Georgia’s Grocery Bills Are Too High. Keisha Lance Bottoms Wants to Lower Them.

I’m a mom of three who’s watched grocery prices keep rising. Georgia can do something about it.

(DULUTH, GA – September 5, 2026) – If you do the grocery shopping in your home, you know exactly how it feels when everything adds up at the checkout line, even when you’re buying less. I’m a mom of three, and I’ve gone from shopping at Publix to shopping at Aldi. I kid you not, I even asked ChatGPT to help me build a grocery list that stretches every dollar. These prices are crazy, and hard-working families across Georgia are feeling the pinch.

The Price Hikes Aren’t Just Inflation — They’re a Choice.

We also have fewer grocery chains controlling more of the market than ever, which means less pressure on anyone to keep prices down. Some companies have been caught coordinating to artificially inflate prices, which is exactly what happened with our egg and chicken prices.

How Can Georgia Actually Lower Your Grocery Bill?

1. Give local governments the option to exempt groceries from the local sales tax.
2. Eliminate the state’s 4% sales tax on diapers, feminine hygiene products, and take-home family meals.

Georgia doesn’t charge state sales tax on groceries alongside 37 other states and Washington, D.C. According to Georgia’s FY2026 Tax Expenditure Report, the state sales tax exemption has saved Georgia families $996 million. That being said, Georgia belongs to a group of just nine states that exempt groceries while still allowing cities and counties to tax them. A Georgia Department of Audits study found that the average local sales tax rate on groceries is 3.37%, a rate Georgia families are still paying at the register. Closing that gap is the core of Keisha’s plan. It would bring Georgia in line with the majority of the country and would save Georgia families hundreds of dollars a year.

Fighting for Georgia’s Women and Families

The first bill I ever introduced in the Georgia Senate was to eliminate the sales tax on menstrual products. The ban on this pink tax would save Georgia women and girls at least $6 million a year, less than 0.01% of the state budget. Georgia is one of 18 states that still punitively charge women more at checkout simply for menstruating. I had certain male colleagues across the aisle who didn’t want to touch this issue because it was the “girly” bill. I am sure you can imagine the pure outrage I felt hearing those words. Fun fact: In Georgia, men don’t pay sales tax on Viagra, but women pay sales tax on tampons.

As the first woman to give birth while serving in the Georgia Senate, I introduced legislation to cut sales taxes on items that families use daily to raise their babies. I am thrilled to see a priority to eliminate taxes on diapers. Twenty-seven states already do not charge sales taxes on this necessity for our babies; it’s time Georgia joins the majority of the nation.

Keisha’s plan also includes a clear exemption for qualifying take-home family meals, whether sold hot or cold. This means a hot rotisserie chicken from Costco or Publix would cost less. This plan will seek federal approval to allow families who rely on SNAP to purchase hot, qualifying take-home meals as well, for which they are currently excluded.

It is clear Keisha is listening to Georgians. I’m excited about Keisha’s plan because she understands what everyday Georgia families need right now, and she’s making their relief a real priority.

What You Can Do

Share this article so more Georgians know that Keisha has a true affordability agenda to lower the cost of groceries.

1. Vote up and down the ballot. This plan still needs a legislature to pass it.
2. Subscribe to Let’s Address Georgia so you’re the first to know when this fight moves forward.

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