Town hall this weekend, HOPE on the House floor, and other news

Representative Stacey Evans

District 40 Legislative Newsletter

February 28, 2011

Dear Friends,

I hope you will join us this coming Saturday for the next town hall meeting for House District 40. The town hall is at Cobb Central Library. Be sure to bring your children to enjoy story time while we discuss issues! More details are below.

The Legislative Session is starting to move at a faster pace. Please continue to contact me if you have concerns or questions about any legislation coming before the House.

As early as tomorrow we could be voting on a proposal regarding the HOPE scholarship. Please let me know your thoughts on the Governor's proposal, which you can find here. You can find a summary of the proposal here.

Thank you,

signature

In This Issue

HOPE listening tour

Update on legislation

A chance to help Smyrna 5th graders

National Leaders Council Atlanta

Chaplain of the Day

What's happening near you

HOPE listening tour

SPU

Last week, together with State Representatives Alisha Morgan and David Wilkerson, I participated in the first in a series of statewide HOPE listening tours. The tour kicked off on February 21st at Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta. We planned these tours to understand better how cuts to the HOPE scholarship program will impact citizens and to seek feedback from constituents, all in an effort to save HOPE. To read more about the first stop of the tour please click here and here. You can hear my comments on Governor Deal's initial proposal here.

Update on legislation

Last week the House passed HB 192 to addresses our need to adequately fund the state's K-12 public schools. This legislation creates the State Education Finance Study Commission, which would study and evaluate the costs and resources needed to educate a child in Georgia. The Commission's findings will be used to develop a comprehensive K-12 educational funding formula reform that would allow the state to meet the modern needs of our elementary, middle, and high schools. This process is important because the state's current K-12 funding formula has not been sufficiently updated since 1985, when it was originally established. Though well designed for its time, the current formula lacks in accounting for inflation, technology enhancements, and other modern education needs. I voted in favor of this bill.

Click here to review and track the progress of all 2011 legislation I've sponsored or co-sponsored.

A chance to help 5th graders in Smyrna

The students at Belmont Hills Elementary need your support! Every May the Fifth Grade class takes a three-day trip to Savannah and Tybee Island. For many of the students this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Belmont Hills Elementary has the highest rate of poverty in the Cobb County School District. Thus, many of the students are not able to afford the trip. The students and teachers fundraise throughout the year to try and raise this money. The cost for one student to go is $295. The total cost of the trip is $25,500. Would you partner with us as we try to raise these funds?

There are two ways you can support the cause: (1) Be a participant in the school's golf tournament at Pine Tree Course in Kennesaw on March 28th or make a donation. Contact Jonathan Tabb at Jonathan.Tabb@cobbk12.org or (404) 345-0150 to find out how!

New Leaders Council Atlanta

Me with the New Leaders Council Atlanta class of 2011

I appreciated the opportunity to speak with the New Leaders Council recently. The NLC is an organization that seeks out the top tier of emerging leaders. The program puts these highly selective college seniors and young professionals through a rigorous 5-month training program that focuses on campaign work, advocacy, and leadership training to mold what NLC has termed progressive "political entrepreneurs."

Chaplain of the Day

Last week I was privileged to host Rev. Lenton Mitchell, Jr. from Pilgrim Baptist Church in Marietta as "Chaplain of the Day" at the State Capitol. As I knew he would, Pastor Mitchell shared an uplifting devotion with House members reminding us that we are there for times such as these. Hear Pastor Mitchell's devotion here.

What's happening near you

Town hall and story time for kids!

Please join me for our next town hall meeting on this Saturday, March 5, 2011, from 1-3pm at Marietta Central Library (266 Roswell Street, Marietta). Please join us for this special town hall meeting where we'll talk issues while your children enjoy an afternoon of story time at the Library. Let your voice be heard!

Cobb County SPLOST voting underway

Early voting for the Cobb County SPLOST has started. You can find a sample ballot and early voting locations here. You can find details of the SPLOST projects here.

Mortgage counseling

Chase will hold a four-day event in Atlanta to help struggling homeowners March 3-6 (8am-8pm) at the Georgia World Congress Center, Bldg. B, Rooms B312-B314, 285 Andrew Young Int'l Blvd., Atlanta. Free parking in the Red Deck; tell attendant you are there for the Chase event.

Advisors will work face-to-face to help keep families in their homes. Homeowners with Chase, EMC, or WaMu mortgages can receive the following services:

· Initial counseling to apply for a mortgage modification

· Counseling for those who are current on their mortgage but are struggling

· Short-sale assistance for those who cannot afford their home or don't want to stay in it

· Document signing and drop-off for modifications

· Collection of outstanding documents for those on trial modifications

· On-site execution of final modification agreements for customers who have completed their modification application

Join me at other upcoming events

March 5, 2011, 7-10pm - Join me for a fundraiser for the Cobb County Young Democrats at Lime Taqueria (4600 West Village Place, Smyrna).

March 12, 2011, 9am - Join me for the Cobb County Democratic Party's monthly breakfast meeting at the Piccadilly Cafeteria (536 Cobb Parkway, Marietta).

March 23, 2011, 8-9:30am - Join me for Georgia's WIN List's 2011 Legislative Breakfast at Mary Mac's Tea Room (224 Ponce De Leon Avenue)! At the breakfast we will hear from WIN-endorsed women in the House and Senate Leadership.

April 4, 2011, 7pm - Join me for another town hall meeting at Smyrna Community Center (200 Village Green Circle, Smyrna).

If you need me

please call or email

At the Capitol:

511 Coverdell Legislative Office Building

Atlanta, GA 30334

404.656.6372

stacey.evans@house.ga.gov

In the District:

P.O. Box 2523

Smyrna, Georgia 30081

770.710.4087

stacey@staceyevans.org

www.staceyevans.org

Standing committees:

Children and Youth

Interstate Cooperation

Judiciary

Let's talk

If you have a neighborhood, church, PTA, civic, or other group meeting and would like an update on what is happening under the Gold Dome, please give me a call or send me an email. I'd be happy to attend.

I also welcome you to visit me at the Capitol for a tour or just a visit!

Page for the day

The Georgia House of Representatives Page Program offers students age 12 and over an opportunity to visit the Capitol.

Come be my page for the day. You will assist the entire House by taking notes onto the House floor from constituents, lobbyists, and other officials, all while seeing your government in action!

For more information please contact my office.

Jobs corner

Jobs

**HVAC Field Operations Manager- Carrier Corp, Marietta, GA

Carrier Corp. is the world's leader in high technology, heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions. For more information click here

**Executive Assistant to Hospital President and Vice President., Emory-Adventist Hospital at Smyrna is a 88-bed, not-for-profit facility operated by(AHS) as a joint venture with Emory Healthcare. For more on this job posting click here

**Customer Service Representative- Pilkington North America, Smyrna GA Pilkington North America, manufactures and markets flat and safety glass for the building and automotive markets. For more information click here