LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - June 20, 2007

Rep. Murphy appointed to House Study Committee

House Speaker Glenn Richardson has appointed State Representative Quincy Murphy (D-Augusta) to serve on the House Study Committee on Medical Education.

During the course of the year, the committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs, issues, and problems for the purpose of recommending any actions or legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.

The committee was formed due to the exponential growth of the state population, since 2000 Georgia has increased by over 900,000 people, in comparison to the total amount of medical doctors practicing throughout the state. As of 2004, the ratio of physicians to Georgians ranks 37th in the nation.

Such a scenario raises public health concerns as to whether the medical needs of children, elderly, disabled, infirmed and other Georgians are being adequately attended to.

Rep. Murphy was a co-sponsor of HR 668 because "this is too important an issue to overlook. We need a network of highly qualified physicians to maintain the health and wellbeing of our neighbors, family members, and friends. Our future as a state is at stake."

The General Assembly, concurring with Rep. Murphy, agreed that it would be beneficial to study the medical education system and identify ways to expand the medical education capacity of this state to include increasing the capacity for clinical training in this state, increasing the capacity for residency training in this state, and increasing the number of medical students in the medical education system in this state.

Upon learning of his appointment, Rep. Murphy commented, "I am honored and appreciative that the Speaker appointed me to serve on this committee. I look forward to working with my colleagues to develop policy recommendations that serve the best interest of Georgians."

Other News:

On June 11, the Monroe County Superior Court ordered that Genarlow Wilson be freed from prison. Judge Thomas Wilson also amended Genarlow's felony conviction to a misdemeanor without requiring that he register as a sex offender.

Judge Wilson agreed the 10-year prison sentence "would be viewed by society as 'cruel and unusual' in the Constitutional sense of disproportionality." Unfortuntately, the next day Attorney General Thurbert Baker appealed the decision forcing Genarlow to stay imprisoned under a law that has been amended by the Georgia Legislature due to its unforeseen consequence on teenagers who engage in consensual sex.

Please contact the office of Attorney General Thurbert Baker to strongly urge him to rescind his appeal against the decision by Judge Thomas Wilson and allow Genarlow Wilson to reclaim his life.

The office of Attorney General Baker is located at 40 Capitol Square SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. His phone number is 404-656-3300