Alex
Atwood
Georgia House of Representatives - House District 179
March 24, 2011
ATLANTA - State Representatives Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City), Rich Golick (R-Smyrna), Alex Atwood (R-Brunswick), Allen Peake (R-Macon), Christian Coomer (R-Cartersville), and Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) released the following joint statement today in response to the illegal immigration protesters at the State Capitol:
“Today several hundred supporters of illegal immigration descended on the Georgia State Capitol to rail against legislation aimed at enforcing the rule of law in Georgia. In contrast to these angry sign waving activists, there are millions of Georgia citizens working and raising their families, who no longer are willing to accept the loss of job opportunities to the nearly 500,000 illegal aliens in our state or to subsidize their presence with their hard earned tax dollars. We are the voice for these common sense Georgians, and this kind of protest only bolsters our resolve to see House Bill 87 signed into law.”
ATLANTA - State Representatives Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City), Rich Golick (R-Smyrna), Alex Atwood (R-Brunswick), Allen Peake (R-Macon), Christian Coomer (R-Cartersville), and Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) released the following joint statement today in response to the illegal immigration protesters at the State Capitol:
“Today several hundred supporters of illegal immigration descended on the Georgia State Capitol to rail against legislation aimed at enforcing the rule of law in Georgia. In contrast to these angry sign waving activists, there are millions of Georgia citizens working and raising their families, who no longer are willing to accept the loss of job opportunities to the nearly 500,000 illegal aliens in our state or to subsidize their presence with their hard earned tax dollars. We are the voice for these common sense Georgians, and this kind of protest only bolsters our resolve to see House Bill 87 signed into law.”
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HB 41 - Reduction of Court Fees
HB 196 - Search Warrants
HB 261 - Anti-Terrorism
Click here to read more on the News Page!
HB 272 - Juvenile Court
HB 290 - Fraud Protection
HB 196 - Search Warrants
HB 261 - Anti-Terrorism
Click here to read more on the News Page!
HB 272 - Juvenile Court
HB 290 - Fraud Protection
Rep. Atwood’s Legislation Signed into Law by Governor
May 1, 2012
ATLANTA - State Representative Alex Atwood (R-Brunswick) commented today on Governor Nathan Deal signing into law House Bill 1166, legislation that provides parents with an additional voluntary option for ensuring their children receive health insurance coverage. Sponsored by Rep. Atwood, HB 1166 passed the General Assembly with broad, bipartisan support during this year’s legislative session, receiving a vote of 161 to 1 in the House and a vote of 42 to 2 in the Senate.
“I am truly grateful to Governor Deal for his support,” said Rep. Atwood. “We now have a voluntary, low-cost insurance option available to hard-working Georgians that will allow them to protect their children. I also want to thank our team of doctors, Voices for Georgia's Children, Georgians for a Healthy Future, and the American Diabetes Association, who helped me push this legislation through. I particularly wish to thank the young law students of Georgia State University who assisted me in drafting this legislation. It was truly a team approach that worked.”
According to Georgians for a Healthy Future, over 244,000 children are currently uninsured. These are typically children whose parents are not offered dependent coverage through work and have an income level above the maximum allowed for Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids. Historically, child-only health insurance plans were available in Georgia for these individuals. However, this changed after President Obama signed the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) into law. Due to the PPACA, insurance carriers in Georgia stopped offering child-only plans because they feared that the federal law’s guaranteed issue requirement would place them at risk of “gaming,” a practice where consumers wait until they need insurance to purchase it.
HB 1166 addresses the issue of “gaming” by establishing an open enrollment period and defining qualifying events, outside of which carriers would not have to sell the plans. This measure thus alleviates the fears of insurance providers, while ensuring that children in Georgia are not completely denied access to health insurance. The bill has the support of the American Diabetes Association, Georgians for a Healthy Future, insurance carriers, and physicians throughout the state.
For more information on HB 1166, please click here.
Representative Alex Atwood represents the citizens of District 179, which includes portions of Glynn County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves on the Information and Audits, Insurance, and Judiciary Non-Civil committees.ting
March 30, 2012
On Thursday, March 29th, the 2012 legislative session came to an end when the House and Senate completed the 40th and final legislative day. This last day of session is known as "Sine Die," a Latin term meaning "without assigning a day for further meeting," which is how we adjourned session.
As we went into this final day, we had already addressed most of the major issues for this year. The state budget, reforms of our state tax code, and legislation to allow parents more options for the creation of charter schools had all previously received final approval from the House and Senate.
While passing legislation of such importance before the final day was a major accomplishment, there were still many key issues to address as of Thursday morning. We still needed to give final passage to criminal justice reform, improve our laws to help fight the growing problem of metal theft, and establish a tax court to help efficiently resolve disputes with the Department of Revenue. Those issues and more awaited our attention on Sine Die, which is why we worked from 9:30 AM until late into the night before finally gaveling the 2012 legislative session to an end.
Read More...
