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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
Week 12 from the Gold Dome
Last week, the Senate adjourned Sine
Die with many accomplishments to be
proud of. Over the course of the 2018
Legislative Session, we made history by
passing Georgia’s largest-ever personal
income tax cut, expanded access to health
care and broadband in rural areas of the
state, and passed measures to benefit our
state's public servants, veterans and their
families.
As I have men
tioned in previous
columns, one of the
legislature’s main
goals this session
was to expand access
to broadband in rural
communities. This
goal was achieved
on the final day of
the session and we
have put Georgia’s
rural communi
ties on the path to
a greater economic development. Both
the Senate and the House adopted the
Conference Committee Report for Senate
Bill 402, also known as the Achieving
Connectivity Everywhere (ACE) Act. The
ACE Act will allow broadband service
providers seeking to deploy broadband
services to utilize the public rights of
way at no added cost to the state. The
providers would work with the Georgia
Technology Authority and local govern
ments to develop a comprehensive plan
for the deployment of broadband services.
In addition, the bill creates a new commu
nity designation known as “Broadband
Ready,” which will be administered by the
Department of Community Affairs. Once
a community has gained this designation,
it will become eligible for benefits such as
additional funding from the OneGeorgia
Authority. These are just a few of the
many provisions contained in the bill that
will put Georgia on the path to providing
full broadband coverage across the state.
To aid our state’s public servants, both
chambers passed House Bill 703, which
creates the Office of Public Safety Officer
Support within the Department of Pub
lic Safety. The new office will provide
public safety officers coping with PTSD
and related traumas resulting from then-
service in the line of duty with counseling
services from a fellow public safety officer
who is trained to do so. We ask so much
of our men and women in uniform, and
sometimes we forget that they could use
some help, too. The new office would
allow qualified public servants to offer
peer-to-peer counseling to fellow officers
in need.
Both chambers also passed House Bill
65 last week, which allows for the cre
ation of a Joint Study Commission on
Low THC Medical Oil Access. The com
mission will be tasked with studying all
aspects related to the in-state access to
medical cannabis and its effects. In addi
tion, the bill adds two new groups to the
list of those eligible for the Low THC Oil
Patient Registry. This group now includes
those suffering from “intractable pain”
and PTSD. As I described in last week’s
column, while Low THC Medical Oil
may not be the answer for every patient,
it may be the solution for some and this
especially applies to our veterans. Our
service men and women sacrifice so much
to protect our freedoms — the least we
can do is offer another alternative for those
coping with PTSD. I will be very interest
ed in the Study Committee’s findings, and
look forward to working with its members
to review any recommendations once their
work is complete.
Our final week also saw the passage of
legislation to create the Georgia Outdoor
Stewardship Trust Fund, which will be
used to benefit our state’s public lands and
promote conservation and management
best practices. The fund will be set up
in two parts, one of which requires your
vote. House Resolution 238 proposes a
constitutional amendment, which will be
placed on the ballot for voters to decide
later this year. If HR 238 passes, then
House Bill 332 will take effect. HB 332
sets up the fund and would direct up to 80
percent of the sales and use taxes collected
by sporting goods stores or outdoor rec
reation establishments to be dedicated to
the newly-created fund. This is not a tax
increase but just a redirection of funds for
this very special purpose.
It is all said and done in 2018 and we
have passed several pieces of legislation
to benefit the people of Georgia. While
our work at the Capitol for the legislative
session may be done this year, that doesn’t
mean my work is done for the great people
of the 47th District. I will continue work
ing over the interim in study committees
such as the Senate Advanced Communi
cations Technologies and Use of State and
Local Government Right of Way Policy
Modernization Study Committee resulting
from the passage of Senate Resolution
1019, which I sponsored. Additionally,
I will be meeting with members of our
community to see how I can best serve
you in the years to come. I thank you for
the opportunity to represent us under the
Gold Dome, and my lines remain open if I
can be of assistance in any way.
Sen. Frank Ginn serves as Chairman
of the Regulated Industries and Utilities
Committee. He represents the 47th Senate
District which includes Barrow and Mad
ison counties and portions of Clarke and
Jackson counties. He can be reached at
404-656-4700 or by email at frank.ginn@
senate.ga.gov.
