ADVISORY: Secretary Perdue in Georgia TOMORROW
(Washington, D.C., April 25, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will be in Georgia TOMORROW, Thursday, April 26th to deliver the keynote address at the First General Session of the 90th Annual Georgia FFA Convention.
Secretary Perdue to Deliver Keynote Address at 90th Annual Georgia FFA Convention
WHAT: Secretary Perdue will give the keynote address at the Georgia FFA Convention. Following the event, the Secretary will hold a media availability.
WHEN: TOMORROW, Thursday, April 26th at 7:20 p.m. EDT
WHERE: Macon Coliseum, 200 Coliseum Drive, Macon, Georgia 31217
*NOTE: The media availability immediately following the Secretary’s speech will occur in Arena Room #106 of the Macon Coliseum.
====================
Ogden City promotes community service and beautification through Make a Difference Day
OGDEN, UT – Ogden City’s Make a Difference Day event on April 26, 2018, follows a 10-year tradition of community engagement that began as a Public Service Department initiative to beautify local areas for the summer season. This year the event has evolved into two weeks of service involving nearly 1,000 volunteers that align with the efforts of Comcast NBCUniversal’s project Comcast Cares Day.
Between April 14-26, 2018, fifty-five service projects have been organized and overseen by an Ogden City coordinator that include the efforts of nineteen different community organizations providing their own volunteers. Comcast Cares Day held their official service event on April 21, where 430 people arrived on a single day to help clean up the Ogden River Parkway Trail.
“The beauty of this event is that it is inclusive of all citizens who want to make to make a difference,” said Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell. “Projects of every imaginable size are encouraged, and we make a joint proclamation with City Council for this day annually in order to celebrate the sense of civic pride our community is known for.”
Ogden City has participated in Comcast Cares Day for the past four years, but this is the first year the two events were scheduled within a concurrent window. Comcast NBCUniversal provides financial support in the form of a grant based on the number of volunteers that are recorded completing any project one week before or one week after their official event. All money awarded is used to fund various volunteer and beautification projects in the City for the upcoming year.
“Most of the Make a Difference Day projects organized within the City are focused on beautification to make our trails and park facilities immaculate for spring and summer recreation users,” said Ogden Parks Manager Monte Stewart. “Beyond that, our mountain metro community is surrounded by such natural beauty, that we want to make sure citizens can appreciate it in the safest and cleanest environments possible.”
The City encourages individuals to contact the Public Service Project Coordinator at (801) 629-8214 for more information on available service opportunities in the community.
### Contact Monte Stewart, Ogden City Parks Manager MonteStewart@ogdencity.com, tel: (801) 629-8352
=========================
VIDEO: Judicial Watch Expert Panel: “Deep State Update”
Judicial Watch hosted a special educational panel on Tuesday, April 24, from noon to 1 pm ET to discuss “The Deep State Update.” The expert panelists included Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Vince Coglianese, Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, Michael Bekesha, and Tom Fitton.
This hard-hitting, informative panel really shows what the Deep State is.
========================================
NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR MARTINEZ WARNS
UTAH OFFICIALS THE PERILS OF 'CATCH AND RELEASE'
JUSTICE SYSTEM
Martinez Urges Utah to Not Follow Path of Her State
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Lakewood, CO (April 25, 2018) – New Mexico governor Susana Martinez offered a strong, unsolicited warning to lawmakers and other officials in neighboring Utah as they work to overhaul criminal justice pretrial detention laws.
In a specially recorded video message sent last week to Utah lawmakers, judges and prosecutors, referencing rules that were put into place last year in her own state, Martinez said, "I encourage those in Utah to be very skeptical of voices calling for misleading devices that would result in letting dangerous criminals back out on the street to terrorize communities."
The governor described New Mexico's struggles with a catch and release system of justice aggravated by "irresponsible interpretations and rules implemented by courts." She directed particular ire towards Arnold pretrial risk assessment tool, which she said her state implemented to "devastating results."
The American Bail Coalition, a trade organization representing commercial bail underwriters, has been working with policy makers and other stakeholders nationwide on fiscally responsible bail reform solutions that are compassionate, while also maximizing public safety. Jeff Clayton, the organization's Executive Director, said, "Governor Martinez has taken a courageous stand in offering a wise and compassionate voice for the residents in a neighboring state who deserve to be protected by laws and policies that truly serve the people."
Martinez's message carries considerable urgency as Utah plans to roll-out broad criminal justice release reforms on May 1, which will include putting into effect the controversial Arnold risk assessment tool. The tool uses an algorithm to predict whether or not a defendant will commit another crime or re-offend. However, the underlying data and assumptions behind the conclusions it draws are, by their nature, subjective. This has led to concerns about its lack of inherent fairness and the potential to perpetuate racial bias, rather than reduce it.
In 2016, through a bill in the state legislature, Utah's judicial council attempted to delegate itself the authority to unilaterally implement sweeping reform powers without input from either the legislature or the public. That bill was ultimately voted down. This latest action by the judicial council is contrary to what the state's lawmakers had already decided -- that the power to make such decisions belongs to Utah's legislature, not its courts.
Prior to being elected governor in 2010, Governor Martinez served three terms as New Mexico's District Attorney.
About the American Bail Coalition
The American Bail Coalition is dedicated protecting the Constitutional right to bail and the promotion, protection and advancement of the surety bail profession in the United States. Comprised of the nation’s largest surety insurance companies, ABC works with local communities, law enforcement, legislators and other criminal justice stakeholders to utilizes its expertise and knowledge of the surety bail industry to develop more effective and efficient criminal justice solutions.
# # #
MediaVista Public Relations:
Elliott Chang
(323) 938-5879
Cara Downs
(323) 316-5228
