Legislative Update

Last week the House passed 2 very important bills aimed at protecting the health and public safety of our State:

SB 36 will improve public health and safety by helping doctors and pharmacists identify prescription drug abusers. Currently, Georgia physicians do not have the ability to know if their patients are obtaining similar prescriptions from other doctors. This lack of information enables patients to pursue multiple prescriptions for similar medications from different doctors. This problem not only results in abuse of these medications that results in patient overdoses, but it also results in some patients abusing the system so that they can illegally sell the addictive medications on the street. SB 36 ends this by giving doctors and pharmacists the tools they need to stop the abuse.

Specifically, SB 36 creates an electronic database of the prescribing and dispensing of Schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances in Georgia. This information is already recorded by the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency, which receives all prescriptions once they are filled by pharmacists. SB 36 simply allows that information to be put into a database that will only be accessible by doctors and pharmacists who would have to use a secure password. As a result, doctors and pharmacists will be better able to identify prescription drug abusers. In turn, abusers will be able to get the help they need and prescription drugs will have less of a chance to end up in the wrong hands with potentially dangerous outcomes.

Every state that borders Georgia already addresses this problem. By passing SB 36, we help ensure that our State will not become the "go to" place for those wishing to abuse and prey on those that abuse prescription drugs. I was proud to support this bill.

SB 94 is another piece of legislation aimed at increasing the safety of Georgians. This bill creates a limited exception to criminal liability for service providers that knowingly harbor runaway youth. The exception allows the service provider to offer the runaway child necessary care and protection without the risk of criminal liability. To fall under this exception, the provider must have reasonable cause to believe the minor has been abused or neglected and must report the child abuse. Additionally, the service provider must either attempt to inform a guardian of the child or contact the Division of Family services within 72 hours after assisting the child. Further, these service provider organizations must register with the Department of Human Services or a child welfare agency. Ultimately, this measure will allow young victims of abuse to receive the help they need without fear of being turned away by organizations limited by legal liability. It is extremely important because runaway youth turned away by service providers fall prey to sex traffickers and others with bad intentions. I was also proud to support this bill.  

HOPE spring break tour 

Last week while the Legislature was on "spring break," I joined a group of fellow democratic legislators to travel the state and raise awareness about the cuts to HOPE.  We traveled to Dalton, Athens, Macon, Milledgeville, Dublin, Statesboro, and Savannah.  Read some of the coverage of our HOPE spring break tour here and here. 

Also, check out a story on NPR about the impact of the cuts on students here.  

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. I was honored to join Safe Path Children's Advocacy Center in Marietta to kick off Child Abuse Prevention Month in Marietta. Read the full story here. 

Congratulations to Jonae Wartel!

Congratulations to Jonae Wartel, my campaign manager, who received the Chairwoman's Citation of Excellence Award at the recent Cobb County JJ Dinner. Jonae was not only a great help to me during my campaign, but to several others running for office last year. She now works full time for the Democratic House Caucus, where she is doing a fantastic job! 

What's happening near you 

Next town hall meeting

Please join me and Senator Doug Stoner for a legislative wrap-up town hall meeting on Tuesday, May 3rd at 7pm at the Smyrna Community Center. 

Other upcoming events

Thursday, April 14th Cobb Democratic Women's Officer Installation. CDW will install new officers at its monthly meeting on April 14th at 6:00pm at the Doubletree Hotel off Windy Hill at Park Place. Mary Squires, 2010 Democratic Nominee for Insurance Commissioner, will be the guest speaker. Cost is $28. Please rsvp to RuthE Levy at ruthe@ruthelevy.com.

Saturday, April 16th CISMCC Basketball Tournament. Please join Communities in Schools of Marietta/Cobb County on April 16th for its annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament. CIS is the nation's largest drop out prevention organization in the nation. The basketball tournament benefits the Marietta/Cobb County chapter (where I am a proud board member!). Find out more information or sign up for the tournament here. 

Saturday, April 16 Easter Egg Hut. Please join the Cobb Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs staff as they host the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Cobb Safety Village. The event will feature children's activities, a basket contest, a petting zoo, inflatables, concessions, a visit with the Easter Bunny, and the "Mad Hatter" contest. Admission and parking are free. The site opens at 10 a.m. Hunts will be done by age groups, with the first starting at 10:30 a.m. for children 3 and younger. At 11 a.m., children 4 and 5 years old will conduct their hunt. The next will be 11:30 a.m. for special populations. At noon, those 6 and 7 years old will hunt, followed by children 8-10 years old at 12:30 p.m. The Safety Village is located at 1220 Al Bishop Drive, Marietta. Parking will be adjacent to the nearby sports complex. For more information, call 770-528-8875.

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!

Jobs Corner

 *Assistant Director, Development, Office of Estate and Gift Planning - The Carter Center The Assistant Director develops, coordinates, and implements fund-raising activities which include planned giving, endowment enhancement and special fund-raising initiatives including the planned giving aspects of Winter Weekend and Executive Briefing. Maintains a thorough working knowledge of programs of The Carter Center and of planned giving vehicles. Develops and implements strategies for marketing new planned gifts. May delegate tasks to Senior Secretary, Volunteers and Interns. For more information click here

*Overnight Dormitory Monitor -The Center for Children & Young AdultsThe Center for Children & Young Adults (CCYA) is a three building campus housing homeless youth and young adults between the ages of 12 and 21 who have been abandoned, neglected, and/or abused. Salary Range and Benefits: $10/hour
Work hours:11:00pm - 7:30am 40 hours Monday-Sunday (2 positions available) must attend monthly campus-wide staff meeting (third Wednesday of the month, 2:00-3:30 pm (paid 2 additional hours for meeting attendance).
Position Description: Serves as Overnight Dormitory Monitor for youth residents at ages 12-17 (maximum 20 residents). For more information click here