2018

A4E Releases 2015-2017 Commissioner Assessments

As the local election set for May 22 was warming up, A4E released assessments of the sitting commissioners for their last three years of work. These received a great deal of attention and undoubtedly made a difference in the final outcome.

Lobbying Day at the State Capitol

A4E took a group of nine members to the State Capitol to lobby for progressive causes at the Gold Dome on this Monday. They advocated with their legislators about issues like Medicaid Expansion, $15/hr minimum wage, an Independent Redistricting Commission and Marijuana Legalization with the goal of ending mass incarceration.

Lobbying can be intimidating, but after a training the week before by Sara Henderson of Common Cause, as well as reviewing current legislation and going over some helpful tips from past A4E lobbyists, the team was confident and ready to go. You can read more about their trip here.

Fourth Annual Meeting

A4E held its 4th annual meeting on this Saturday at the Athens-Clarke County Library. Members enjoyed a meal from Rashe’s Cuisine, elected six new board members and adopted 21 items for the organization’s local and state platforms.

Five awards were presented during the meeting. Eleanor Davis received Member of the Year; Tim Denson was honored with a Lifetime Member Award; Eric Rose received the Laura Conroy Community Spirit Award for his indispensable contributions to many local causes; Deborah Gonzalez received the Elected Official of the Year Award for championing progressive and transformative policies during the current state legislative session; and Broderick Flanigan received the first ever Anthony “Versatyle tha Wildchyld” Little All Love Solidarity Award for the impact of his art and activism on the Athens community.