May 1, 2012
ATLANTA - State Representative Alex Atwood (R-Brunswick) commented today on Governor Nathan Deal signing into law House Bill 1166, legislation that provides parents with an additional voluntary option for ensuring their children receive health insurance coverage. Sponsored by Rep. Atwood, HB 1166 passed the General Assembly with broad, bipartisan support during this year’s legislative session, receiving a vote of 161 to 1 in the House and a vote of 42 to 2 in the Senate.
“I am truly grateful to Governor Deal for his support,” said Rep. Atwood. “We now have a voluntary, low-cost insurance option available to hard-working Georgians that will allow them to protect their children. I also want to thank our team of doctors, Voices for Georgia's Children, Georgians for a Healthy Future, and the American Diabetes Association, who helped me push this legislation through. I particularly wish to thank the young law students of Georgia State University who assisted me in drafting this legislation. It was truly a team approach that worked.”
According to Georgians for a Healthy Future, over 244,000 children are currently uninsured. These are typically children whose parents are not offered dependent coverage through work and have an income level above the maximum allowed for Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids. Historically, child-only health insurance plans were available in Georgia for these individuals. However, this changed after President Obama signed the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) into law. Due to the PPACA, insurance carriers in Georgia stopped offering child-only plans because they feared that the federal law’s guaranteed issue requirement would place them at risk of “gaming,” a practice where consumers wait until they need insurance to purchase it.
HB 1166 addresses the issue of “gaming” by establishing an open enrollment period and defining qualifying events, outside of which carriers would not have to sell the plans. This measure thus alleviates the fears of insurance providers, while ensuring that children in Georgia are not completely denied access to health insurance. The bill has the support of the American Diabetes Association, Georgians for a Healthy Future, insurance carriers, and physicians throughout the state.
For more information on HB 1166, please click here.
Representative Alex Atwood represents the citizens of District 179, which includes portions of Glynn County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves on the Information and Audits, Insurance, and Judiciary Non-Civil committees.ting
March 30, 2012
On Thursday, March 29th, the 2012 legislative session came to an end when the House and Senate completed the 40th and final legislative day. This last day of session is known as "Sine Die," a Latin term meaning "without assigning a day for further meeting," which is how we adjourned session.
As we went into this final day, we had already addressed most of the major issues for this year. The state budget, reforms of our state tax code, and legislation to allow parents more options for the creation of charter schools had all previously received final approval from the House and Senate.
While passing legislation of such importance before the final day was a major accomplishment, there were still many key issues to address as of Thursday morning. We still needed to give final passage to criminal justice reform, improve our laws to help fight the growing problem of metal theft, and establish a tax court to help efficiently resolve disputes with the Department of Revenue. Those issues and more awaited our attention on Sine Die, which is why we worked from 9:30 AM until late into the night before finally gaveling the 2012 legislative session to an end.
Read More...
Bills Sponsored or Co-Sponsored
by Rep. Atwood
Passed in the House
by Rep. Atwood
Passed in the House
Jury Composition Committee Members and Bill Sponsors stand with Governor Nathan Deal after the signing of Rep. Atwood's HB 415. From left, Mr. Mike Cucarro and Ms. Billie Bolton, AOC; Rep. Alex Atwood; Mr. Bob Keller, Board of Pardons and Paroles; Gov. Deal: Ms. Patty Baker; Cherokee County Superior Court Clerk, and Judge Ben Studdard, State Court of Henry County.
Coastal Delegation Elects Leaders
January 17, 2012
ATLANTA - The Coastal Delegation of Georgia elected State Representative Alex Atwood (R-St. Simons) as the delegation’s vice-chairman and Representative Ellis Black (R-Valdosta) as its secretary during its meeting on Friday, January 13, 2012.
“On behalf of the Coastal Delegation of Georgia, it is my pleasure to announce the election of Representative Alex Atwood and Representative Ellis Black to their leadership positions in the delegation,” said Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah), chairman of the delegation. “Both representatives have shown dedication to Coastal Georgia issues and leadership in the formation of this very important bi-partisan delegation.”
The Coastal Delegation of Georgia is comprised of state representatives and senators from Georgia’s newly drawn 1st Congressional District, which was passed during the 2011 special session of the General Assembly, adopted by the Governor and pre-approved by the U.S. Department of Justice.
“We want to bring the largest impact we can to the State Capitol,” said Rep. Atwood. “With the population shifts over the last 10 years, southeast Georgia is losing representation in Atlanta. Now it is more important than ever that Southeast Georgia representatives and senators work together to promote the needs of Southeast Georgia communities with one unified voice.”
In addition to the delegation elections, the representatives and senators from southeast Georgia also heard from Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner Mark Williams about administrative changes within the DNR and received updates from the Georgia Department of Transportation on the Regional Transportation, T-SPLOST.
The agenda for the delegation’s next meeting includes updates regarding the Savannah harbor deepening and a general ports update.
January 17, 2012
ATLANTA - The Coastal Delegation of Georgia elected State Representative Alex Atwood (R-St. Simons) as the delegation’s vice-chairman and Representative Ellis Black (R-Valdosta) as its secretary during its meeting on Friday, January 13, 2012.
