| As you may have heard, in late May I had the privilege of joining Governor Kemp, Speaker Burns and some of our states key economic development representatives in Israel on a mission to tell Georgia’s story abroad. Our mission was clear: Show one of our country’s strongest allies why Georgia is the best place to live, work and raise a family. Our economic development mission chartered a comprehensive itinerary including tours of world-class cyber security centers at Ben-Gurion University, in-person meetings and discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog, and strategic discussions with many Georgia Companies in headquartered the region. Our trip also included a visit to Yad Vashem, the Jewish people’s memorial to the Holocaust, meetings with Israeli business leaders at locations such as the Mount of Olives, Nazareth, and Tel Aviv.  During my time on the ground, it became apparent that Israel is among the nations leading the world with significant developments in its robust technological, military and intelligence industries. Similarly, Georgia has been working to do the same at the Georgia Cyber Center in Augusta. Due to the hard work and visionary leadership of our state leaders, Georgia is uniquely positioned to maintain our cybersecurity leadership role not just nationally but globally. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature to ensure our continued excellence in this growing field and I am excited to bring these experiences to the table during the 2024 legislative session. Along with leading the way in cyber security, Israel is also home to roughly 8 Georgia companies headquartered within its borders and 21 Israeli companies have operations in our state. Georgia currently exports $280 million in goods and services to Israel and Israeli companies employ more than 1000 Georgians statewide. America has always treasured its diplomatic ties with the nation of Israel. It is imperative that our state leadership continues to nurture and recruit opportunities for economic development. It was a privilege to share Georgia’s story with Israel’s top diplomats and begin a conversation about how our nations can work together to recruit opportunity for our state throughout multiple sectors of our economy. I appreciate Governor Kemp for the invitation to join him on this key diplomatic endeavor and I look forward to seeing the Georgia Senate continue lead the way in courting economic opportunity for our state. In the District: Thank you to the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce for allowing me to participate in the “Good Morning Macon” Legislative Breakfast. I enjoyed sitting alongside members of the Macon-Bibb delegation as we discussed the problems facing our state, and a re-cap of the 2023 Legislative Session. I was excited to share my legislative update with business and community leaders from throughout Middle Georgia. Thank you to Greater Macon Chamber President Jessica Walden for hosting such a fantastic event. I look forward to being with you again very soon.  Announcement of ARPA Funding in Middle Georgia: Last week, Governor Kemp notified me that his administration has awarded $225 million for 142 qualified grant projects across our state with an aim to improve parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks and food access in communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am excited to report that many middle Georgia projects in our district will be recipients of this necessary funding. This funding includes $1.3 million for improvements to Macon’s Linear Park, $1.4 million to provide access to healthy food opportunities for Silvertown neighborhoods in Thomason, more than $700,000 to extend the South Peach Park Walking Trail in Peach County. It is my hope that those who enjoy our beautiful recreational facilities will do so for years to come because of these improvements. Announcement of Community Public Safety Awards for Middle Georgia: Governor Brian Kemp announced additional grant awards totaling more than $83.5 million for 118 qualified projects that improve community-level public safety measures and address law enforcement staffing challenges that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program funds will be allotted to supplement local law enforcement staffing, support violent crime reduction or community violence intervention programming, and invest in technology and equipment to address and respond to the rise in community violence across the state. This funding will affect many projects in Middle Georgia that will have ripple effects across the state including $85,800 to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center for development and implementation of trainings, both live and online, and development of safety resource manuals for Violent Crime Reduction Programs. An additional $980,760 to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center for supplies and equipment for the development and implementation of trainings, both live and online, and development of safety resource manuals and 817,050.30 to the Monroe County Commissioner’s Office and Monroe County Sheriff’s Office for the use of camera devices to deter gun violence and solve crimes. I am proud work alongside Governor Kemp to ensure the implementation of these programs to reduce violent crime across Georgia and expand our recreational opportunities. I am very thankful for Governor and his staff for securing this grant funding for the people of Georgia’s 18th State Senate district. It is my hope that both of these grant awards in public safety and recreational development continue to improve the lives of Middle Georgians. Congratulations to our 2023 High School Graduates!  I look forward to seeing all that you accomplish. If I can ever be of any assistance to you in your future endeavors, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office using the contact information below. As always, it is an honor to serve Georgia’s 18th Senate District, and my door is always open. Sen. John F. Kennedy serves as the President Pro Tempore of the Georgia State Senate. He represents the 18th Senate District which includes Upson, Monroe, Peach, Crawford, and portions of Bibb and Houston Counties. He enjoys and appreciates hearing from his constituents and can be reached at 404.656.6578 |
Sen. Valencia Seay Donates Photos to The King Center
ATLANTA (July 20, 2023) | This week, Senator Valencia Seay (D – Riverdale) presented The King Center with a framed photo collage capturing the day Mrs. Coretta Scott King lay in state at the Georgia State Capitol. The collage also includes a photo of Senator Seay and her colleagues as they stood on the 3rd-floor balcony, looking down in a state of mourning over the loss of Mrs. King.
