Topics for this news update include:
BILL SB 10 – GEORGIA SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOLARSHIP ACT
COLUMBUS SERVICES CONTRACT
ATTENTION PUBLIX SUPERMARKET EMPLOYEES
GOVERNOR PROPOSES THE USE OF TAXPAYER’S MONEY TO PROVIDE FREE HEALTHCARE INSURANCE FOR ALL STATE EMPLOYEES
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BILL SB 10 – GEORGIA SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOLARSHIP ACT
Bill SB-10 sparked a great deal of debate. (Sen. Eric Johnson is the bill's main sponsor, and he modeled the proposed legislation after the McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities in Florida.) The issues involved in the proposed voucher system or scholarship for disabled students are complicated, and there were strong advocates on both sides.
If anyone is interested in reading more about the issues surrounding SB 10, please contact Kevin Levitas, Georgia House District 82, kevinlevitas@bellsouth.net or visit the website at http://www.kevinlevitas.org.
COLUMBUS SERVICES CONTRACT
The Georgia Departments of Human Resources and Administrative Services recently awarded another statewide contract to Columbus Medical Group, LLC, aka. Columbus Community Support Services, for the purpose of managing data on all people with developmental disabilities in Georgia.
If you are among those of us who strongly oppose, or question the wisdom of awarding another contract to Columbus, we encourage you to write to B. J. Walker, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Resources, bjwalker@dhr.state.ga.us.
ATTENTION PUBLIX SUPERMARKET EMPLOYEES
If you know of anyone who has a disabled adult working at one of the Publix Supermarkets in Metro Atlanta, Ray Brennan would like to speak to you about your experience with the new HR rating scales, performance reviews, and evaluation procedures which allow the store to deduct penalties from any employee’s wages who does not consistently function at above-average standards. Ray can be reached at: rjbrennan@bellsouth.net .
GOVERNOR PROPOSES THE USE OF TAXPAYER’S MONEY TO PROVIDE FREE HEALTHCARE INSURANCE FOR ALL STATE EMPLOYEES
Roger Abbott said he was outraged that, in a state where 7,000 disabled citizens remain on wait lists for Medicaid services and millions of low-income citizens are without access to quality health care, our Governor has proposed the use of taxpayer’s money to provide free healthcare insurance and benefits for all of its teachers and state employees. It was Mr. Abbot’s viewpoint that if average Georgians are struggling to meet the challenge of escalating insurance costs, why should state employees be exempt? If you would like to join Roger Abbott in voicing your objection, contact boabbott@yahoo.com.