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The bill that would prevent the placement of cell phone towers on DeKalb County K-12 public
school property going forward, HB 1197, has been stalled.
Knowing the tactics of the telecommunications industry and the money they have to throw around, this announcement should not come as a shock to anyone. But, the will of people is strong and it cannot be denied.
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| A recent example of the "stealth" cell towers popping up all over DeKalb County recently. This one appears to be an extremely overgrown Bonsai tree... or something. |
The politicians know that in order to remain in their positions of power, they must be responsive to the communities of citizens who put them there. But, it is up to us to let them know what issues we care about and what we expect them to do.
Last week, we needed 10 signatures from members of the DeKalb County legislative delegation in order to move Rep. Drenner's cell tower legislation forward. This is the bill that would prevent cell phone towers from being constructed on public school property. Rep. Drenner obtained 14 signatures from members of the delegation. A definite win for the "good guys."
The next step is the review of the bill by the House Intragovernmental Coordination Committee:
http://www.house.ga.gov/Committees/en-US/Committee.aspx?Committee=94&Session=21
The chairman of this committee, Rep. Chuck Sims, has decided that HB 1197 should not be heard by the full House of Representatives. We need your help to respectfully change his mind.
Chairman Rep. Chuck Sims
is responsible for stalling this bill.
It is vital that we change his mind!
IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED:
STEP #1: LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD - Contact Rep. Chuck Sims Immediately!
Tell him that you want HB 1197, the bill to ban cell towers from public K-12 school grounds in DeKalb County, to move forward as soon as possible. We want his help in getting this bill out of his committee and onto the floor of the House of Reresentatives for a vote as soon as possible!
STEP #2: LET THEM SEE YOUR FACE - Attend the Public Hearing on Monday, March 5!
We have an opportunity to show up, in person, at a public hearing where we can demand that this bill be sent to the House floor and not held up by Rep. Chuck Sims or his committee.
WHO: Property tax payers, homeowners, residents and parents in DeKalb County, GA who oppose cellphone towers from being constructed on school grounds without due process of notification to the community and without following proper zoning laws in place to protect our citizens and protect the value of our homes.
WHAT: Vital public meeting to show unity in countywide opposition to cell towers on school grounds and support Rep. Karla Drenner in her attempt to get HB 1197 on the the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote as soon as possible. The bill is currently being stalled by Rep. Chuck Sims in his committee.
WHEN: Monday, March 5, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
WHERE: Coverdell Legislative Office Building (CLOB) Room 606, 18 Capitol Sq SW, Atlanta, GA 30334 (Parking deck nearby is $5 all day)
BRING: Photo ID to pass through building security.
DIRECTIONS: Here is a link to Google maps that may be especially helpful if you have never been to the Coverdell Legislative Office Building. It pinpoints its location on a map and includes a photo of the outside of the building: http://g.co/maps/h6xmx
And, here's a link for you to read over HB 1197 which was brought forth by Rep. Karla Drenner:
http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20112012/HB/1197
WHY: Please help your neighbors, help our children and stand up for what is right. If this bill does not go forward, it will be the equivelent of opening up a free slush fund to the top administrators in our school system at the expense of our children's health and safety. If your child's school, or your backyard is not being harmed by this issue right now, then you need to stand up in support of this bill because if it is not approved, you will likely be next!
If you have been outraged over this issue, but felt helpless, now you can do something about it. Call or email your words of support and show your face at the meeting on Monday.
Please direct any questions to Paul or Cheryl Miller, Get the Cell Out - Atlanta, 770-496-4495, sayno2celltowers@yahoo.com.
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