Rural health care and access to veterans’ services are among the priorities Micah King is bringing to his campaign for Georgia House District 157.
King, a Democrat and former Glennville City Council member, says he entered the race to give voters another option and seek more resources for the district’s communities.
King says veterans who settle in Southeast Georgia after leaving Fort Stewart need nearby resource centers and clinics.
He said some must drive two to three hours to reach a veterans’ resource center.
He also wants better help connecting former service members’ skills with civilian jobs.
King works as a career counselor for the Transition Assistance Program, which helps soldiers find work as they leave the military.
On rural health care, King cited hospitals in Evans, Jeff Davis and Appling counties that he said are in danger of closing.
He called for access to hospitals, clinics, doctors, preventive care and children’s dental care.
Describing the travel involved in getting treatment, he said his family has driven from Glennville to Savannah for appointments, a trip he put at about an hour and a half.
King, a father of six, also identified maternal health care as a concern in Tattnall County and elsewhere in the district.
He said his family has traveled to Statesboro for maternal health emergencies.
His accounts of those trips are part of his argument for care closer to home.
King wants to connect Southeast Georgia farms, both small and large, with grocery stores, distributors and school lunch programs.
For students, he proposes partnerships with churches, retired teachers and community groups to support reading and math outside the school day, including during breaks.
Rising home values have also become a campaign issue for King. He said residents in Baxley have described higher property-tax bills on homes they do not intend to sell.
King wants to work with tax assessors and real estate professionals on possible relief criteria, which could include a homeowner’s age or length of residency.
He also called for broader rural broadband access for farms, schools and businesses, citing difficulty livestreaming at his church.
King said federal funding and grants exist and that counties need connections with providers and information about available programs.
On criminal justice, King said Georgia’s prison system needs adequate staffing, rehabilitation programs and support for people returning to their communities.
He cited Smith State Prison and said prison staffing should not leave local emergency services, including ambulances, strained.
King said he has lived in the district throughout his life and is raising his family in Glennville.
His four years on the city council included the COVID-19 pandemic; he said he sought an equal share of city resources for its communities.
He has pledged to remain accessible to constituents. Asked about running as a Democrat in a traditionally conservative district, he urged voters to weigh policies rather than party affiliation.
He also said he supports Second Amendment rights.
Voters can hear from King at a candidate town hall and forum Saturday at 6 p.m. in the South Tattnall Middle School gym. The event is free and open to the public.
Yolonda Harris
News Now Georgia
