Northeast Georgians have had a lot to say about their internet service – or lack thereof – through the years. Now, state lawmakers want to hear about your online experiences in person.
The Joint High-Speed Broadband Communications Access for All Georgians Study Committee will hold a public hearing on Thursday, September 15 at 1 p.m. at the North Georgia Technical College Currahee Campus in Toccoa.
The 10-member panel consists of five state senators and five state representatives. Their job is to examine the conditions, needs, issues and problems of high-speed broadband internet access in Georgia. They must submit their findings, including recommendations and proposed legislation, by December 1, 2016.
Your chance to have your say
The committee is co-chaired by Sen. Steve Gooch (R–Dahlonega) and Rep. Don Parsons (R-Marietta). Sen. John Wilkinson of Toccoa is a member of the committee. While some have criticized the timing of the meeting – in the middle of the work day on a Thursday – Wilkinson says it was scheduled that way to accommodate committee members who live out of town.
“There are 10 people on this legislative committee from all parts of the state. Everyone wanted to hold a hearing in their community. Time constraints did not permit this. I worked hard to hold one in Northeast Georgia. Some of the other members of the committee requested a 1:00 p.m. time slot so that it would not require overnight travel. An evening hearing would have been fine with me, but I needed to show consideration for the other members of the committee who agreed to come to Northeast Georgia.”
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Despite the scheduling challenge, Wilkinson says he hopes Northeast Georgians will turn out for the hearing.
“Community involvement in meetings like this one is extremely important because it opens conversation about what changes are necessary in the state of Georgia,” says Wilkinson. “We want to ensure that all the citizens of northeast Georgia have access to the most recent technologies. I encourage anyone who is interested in providing comments, concerns or ideas to attend the meeting and participate. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.”
If you’d like to speak before the committee, a sign-up sheet will be available at the site on the day of meeting.
The NGTC Curahee Campus is located at 8989 Highway 17 South, Toccoa, GA 30577.
