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The Georgia Commission on Women (GCW) met on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at the office of GCW at 10:00 a.m. Commissioners present included Nellie Duke, Debbie Connell, Linda McWhorter, Carole Dabbs, Sharon Baker, Julianna McConnell and Executive Director Jessica Jones.
Director Jones led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. The minutes from the January 2011 meeting were read. Commissioner Connell moved to accept the minutes. The minutes were approved as read.
The Executive Committee did not meet this month.
Director Jones spoke on HB 165, the Runaway Youth Safety Act. She attended the House Committee meeting on Tuesday, February 15th, discussing this proposed bill. It did not pass. GCW has not formally signed onto this bill because under current language, it is too broad and could easily be misinterpreted, however, many top leaders in the legislature want this bill to pass. Vice Chair McConnell spoke on Street Grace and the CSEC Lobby Day at the State Capitol on February 1, 2011. GCW voted to support HB 200, the human trafficking bill, with no amendments.
The Georgia Commission on Women has been granted no monies in the governor’s budget. The Labor Commissioner’s office has been contacted and GCW has been promised a meeting with the commissioner within the next week. We will prepare a folder of information on the Commission and what we are required to do as a commission. He is the only person who can possibly restore monies to the GCW budget. The budget committee would like to meet with Commissioner Butler. GCW plans to ask our commissioners and partners to send Commissioner Butler emails and letters in support of GCW. We now are listed under the Insurance Committee with the Department of Labor.
Commissioner Baker gave the health committee report. On March 23rd, she will have a “Lunch with a Doctor” event at the VA Hospital in Atlanta. On Friday, February 11th, Chair Duke and Director Jones visited the VA Hospital to present a Valentine’s Day program for the homeless women veterans. They took donated clothes to those women.
Commissioner Connell spoke on the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Summit. The head of the University of Georgia’s Department of Pharmacy spoke at the conference.
Commissioner Dabbs former Commissioner Womack, and Director Jones provided free bone density screenings at a Bells Ferry Elementary School PTA health fair on February 3, 2011.
Vice Chair McConnell is meeting with the Advanced Policy Nursing class from Mercer University on February 17th for Nurses Day at the State Capitol.
The GCW web site is currently being updated.
Commissioner Dabbs commented that she still has Dr. Denmark’s plaque from a previous Georgia’s Legacy ~ Older Women (GLOW) awards event. It needs to be delivered to Athens. GCW is currently accepting GLOW nominations for 2011. Commissioner Connell would like to nominate Johnnie Cox, Commissioner Dabbs would like to nominate Diane Bonner, Director Jones would like to nominate Jackie Viener, Chair Duke would like to nominate Commissioner McWhorter’s mother-in-law Opal McWhorter and Commissioner Baker would like to nominate a nurse in the Rome area.
The Georgia Woman of the Year Committee, Inc. will meet to nominate and select the 2011 Georgia Woman of the Year on Saturday, February 26th at Mary Mac’s Tea Room in Atlanta at 10:00 a.m.
A letter asking for financial support of the Commission will be written by the next business meeting.
Chair Duke will be attending the State of the City Business Breakfast on Monday, February 21st in Atlanta, sponsored by Coca-Cola.
Commissioner Baker spoke on SB36, a drug monitoring bill. There are articles on “pill mills” stating that Georgia is a leading state for people to come and buy prescription pills.
The next meeting of GCW will be on March 16th at Mary Mac’s Tea Room in Atlanta, in observance of the Georgia’s Legacy ~ Older Women awards luncheon and Women’s History Month.
The meeting adjourned.