Governor Creates Educational Abuse Study Group

Gov. Sonny Perdue has accepted the recommendations of the Office of the Child Advocate and created a working group to examine policies and procedures that are followed when cases of abuse are alleged in an educational environment.

The Governor’s Working Group on Abuse in the Educational Setting will convene experienced school administrators and leaders along with law enforcement personnel to develop consistent statewide policies and protocols for addressing reports of child abuse by school employees.

The Governor has charged the working group with developing specific child abuse reporting and response procedures that can be adopted by every school system in the state. The group’s recommendations will include specific processes for parents and students to report abuse as well as protocols for school system management to use when taking personnel action involving accused employees and reporting the incident to law enforcement, system leadership and the Professional Standards Commission.

A specific task of the group will include developing protocols for addressing allegations abuse in special settings, such as those involving special educational programs operated by Regional Educational Services Agencies (RESAs).

Gov. Perdue’s formation of the working group comes in response to recommendations from the Office of the Child Advocate. In June, following a disturbing case alleging abuse of a child by school personnel, the Governor charged the State Child Advocate with determining whether Georgia’s laws and policies adequately address issues of abuse in the educational setting.

The first meeting of the working group has been tentatively scheduled for late August. The members of the working group are:

• Matt Arthur, Superintendent, Rabun County Schools

• Emily Lembeck, Superintendent, Marietta City Schools
• Jeannie Edwards, Student Health Coordinator, Dawson County Schools
• Stephanie (Taylor) Williams, Ed.S., Early Intervention Program (EIP), MontgomeryElementary School, DeKalb County Schools
• Jay Fowler, Principal, Rocky Creek Elementary School, Henry County
• Pete Skandalakis, Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney
• Rachael Barron, Parent Representative, Atlanta

Gov. Perdue Issues Writs of Election for State House Seats

Gov. Sonny Perdue has issued writs of special election for State House Districts 58, 129 and 141.

The vacancies are due to the resignations of Rep. Robin Shipp, Rep. Vance Smith, Jr. and Rep. Bobby Parham.

The special elections to fill the vacancies will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3 in conjunction with municipal elections. Qualifying dates will be set by the Secretary of State’s office.

Georgia to Receive $4M from USDA for SNAP Management

Gov. Sonny Perdue announced Tuesday that the state of Georgia will receive a High Performance Bonus of $4 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its management of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program.

The average national payment error rate for FY 2008 was 5.01 percent. Georgia’s average, 2.5 percent, was less than half of the national average. Georgia was also the most improved in the country. In FY 2007, Georgia’s payment error rate was 8.13 percent.

In addition, Georgia also outperformed the nation in the negative error rate which measures whether a state correctly determines eligibility. Georgia’s negative error rate was 4.13 percent, while the national average was 10.88 percent.

In her letter announcing the High Performance Bonus, USDA Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Julia Paradis wrote to Gov. Perdue, “I personally want to commend you for your achievement and encourage you to continue your efforts to improve program integrity and the overall administration of SNAP. Proper administration of this important nutrition assistance program results in public confidence as we work together to provide services to needy Americans.”

Gov. Perdue Notes Infrastructure Projects for Areas

Gov. Sonny Perdue recently announced the approval of 11 state and federally funded environmental infrastructure projects totaling $91.5 million. Five of the projects were either fully or partially financed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) at a total of $40.5 million.

The Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) board of directors approved the commitments to help finance water and sewer infrastructure projects in Cobb County, ColquittCounty and Gwinnett County, and the cities of Camilla, Hiawassee, Port Wentworth, Portal, Sparta, Stillmore, Valdosta and West Point.

GEFA helps communities prepare for economic growth and development through the provision of low interest loans. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) is a federal loan program administered by GEFA for wastewater infrastructure and water pollution abatement projects. Eligible projects include a wide variety of storm water and wastewater collection and treatment projects. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is a federal loan program administered by GEFA for water infrastructure projects. Eligible projects include public health-related water supply construction. The Georgia Fund is a state funded program administered by GEFA for water, wastewater and solid waste infrastructure projects. The Georgia Fund provides loans and grants to local governments for projects such as water and sewer lines, treatment plants, pumping stations, wells, water storage tanks and water meters. Low interest loans from this program are available up to $10 million.

