Warming Up for the Home Stretch
Politics, State & National March 12, 2018
By: Sen. Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega)
Week nine had a slower pace when compared to the legislating marathon of the last few weeks. The Senate passed 11 pieces of legislation this week and held several committee meetings to hear bills, most of which originated in the House. Now that we are passed the Crossover Day mark and through Legislative Day 32, we have hit the home stretch leading up to Sine Die.
Of the 11 pieces of legislation passed this week, the most significant was House Bill 683, which is the supplemental appropriations budget for the 2018 Fiscal Year. The amended version of the House bill was passed by the Senate on Monday and signed into law by Governor Deal on Friday. While we may have completed the budget process for the 2018 Fiscal Year, we wasted no time getting to work on the 2019 Fiscal Year budget. During week nine, the Senate Appropriations Committee held subcommittee hearings where state agencies, organizations and institutions presented their budget requests. In addition to my role as the Senate Majority Whip, I serve as the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation. It is always beneficial and important to hear how we can improve transportation in the state by allocating necessary funds.
Of the bills passed on the Senate floor this week, I believe House Bill 354 will have the biggest impact on transportation. The bill reconstitutes the Georgia International and Maritime Trade Center Authority (GIMTCA) as a public corporation and an instrumentality of the state. Located in Savannah, where the Port of Savannah continues to grow by the year, GIMTCA aims to bring increased economic growth to the state’s import and export markets.
I am also happy to announce that House Bill 159, the “Adoption Bill,” was signed into law by Governor Deal on Monday. HB 159 is a much needed update to Georgia’s adoption laws and is the first of its kind in nearly 30 years. The bill will allow more children in foster care to be adopted into caring homes, extend the list of family members who can undertake legal guardianship and give parents in difficult situations more options to provide the best opportunities possible for their child.
In addition to this week’s action in the Senate, two of the three bills I sponsored to expand broadband access in rural Georgia saw movement in the House. Senate Bill 232, or the Facilitating Internet Broadband Rural Expansion (FIBRE) Act, and Senate Bill 426, the Broadband Infrastructure Leads to Development (BILD) Act, each received their second reading and have been assigned to committee. SB 232 has been assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee and SB 426 has been assigned to the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee. The third piece of this rural broadband package – Senate Bill 402 or the Achieving Connectivity Everywhere (ACE) Act – received its second reading on Crossover Day and has also been assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee for further review. I am confident that each of these bills will continue through the legislative process in the coming weeks and provide a solid starting point for broadband expansion.
Though the pace may have slowed this week, it is going to pick back up first thing Monday morning. There are only eight legislative days remaining and still much work to be done as our time winds down under the Gold Dome. Thank you for the continued opportunity to serve as your Senator, I will be sure to stay in touch as we wrap up the 2018 session. If you ever have any questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office. We are always here to help in any way we can.
Speaker David Ralston Announces $1.26 Million in Funding for Gilmer County Water System Improvements
Politics, Press Release April 17, 2018
ATLANTA – Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) today announced that the FY 2019 state budget includes $1.26 million in infrastructure funding for the Ellijay Gilmer County Water and Sewerage Authority (EGCSWA). The funding will be used to build the “Yukon Road project” which will provide service to new customers, ensure redundancy for the utility, and provide fire protection.
“Funding this project is an important priority for Ellijay, Gilmer County and all of our North Georgia mountain region,” said Speaker David Ralston. “The Yukon Road project will help us plan for growth while providing fire protection for residents and property. It will also give both the Pickens and Gilmer water systems an important back-up capability in the event either system requires it.”
The Yukon Road project will be constructed in two phases. The first phase will consist of a new water main on Yukon Road to the Gilmer/Pickens County line and an interconnection with the Pickens County Water Authority system. The first phase of the project is expected to cost $710,000.
The second phase of the project will consist of the construction of a 300,000 gallon water storage tank and booster pump station upgrades. This will allow EGCWSA to deliver 500,000 gallons per day to Pickens County in addition to new customers on Yukon Road. The second phase of the project is estimated to cost $550,000.
The funding for the project will be provided through the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA).
The FY 2019 budget was adopted by the General Assembly during the 2018 legislative session that ended last month. The budget is on the Governor’s desk awaiting his approval.
FYN Interviews Rebbeca Yardley on Georgia’s 2018 Sine Die – Last Day of Legislative Session
Politics, State & National March 29, 2018
It’s Sine Die day, that means it’s the last day of the 2018 Legislative Session! Interviews First Vice Chairman of Georgia Congress 9th District GOP Rebecca Yardley on the experience and what to expect from the Georgia Capitol today!
God Has Your Number
Religion March 26, 2018
Do you think God has your Number?
He knows how many times you breathed yesterday. He holds your breath in His hand. God absolutely knows every move you make. The Lord has the hairs on your head numbered. He most definitely tracts your life. My friend, if the Lord has a call on your Life for the ministry, you couldn’t get away in a race car.
