing out she graduated from Savannah Christian Preparatory School.
"She went to a private school," he wrote.
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