By: Sen. John Albers

Since its inception, the HOPE scholarship has provided a low-cost education for Georgia’s best and brightest students.

Governor Nathan Deal, legislative leaders and educational stakeholders are working tirelessly to pass legislation that will address the most appropriate and efficient way to restore funding to Georgia’s educational system. Maintaining the HOPE Scholarship and other key programs are crucial not just for our students, but for our state’s ability to develop a strong workforce and attract new businesses.

One of the main goals of the HOPE scholarship is to incentivize top students to attend a college or university within the state and become contributing members of Georgia’s workforce. The HOPE Scholarship should never be based on family income; instead, it should solely be based upon the hard work of Georgia’s students.

At present, the HOPE Scholarship is the most generous grant program in the nation. When HOPE was originally created, eligibility was partially based on family income levels; this restriction was removed in 1995. If the income cap was reinstated, some high achieving students from upper income families might choose to attend an out-of-state institution. While low-income families have access to millions of dollars in financial aid, Georgia’s highest achieving students should always have the opportunity, regardless of income level, to receive financial aid based on their hard work throughout their scholastic careers.

The HOPE Scholarship isn’t just a reward for the student’s hard work – it is also a reward for the parents who continually encouraged their students to do well, and stayed actively involved in their child’s education. By supplying grants to our state’s highest achieving students, we’re able to secure a more prosperous future by investing in the education of our future leaders.

We need our “best and brightest” to remain in a state undergoing tremendous economic growth. Georgia is home to the headquarters of 14 Fortune 500 companies with combined revenues of $283.77 billion. While companies have expanded operations or relocated to our state for several reasons—including location proximity to the Savannah Ports and tax credits—the ability of our state to provide an educated and reliable workforce is an attractive incentive to businesses. We need to be able to supply the workers necessary to fill the jobs these companies provide, and ensure our universities and colleges are able to provide students with the essentials for success.

As a representative of the 56th Senate District, I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to protect the HOPE Scholarship for Georgia’s highest achieving students for years to come.

ATLANTA (January 27, 2012) – Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) and Sen. Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R- Woodstock) will host a Town Hall meeting in Alpharetta on Saturday, January 28, to discuss legislative updates and priorities. Attendees will then have the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session. All residents are invited to attend.

WHEN: Saturday, January 28, 2012
10:30 a.m.

WHERE: Alpharetta City Hall
2 S. Main Street
Alpharetta, GA 30099

Sen. Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) co-sponsored Senate Bill 292, legislation which would require mandatory drug testing for social service recipients.
Senate bill 292, known as the Social Responsibility and Accountability Act, would require recipients of Medicaid and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare programs to undergo drug tests similar to the routine drug-screening measures set forth by the private sector.
To receive state welfare benefits, all applicants must submit to a detailed application process and drug-screening measures would serve as an additional eligibility requirement. In an effort to protect the privacy of welfare applicants, screening results would remain confidential to protect against the scrutiny of public opinion.
“During these challenging economic times, Georgians have a vested interest in how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent,” said Senator Gooch. “Senate Bill 292 provides a new era of accountability and promotes fiscal responsibility at a time when we need it most.” “By conserving our resources and balancing our state budget, we are working to ensure a brighter future for all Georgians.”
As part of the bills’ provisions, if an applicant fails to comply with state-mandated drug testing or produces a positive result, the applicant will be disqualified from receiving state benefits for a specified period of time which will be determined by the Georgia Department of Human Services.
Recent studies have shown that individuals who engage in drug abuse are less likely to maintain employment, and as a result, remain on welfare-related programs for a longer period of time.

“Senate Bill 292 would provide financial support to families while also helping individuals who need drug rehabilitation,” said Senator Gooch. “In addition, this landmark legislation is aimed at encouraging these individuals to become active members of their communities by re-entering the workforce.”
# # # #

Sen. Steve Gooch represents the 51st Senate District which includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Pickens, and Union counties and portions of Forsyth and White counties. He may be reached at 404.656.9221 or via e-mail at steve.gooch@senate.ga.gov.

ATLANTA (November 15, 2011) – Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) today pre-filed Senate Bill 292, legislation which would require mandatory drug testing to determine welfare eligibility.

Senate Bill 292, known as the Social Responsibility and Accountability Act, would require recipients of Medicaid and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare programs to undergo drug tests similar to the routine drug-screening measures set forth by private sector employers.

“Whether you work to receive compensation or collect government assistance, the same standards should apply,” said Senator Albers. “If individuals are receiving aid at the taxpayer’s expense, citizens have the right to know how their funds are being appropriated.”

The bills’ provisions outline that if an applicant fails to comply with state-mandated drug testing or produces a positive result, the applicant will be disqualified from receiving state benefits for a specified period of time which will be determined by the Georgia Department of Human Services.

To receive welfare benefits, applicants already submit to a detailed application process and drug-screening measures would serve as an additional eligibility requirement. In an effort to protect the privacy of welfare applicants, screening results would remain confidential to protect against the scrutiny of public opinion.

“The Social Responsibility and Accountability Act touts the virtues of individual responsibility and accountability, and relieves the taxpayer from undue tax burdens,” said Senator Albers. “The proposed legislation would serve to reward law-obeying citizens who need assistance the most.”

# # # #

Sen. John Albers represents the 56th Senate District, which includes portions of North Fulton County. He may be reached at his office at 404.463.8055 or by email at john.albers@senate.ga.gov.

In a very close election, Bruce Hoffman won the Dahlonega City Council Post 4 Seat held by incumbent Michael Clemons. Hoffman was the only candidate to oust an incumbent in the council elections. Sam Norton and Terry Peters held onto their seats.

