Senate Press Release – Page 627 – Georgia Senate Press Office

September 14, 2009September 16, 2009

Shafer Voices Support for Gwinnett Open Heart Program

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
September 14, 2009
For Information Contact:
Natalie Strong, Deputy Director
natalie.strong@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028

ATLANTA (September 14, 2009) – Today Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth) joined with other members of the Gwinnett County Legislative Delegation in supporting Gwinnett Medical Center’s application for a certificate of need to offer open heart surgery. Gwinnett’s application is opposed by Emory University Hospital.

Continue reading “Shafer Voices Support for Gwinnett Open Heart Program”

September 14, 2009September 18, 2009

What the Georgia GOP has always embraced and still does

By Georgia Senator Judson Hill

Once again, Jay Bookman skews the facts of legislation to suit his own liberal tendencies (editorial on Sept. 11 –“GOP once embraced what it now condemns”). My proposed Constitutional Amendment does not prevent Georgians from having health care choices. The Constitutional Amendment will preserve and protect the rights of individuals to make their own health care and health insurance choices, whatever their choice may be. This is needed because threats of single–payer health care or an individual/employer mandate are not unique to Washington, DC. Fourteen states have introduced legislation calling for single-payer or a form of government payer health care. The Health Care Freedom of Choice Constitutional Amendment ensures this will never be the case in Georgia.

Continue reading “What the Georgia GOP has always embraced and still does”

September 14, 2009

South Georgia at the State Capitol

By: State Sen. Greg Goggans

ATLANTA (September 14, 2009) –

Furloughs Won’t Affect Retirement

When furloughs for state employees became widespread this year, one of the questions raised was how that reduction might affect those nearing retirement. The retirement benefit for teachers and state employees is based on a calculation of the average of the two highest years of salary, which are typically the last two years but do not have to be.

The question became whether furloughs, and the resulting reduction in salary, reduce the average pay and therefore reduce the retirement benefits that employees are locked in on for the entirety of their retirement.

Based on the advice of the Attorney General and his interpretation of the law, retirement officials have ruled that furloughs will not affect an employee’s retirement calculation. The answer lies in the definition of “salary.” A furlough does not count as a reduction in salary so the calculation of an employee’s two highest years of salary is not changed due to a furlough.

Conversely, a pay cut, or reduction in pay, would in fact constitute a reduction in salary and would reduce the average for anyone within the two year calculation window. If an agency or school system actually reduces the pay or contracted time of employees or teachers, this would be a permanent change and would affect the two year calculation if the final years are the highest years of salary.

Please remember to contact me in my office on the issues that are affecting you and your area. I am here to represent you and it is an honor for me to work on your behalf. As always, I’d like to thank members of the Senate staff, who contribute regularly to my column.

Sen. Greg Goggans represents the 7th Senate District, which includes Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Lanier, Pierce and Ware counties and a portion of Cook County.

COLUMN
For Immediate Release:
September 14, 2009
For Information Contact:
Matt Colvin Broadcast Specialist
matthew.colvin@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028

September 10, 2009

Senator Rogers to Chair Senate Policy Group

ROGERS@HIS DESK (2)c ATLANTA (Sept. 10, 2009) – Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) is chairing the new Senate Policy Group, which is actively engaged in creating a policy agenda for the 2010 Legislative Session. Members of the policy group include Senators Mitch Seabaugh (R-Newnan), Chip Pearson (R-Dawson), Bill Heath (R-Bremen), and Bill Cowsert (R-Athens). Continue reading “Senator Rogers to Chair Senate Policy Group”

September 10, 2009September 10, 2009

South Georgia at the State Capitol

By State Sen. Greg Goggans

goggansheadshot ATLANTA (Sept. 4, 2009) In 1993, the state established the Georgia Lottery with the intent of raising revenue for two educational programs, the HOPE Scholarship Program and the Pre-Kindergarten Program. HOPE, Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally, was developed to assist Georgia students in affording higher education. The Pre-Kindergarten Program was created to help four-year-old students gain access to preparatory programs for kindergarten.

The HOPE Scholarship Program has been a great success for education in Georgia. Over 1.1 million students have taken advantage of the program with $10.6 billion in awards. Just this past year, more than 111,770 students in Georgia received the HOPE scholarship. That’s up from 42,797 since the start of the program. Continue reading “South Georgia at the State Capitol”