What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?-Psalms 117
What is the longest chapter in the Bible? –Psalms 119
Which chapter is in the center of the Bible? Psalms 118
Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118
Facts: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118
Add these numbers up, and you get 1188
(NKJV)What is the center verse in the Bible? Psalms 118:8.
“It is better to trust in The Lord than to put confidence in man.”
If this is coincident, it is a good one.
God can be in the center of your life if you will just ask, and let Him.
From time to time, I have been sent to share a ministry call with God’s people. He has their number, I would like to share one such call with you just to show you how detailed God is when it comes to the life of His children, and the work of His kingdom.
Some years ago, my friend, the late George Marshal, and I were going to Dunklin Ministries for a Saturday men’s gathering. Dunklin is a large farm between Stuart and Okeechobee, Fl. It is a rehab center used to rebuild lives and, a very good one, I might add. At one time, we had a man here by the name of Jim Way who could bring men together and make things happen. We would have as many as 700 men there for seminars and to worship the Lord. Sometimes in the middle of the previous night, I was caught up in the presence of the Lord. The Lord and I were standing in front of a long table seated with men my age; late fifties to sixties. The Lord was inspecting these men military style just like a company commander would do, along with his Platoon Sgt. I was a Platoon Sgt. at one time in the Marines, and The Lord and I were pulling an inspection on these men. I don’t know why the Lord chose this manner, but we were looking over every man, face-to-face. The Lord would get a good look at each man. When we got to the left end of the table, the Lord turned sharply and pointed to a young man in his middle twenties. He was at the far right corner of the table facing us, Ronnie Rinker had invited him. He was a Southern Baptist boy. The Lord turned and looked at him and said,“I am calling this one into the ministry. And I said, but Lord, he is so young. The Lord said, “I know, but I am going to train him. I am going to teach him. I am going to develop him, but he is the one I am calling.” At that point, every scratch and every cut on that old, wooden table was embedded into my mind, along with each man’s face and location at the table. The next morning I had no recollection of this, what-so-ever. George and I went into the dining hall. While we were in line, George saw an empty table and said let’s throw our Bibles on this table, and that will save us a seat. We went through the breakfast line at eight o’clock. After we got our food, George said, Bob let’s sit over here at this table; I know these guys. I said, but our Bibles are over there, but he said they would be ok. I sat down at the right corner of the table, and a young, good-looking man sat down across from me. As we started to eat, I felt like I knew him from somewhere. I asked him if we had ever met and he said, no I asked where he worked and what he did?. I said are you sure; he again said, “I just don’t know you.” I am sitting there starting to eat, not thinking any more about him when all at once I looked at that beat up handmade table and knew every scratch and cut on it. Everything came back to me, I looked at the man and knew that I had been there in the middle of the night. Every man was in his proper place, and the young man across from me was exactly where he was when Jesus called him. I said, “Have you ever thought about the ministry?” He said, “Yes I have.”
“Good!” I said, “Because you’re in it.” Then I shared his calling from the Lord. What a mighty God! Look how he used Ronnie to get God’s man there, and how the Lord used George to get me to the right table with all the scratches on it and all the man I had seen the night before. The Word says He knows every hair on our head; but I know one thing for sure He walks among the tables at Dunklin in the middle of the night and knows every scratch on them! Yes, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is alive and well and will speak and call men today.
The Lord Jesus can interact with us today here on the earth, just as if we were in heaven. Father God has everything down to a science, just like he does your life. Let’s look at some facts:
- He knew everything about the meeting, date, time, location, and who would be there.
- When he caught me up and showed me the scratches and cuts on the table in the dining hall at Dunkin: they are rough, handmade tables that were made by the men going through the program. All of them filled with cuts and scratches, and they look just alike, yet I knew the exact table.
- He knew every man there and where he would sit the next day.
- Ronnie thought he was inviting that young man to the meeting. Ronnie was working for Jesus under the power of the Holy Spirit and didn’t know it.
- George Marshal took me to the right table and never knew he was working under a mandate from God.
Here is the thing that just blows me away, not one of us could have been late!Nothing in the world could have stopped any of us. Not one man could have said, I don’t think I will go today. No one could have sat in the wrong place.
Not one of us had any thought of being led by the Lord. We were in the natural and walking under the power and order of God at the same time. Your next words to somebody could be out of the heart of God. No one knew about this, but those of us at the table.
Got put that meeting together like a beautiful piece of music. You can’t beat Him.
What the Lord Jesus wants to be done, He will do! The Holy Spirit was leading every man to that table, and not one of us knew it. Sometimes being led by the Spirit of God may not be what we think at all. We felt nothing. Your next phone call, a trip to the store, or the post office may be your most anointed moment of the week; ordered by the Lord, don’t miss it. If we belong to the Lord, we are naturally supernatural when He needs for us to be.
Your loving heavenly Father can unscramble your life and seat you at His table where you really don’t belong.” Grace, Grace WonderfulGrace”. There is no doubt about it; God sees tomorrow before we see today.
Dr. Bob Allen
God Loves You. Fix your eye on the Straight Gate.
