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E-News from ABLE |
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ABLE Legislative Day
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
ABLE leaders will meet with their State
Legislators on Tuesday, March 4th. You are invited to join us. We
will meet in the Rotunda at the State Capitol at 8:30 am. If you
are planning to come, send an e-mail to Sherita Edwards at
sherita@gamaliel.org, so
she can e-mail you additional information.
Call your State Representative and State
Senator to schedule a 30 minute appointment. If you do not know who
your State Representative and State Senator are, go to
http://sos.georgia.gov/cgi-bin/llocator3a.asp .
Find out your district numbers, then
click on links to find out their names. To get the name and contact
information for your State Senator, click on Metro Atlanta on the
map and then click on the district number.
The purpose of our meetings with our
legislators is to build relationships with them. You may want to
ask them the following questions:
1. Why did you decide to be a public
official?
2. What are some of your challenges and
obstacles?
3. What are your ambitions and goals?
4. What do you want your legacy to be?
We also want to talk with them about our
three issues: healthcare reform, quality public education, and
comprehensive immigration reform. You may want to take copies of
the petitions signed by members of your congregation or organization
and discuss with them ABLE's position on current legislation.
Update on Anti-Immigrant Legislation
by Ev Howe
HR 413, the resolution for an
English only Georgia constitutional amendment, has been revised
to exclude school English only restrictions and to allow "legal"
immigrants to continue to take drivers license tests in up to 16
different languages for one year only. Then they must retest in
English only. This bill is still unnecessary and
anti-immigrant. How many refugees learn English well enough in
one year to pass the English written test? I had a hard time
with some of the questions when I took the test many years ago!
HB 978 will confiscate cars driven
by "illegal" immigrants. This bill equates anyone driving
without proof of citizenship with drug dealers, does that make
sense to you? These are our fellow church members trying to
stay alive driving old vans and dinged used cars. The police
car auctions will be a joke now. HB 979 was passed by the House
on 2/28, and will be brought up in the Senate next. This bill
was fast tracked without judicial review and Rep Stephenson of
DeKalb has serious reservations as to the legality of the bill,
not to mention discrimination.
Call your representatives today to
vote NO against these bills!
Summary: Anti-immigrant election
year bashing is bad for Georgia's image and economy.
HB 978: Passed the State House
on 2/28/08. The State Senate is next.
HB 1028: Further increases the
taxes on any money orders sent out of state by non-citizens.
HB 1175: Proof of citizenship to
vote (do all of us have passports?)
HR 127: To take away US
citizenship for children born in the USA to undocumented
mothers.
HR 413: Up for re-vote soon, being
defeated once was not good enough. Has been revised.
SB 25: Further tightens vehicle
tags, the source of immigrant misery now.
SB 335: English only for local and
state agencies.
SB 340: Prohibits any local
government "sanctuary policies" for the undocumented.
SB 350: Drive without a license
and go to jail.
Update on Tax Reform Legislation
by Ev Howe
Rep Richardson's "Tax Reforms"
taxing the working poor more, easing homeowners education
property taxes by increasing sales taxes.
HR 1246, HB 979 and SR 687
Arm yourself with the facts and call
your representatives every day to oppose the measures you find
not in line with "Loving your neighbor." Thanks!
The web site identifying state
representatives is
http://sos.georgia.gov/cgi-bin/llocator3a.asp.
Web site identifying the bills to be reviewed each day is:
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/,
then click on rules calendar and then today's date. With this,
you can check for yourself what is about to be voted on.
For
more information contact
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