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The Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution Needs Your Help.

By Christopher Annunziata

Yesterday, I received an email from Shinji Morokuma, the Director of the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. It appears that the future of the GODR is in jeopardy. Last year, the the Georgia General Assembly cut their budget by 63% - $250,000. This year, the House Appropriations Committee of the Georgia General Assembly has recommended that this $250,000 budget cut not be restored for the next fiscal year. The office is currently running only thanks to a one-time grant from the Georgia Bar Foundation. Without this funding, the office may be forced to close.

The GODR is an important part of the judicial system. They oversee more than 2,200 GODR-registered and regulated mediators, arbitrators and case evaluators. In fiscal year 2008, these neutrals are projected to help resolve 19,000 civil cases - at a direct cost to the State of approximately $400,000 . If those same 19,000 cases were not resolved using alternative dispute resolution methods, they would fill the court calendars of the equivalent of sixteen (16) Superior Court judges - at direct cost to the state (for the judges, clerks, assistants, staff, etc.) of over $6 million.

If you live in Georgia, please e-mail these key legislators and ask them to restore full funding for the ODR office for Fiscal Year 2009:

Senate Appropriations Judiciary Subcommittee Members:
Senator Preston Smith (R-Rome) - preston.smith@senate.ga.gov
Senator Michael Meyer von Bremen (D-Albany) - michael.meyer@senate.ga.gov
Senator Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) - Bill.cowsert@senate.ga.gov
Senator Seth Harp (R-Midland) - sethharp@aol.com
Senator Regina Thomas (D-Savannah) - regina.thomas@senate.ga.gov

Senate Appropriations Conference Committee Members:
Senator Jack Hill (R-Reidsville) - jack.hill@senate.ga.gov
Senator Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) - eric.johnson@senate.ga.gov
Senator Tommie Williams (R-Lyons) - tommie@tommiewilliams.com

House Appropriations Conference Committee Members:
Representative Ben Harbin (R-Evans) - ben.harbin@house.ga.gov
Representative Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island) - jerry.keen@house.ga.gov
Representative Mark Burkhalter (R-Johns Creek) - mark.burkhalter@house.ga.gov

House Appropriations Public Safety Subcommittee
Representative Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) - chuck.martin@house.ga.gov

If you so desire, the GODR has drafted a form letter for you to use to urge these lawmakers to restore funding. I will keep a copy of it here.

If you have any questions about this issue, please do not hesitate to call or email me.

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Full post as published by CKA Mediation and Arbitration Services Blog on March 25, 2008 (boomark / email).