Under the ARRA financing terms adopted by the GEFA board of directors, cities or counties that are OneGeorgia-eligible qualify for a 70 percent subsidy. Cities or counties that are not OneGeorgia-eligible qualify for a 40 percent subsidy. Green projects receive a 60 percent subsidy. For example, if a OneGeorgia-eligible community applies for a $1 million loan, then 70 percent of the loan will be forgiven and the community will close on a 20-year loan of $300,000 at a three percent interest rate. OneGeorgia-eligible communities are located outside the state’s metropolitan areas and have a population of 50,000 or less with a poverty rate of 10 percent or greater. The unprecedented amounts of subsidy in the ARRA financing terms will help Georgia meet the ARRA’s short-term goals of job creation and economic stimulus.

Georgia local governments expressed a tremendous amount of interest in the ARRA funds. Cities and counties submitted more than 1,600 clean water, drinking water and green projects with a total cost that exceeded $6 billion. Total available funding for projects through the ARRA is $144 million. Funding is obligated to projects on a first-come-first-served basis.

Gov. Perdue Certifies $146M in Metro Atlanta Transportation Projects

Gov. Sonny Perdue has submitted the required “1511 Certification” on transportation projects in metro Atlanta that will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“These funds include much needed road widening projects, improvements in our intelligent transportation system and upgrades to traffic signals that will ease congestion,” said Gov. Perdue. “It also includes $25 million to keep MARTA moving.”

Projects include widening of Eagles Landing Parkway in Henry County, improvements to 14^th Street in downtown Atlanta improvements and additional lanes on State Route 20 in GwinnettCounty. Gov. Perdue submitted the certification as part of a June 12 letter to US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood.

In the letter, the Governor informed Secretary LaHood that more projects will be certified as the Georgia DOT and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) amend their TIPs to include additional projects.

Gov. Perdue Notes Certified Work Ready Communities

Gov. Sonny Perdue announced Monday that Chattooga, Cook, Grady, and Jenkins counties were named new Certified Work Ready Communities, a designation showing the county has the skilled workforce that business demands and the educational infrastructure to drive economic growth and prosperity.

The four counties represent the fifth group of Georgia counties to complete their Work Ready Certificate goals.

The new Certified Work Ready Communities achieved the following:

* Chattooga County: 503 Work Ready Certificates earned (56 percent above goal); increased public high school graduation rate from 70.3 percent to 75.8 percent;

* Grady County: 352 Work Ready Certificates earned (22 percent above goal); increased public high school graduation rate from 65.1 percent to 71.4 percent ;

* Jenkins County: 277 Work Ready Certificates earned (67 percent above goal); increased public high school graduation rate from 63.6 percent to 72.3 percent ;

* Cook County: 294 Work Ready Certificates earned (34 percent above goal); increased public high school graduation rate from 64.8 percent to 67.6 percent.

To earn the Certified Work Ready Community designation, counties must demonstrate a commitment to improving public high school graduation rates through a measurable increase, and show a specified percentage of the available and current workforce have obtained Work Ready Certificates.

Each community created a team of economic development, government and education partners to meet the certification criteria. Counties are given three years to reach the goals necessary to earn the designation.

To date, 12 counties have earned the Certified Work Ready Community designation and 112 others are working toward their individual goals.

Once counties attain their Certified Work Ready Community goals, they are able to maintain their status by ensuring a small percent of their available workforce continue to earn Work Ready Certificates, engage local businesses to recognize and use Work Ready, and continue to increase their public high school graduation rate until they reach a threshold of 75 percent. Once they reach 75 percent, they must maintain that graduation rate to maintain their certification status.

To continue their work, each county will receive a $10,000 grant. Their Work Ready Community teams will also receive a two-year membership to their local chamber of commerce and a budget for additional Work Ready outreach materials. Counties that are fully certified receive road signs and a seal denoting the year they achieved certification.

Georgia’s Work Ready initiative is based on a skills assessment and certification for job seekers and a job profiling system for businesses. By identifying both the needs of business and the available skills of Georgia’s workforce, the state can more effectively generate the right talent for the right jobs. The Certified Work Ready Community initiative builds on the assessments and job profiling system to create opportunities for greater economic development.

Gov. Perdue Unveils Be Work Ready Program

In tough economic times, it is more important than ever for unemployed Georgians to embrace life-long learning opportunities and improve their core job skills.

