ATLANTA — On Thursday, the Georgia House unanimously passed a bill to create a commission on maternal and infant health.
The sponsor of the bill is a state representative who has carried her own infant onto the House floor since he was a newborn.
She is not the only mother in the legislature, but state Rep. Lauren Daniel (R-Locust Grove) is the only one whose baby has a badge of his own to get on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Since last year’s special session, the Republican from Locust Grove has bundled her son Zane onto her and carried him through her workday as a member of the state House of Representatives. His badge says "Zane Daniel / Baby of the House."
Zane was born a couple of months early. His doctor urged Rep. Daniel to breastfeed him, which has added weight and has improved his disposition.
"I get here early in the morning. And I try to feed him before I get in the chamber. And that way he is" -- Daniel chuckled – "amicable, I guess, is the right word. He stays quiet. He’s happy to be wrapped up."
Daniel said House speaker Rep. Jon Burns (R-Newington) urged her to keep her baby with her while she did her work in the House – introducing bills like the one creating a commission on maternal and infant health – which passed unanimously around midday Thursday.
When Daniel introduced the bill, she spoke from the well of the House with Zane snuggled into a baby-holding cloth secured around her waist and neck.
"The truth of the matter is, not every workplace is as welcoming as this capitol. And I just think she’s been embraced, and I know Zane has been embraced by this group," Burns told 11Alive.
And while Daniel's X feed leans partisan Republican, her child and her motherhood have had bipartisan appeal, says state Rep. Angela Moore (D-Stonecrest).
"I think it’s beautiful, "Moore said. "He is the quietest child ever. I just naturally assume that when the child is ready, he’s going to say, 'Mom, I don’t want to go in the office today.'"
Daniel said lawmaking and babysitting can be a bit exhausting.
"People think it’s cute and a good thing. But it is somewhat of a sacrifice to carry him every day," she said.
But Daniel embraces the burden – saying it adds needed elements of humanity and innocence to the sometimes coldblooded work of lawmaking.