The very bad news comes when we begin writing the FY 2011 budget. Revenue projections and figures are now so unpredictable that we have recessed for two weeks to await the report of income to the state for February, likely to us by March 5. During the two weeks we are out of session, budget sub committees will meet to attempt to hammer out proposed expenditures while we await the February report. The bad news is that everyone should brace themselves for more radical and deeper cuts than even the most pessimistic projections have previously discussed.

In other news, the Senate continues to work on rewriting Georgia's concealed weapons carry laws. Senator Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) met with the Special Judiciary Committee for more than four hours to walk them through the bill and discuss possible changes. According to Seabaugh, the legislation has two purposes, to remedy confusion in the current law and bring continuity to the process of licensing and regulation. "Legally carrying citizens want to follow the laws and law enforcement officers want to be able to enforce the law, " Seabaugh said. I fully support his efforts and look forward to voting for his bill. I am a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment to our constitution.

Senator Jeff Mullis, (R-Chickamauga) introduced a bill to establish a "Blue Alert" when a law enforcement officer is seriously hurt or killed by an assailant who escapes immediate capture. The system would be similar to the "Amber Alert" and messages would be flashed on highway signs when the alert was activated. After two Newton Deputies were seriously wounded recently and two metro Atlanta law enforcement officers died in the line of duty this past week, the system is needed as soon as possible.

Finally, Georgia's judicial system would see major changes if a bill by Senator Preston Smith, (R-Rome) is passed. SB 429 would create a judicial operations fund for the operations of the courts and a significant portion of judges' salaries. The bill would also add two Supreme Court Justices and three Appeals Court Judges. These additional positions would give the courts more personnel to handle the overflow of cases and accelerate the process of appeals. The bill already has 31 signatures in the Senate, 29 votes are needed for passage.

The House and Senate will return to session on Monday, March 8. Once again, it is an honor to represent you in Atlanta and I hope you will call on me any time.

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Senator John Douglas, (R-Social Circle) represents the 17th Senate District in the Georgia Senate. Comprising all of Newton County and parts of Henry, Rockdale, Spalding and Walton Counties, Senator Douglas can be reached at 404-656-0503, by email, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or through his website, www.senatorjohndouglas.com.

The invitation-only hunt will feature some members of the New York City Fire Department who were part of the 9-11 rescue efforts in 2001. “They’re coming down to be part of this event,” said Lt. Col. Dan Hammack of Edison, creator of the event. “It’s almost like coming full circle.”

As part of their visit, the group will speak at several Southwest Georgia schools on Friday, including Deerfield-Windsor School and Sherwood Christian Academy in Albany and Southwest Georgia Academy in Damascus.

Joining the soldiers and firefighters in this weekend’s hunt will be Georgia State Sen. John Douglas, who will make a return trip to the event.

“I’m coming home,” the Albany native said. Douglas, who made his first trip to the hunt last year, said he is looking forward to spending time with soldiers who have been injured in the line of duty. “I’m also looking forward to seeing the 9-11 firefighters,” he said. Although the senator spent most of his childhood fishing at Lake Blackshear instead of hunting, he held his own with the other participants at last year’s hunt.

“I got my share of quail,” Douglas joked.

He’ll be joined by soldiers from such bases as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Benning, Fort Stewart and Hunter Airfield. This weekend’s activities will give participants a full day of quail hunting across the region.

“They’ll be hunting in Dougherty, Calhoun, Clay, Early, Marion and Randolph counties,” Hammack said. That’s once the hunters first register in Edison, though. Then they’ll head to McLendon Barn in Leary for a reception dinner.

“They’ll find out what property they’ll be hunting on and meet the land owner and their host,” Hammack said. From there, the hunters will be dispersed to several area hunting properties, including Pine Ridge Plantation, Dry Creek Plantation, Holly Plantation, Mac Farms, Hammack’s own Southern Wilderness Plantation, Bell Plantation, Lizard Lope Lodge and Quail Country Plantation.

Once the hunting ceases Saturday afternoon, participants will head back into Edison for a banquet that will culminate the weekend’s activities. “At that banquet, we do a drawing for gifts,” Hammack said. That includes gifts provided by actor Michael Talbott, the banquet’s master of ceremonies.

“Everybody’s going to get a cookbook,” said the actor who is best known for his role as Detective Stanley Switeck on “Miami Vice.” The cookbooks, titled “Heroes Favorites — Iowa’s Favorites,” are compilations of soldiers from Talbott’s native Iowa who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Plus, Talbott will give away copies of “First Blood,” the film in which he starred with Sylvester Stallone. While the actor will guide the banquet’s sequence of events, participants will also see him throughout the weekend.

“I’m more of the social director,” said Talbott, who has been part of the annual event since Hammack started developing it in 2007.

According to Hammack, this weekend’s event is sponsored by Purple Heart Outdoors, an organization to provide outdoor opportunities for wounded soldiers, and Operation One Voice.

“Operation One Voice is an organization that helps orphans of slain service members,” he said. “In both cases, it’s for soldiers who served in the Iraqi and Afghanistan war.”

It’s a cause that hits close to home for Hammack.

“I’ve been in Iraq, myself,” he said.

This weekend’s hunt is one of several opportunities for soldiers to get away from it all, including an elk hunt in Colorado and a pheasant hunt in Iowa.

Both Hammack and Talbott agree that these hunts, which are conducted with help from the community are simply a way to express appreciation to American soldiers serving in the Middle East.

“My hat’s off to them,” Talbott said. “It’s just a way to let them forget about their problems for a weekend.”

The Albany Herald, February 3, 2010