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Fort: State Cannot Afford to Ignore Dropout Rates

ATLANTA (March 8, 2010) – Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) is urging the Senate to pass his Dropout Deterrent Act (SB132), which will increase the mandatory school attendance ages from 16 to 17.  Georgia has a dropout rate of 21 percent with 38,000 students failing to graduate from high school in 2007. High school dropouts cost the state $23.5 million annually.

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Sen. Orrock Announces Annual Women Entrepreneurs Day in Georgia

ATLANTA (March 8, 2010) – Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) today announced the first Women Entrepreneurs Day in Georgia, now an annual event at the State Capitol.  Recognizing Georgia’s nearly 200,000 women business owners, Women Entrepreneurs Day highlights the impact women entrepreneurs make on the state and national economy. 

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No Stone Unturned

By Sen. Jim Butterworth

“Leave no stone unturned.” This has become the theme of the budget process during the past few weeks. With Georgia facing an unprecedented slide in revenue numbers for the last 18 months, we have no choice but to make tough spending cuts. With education accounting for over 60 percent of state spending, our choices to cut are dismal at best. Continue reading “No Stone Unturned”

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Hamrick: Sharing the Burden

By Sen. Bill Hamrick

This week, we heard a presentation from the chancellor of the Board of Regents in response to the legislature’s request that our colleges and universities reduce spending. To meet these needs, their ideas include massive layoffs, cutting essential programs, limiting future freshmen admissions and cutting research programs. They said that an additional reduction in spending would be devastating. Continue reading “Hamrick: Sharing the Burden”