Senate President Pro Tempore Celebrates Expansion of Leader in Me Model Across Georgia

ATLANTA (August 8, 2023) | Just in time for the “back-to-school” season, the Georgia Department of Education allocated $2.5 million during their June meeting for the expansion of the Leader in Me model under the Amended FY2023 Budget. As part of this initiative, instructional materials will be delivered to 11 school districts and 28 schools across the state in preparation for the 2023-2024 school year.

“Middle Georgia has set a remarkable example in improving children’s lives and outcomes through this educational content,” said President Pro Tempore Senator John F. Kennedy (R – Macon). “I cannot express how appreciative and excited I am for the Leader in Me model to expand across our state. During the 2023 Legislative Session, our team worked closely with both Macon’s Business Education Partnership and representatives from FranklinCovey Education to secure the necessary resources for statewide expansion. With these additional funds, the Leader in Me model will continue to empower students across Georgia, instilling in them the leadership skills and principles that will shape their future success. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Chairman Rep. Robert Dickey (R – Musella), Georgia Board of Education Chairman Jason Downey, House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Matt Hatchett (R – Dublin) and Senate Committee on Appropriations Chairman Sen. Blake Tillery (R – Vidalia) for their support in securing this funding.”

“I am delighted to see Middle Georgia leading the way in our children’s education” said Rep. Dickey. “What our community experienced in Bibb County was no accident. The success of this program was a direct result of public and private partners coming together to improve educational outcomes in our community. I am excited to see this funding go towards expanding these opportunities for Georgia’s children around the state. I want to extend a sincere thank you to House Appropriations Chairman Matt Hatchett, Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery and President Pro-Tempore Kennedy for their support of this initiative.”

Sean Covey, President of FranklinCovey Education, said, “It’s been our honor to work with the Georgia Department of Education and the General Assembly to bring Leader in Me to schools throughout the State. We now look forward to partnering closely with these districts to bring the Leader in Me to their students to help them to build the leadership and life skills they need to thrive, adapt and contribute in today’s ever-changing world.”

Leader in Me is an evidence-based Pre-K-12 model, developed in partnership with educators, designed to build resilience and leadership in students, create a high-trust school culture, and help improve academic achievement.

The student-centric model aims to foster leadership skills, character development, and personal growth in students and is implemented in schools to empower students with the necessary tools to thrive academically and in their personal lives. It is designed to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and goal-setting skills. Students learn to take responsibility for their actions, set and work towards personal and academic goals, and develop a strong sense of self-confidence and self-efficacy.

Now in more than 7,000 schools throughout the world, Leader in Me continues to have a significant, measurable impact in schools and in the lives of millions of students, parents, teachers and administrators.”

The model’s success in Macon-Bibb County began during the 2015-2016 school year when Macon’s Business Education Partnership raised funds to implement Leader in Me in two pilot schools. The positive outcomes and transformative impact led to its expansion countywide in 2018.

You can find out more about Leader in Me here.

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Sen. John F. Kennedy serves as the President Pro Tempore of the Georgia State Senate. He represents the 18^th Senate District which includes Upson, Monroe, Peach, Crawford, and portions of Bibb and Houston Counties. He may be reached at 404.656.6578 or by email at john.kennedy@senate.ga.gov

Sen. Blake Tillery serves as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He represents Senate District 19, which includes Appling, Bacon, Jeff Davis, Long, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Wayne and Wheeler Counties and a portion of Coffee County. He can be reached at 404.656.5038 or by email at blake.tillery@senate.ga.gov

August 1, 2023

Senate President Pro Tempore Receives A+ Legislator Rating from Georgia Chamber

ATLANTA (August 1, 2023) | The Georgia Chamber of Commerce recently released its 2023 Legislative Scorecard, with Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy (R – Macon) receiving an A+ rating for his efforts during the 2023 Georgia Legislative Session. The 2023 Legislative Scorecard marks the 9th consecutive year of Senator Kennedy being recognized for championing pro-business legislation.

“I am proud to have received a top rating by the Georgia Chamber,” said Senate Present Pro Tempore Kennedy. “It is a priority of mine to ensure that Georgians have every opportunity to prosper as they chase the American dream, and I look forward to continuing the fight to make sure that Georgia stays the number one state to do business for many years to come.”

This legislative scorecard offers insight into how members of the Georgia General Assembly voted on issues during the 40-day legislative session.

The 2023 Scorecard includes legislation addressing education, legal reform, transportation, infrastructure, and healthcare. You can view the scorecard here.

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July 31, 2023

Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick Receives GMOAA Barto Award

ATLANTA (July 31, 2023) | Last week, the Georgia Military Officers Association bestowed the 2022 Barto award to Chairman of the Senate Committee on Children and Families Senator Kay Kirkpatrick (R – Marietta). Originally, the presentation was to be made in November of 2022, but was moved due to scheduling conflicts. Sen. Kirkpatrick receives this award due in recognition for her support and sponsorship of the new state income tax exemption for retired military personnel of $17,500.00/year. This exemption, known as House Bill 1064, will begin at the date of the service member’s retirement date, instead of the individual having to wait until age 62, which was the previous standard of practice.

“It is an honor to be named as a recipient of this prestigious award,” said Sen. Kirkpatrick. “I want to thank GMOAA for the recognition, and I look forward to continue working together for the benefit of all military personnel for many years to come.”

In 2014 the Georgia Military Officers Association of America (GMOAA), the Georgia council affiliate of the MOAA, established the Joseph C. Barto, Jr., Service Award to be presented annually to State of Georgia officials in the Executive Branch, House and Senate for their support of issues at the state level involving military personnel and veterans. The award is named in honor of LTC, USA (R) Joseph C. Barto, Jr., who was a past president of the GMOAA (back when it was the Georgia The Retired Officers Association [GTROA]) and then the long-serving director of legislative affairs for the GMOAA.

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Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Children and Families. She represents Senate District 32 which includes portions of Cobb and Cherokee Counties. She may be reached at 404.656.
3932 or at kay.kirkpatrick@senate.ga.gov

June 22, 2023

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.”

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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.

June 16, 2023

Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch Announced as 2023 Georgia Chamber ‘Legislator of the Year’

ATLANTA (June 16, 2023) | Last week, Majority Leader Sen. Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega) was announced as one of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Legislators of the Year. The award is given to three members of the Georgia General Assembly whose efforts have focused on promoting economic development, job creation and free enterprise.

“One of my top priorities as the Senate Majority Leader is to foster economic opportunity through innovation. I am honored to receive such recognition from the Georgia Chamber which utilizes strategic advocacy to achieve the very same goal across our state,” said Majority Leader Gooch. “It is imperative that Georgia maintains its record of being the best state to do business, and I will always strive to support our business enterprises both large and small through my work in the Georgia State Senate. I look forward to cultivating a strong partnership with the Georgia Chamber for many years to come.”

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is the state’s largest business advocacy organization, with a focus of advocating for both state and federal issues.

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Sen. Steve Gooch serves as Senate Majority Leader. He represents the 51st Senate District which includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Union and Pickens counties and a portion of White County. He may be reached at 404.656.7872 or via email at steve.gooch@senate.ga.gov