With that in mind, Gov. Sonny Perdue announced the launch of Be Work Ready, a program designed to help unemployed Georgians jump start their job search, develop confidence and gain a competitive advantage in the job market.

Be Work Ready is a one-of-a-kind initiative providing unemployed Georgians a monetary incentive for either earning a Work Ready Certificate or improving their skills through free, online Work Ready skills gap training. Funding for the initiative is provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

When an individual earns a bronze, silver or gold level Work Ready Certificate, they are eligible for a $50 incentive; those who earn platinum are eligible for $100. When an individual improves their Work Ready Certificate level in any way, they are eligible for a $100 incentive. The incentive, in the form of a pre-paid card, can be used to offset job search expenses.

Be Work Ready is available to those age 18 or older who are currently unemployed and have earned a Work Ready Certificate and/or improved their Work Ready Certificate level through skills gap training. Those who have earned a Work Ready Certificate since Sept. 1, 2008 are also eligible to apply. Individuals answer a short questionnaire and fill out an application form at

www.begaworkready.org to qualify.

Job seekers can also post their Work Ready qualifications at www.begaworkready.org and select a target industry where employers throughout the state will be able to access this information and contact candidates about available jobs.

A Work Ready Certificate, powered by ACT’s nationally accredited WorkKeys® assessment system, validates an individuals’ skill and knowledge levels to potential employers. Individuals take the free assessment and earn a certificate at one of four levels – platinum, gold, silver and bronze. Free, online skills gap training helps individuals improve their Work Ready Certificate level.

Gov. Perdue Notes Master Teacher Honorees

Gov. Sonny Perdue recently announced the names of 112 new teachers who have earned the “Master Teacher” certification, a designation based on appreciable gains in student achievement.

“There are now 466 Master Teachers in Georgia who have demonstrated their expertise in helping our children achieve at higher levels,” said Gov. Perdue. “They are masters at inspiring students to learn, and I am proud to recognize their tireless efforts and collective success in improving student achievement.”

Georgia’s Master Teacher Certification Program was championed by Gov. Perdue during the 2005 legislation session and is coordinated by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC). It provides statewide recognition to certified public school teachers in Georgia who have at least three years of teaching experience and who consistently demonstrate instructional excellence through student achievement.

Master Teachers are eligible to automatically renew their teaching certificates as long as they continue to qualify for Master Teacher status.

For more information on the Master Teacher program, visit

http://www.gamasterteachers.org or send an email to MasterTeachers@gapsc.com.

Gov. Perdue Signs $18.6B Fiscal Year 2010 Budget

Gov. Sonny Perdue announced that House Bill 119, the state’s FY 2010 budget, has been signed into law. The FY10 budget year begins July 1, 2009.

The $18.6 billion FY10 budget is $2.5 billion less than the original FY 09 budget passed during the 2008 session of the Georgia General Assembly. Gov. Perdue began reducing agency spending in the FY09 budget last summer, and submitted significant budget cuts in both the Amended FY09 and FY10 budgets to the legislature in January. The Governor revised the revenue estimate during the session, accounting for further reductions in tax collections and the availability of stimulus funding in certain state programs.

The FY10 budget includes $23 million for trauma funding, the first consistent funding of state’s trauma network approved. Increased fines on dangerous driving behaviors will finance the first sustainable source of funds for trauma in the state budget. Major reforms of state government passed this year, including the transformation of the Department of Human Resources, the creation of an Aviation Authority, and the first major alteration to the way that the Department of Transportation does business in decades – all are revenue neutral and will result in better service for taxpayers.

The Governor also signed 13 bills this year that either extend current tax exemptions or provide additional tax savings to citizens and businesses in Georgia. Many of these bills were already evaluated and calculated into the FY2010 revenue estimate.

Gov. Perdue also issued three line-item vetoes and 12 agency directives to ignore intent language included in the budget. The budget is an appropriations act, not general law, and therefore intent language is non-binding. As the language is non-binding, the Governor may authorize agencies to utilize funds subject to non-binding intent language in accordance with the overall purpose of the appropriation and within their general law authority. Vetoed items and messages regarding non-binding information language to disregard are included below.

General Mills to Locate New Distribution Center in Social Circle

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue announced this week that global food company General Mills plans to locate a new distribution center in Social Circle, investing $42 million and creating 112 jobs.

