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Economy

Commit to a governor that will finally help rural Georgia

Politicians have been failing rural Georgia for decades. Since Nathan Deal was elected governor, we’ve seen six rural hospitals close, making it the third highest state in the nation for hospital closures. Long after most of the United States has bounced back from the Great Recession, rural Georgians are still having a difficult time finding quality jobs and rural schools are still suffering. In Georgia, rural unemployment rates are double the rest of the state. Rural

2018 Legislative Session

What you can expect to see in the General Assembly this year

This year’s legislative session started Monday and promises to be a fast-moving one for a few reasons. First, according to law, legislators cannot receive campaign funds during the session, and the packed session schedule leaves little time for campaigning. This, in addition to recent Democratic wins in areas that used to be Republican strongholds, means Republicans are stressing like never before. Considering the elections and the issues that have been in the national spotlight over

Education

Internet is too little, too late for rural Georgia

The Rural Development Council, a powerful group of state lawmakers from the Georgia House of Representatives, approved sweeping proposals aimed at bolstering rural Ga. These recommendations could become a reality if enacted by the state Legislature next year. However, the offer of providing Internet, while helpful in some ways, feels like too little, too late. Rural Georgia’s issues are manifold, including complex layers of problems related to education, health care, workforce training and infrastructure. These

Education

Deal talks about teacher raises while rural districts struggle with furloughs

This year Governor Deal promised Georgia teachers a 3 percent raise. The state allotted districts a one-time payment equal to 3 percent of their teacher salaries. Unfortunately, to rural districts turning to furloughing teachers just to keep their doors open, this was only a drop in the bucket. A large part of the reason that these school districts have such a problem with funding is Recession-era budget cuts, imposed by Deal, make it difficult or

Uncategorized

Georgia’s rural schools struggle

Georgia’s rural schools are struggling and being left behind as metropolitan Georgia expands. Rural Georgia schools deal with high rates of poverty, small budgets and rising transportation costs. About 65 percent of Georgia students receive free or reduced lunch, a rate that is third-highest in the country. Georgia also has one of the highest numbers of students receiving special services. While Atlanta and Savannah are seeing populations soar, rural Georgia’s population continues to shrink. Too

Energy

Invest in rural Georgia

Rural Georgia is home to about half the state’s population and a favorite talking point of politicians. But infrastructure issues continue to be one of the most pressing problems rural areas face, and both state and federal leaders need to prove they are committed to doing more than just talking about our rural communities. The rural hospital crisis has been ongoing for years, leaving rural communities with fewer and fewer options for accessing healthcare. Currently,