By Bill Hamrick
Senate Approves MLK Advisory Council
ATLANTA (March 16, 2011) – The Georgia State Senate today voted in favor of Sen. Emanuel Jones’ (D-Decatur) bill to create a Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council to coordinate activities in observance of the MLK holiday. Senate Bill 141 aims to promote awareness and appreciation of the Civil Rights movement and Dr. King’s legacy.
“Dr. Martin Luther King overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to bring peace and justice to his fellow man. Every year, we celebrate Dr. King’s noble work. The council will allow for better coordination at the state and local level to educate Georgians on his teachings,” said Jones. “The MLK holiday should represent more than just a break from our daily routine. His life and work is too important for only a moment’s pause of remembrance.”
The advisory council will be housed within the Department of Community Affairs and will be composed of nine members, including the commissioner of DCA, members of the Senate and House and six governor appointees, two of whom must be between the ages of 18 and 22 years old.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Sen. Emanuel Jones represents the 10th Senate District, which includes portions of DeKalb and Henry counties. He may be reached at 404.656.0502 or via e-mail at emanuel.jones@senate.ga.gov.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
March 16, 2011
For Information Contact:
Natalie Strong, Director
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
Kallarin.Richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028
Senate Streamlines Compensation to Families of Emergency Workers Killed While on Duty
ATLANTA (March 16, 2011) – The Georgia State Senate today passed Sen. John Albers’ (R-Roswell) legislation to streamline compensation to families of public emergency workers who are killed in the line of duty.
“Georgia’s emergency personnel put their lives on the line every day for the safety and security of the people of this state,” said Albers. “The least we can do is to ensure that their families receive compensation in the tragic event that their loved one is killed while serving in the line of duty. This bill will bring consistency to the way payments are made to family members, ensuring that the process is structured and fair.”
Currently, if a law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician, emergency management specialist, or prison guard is killed or suffers organic brain damage in the line of duty, payment from the Georgia Indemnification Fund will be made to the surviving family members. Senate Bill 155 outlines who the payments go to first, beginning with the deceased’s spouse, to the deceased’s dependent children in the event there is no surviving spouse, or in the event that there is no surviving spouse or dependent children, equally to the deceased’s surviving dependents, including dependent parents and siblings. In the case of organic brain damage, payment will be made to the legal guardian.
SB 155, also known as the “Jarrett Little Act”, is named in honor of a Walker County and Fort Oglethorpe firefighter who died in January 2009. Little was a single, 23-year-old volunteer firefighter who was killed when the fire truck he was driving overturned on the way to a fire.
Albers is a fourth-generation firefighter serving as a volunteer in Alpharetta. “I have a keen interest in public safety and protecting those who sacrifice their lives to protect their fellow citizens. Serving alongside these brave men and women has given me a unique perspective on how their families are impacted when they lose their loved one, and I believe it’s our responsibility as elected officials to ensure that the law works in their favor,” added Albers.
The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Sen. John Albers represents the 56th Senate District, which includes portions of North Fulton County. He may be reached at his office at 404.463.8055 or by email at john.albers@senate.ga.gov.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
March 16, 2011
For Information Contact:
Natalie Strong, Director
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
Kallarin.Richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028
State legislators and Ms. CEO Inc. to announce initiative to make Georgia a model state for creating new jobs and economic progress among women entrepreneurs
More than 100 women business owners to convene at State Capitol for second annual ‘Women Entrepreneurs Day in Georgia’
ATLANTA (March 15, 2011) – Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) will join fellow legislators and Ms. CEO Inc. to officially announce House Resolution 409 and a Senate resolution recognizing Women Entrepreneurs Day in Georgia at the State Capitol, and to announce a new initiative to make Georgia a model state for creating new jobs and economic progress among women entrepreneurs. The announcement will detail a plan to boost the success of Georgia’s 278,250 woman-owned small businesses – turning more of them into job-creating companies and contributing an additional $500 million, or more, to Georgia’s economy annually.
WHO:
- Senator Nan Orrock and others
- Members of the House Special Committee on Small Business Development and Job Creation: Reps. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), Paulette Braddock (R–Hiram), Barbara Sims (R–Augusta), Gloria Tinubu (D–Atlanta), and Amy Carter (R-Valdosta), with Rep. Michele Henson (D-Stone Mountain) of the Committee on Economic Development and Tourism
- Felicia Joy, creator of ‘Women Entrepreneurs Day in Georgia’ and founder of Ms. CEO Inc.
WHEN: Monday, March 21, 2011
11:15 a.m. – Press Conference
WHERE: State Capitol – outside on the Washington Street side of the building
*If there is inclement weather, the press conference will be held in the Senate press conference room on the main floor of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building (room 203) located at 18 Capitol Square, Atlanta, Georgia 30334.
Sen. Nan Orrock represents the 36th Senate District, which includes portions of Fulton County. She may be reached at 404.463.8054 or by e-mail at nan.orrock@senate.ga.gov.
ADVISORY
For Immediate Release:
March 15, 2011
For Information Contact:
Natalie Strong, Director
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
Kallarin.Richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028
Dawson County’s Legislative Delegation Comments on Legislation Creating the Dawsonville Airport Authority
ATLANTA (March 14, 2011) – The Dawson County Legislative Delegation made up of three members of the Georgia General Assembly – Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), State Senator Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) and Rep. Amos Amerson (R-Dahlonega) – released the following statement regarding the future of House Bill 453, legislation creating the Dawsonville Airport Authority:
“Legislation to create the Dawsonville Airport Authority as requested by the City of Dawsonville raises too many questions for the legislation to advance further. As public officials elected to represent Dawson County, we believe that the City of Dawsonville has an obligation to fully inform the community of both the near term and long range plans for such an authority.
“We also strongly encourage the City of Dawsonville to hold public hearings between now and the 2012 session of the Georgia General Assembly. This will allow an open dialogue for determining the need for such an authority and give Dawsonville residents an opportunity to offer input. Until that happens and a stronger case for such an authority can be made, House Bill 453 will not have our support and has no chance of becoming law.”
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
March 14, 2011
For Information Contact:
Natalie Strong, Director
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
Kallarin.Richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028