General Mills will contract with a third-party logistics provider to staff and run the 1.5 million-square-foot distribution center, which will be located along Hightower Road in Walton County. The facility will distribute the General Mills family of products throughout the Southeast.

The distribution center will be built to meet LEED certification, an internationally recognized certification system that measures how well a building or community performs across the following metrics: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. This will make it one of the largest buildings in the country to meet LEED certification standards.

General Mills has been an employer in Georgia since 1989, when the company opened a manufacturing facility in Covington. Gov. Perdue visited the General Mills facility in Covington in September 2008 to recognize the plant’s reduction in water usage after the company installed a $6 million treatment plant that trimmed the plant’s water usage by an average of 46 percent – or about 5.3 million gallons per month, enough to supply about 1,000 homes.

For the new distribution center, the company will use the services of the Georgia Department of Labor to solicit applications and Georgia Quick Start to train employees. Permanent job hiring will not occur until early 2010.

Company to Add 600 Jobs to Cobb Co. Locale

Chairman Sam Olens and Gov. Sonny Perdue announced today that communications and IT provider Cbeyond will add more than 600 jobs over the next three years. The company will also build a new call center and training facility at its Cobb headquarters, further fueling local economic development.

“Cbeyond is the exact type of business we are seeking to grow in Cobb County,” Olens said. “They have a great vision, a proven record in the technology industry and will provide excellent employment opportunities for our community. It has been great working alongside the state of Georgia to help bring these new technology jobs to Cobb County.”

Cbeyond will add jobs in sales, customer care, information technology, operations and marketing. The company was formed in 2000 with only 15 employees and has grown to more than 700 local employees and more than 1,600 nationwide. Forbes magazine recently named Cbeyond the sixth-fastest growing technology company in the country.

Applicants interested in applying for a position should visit cbeyond.net/careers for more information.

Gov. Perdue Inks Bill to Assist Kids of Military Families

Gov. Sonny Perdue today visited Fort Benning in Columbus to sign Senate Bill 114, sponsored by Sen. Ed Harbison, to ease the transfer and transition for school-aged children of active duty members of the military and House Bill 484, sponsored by Rep. Larry O’Neal, that deems the dependent children of military personnel stationed in Georgia on active duty as residents for the purposes of receiving the HOPE scholarship.

“Our state has a long and proud and history of supporting our nation’s soldiers, and we are truly grateful for the service of our military families,” said Gov. Perdue. “These pieces of legislation continue Georgia’s strong support for those serving in our Armed Forces here in Georgia.”

The Governor was joined at the bill signing ceremony by Major General Michael Barbero, Colonel Thomas Macdonald, other members of the military and members of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

The Chattahoochee Valley Region will grow by nearly 28,000 new people over the next few years as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act. This robust population growth will bring many new military families to the state, and these bills and other past initiatives will ensure that students seamlessly transfer into Georgia schools.

“Thanks to the tremendous support of Fort Benning, the Columbus legislative delegation, the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Governor Perdue, SB 114 & HB 484 are being signed demonstrating another example of the special "public-private partnership" in the Greater Columbus Region,” said Mike Gaymon, President & CEO Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Gov. Perdue Notes Bond Sale for State

Gov. Sonny Perdue announced the sale of up to $314,530,000 in tax-exempt bonds, currently scheduled for May 4 and 5, through negotiated sale.

This method of sale gives retail investors the ability to buy Georgia bonds directly by placing orders with their brokerage firm on the day of the sale. By expanding the investor base and increasing demand, the state expects the transaction to result in a favorable outcome for both the buyers and the state.

The Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission (GSFIC) approved the sale of the bonds at its Feb. 4 meeting following the successful sale of just over $613 million in bonds at historically low interest rates.

Moody's, Fitch and Standard & Poor's have assigned their triple-A bond rating with a stable outlook to the State's General Obligation Bonds. The rating firms' individual ratings are Aaa, AAA and AAA, respectively. The triple-A ratings reflect the highest rating available to government issuers and demonstrate what a great value Georgia municipal bonds are to investors. The bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the state of Georgia and, subject to the limitations and conditions described in the Official Statement relating to the Bonds, interest on the bonds is, in the opinion of bond counsel, excludable from gross income for federal and Georgia state income tax purposes.

Individuals can learn more about the Series 2009C and Series 2009D General Obligation Bonds at www.buygeorgiabonds.com.

