THE ASHE ADVOCATE – February 2, 2007

Innocence Project brings justice to wrongfully convicted

By Rep. Kathy Ashe

Two weeks ago, Willie O. “Pete” Williams was released from prison after having been incarcerated more than 21 years for a crime we now know he did not commit. Williams is one of six men whose convictions have been thrown out by DNA evidence, many years after they were wrongfully sent to prison.

In each case, jurors found these men guilty based on “eyewitness” testimony identifying them as the perpetrator. However, the DNA evidence has proven those identifications to have been mistaken. Georgia has had too many of these miscarriages of justice, which not only cost the taxpayers but rob innocent citizens of decades of freedom.

Thanks to the Georgia Innocence Project, some sense of justice is being restored in these cases. Through the incredible efforts of the lawyers and law students involved in this program, not only are wrongfully convicted Georgians being released from prison, the attention drawn to these cases will help reduce their occurrence in the future.

For more information on the Georgia Innocence Project, please visit http://www.ga-innocenceproject.org.             

A longstanding debate over how Georgia regulates the construction of medical facilities through the Certificate of Need (CON) Law is receiving legislative attention this session.

Under current law, the Department of Community Health issues a CON before any health care facility can be built and deliver certain types of medical services. Before issuing a certificate, the state analyzes the need for medical services as well as the impact on existing health care facilities.

Supporters of the CON law, which are usually hospitals, say it is necessary because it reduces the number of duplicative medical facilities. Opponents, including many physicians, want to be able to operate medical facilities without being required for a CON. House Speaker Glenn Richardson this week appointed a special committee to address the issue.

In an effort to improve reading literacy in Georgia, I have co-sponsored House Bill 246. This measure calls for the state to develop a program to utilize college and university students who are receiving HOPE scholarships to assist in reading literacy programs in public pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and elementary schools

HOPE Scholars participating in the program who fail to meet grade requirements to maintain their HOPE eligibility would receive an additional quarter or semester to meet such grade requirements under this proposal.

I have also co-sponsored HB 228, which would remove the hourly caps on HOPE Scholarships at Georgia’s public and private colleges and universities and at branches of the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education. These caps are an unnecessary restriction on the program and are unfair to students whose degree programs exceed those hourly limits.

Both HB 246 and HB 228 were referred to the House Higher Education Committee for consideration.

To help combat the rise of foreclosures in metro Atlanta, Mayor Shirley Franklin, DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones and Fulton County Commission Chair John Eaves have joined with national and local organizations to announce the HOPE foreclosure prevention program and toll-free 1-888-995-4673 (HOPE) hotline.

According to RealtyTrac, Georgia had one of the nation’s highest foreclosure rates and metro Atlanta ranked second among the top 100 metropolitan areas for home foreclosures last year. Georgia reported a total of 75,975 foreclosure filings during 2006, the sixth most of any state and a 67 percent increase over the previous year. The Atlanta metro area accounted for 63,737 foreclosure filings.

I support the efforts of these local government leaders and national and local organizations who have joined together to provide free counseling to Georgia homeowners. By calling the toll-free number, homeowners can receive confidential advice from expert counselors 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Homeowners who want or need in-person counseling will be referred to organizations throughout the metro area. Counseling is available in English and Spanish.

Legislation requiring the use of seat belts in pickup trucks has been introduced in both the House and Senate, addressing an issue not only of public safety but also economics. As one of only a handful of states that still does not require the use of seat belts in pickups, Georgia is losing an estimated $21 million per year in federal highway safety funding. I am a co-sponsor of the House version, HB 114.

The legislature is in official recess until Thursday, February 8, which will be the 15th legislative day of the 2007 session. On February 10, the General Assembly will meet for a rare Saturday session as Family Day is observed. This will give Georgians who are unable to visit the Capitol during the work week an opportunity to see the lawmaking process in action.

• Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) represents the 56th District (Fulton County) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact her at 409 Coverdell Office Building, Atlanta, GA  30334; by phone at 404-656-0116 or by e-mail at kathyashe56@mindspring.com.