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House members back trauma care proposal
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State Sen. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, is co-sponsoring a trauma care funding proposal in an effort to maintain and expand Georgia’s trauma care center network. The amendment is also supported by area state representatives Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, and Al Williams, D-Midway, and Liberty Regional Medical Center CEO Scott Kroell.

If approved by the General Assembly, the senate resolution (SR 140) could appear on the November 2012 ballot, according to the Ballotpedia website. The resolution proposes setting aside $10 from each license tag fee collected into a trauma trust fund.

Along with Carter, state senators Greg Goggans, R-Douglas; Cecil Staton, R-Macon; Renee Unterman, R-Buford; Bill Jackson, R-Appling; and Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, are sponsoring the amendment.

Last year, Carter supported a similar measure, which called for an additional $10 fee on vehicle registrations to be dedicated solely to funding trauma care. According to Ballotpedia.org, the fee could have raised $80 million toward trauma care. The referendum failed to pass last November 53 percent to 47 percent.

“Based on the outcome it was evident many voters saw (last year’s funding proposal) as more of a tax increase and did not trust the government with more of their money which I can understand,” Goggans said in a news release. “But at the same time, many of those same voters recognize the urgent need of strengthening our trauma network and want an effective solution to address it. I’ve often said trauma care is expensive, but not having trauma care is more expensive because it costs lives. The $10 that will go solely to trauma funding equates to less than 3 cents a day for every person in the state. You cannot put a price on the value of a life, but 3 cents a day is a great deal for potentially life-saving trauma care.”

For more, pick up a copy of the March 5 edition of the News.

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Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program announces grant
Funds earmarked for Share the Road initiatives
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Grant funding totaling $93,458 has been awarded to the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP) by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The approved funding will be used to increase motorcycle safety awareness and outreach by encouraging all motorists and motorcyclists to Share the Road.

“The need for motorcycle safety programs is greater than ever, and this support from GOHS enables motorcycle safety programs and impaired riding initiatives to reach riders and non-riders alike” said Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “Thank you GOHS for helping (the Department of Driver Services) and GMSP educate and encourage all Georgia drivers to ‘Share the Road.’”

The grant allows DDS to further develop the Motorcycle Safety Outreach Program by continuing to fund a position to promote state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP outreach coordinator researches, coordinates and helps maintain an adequate presence at industry events, local schools and colleges, regional meetings and festivals to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and provide the most current information on motorcycle safety initiatives.

Visitors to a GMSP event display are also encouraged to sign up for regular newsletters which provide additional safety information, as well as review the motorcycle safety message on other social media platforms.

GMSP regulates motorcycle training for new riders, as well as seasoned riders, who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle legally and safely. The program is based on a continuum of learning and therefore offers three entry points to rider education.

Students participating in the Basic Riders Course do not need specialized motorcycle equipment, as the GMSP provides both a motorcycle and a helmet to class participants. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a 90-day license waiver card that exempts them from both the written and on-cycle skills tests needed to obtain a Class M license in the state of Georgia.

Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov for many online services including the convenience of enrolling in a GMSP training class and accessing many licensing services.

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