Continue reading “Sen. Valencia Seay Donates Photos to The King Center”Senators Jason Anavitarte and Sonya Halpern Serve as Panelists for Solar Forum at Georgia Tech Kendeda Building
ATLANTA (July 17, 2023) | Last week, Senators Jason Anavitarte (R – Dallas) and Sonya Halpern (D – Atlanta) took part in two panels at “The State of Solar in Georgia: A Policy & Economic Forum,” hosted at the Kendeda Building on the campus of Georgia Tech. The Georgia Solar Energy Industries Association and Conservatives for Clean Energy Georgia sponsored the event.
Continue reading “Senators Jason Anavitarte and Sonya Halpern Serve as Panelists for Solar Forum at Georgia Tech Kendeda Building”Rep. Drenner, Sen. Jackson Announce New DeKalb Ethics Board Members
ATLANTA – State Representative Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) and State Senator Kim Jackson (D-Stone Mountain), co-chairs of the DeKalb County Legislative Delegation, today announced the newly appointed members of the DeKalb Ethics Board.
Continue reading “Rep. Drenner, Sen. Jackson Announce New DeKalb Ethics Board Members”Legislators Urge Attorney General Carr to Protect Teaching Hospital in Proposed Wellstar Takeover of Augusta University Health System
ATLANTA (June 22, 2023) | Senator Nan Grogan Orrock (D – Atlanta), Representative Kim Schofield (D – Atlanta) and Richard Rose, President of the Atlanta NAACP, announced they have filed comments urging Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr to address concerns about the Board of Regents’ plan to turn over control of Augusta University Health System (AUHS) to Wellstar Health Systems, Inc.
State law requires the Attorney General to review a proposed transfer of control of any non-profit hospital for the purpose of safeguarding its charitable assets and ensuring that the transaction proceeds are used for appropriate charitable health care purposes. Attorney General Carr’s office is currently conducting a review of Wellstar’s proposed acquisition of AUHS and will hold a public hearing in Augusta on June 27.
“All Georgians have a stake in what happens to AUHS because it is the primary teaching hospital for Medical College of Georgia,” said Sen. Orrock. “The hospital and clinics need to be operated by people whose organizational culture and practices demonstrate their trustworthiness for the mission of training professionals and providing high quality care rather than simply pursuing business opportunities.”
Atlanta NAACP President Richard Rose says, “Wellstar violated our trust when it chose in 2022 to abandon suddenly the largely minority communities formerly served by Atlanta Medical Center and Atlanta Medical Center South even as it was undertaking to acquire AUHS, and with it, the opportunity to build a new hospital and doctors office complex in mostly white Columbia County. Do we think Wellstar’s record here suggests the company is a dependable party to control an institution so important to the state?”
“Furthermore, Wellstar has not yet made amends for the damage it caused our communities when it closed the hospitals,” adds Representative Schofield.
Sen. Orrock and Rep. Schofield represent the districts where these hospitals were located. They say their constituents have suffered a severe reduction in their access to health care which has been documented in a new study completed by Ernst and Young for Fulton County and Morehouse Medical School.
Sen. Orrock emphasizes, “We are still working to ensure Wellstar compensates our communities so that they can restore services and improve access to quality care. Attorney General Carr should consider the potential for Wellstar to face financial obligations and limitations that could affect their plans and promises with regard to AUHS.”
Three federal complaints on the Wellstar closures are pending before the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The complaints to OCR and DOJ concern the fact that Wellstar’s closure of the two Atlanta hospitals, citing a disparate negative impact on patients who are Black or other people of color. The complainants ask that the agencies investigate Wellstar, a recipient of federal funds required to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, make findings on whether Wellstar’s actions violate the Act, and if so, require Wellstar to redress fully the harm to the community.
The complaint to the IRS is based on Internal Revenue Code requirements that nonprofit hospitals meet certain obligations in order to qualify for their tax-exempt status. Among those being that nonprofit hospitals must conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment and then adopt an implementation strategy to meet the identified needs.
The complaint states that Wellstar identified critical needs in the community served by the two hospitals, first among them, access to health services, but instead of planning to meet those needs, Wellstar closed down its hospital and physician’s office services, severely disrupting an existing ecosystem of care that had served the community for decades. The complaint asks the IRS to determine whether Wellstar continues to qualify for tax benefits.
Sen. Orrock stated, “IRS has revoked at least one hospital’s tax exemption for a failure like Wellstar’s to adopt an implementation strategy.” She continued, “Besides requiring Wellstar to pay federal, state and local taxes, a revocation of its charitable tax-exempt status would seem likely to disqualify Wellstar from taking over AUHS, given the Attorney General’s obligation to safeguard AUHS’s charitable assets.”
Rep. Schofield said, “We urge Attorney General Carr to ensure that Georgia’s interests with regard to the AUHS hospital and other facilities are rigorously protected.”
# #
Sen. Nan Orrock serves as the Democratic Caucus Secretary. She represents the 36th Senate District which includes portions of Fulton County. She may be reached at 404.463.8054 or by email at nan.orrock@senate.ga.gov.