ATLANTA (Sept. 17, 2009) – Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), Representative Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) and other members of the Senate and House delegations called on all state, city and local governments and authorities to review their list of contracts and subcontracts to ensure the taxpayers of Georgia that no money is being spent on contracts with Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) or its affiliates. The legislators also indicated that they are considering filing an open records request regarding the funding sources of ACORN affiliates in Georgia and in taking legislative action in the 2010 session of the General Assembly. Continue reading “Georgia Legislative Members call on Governments and Authorities to investigate possible spending to ACORN”
Williams Commends Sen. Eric Johnson’s Years of Service in the State Legislature
ATLANTA (Sept. 16, 2009) – State Sen. Tommie Williams (R-Lyons) issued the following statement today following Eric Johnson’s decision to step down from his Senate seat to focus on running for governor.
Continue reading “Williams Commends Sen. Eric Johnson’s Years of Service in the State Legislature”
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”
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”
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