Golden reports progress of Manufacturing Study Panel

October 20 , 2008 - State Sen. Tim Golden (D-Valdosta), co-chairman of the Joint Legislative Panel on the Future of Manufacturing in Georgia, said the committee’s most recent meeting in Augusta focused on concerns about energy costs, environmental regulations and workforce development.

Golden said committee members toured several manufacturing facilities and listened to the concerns and suggestions of industry leaders.

“There has always been a historical relationship between manufacturing and rural communities,” Golden said. “In today’s global economy, this relationship cannot be overlooked. We must aggressively pursue bringing new manufacturing jobs to Georgia, while at the same time doing everything we can to help existing industries keep and expand their employment base.”

The bipartisan manufacturing study committee was established by SR 1097, which Golden co-authored during the 2008 legislative session. At the end of the study, the committee will make recommendations for legislation to be considered during the 2009 session of the General Assembly.

Golden, who is running unopposed for his sixth term in the Senate, is secretary of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for the state budget, and is a senior member of the influential Senate Finance Committee, which handles tax-related legislation. He also serves on the Higher Education, Insurance & Labor and Government Oversight committees and is chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

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