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The Wayne Shackelford Excellence in Public Service Award recognizes a former county official who also has served or is serving the citizens of Georgia in a state or national office.
“This is a truly singular honor from my colleagues and friends in the ACCG, and I humbly thank you,” Johnson told the crowd. “As county commissioners, I know you are always on the front lines, and the federal government should be a partner in helping you do your jobs effectively and efficiently.”
David Kurth of Burlington, Wis., was also denied the ability to sue after his father died as a result of alleged poor care he received in a nursing home. The nursing home claimed the paperwork a family member had signed when the father was admitted required the matter to go to binding arbitration.
It is cases such as these and thousands of others that prompted Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) to introduce H.R. 1020, the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2009 in February.
HR 1626 passed by a voice vote in the House on April 22.
Judges and attorneys have been complaining for years that the unclear and confusing rules for computing court deadlines can cause criminal defendants and parties to litigation to lose their rights based on procedural error rather than the merits of a case.
Under HR 1626, deadlines will not fall on weekends and every calendar day will be counted when calculating deadlines, a rational “days are days” approach as opposed to the “business-day” model.
The first bill authorizes EPA to award grants to reduce the environmental impact of discarded electronic devices and promote the recycling of these devices.
The second authorizes grants to support graduate education in the area of clean energy and high-performance building design – not unlike Arabia Mountain High School in Lithonia, the first LEED certified school in Georgia history, which will open in August.
The Congressman said he is likely to support both pieces of legislation.
On Saturday, April 18 at the Porter Sanford Center for the Performing Arts from 4 to 7 p.m., Rep. Johnson will present certificates of Congressional recognition to both arts students and students applying to the service academies.
The Arts Competition, which was open to all high school students in the Fourth District of Georgia – including parts of the DeKalb, Rockdale and Gwinnett county school systems – had 50 entries from more than 15 schools throughout the district.
In 2007, there were 19 entries and in 2008 there were 22.
| Watch Hank talk about the town hall |
By bringing lenders and struggling homeowners to the same table, Johnson said he hopes to stem the tide of foreclosures that has plagued the Fourth District.
Although the potential loss of jobs is important to Johnson, he said the fighters’ strategic importance in America’s defensive arsenal trumps all other concerns.
“Contrary to what some analysts say, our air superiority is not assured,” said Johnson. “Russia, China even India are all building the next generation of fighters. The F-22 program helps us maintain our lead in the skies, and helps keep America safe.”