Letter to the Editor
County animal control
deserves appreciation
Dear Editor:
My name is Dakota and I am a
14-year-old volunteer at the Barrow
County Animal Shelter.
I am writing this because Animal
Care and Control Appreciation Week
is April 8-14. and I want our county to
recognize our local animal shelter. The
staff is made up of very special people
who love animals. To them, it’s not a
job; it’s a reason. Mrs. Jackie (Fryman)
is the leader. She is the “bomb.com.”
she cares so much about the animals
and her staff. She goes out of her way
to make sure the animals come first. She
has changed the shelter in so many good
ways and, along with Kendra, April,
Cindi, Donnie. Randy, Russell, Shane
and John, has got a team that will go to
the ends to save an animal and get them
to a good home.
Every day of the year, the staff is
there cleaning, feeding, loving the ani
mals — even on holidays. They put
themselves in danger every day when
they go out on a call. The animal will be
scared and may go after the officer. All
of them have been bitten, scratched and
had blood and feces on them. So why do
they keep doing it? Because they are the
best at what they do and love what they
do and they are a family.
They care for the animals. They take
the most scared dogs and cats and work
hard to help them leave the shelter with
good adopters. If they have a really
scared dog. they have super-good rescu
ers they call who will come get the dog
who is scared, but good and just needs a
little more time in a quiet place to keep
learning to trust. And guess what? They
get adopted.
The super-scared cats get to live on
farms.
It’s a hard job. People come in mad
because the officers have taken their
dog. They call the staff really bad
names. They yell because they have to
pay money sometimes to get their ani
mal back; my special people smile. The
staff have to smile even when they want
to cry when someone brings in their
dog or cat and turns them in because
they are moving or because the animal
does not fit their life anymore. Why?
Because they are the best at what they
do and again love what they do.
Our shelter needs the people who
live here to start caring, stop by and see
them, ask questions, donate to the shel
ter. They always need cleaning supplies,
food and blankets. My big message: a
simple thank-you will go a long way for
them. They’re worth it.
Thank you.
Dakota Allen
Barrow County
2018 legislative session
successful, historic
The biggest news at the end of the 2018
session of the Georgia General Assembly
was passage of an appropriations bill that for
the first time in many years fully funds our
schools.
The final week of the session, the Gov
ernor’s office raised by $194.7 million the
revenue projection for
the fiscal year that starts
in three months. Gov.
Nathan Deal recom
mended that most of
that money be used to
fully fund the Quality
Basic Education formu
la for K-12 schools.
We have worked so
hard on school fund
ing since 2011, when
Nathan Deal became
governor and I became
chair of the House
Appropriations Committee. At that time, the
Great Recession continued to take its toll
on state revenues. Georgia only had enough
reserve funds to operate the government for
two days, and our HOPE scholarship funds
were nearly depleted.
By working with the governor, the legisla
ture was able to pass budgets the past eight
years that restored all but a $166.7 million
shortfall in the Quality Basic Education fund
ing formula. In FY 2019, that gap finally is
filled, and that is why there was a standing
ovation in the House when the appropriations
bill passed.
What this means locally is that Barrow
County schools will receive an additional
$1,392,414 for the full QBE restoration.
And a new initiative that started in the
House — $16 million for the purchase of
equipment to make schools more secure —
also is in the bill, directing $116,875 in safety
grants to Barrow County schools. Beyond
that, the House is undertaking a House Study
on School Security to recommend additional
steps that can be taken in the 2019 session to
make our students, teachers and staff safer.
In addition, the appropriations bill for
FY2019 fully funds the University System
of Georgia and the Technical College Sys
tem of Georgia, which together will receive
$2.47 billion. And with additional money
for the Teacher Retirement System, school
buses, HOPE scholarships and early learning
and Pre-K programs, education agencies will
receive a combined total of $14 billion of
the state’s $26.2 billion in appropriations in
FY2019. That means 54 cents of every dollar
will be spent on education.
We have done this — and much, much
more — while building reserve funds to $2.3
billion and passing the first income tax cuts in
the state’s history.
The session also was a win for the more
than 13,000 children in foster care. We not
only raised by $10 per day the per diem to fos
ter parents, but we also rewrote the Adoption
Code to make it easier to get the children into
permanent families.
Another big winner in this session was rural
Georgia and economic development statewide.