Hoffman (my dad) plans to stay very visible and active in the community during his tenure. He will be available to listen to constituents any time. If you need to find him, visit the Chick-fil-A in Dahlonega any morning of the week…

Follow any news or updates on his Facebook Fan Page.

Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) graduated alongside twenty other freshman state representatives and senators from the fourth Georgia Legislative Leadership Institute (GLLI) on September 25.

GLLI, an offshoot of the Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators, is a phased leadership development program that helps newer legislators develop skills in leadership, decision making, and policy analysis to better serve constituents and the citizens of Georgia. Candidates for GLLI are chosen by legislative leadership.

“The GLLI provides the tools needed to effectively work on my constituents’ behalf and drive legislation that positively impacts all aspects of our great state,” said Sen. Albers. “Attending GLLI is both an honor and a privilege, and I am grateful to the Georgia General Assembly leadership for this opportunity.”

The GLLI curriculum focuses on characteristics vital to effective governance, including personal leadership development, public policy process and analysis, ethical governance, political leadership, and advanced legislative processes. Legislators engaged in a personal leadership assessment, then grappled with such topics as policy choices in the legislative process and collective problem solving and decision making. They also participated in workshops that helped them identify the qualities necessary for effective legislative leadership and learned how to cultivate those qualities in themselves and others.

“We were delighted to have Sen. Albers participate in GLLI. He was an enthusiastic and engaged participant who added depth and value to all discussions,” said Laura Meadows, Interim Director, Carl Vinson Institute of Government at The University of Georgia.

The Vinson Institute coordinates GLLI every two years in partnership with the Georgia General Assembly and with financial support from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation. Over 90 legislators have attended GLLI since its 2005 inception.

Elections are less than a month away and I have no idea who is running for Roswell City Council. I live here and should be supporting someone!

Any candidates that would like to say hello are more than welcome to tell me why I should vote for you. In fact, I’m not quite sure what post or district I live in. Time for some education on my part.

I’d also be interested in Alpharetta and John’s Creek elections.

The Georgia State Firefighters Association (GSFA) and the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs (GAFC) are proud to name State Senator John Albers as their Legislator of the Year for 2011. Senator Albers, a fourth generation volunteer firefighter himself, was selected for his tireless work on behalf of the Georgia fire service this past session of the Georgia General Assembly. “On behalf of fire chief’s all across Georgia, I cannot thank Sen. Albers enough for his efforts this past session”, said David Kimbrell, President of the GAFC.

A freshman legislator, appointed to serve on the Senate Public Safety Committee, Albers was quick to distinguish himself as a leader on public safety issues and a strong advocate for the fire service. Albers sponsored SB 155, the Jarrett Little Act, which sought to ensure that the families and dependants of firefighters killed in the line of duty were properly compensated for their loss. Scott Carter, President of the GSFA said “It is rare to see a freshman legislator be willing to stand up and take the lead on an important issue like public safety and that’s exactly what John Albers did.”

Read my endorsement for Dahlonega City Council.

By Matt Aiken
Published:Wednesday, September 7, 2011 10:08 AM EDT

There are now plenty of hats in the ring in the race for Dahlonega City Council after a trio of new contenders officially qualified to challenge all three incumbents running for reelection in November.

This year the seats of Sam Norton, Michael Clemons and Terry Peters are up for grabs and each of the representatives will have a challenger of their own to contend with.

Local environmental activist Regina-Harper Odum has chosen to run against Peters for the Post 6 position.

North Georgia College & State University professor John “Stu” Batchelder will face off against Post 5 representative Sam Norton. The race for Post 4 will take place between retired police officer and frequent city meeting attendee Bruce Hoffman and Clemons.

Unlike the Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners, new contenders are not limited to any specific post by their place of residence.

“It doesn’t matter where they live,” said City Clerk Lou Stewart. “It’s not like a precinct. They can choose who they want to run against and then qualify for the post.”

Early voting for the city election will run from October 17 thru November 4.

State Sen. John Albers (R-Alpharetta) recently welcomed Slalom Consulting to testify at the Science and Technology Study Commission.

“Thank you to Slalom Consulting and Craig Marmon for taking the time to talk to our study committee. As a leading company in this highly competitive field, Slalom Consulting can offer a unique insight into how to attract high-tech companies to Atlanta and work with them to grow the industry,” said Albers.

“Georgia is a state in which technology workers thrive, as many of the world’s most innovative and customer-focused corporations have healthy technology centers located here,” said Slalom Consulting Atlanta Managing Director Craig Marmon. “Offshoring has eroded jobs as companies look to reduce overall technology costs. We have the opportunity to move many of these jobs to lower-cost areas of the state. With proper training and education, Georgia workers can compete on par with so-called ‘low cost’ centers abroad.”

Slalom’s Atlanta office offers a broad range of business and technology services, with an emphasis on improving enterprise performance, retaining and growing customers, improving employee productivity, and driving innovation. Including Atlanta, Slalom Consulting has ten offices nationwide and more than 1,100 consultants delivering solutions to companies from global brands to emerging companies.

The State of Georgia’s Science and Technology Strategic Initiative Joint Study Commission was created by Senate Resolution 68 during the 2011 Legislative Session. The members of the commission are tasked with cataloging Georgia’s existing technology assets, reviewing state and national policies that encourage technology advancement, and developing specific recommendations for a strategic plan for science and technology in Georgia. The Georgia Tech Research Institute’s Office of Policy Analysis and Research and the Technology Association of Georgia will assist the commission to fulfill the charge of SR 68.