Rural Economic Development + Medical College of Georgia Expansion
Southern Legislative Conference
This week, I joined legislators from across the southeast at the Southern Legislative Conference hosted by the Council of State Governments. It was a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and discuss our success here in Georgia with leaders from across the nation.
I had the pleasure of participating in a panel discussion with business leaders and economic development officials to talk about Georgia’s record-breaking growth and development statistics, and the strategic policies we’ve implemented to bolster economies throughout rural Georgia.
Over the last several years, 82% of the jobs created in our state have been in counties outside of metro Atlanta—a testament to the leadership of Governor Brian Kemp, the General Assembly, and our local officials across the state to implement policies that champion our rural communities.
Georgia National Guard
I was honored to send a letter of support to the brave men and women serving in the Georgia National Guard overseas in Iraq. We hope these community boxes brought our service members a little comfort from home, and I hope you’ll join me and Mrs. Dayle in continuing to pray for their safe return.
Blue-Ribbon Committee on Licensing and the Comprehensive Health Coverage Commission
On Thursday, two joint study committees met to continue seeking solutions to streamline our licensing process and discuss options for increasing access to healthcare for Georgians in every corner of the state.
The Joint Blue-Ribbon Committee on Licensing heard testimony from several members of Georgia’s professional licensing boards. We’re looking forward to continue hearing from board members and citizens about the obstacles they face during this process and implementing solutions to keep hardworking Georgians doing their jobs.
The Comprehensive Health Coverage Commission met for the first time Thursday afternoon where they heard presentations on the current state of Medicaid in Georgia and an overview of waiver options, Governor Kemp’s Pathways Program, and Insurance Commissioner John King’s Georgia Access Program.
The House remains committed to increasing access to quality, affordable healthcare for our citizens in a fiscally responsible manner, and we’re grateful for the work of the commission as they gather the facts and study the options that could work for our state.
Celebrating Georgia’s New Medical School Campus
On Friday morning, I was excited to join alongside leaders from the General Assembly, Board of Regents, Augusta University, Georgia Southern, and the Medical College of Georgia to celebrate the ribbon cutting of our state’s new four-year medical school campus in Savannah.
In an effort to continue bolstering our medical workforce throughout the state, the House allocated a total of $6.4 million for this partnership between some of our state’s most prestigious higher education institutions. When the Medical College of Georgia welcomes 40 new students to Georgia Southern’s Armstrong Campus this fall, it will be one of the largest medical school classes in the nation.
We’re incredibly proud of this milestone achievement for healthcare in Georgia—and we look forward to the tremendous impact these students will have on the health of Georgia’s citizens and our communities across the state.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
My best,
Speaker Jon Burns