“On behalf of the Coastal Delegation of Georgia, it is my pleasure to announce the election of Representative Alex Atwood and Representative Ellis Black to their leadership positions in the delegation,” said Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah), chairman of the delegation. “Both representatives have shown dedication to Coastal Georgia issues and leadership in the formation of this very important bi-partisan delegation.”
The Coastal Delegation of Georgia is comprised of state representatives and senators from Georgia’s newly drawn 1st Congressional District, which was passed during the 2011 special session of the General Assembly, adopted by the Governor and pre-approved by the U.S. Department of Justice.
“We want to bring the largest impact we can to the State Capitol,” said Rep. Atwood. “With the population shifts over the last 10 years, southeast Georgia is losing representation in Atlanta. Now it is more important than ever that Southeast Georgia representatives and senators work together to promote the needs of Southeast Georgia communities with one unified voice.”
In addition to the delegation elections, the representatives and senators from southeast Georgia also heard from Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner Mark Williams about administrative changes within the DNR and received updates from the Georgia Department of Transportation on the Regional Transportation, T-SPLOST.
The agenda for the delegation’s next meeting includes updates regarding the Savannah harbor deepening and a general ports update.
Rep. Atwood’s Legislation Makes Way through General Assembly, Heads to Governor
March 30, 2012
ATLANTA - State Representative Alex Atwood (R-Brunswick) commented today on the General Assembly’s passage of House Bill 1166, legislation that provides parents with an additional voluntary option for ensuring their children receive health insurance coverage. Sponsored by Rep. Atwood, HB 1166 passed the Senate yesterday with a vote of 42 to 2, showing tremendous bipartisan support for the measure. The legislation previously passed the State House with a vote of 161 to 1.
“This common sense legislation provides a voluntary, low-cost insurance option for Georgia’s citizens to protect the health of their children,” said Rep. Atwood. “I am deeply appreciative to my colleagues in both the House and Senate for their support of this important legislation. I would like to specifically thank my good friend, Senator William Ligon, for carrying HB 1166 in the Senate. His efforts to get this bill out of the Senate were instrumental in its success late last night.”
According to Georgians for a Healthy Future, over 244,000 children are currently uninsured. These are typically children whose parents are not offered dependent coverage through work and have an income level above the maximum allowed for Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids. Historically, child-only health insurance plans were available in Georgia for these individuals. However, this changed after President Obama signed the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) into law. Due to the PPACA, insurance carriers in Georgia stopped offering child-only plans because they feared that the federal law’s guaranteed issue requirement would place them at risk of “gaming,” a practice where consumers wait until they need insurance to purchase it.
HB 1166 addresses the issue of “gaming” by establishing an open enrollment period and defining qualifying events, outside of which carriers would not have to sell the plans. This measure thus alleviates the fears of insurance providers, while ensuring that children in Georgia are not completely denied access to health insurance. The bill has the support of the American Diabetes Association, Georgians for a Healthy Future, insurance carriers, and physicians throughout the state.
For more information on HB 1166, please click here.
Representative Alex Atwood represents the citizens of District 179, which includes portions of Glynn County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves on the Information and Audits, Insurance, and Judiciary Non-Civil committees.
March 30, 2012
ATLANTA - State Representative Alex Atwood (R-Brunswick) commented today on the General Assembly’s passage of House Bill 1166, legislation that provides parents with an additional voluntary option for ensuring their children receive health insurance coverage. Sponsored by Rep. Atwood, HB 1166 passed the Senate yesterday with a vote of 42 to 2, showing tremendous bipartisan support for the measure. The legislation previously passed the State House with a vote of 161 to 1.
“This common sense legislation provides a voluntary, low-cost insurance option for Georgia’s citizens to protect the health of their children,” said Rep. Atwood. “I am deeply appreciative to my colleagues in both the House and Senate for their support of this important legislation. I would like to specifically thank my good friend, Senator William Ligon, for carrying HB 1166 in the Senate. His efforts to get this bill out of the Senate were instrumental in its success late last night.”
According to Georgians for a Healthy Future, over 244,000 children are currently uninsured. These are typically children whose parents are not offered dependent coverage through work and have an income level above the maximum allowed for Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids. Historically, child-only health insurance plans were available in Georgia for these individuals. However, this changed after President Obama signed the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) into law. Due to the PPACA, insurance carriers in Georgia stopped offering child-only plans because they feared that the federal law’s guaranteed issue requirement would place them at risk of “gaming,” a practice where consumers wait until they need insurance to purchase it.
HB 1166 addresses the issue of “gaming” by establishing an open enrollment period and defining qualifying events, outside of which carriers would not have to sell the plans. This measure thus alleviates the fears of insurance providers, while ensuring that children in Georgia are not completely denied access to health insurance. The bill has the support of the American Diabetes Association, Georgians for a Healthy Future, insurance carriers, and physicians throughout the state.
For more information on HB 1166, please click here.
Representative Alex Atwood represents the citizens of District 179, which includes portions of Glynn County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves on the Information and Audits, Insurance, and Judiciary Non-Civil committees.
