Gold Dome Update
Highlights from the House
Week Six
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The completion of day 20, last Friday, officially marked the halfway point of the 2019 legislative session. It was a productive week on Capitol Hill as we passed measures dealing with healthcare, education and economic development. As we make our way towards the final days, debate continues to heat up as we all work to ensure our district interests are well protected. We also welcomed our Supreme Court Justices to the House chamber for joint session before the General Assembly.
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State of the Judiciary
Over the last few years, a primary focus for the General Assembly has been that of Criminal Justice Reform. Chief Justice Melton spoke of judicial branch accomplishments through our reform efforts, while highlighting areas where our state could improve. Chief Justice Melton shared positive news regarding reduced recidivism rates, taxpayer savings and our strengthened communities by giving non-violent offenders the chance to become law-abiding and productive citizens.
Improvement areas include initiatives for early intervention by lessening our foster and kinship care numbers in the state. It has been statistically shown that children without the support of a stable family environment are at larger risks for dropping out of school and unplanned teen pregnancies, which are known to increase an individual’s chances of encountering the judicial system as adults.
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Healthcare Measures
Our body unanimously passed
House Bill 158,
which would give HIV-positive individuals on Medicaid access to the
most effective medications
on the market to combat the disease. The bill requires that all suffering from HIV/AIDS, receive the same antiretroviral drugs. The cost to treat an individual with HIV/AIDS under the state drug program is $338,000 compared to the $1.7 million it costs when not using the state program. Sadly, our state has experienced high numbers of new HIV diagnoses in recent years. This legislation works to combat the spread of HIV/Aids within our communities while working to protect the overall health and well-being of our citizens.
House Bill 186
ensures that the proceeds from the sale or lease of a hospital property are put into an irrevocable trust fund, solely for the purpose of providing charitable care in our state. This bill amends current Georgia law so that interest on these funds can be used for health care purposes for
charitable care
instead of for hospital only use. This change would allow local authorities to use the funds generated by the trust fund for a wide variety of healthcare purposes which include clinics and preventative measures.
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Education
Last week, we continued our efforts to improve educational opportunities in the state by passing two bills,
House Bill 130
and
House Bill 59
.
In 2010, we established the
Georgia Foundation for Public Education(GFPE)
. The GFPE has played an important role in implementing educational initiatives and programs throughout the state. Under
HB 130,
the GFPE would be authorized to qualify as a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
.
Additionally, we passed
HB 59
to ensure that
children in military families
can attend school as soon as the family arrives in Georgia. Under current code, military families are required to establish residency prior to enrollment. This bill would change that, allowing guardians on active duty to pre-enroll a student in a local school district when they receive official military orders to transfer to Georgia.
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Economic Development
Last Thursday, we proactively addressed the future well-being of economic development in our state through the adoption of
House Resolution 37
.
HR 37
establishes the Georgia Commission on Freight and Logistics. The Commission would be comprised of members of the House and Senate, along with various development and transportation experts spanning the state.
The joint commission would spend one year
analyzing public policy development
. Further, they would research available funding for the 2020 legislative session which would support our freight and logistic industries. These industries provide 439,000 jobs a year, generate $25 billion in personal income, as well as, account for $2.9 billion annually in state and local tax revenues. We are confident this proactive approach will pay off in the long run, securing our economic development progression.
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Please be on the lookout for future updates concerning our government at work. If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact us at anytime. Thank you for allowing us the privilege of serving you under the gold dome. We look forward to the coming days where we will continue to stand strong for simple, smart and effective government.
Respectfully,
Shaw Blackmon
Representative of Georgia's 146th House District
Contact:
478-918-7477
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Representative Shaw Blackmon
District 146
Email: Shaw.Blackmon@house.ga.gov
Phone:
404.463.7853
Address: 401-K State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Rep. Shaw Blackmon represents District 146. He currently serves as a member of Economic Development & Tourism,Governmental Affairs, Insurance, Juvenile Justice, Rules, Small Business Development, Special Rules, and Ways & Means Committees. He serves as Chair of the Transportation Committee on Appropriations and also as House Appointee to the Joint Defense Commission.
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