With A Few Minutes’ Notice, Bill Clears House Committee: Laid-Off Workers Would See Benefit Cuts

ATLANTA (March 26, 2012) – Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) is appalled at the expedited and secretive nature that the House Industrial Relations Committee met this morning with less than an hour’s notice to vote out SB 447. The bill  cuts the maximum number of weeks laid-off workers can receive benefits.  This will hurt the most for employees and their families who’ve been let go because of budget reductions and no fault of their own.  Workers and their families who would have been eligible for up to 26 weeks will get a maximum of 20 weeks, starting this summer if the bill passes.  The maximum will drop down to as low as 12 weeks as the unemployment rate declines.

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Sen. Orrock, Rep. Virgil Fludd and Georgia Working Families Legislative Caucus Oppose Unemployment Insurance Cuts that Shred the Safety Net for Working Families and Failure of General Assembly to Pass Bills to Create Jobs

ATLANTA (March 8, 2012) –Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) and Rep. Virgil Fludd (D-Tyrone), Co-Chairs of the Georgia Working Families Legislative Caucus, joined with the AARP and others to unify the effort against legislation that would shred the safety net for hard-working middle class families, and address the General Assembly’s failure to create jobs amidst the highest sustained unemployment in 60 years.  They noted that the Senate’s passage of SB 469 last night would further undermine efforts by groups committed to helping working families of this state to organize and protest abuses by businesses in these difficult economic times.

“The number one priority for all Georgians is job creation, and that should be the number one priority of the Georgia General Assembly”, said Rep. Fludd.  “Instead, as we review the wreckage after crossover day, we see a mass of legislation that hurts working families.  We see Bills that undermine the core values of the American dream instead of rewarding hard work and playing by the rules,” he continued.

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Sen. Orrock Joins Rally on Immigration Bill to Block Undocumented Students

ATLANTA (February 28, 2012) – Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) joined educators, students and other state legislators at an immigration rally on the steps of the Capitol today to protest Senate Bill 458 and House Bill 59.  These bills would ban undocumented students, with no regard to academic credentials, from attending all 35 institutions in the University System of Georgia and 26 institutes in the Technical College System of Georgia.  It also makes amendments to last year’s already detrimental HB 87.  The amendments would ease licensing for business owners in Georgia who’ve already proven their legal status by not requiring proof upon reapplication.  This also applies to other public benefits currently requiring verification of legal status in Georgia.

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Sen. Orrock Recognizes John Sweet for Lifetime Achievement Award

ATLANTA (February 28, 2012) – Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) honored John Sweet on Friday, Feb. 24 with Senate Resolution 1043 for his Lifetime Achievement Award given by the State Bar of Georgia and the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism.  He will be presented with the Justice Robert Benham Lifetime Achievement Award today, Feb. 28.

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