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Long-time lawmaker has challenger
Zena McClain vs. Ron Stephens Tuesday
Zena-McClain
Zena McClain - photo by Photo provided.
For the first time in more than 10 years, the Georgia House representative from the 164th District is being challenged for his seat.
Republican incumbent Ron Stephens, 56, will face Democrat Zena McClain, 41, next week in the general election. It’ll be the first time that Stephens has been challenged since he was elected to represent South Bryan, and parts  of Chatham and Liberty counties in 1997. He beat Joey Crawford and won a special election to fill the unexpired term of Sonny Dixon.
Stephens, who lives in Savannah, is running again to see through some of the reforms he’s started.
“I got a lot of unfinished tax work,” he said. “There’s some unfinished business that we need to take care of, as it relates to education. And with my position and leadership, I can see that to its fruition.”
McClain, also of Savannah, said she threw her hat in the political ring this year because she felt voters should have a choice.
“For (13) years, they have not had a choice because Ron has not been opposed,” she said.
Specifically, Stephens said he’d still like to freeze property taxes for some residents of Bryan County. Stephens, a pharmacist, said that creating jobs, especially in Bryan County, will be another priority for him if he is re-elected.
“It’s all about jobs,” he said.
Though tax policies have been the crux of Stephens’ time in the House, he said he’s also proud of a bill he sponsored that awarded Georgia Vietnam and Korean veterans their high school diploma if they quit school early to serve their country.
McClain, a lawyer with a practice in Savannah, also said she is concerned about taxes. If elected, she pledged to decrease the tax burden on working families, improve fairness and still generate money for state.
“We need someone to go in there and address the needs of the working people,” she said.
McClain, who specializes in employment law, said she’d also work to balance the budget, support policies to improve education and make sure citizens in her electorate are educated about the issues that affect them.
But making sure additional taxes aren’t levied on working people is the most important issue to her. 
“We have had enough taxes,” she said.
Stephens said his years in the state House qualify him for another two years in his position. He serves on many different committees in the Georgia House of Representatives, including the Economic Development Committee, the Ways and Means Committee and the Rules Committee. Stephens said he has the power to allow bills to pass through the house.
“I have influence,” he said.
McClain said her 14 years as an employment attorney make her a qualified candidate for the House, as does her drive to be a public servant.
“I think that there’s a need for more people to go into public service,” she said. “All my life, I wanted to be a public servant … I didn’t get into law to make a lot of money.”

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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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