Fetch Your News Interviews 2018 Candidate for Georgia Governor Clay Tippins
Election, Election 2018, Politics March 21, 2018
BKP interviews Navy Seal, Business Executive, and 2018 Candidate for Georgia Governor Clay Tippins on Fetch Your News FYNTV.com. Tippins talks about if elected: cutting taxes, fixing schools, creating jobs, building roads, and protecting freedom.
Sex Traffickers Will Target Atlanta During National Championship Game Weekend
State & National January 8, 2018
SEX TRAFFICKERS WILL TARGET ATLANTA
DURING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WEEKEND
ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, along with our law enforcement partners, are encouraging both citizens and visitors to be aware of the possibility of sex trafficking during the festivities happening in and around Atlanta this weekend and into next week. In short, if you believe it might be, tell someone.
“Sex traffickers are despicable people, and they use events like the National Championship game to ply their trade,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “These types of events draw large crowds of revelers, and sex traffickers often seek to exploit these types of opportunities. We need everyone’s help in identifying those being trafficked for sex, and in bringing the traffickers to justice.”
Many times those who are being trafficked are homeless, runaway, or abandoned children, but it is not limited to these groups. Traffickers also seek out at-risk individuals, i.e. those individuals suffering from sexual/physical abuse, or dependency, while also exploiting women and children from other countries – typically from impoverished nations.
There are some signs that people should be aware of which may indicate someone is being held against their will and trafficked for sex:
- They do not hold their own identity or travel documents;
- They appear to suffer from verbal or psychological abuse designed to intimidate, degrade and frighten the individual;
- They have a trafficker or pimp who controls all their money – the victim will have very little or no pocket money;
- They are extremely nervous, especially if the victim’s “translator” is their trafficker; and
- They are not allowed to move about by themselves and have little understanding of where they are.
Victims may also lack personal items, possessions, or luggage. They may not have a cell phone or calling card. Most may also lack private space – a trafficker or an enforcer is always present. They most likely will not possess financial records or identification documents, or have any knowledge about how to get around in a community.
The penalties for sex-trafficking are substantial, but can only be enforced with the help of aware citizens. If you wish to report a potential sex-trafficking incident please contact the FBI at (770) 216-3000.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division ishttp://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Senator David Perdue Comments On President Trump’s National Security Strategy
State & National December 19, 2017
Senator David Perdue Comments On President Trump’s National Security Strategy
“President Trump has laid out a clear path to protect our homeland and reengage around the world”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, comments on President Trump’s National Security Strategy:
“President Trump has laid out a clear path to protect our homeland and reengage around the world. This multi-pronged strategy will encourage diplomacy with our allies and challenge our global competitors in an ever-changing world. We have to recognize that the world is more dangerous than any time in my lifetime and Americans are facing more threats at home and abroad than ever before. Under the direction of President Trump, America is signaling a strong commitment to reengaging as a global and economic leader.”
State National 9/16/16
GMFTO September 18, 2016
Bruce and Rick join BKP for an Election Panel and Discussion at the Shops at Sycamore in downtown Blue Ridge.
State National 9/14/16
GMFTO September 14, 2016
George offers opinions on Obama’s Campaign and America’s threats as well as his Short Moments for GMFTO.
Jennifer Hazelton Talks Trump 9/6/16
GMFTO September 6, 2016
BKP speaks with Jennifer Hazelton, Georgia Communication Director for the Donald Trump Campaign, about the election and campaigns so far.
State National 9/2/16
GMFTO September 6, 2016
Politics and Elections discussed by our Blue Ridge Forum.
Morning Monologue 7/28/16
GMFTO July 28, 2016
BKP reprises the Democratic National Convention and public response, media response, and Republican unity.
Convention Round Table 7/27/16
GMFTO July 27, 2016
Georgia Republican Delegate Linda Clary Umberger and Gilmer Republican Party Chairman Stephen Aaron sit down with BKP for a round table discussion about the National Conventions.
Senator David Perdue: President Trump Driving Consensus To Fix Our Legal Immigration System
State & National January 10, 2018 , by Admin AssistantSenator David Perdue: President Trump Driving Consensus To Fix Our Legal Immigration System
“My personal focus continues to be on how we eliminate chain migration, which is a fundamental flaw in our current immigration policy”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) made the following comments after the White House meeting on immigration today:
“President Trump, being an outsider and business guy, is driving consensus between Republicans and Democrats to fix our legal immigration system. Today’s White House meeting was to define the scope of this negotiation to include four items: solving the DACA situation, addressing border security, ending chain migration, and eliminating the outdated visa lottery. President Trump is trying to instill a sense of urgency to get something done on immigration, but this topic should not be part of funding the federal government. My personal focus continues to be on how we eliminate chain migration, which is a fundamental flaw in our current immigration policy. If any conversation about DACA is being held without that consideration, it is not going to go anywhere in the United States Senate. The first thing a DACA recipient will do if given permanent status is use chain migration laws to sponsor those who violated the law originally. Ending chain migration and eliminating the outdated visa lottery program is in our national security and economic interest. President Trump has done a great job making sure this remains a top priority in any immigration discussion.”