A Legislative Forum, sponsored by WATER MATTERS, was held Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Leroy Rogers Senior Center to discuss current and proposed legislation related to water issues in Georgia.  Those who attended included eight elected officials or their representatives, representatives of the Georgia Water Coalition, city and EPD employees, and a large group of interested area citizens.  Several displays related to water issues greeted the group on arrival.

Presentations about recent action by the U.S. Congress, as well as pending and potential state action were made by Neill Herring, Environmental and Natural Resources Lobbyist for the Georgia Water Coalition, Sierra Club, and other similar groups, and Gordon Rogers, Flint Riverkeeper.  Statements were made by Dist 13 State Sen. John Crosby, (member of the Appropriations Committee and chairman of the Ethics Committee), of Tifton;  Dist. 147 State Rep. Buddy Harden (member of the Natural Resources Environment Com. and V-Ch. of the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee), of Cordele; Dist. 153 State Rep. Tony McBrayer (member of the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee), of Tifton; Dist. 170 State Rep. Penny Houston (vice chairman of the Appropriations and Budget Committee and member of the Fiscal Affairs Committee), of Nashville; Dist. 151 State Rep. Carol Fullerton (member of the Natural Resources & Environment and the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications Committees),  of Albany; Regional Rep. for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Debbie Cannon, of Moultrie; Field & Constituent Service Rep. for U.S. Congressman Austin Scott, Alice Johnson; and Field Representative for US Senator Johnny Isakson, Frank Redmond, of Atlanta.

An open question and answer session created a lively dialogue among all those who attended, requiring event hosts to close the evening with many questions still being fielded by Georgia Water Coalition facilitators and elected officials afterwards in private conversations.  

WATER MATTERS co-chairs Karen Hendrix and Helen Rogers expressed their appreciation to all who helped make the evening helpful and noted several suggestions for future WATER MATTERS events raised by those who attended.