MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Georgia's new legislative session is just about a week away from beginning, and there are some new faces joining the House of Representatives after November's election.
Ken Vance– who won House District 133, which covers Baldwin and Jones County–says he’s participated in around 10 elections in his lifetime. He says things are on a larger scale now, but he’s excited to not only make decisions that help people locally, but state-wide.
13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha had a chat with him about what he hopes to bring into the new year.
"I was very honored to be selected by the people in House District 133,” Vance says.
He’s been in local politics for decades, serving on Milledgeville's City Council for 30 years and are a part of groups like Georgia Military College's Board of Trustees.
However, he says now the stakes are higher.
"What you vote on affects Georgia,'' he explains. “I mean, you might be voting on a water right in Towns County that will affect something in Irwin County."
Vance says he wants to tackle local issues like education and economic development.
"You've gotta make yourself attractive to those industries that may want to locate here. That's jobs, that's people being able to pay their bills better, that's somebody that may be able to get a house for the first time,” Vance says. “You just want to create a better standard of living and economic development helps that.”
Vance says some statewide issues that will pass through the house this year will deal with education, abortion, and voting rights. However, he says his constituents want him to focus on the safety of the community.
"We have to find some way to help local law enforcement attract and retain people. People just want to be able to go about, have a job, go about their business and feel safe in their homes,” he says.
Vance says he simply wants to serve and help local folks all while making the best decisions for the state.
"It's not about you, it's about the people you represent. Of the people, by the people, for the people as Lincoln said. So, that's kind of been my mantra after all these years. You are there to serve and do the best you can while you're doing that.”
Vance says he will be getting sworn in on Monday, January 9th. That is also when the new legislative session will start.