The bond sale is a part of the capital outlay program approved in the state’s 2009 budget. The FY 2010 appropriations bill authorizes an additional $1.2 billion in general obligation bonds for K-12 school construction, improvements and expansions at university campuses, and a variety of other projects. In addition to low interest rates, the state is also benefitting from low construction costs and putting Georgians to work building these needed projects.

State Sen. Rogers' Streamlined Appeals Bill Now Law

A measure to help Georgia property owners has been signed into law by Gov. Sonny Perdue.

The legislation authored by Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) allows property owners to take assessment disputes directly to arbitration. The law is designed to bypass lengthy government processes and finally put property owners and government on equal footing when determining valuation disputes.

“Georgia property owners have suffered at the hands of a biased appeals process that almost never ends in favor of the property owner. Senate Bill 240 changes this. Government assessments must now be fair or a property owner can take a professional appraisal straight to an arbitrator and receive a lower true fair market valuation,” said Rogers. “This bill will ultimately lower property taxes by keeping government honest and ensuring that the actual market determines property tax values. The burden will now be placed on the government rather than the property owner to provide proof of fair market value.”

Before the passage of SB 240, current government processes force property owners to go through local assessment boards, a process Rogers says can sometimes take two or three months to resolve. SB 240 gives property owners another option to resolve assessment disputes with their county by allowing them to go directly into arbitration. This would reportedly significantly speed up the resolution process. The party that loses the assessment dispute pays for the arbitration.

Property owners around the state are requesting anywhere from a 10-70 percent reduction in taxes based on their values and several counties have been reporting a record number of assessments filed within the past several months.

Gwinnett and DeKalb Counties have had over 22,000 returns filed. Clayton County, which normally receives a few hundred returns filed, reported over 3,800 received last month.

Rogers’ property assessment became effective Wednesday with Gov. Purdue’s signature.

Georgia Counties Approved for Disaster Assistance

Gov. Sonny Perdue announced that President Barack Obama approved a Federal Disaster Declaration for 27 counties that the Governor requested aid for following a devastating period of severe weather beginning March 26 and continuing through April 10. Tornadoes, straight-line winds, hail, severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and flooding resulted in widespread residential, commercial and infrastructure damage across South Georgia.

The counties eligible to receive individual assistance include: Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Coffee, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Echols, Lanier, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Pierce, Tift, Ware, Wheeler and Worth.

Residents and business owners in these counties who sustained losses can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time) Monday through Sunday.

Individual assistance can include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses. Low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration also will be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.

The President has also designated that local governments and eligible private nonprofit organizations in the following counties: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Early, Echols, Grady, Lowndes, Mitchell, Montgomery, Pierce, Toombs and Ware; will be able to receive federal funds to help offset 75 percent of the cost of the initial emergency response, debris removal and restoration of damaged public facilities.

This disaster declaration also makes all counties in Georgia eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program which provides assistance to state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for actions taken to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural hazards.

Gov. Perdue Reports Final Ideas From Education Group

Gov. Sonny Perdue recently announced the final recommendations of the Tough Choices or Tough Times working group.

The working group was tasked with investigating innovative ways to create long-term, comprehensive education reform to make Georgia more globally competitive. The group, which was chaired by Dr. Charles Knapp and Dean Alford, reviewed the national Tough Choices or Tough Times report to determine how Georgia might improve its education practices.

“These recommendations provide a useful framework for addressing critical areas such as teacher preparation and gauging when high school students are ready for additional challenges,” said Gov. Perdue. “I applaud the working group for taking a long-term view of improvements needed in our education system and providing recommendations to produce high achieving students prepared for the 21st century.”

Key findings of the working group fall into three areas of recommendations; Move on When Ready, Recruiting and Retaining World Class Teachers, and Development of Students’ Analytical and Creative Problem-Solving Skills.

In addition to receiving the group’s findings, the Governor also asked the group to continue to meet and develop more recommendations for transforming education in Georgia.

Complete findings of the working group will be posted at http://www.gaosa.org/toughtimes.aspx.

Gov. Perdue Signs Bill to Recruit More Math, Science Teachers

Gov. Sonny Perdue on Wednesday signed House Bill 280, which will start new fully-certified math and science teachers at the same salary as a fifth year teacher.

The legislation was introduced by House Education Committee Chairman Rep. Brooks Coleman and carried in the Senate by Education and Youth Committee Chairman Sen. Dan Weber. The Governor was joined at the bill signing by the Georgia robotics teams that participated at the FIRST Championship that was held in Atlanta last weekend.