The very last bill we passed before adjourning,
in fact, was HB 951, which establishes the
Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation.
The reason why most of the initiatives of
the House Rural Development Council were
successful during the session is because rural
Georgia’s needs now have the full attention of
the state’s leadership. We will dig even deeper
in the coming months and produce our final
report in time for the 2019 session.
By far, the 2018 session was the most his
toric one I have witnessed. It took tremendous
effort, sometimes nearly around the clock, to
reach its successful conclusion.
But it absolutely would not have happened
without you, your support and your prayers.
Thank you for this opportunity to represent
you. May God bless you and your family.
Barrow County and our great state!
Rep. Terry England has served in the Geor
gia House since 2005. District 116 includes
most of Barrow County. In addition to chair
ing the House Appropriations Committee, he
is an ex-officio member of the Ways & Means
Committee and a member of the Agriculture
and Consumer Affairs Committee, the Edu
cation Committee, the Industry and Labor
Committee, and the Natural Resources and
Environment Committee.
Simple things make
life more enjoyable
Is it true that we enjoy the
smaller things in life more
the older we get?
It seems that is the case.
Recendy I found myself
enjoying the simple joy of
having a blue sky above
with plenty of sunshine. Our
recent weather has been a
mix of warmth, cold, rain
and wind. In Georgia we
always seem to have a mixed
bag when it comes
to our weather.
As a child, we
really don’t notice
things like the rain
or the sun. If it’s
raining, so be it.
If it’s a clear day,
that’s great too.
It isn’t until we
get older that we
begin to appreci
ate little things
that as children
we so often took
for granted. It probably has
something to do with the
fact that as adults our lives
are filled with more stress.
From work to bills to count
less other responsibilities, we
can’t help but feel bothered
when the small things we
take pleasure in are taken
away, even for a little while.
It’s those things which
help us get through the win
ter blues and sprint full-speed
into spring.
Some of the things which
are no longer taken for grant
ed from my perspective
include:
•birds singing in the back
yard after we take more food
and water to them. Their
bright colors always help cut
through the grayness of win
ter and remind us that spring
truly is not far away. Even
now that we are officially in
spring I love to see the red
birds fly in as soon as I leave
food for them.
•a peaceful day off after
several consecutive days of
work.
•talks with an old friend
and how you realize that
even though your childhoods
were years — decades —
ago, that those
events of yesterday
are only a conver
sation away.
•the blooming
flowers which
are more evident
now that we are in
April.
•the closeness of
your co-workers
and realizing your
life wouldn’t be
the same without
them on a daily
basis.
•the times when the power
bill is opened and my heart
doesn’t stop for a moment.
•memories of columns by
Lewis Grizzard, Celestine
Sibley and Furman Bisher.
•when the auto repair shop
tells me that nothing needs
working on under the hood.
•the enjoyment of holding
a new book in your hands
and beginning the process
once again of discovering the
contents within.
•how an old movie or an
old song can take you back to
the year they were released.
•the site of an old bam
in a field that can still be
seen from time to time off
the highway. There’s one not
far from where I live and I
always make a note to glance
over at it as I pass by.
•memories of the Steelers
and Cowboys meeting in the
Super Bowl back during the
‘70s. More focus was on the
game then and not all the
hype and hoopla.
•those friends who check
in on you daily. Yes, it’s eas
ier to do with e-mail, texting
and such, but knowing some
one thinks enough of you to
do so does mean a great deal.
•for the times when the
phone doesn’t ring in the
middle of the night or very
early in the morning. We all
know it usually is not good
news at those hours.
•those who have guided
us, influenced us and encour
aged us during our adven
tures in life. From family
members to friends, we
should never take anyone
we care about for granted.
Nothing is guaranteed in life
from one week to the next or
one day to the next. It’s why
we should all be thankful
for those little things which
make life more enjoyable.
Winder resident Chris
Bridges is a former editor
of the Barrow News-Journal.
You can send comments
about this column to pchris-
bridges@ gmail. com.
Town of Carl
The Town of Carl regular
town meeting is April 19,
2018 at 7:00 p.m. in City
Hall.
Town of Carl
The Town of Carl will hold an
open bid auction for 1998 Ford
Crown Victoria on April 7,
2018 at 12:00 p.m. at City Hall.
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