In the 2007-2008 school year Georgia produced 2,000 early childhood teachers, but only one physics teacher, nine chemistry teachers and 140 math teachers.

The Governor’s proposal was based on recommendations by the Alliance of Education Agency Head’s Math and Science Task Force. Under the legislation, math and science teachers with less than five years experience will be brought up to the fifth year pay level.

To encourage elementary teachers to increase their competency in math and science, the Governor’s proposal also provides a $1,000 annual bonus to elementary teachers who hold a math or science endorsement.

The incentives will be available for the 2010-11 school year, which will begin in the Fiscal Year 2011 state budget.

Gov. Perdue Notes NCI Cancer Center Designation

Gov. Sonny Perdue this week announced that Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute has earned the coveted National Cancer Institute Cancer Center designation.

Winship is the first medical facility in Georgia to earn this distinction. As an NCI designated center, Winship joins an elite group of 64 cancer centers nationwide that are on the forefront of the battle against cancer.

Winship’s NCI designation will reportedly benefit patients through increased access to new clinical trials and technologies that are available through NCI-designated cancer centers.

As an NCI-designated center, Winship will receive more than $4.2 million in funding over the next three years to grow scientific research. The NCI will then review Emory’s designation for a five-year renewal. According to the NCI, a designated cancer center’s research components are the core of a much larger assembly of cancer activities, including clinical care, support services and education, extending the benefits of research directly to patients, their families, and the general public.

The Winship Cancer Institute is part of Emory’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory Healthcare and Emory University. Researchers and clinical members of the cancer center are faculty at Emory or at partner institutions such as Georgia Institute of Technology. Faculty members collaborate with national and state agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society.

The Winship Cancer Institute was established in 1937 through a $50,000 gift to Emory from Coca Cola CEO Robert Woodruff, who named the center after his grandfather, Robert Winship. Woodruff’s vision was for a center that focused on research, education and patient care.

The Woodruff Foundation has continued to support Emory in achieving this vision, and in 2002 Emory dedicated the 275,000 square-foot Winship Cancer Institute building, constructed with funds from the Woodruff Foundation and designed to facilitate development of new and more effective cancer treatments.

Gov. Perdue Signs HB 455 into Law

Gov. Sonny Perdue announced that he has signed House Bill 455 into law.

The law gives school systems an extra month to offer teacher contracts for next school year. Many systems are facing tight financial constraints because of the economic downturn, and the extra month will provide additional time to determine the number of teachers needed for the upcoming year. School districts now have until May 15, rather than April 15, to extend contracts and teachers have until June 1, rather than May 1, to accept their contracts.

The law also extends the sunset on the Master Teacher program, and ends the additional supplement to teachers who have leadership degrees that are not in leadership positions.

Current teachers with these degrees will continue receiving the supplement. Teachers currently enrolled in a leadership degree program must receive the degree by July 1, 2010, to receive the supplement until they begin a leadership position.

Landowners' Protection Act Sent to Governor's Desk

The General Assembly has given final passage to Gov. Sonny Perdue’s proposed legislation that limits liability concerns for landowners who open their property to hunters and agri-tourists.

House Bill 529 started as Senate Bill 75, the Landowners Protection Act, introduced by Administration Floor Leader Sen. Bill Heath. Sen. John Bulloch, Rep. Tom McCall and Rep. Jim Cole also worked for passage of the bill.

“Georgia is a premier agri-tourism destination,” said Gov. Perdue. “This legislation ensures that the threat of litigation does not prevent landowners from welcoming guests onto their property. I appreciate all who worked together to protect landowners and stand up for the rights of private property owners.”

The Landowner’s Protection Act protects landowners, who allow hunters to hunt on their property, from being sued for accidents arising during a hunt except those due to gross negligence on the part of the landowner. Likewise, visitors to an agri-tourism attraction (e.g., visiting a farm to pick peaches) would not be able to win lawsuits filed against the landowner for injuries during such a visit except in cases of gross negligence.

“We want to encourage landowners to open their hunting property and farms to visitors to enjoy Georgia’s natural beauty as an agricultural and sportsman’s paradise,” said Sen. Heath. “This bill allows landowners to be able to open their property to everyone that shares their deep appreciation of Georgia’s natural resources."