April 3, 2013

To the People of Putnam County,

In January I wrote and informed you about House Bill 1 which was introduced in this year’s session of the Georgia General Assembly.  This is a bill that would drastically change our present laws making it far more difficult to seize the assets of drug dealers and other individuals engaged in criminal enterprises.  I also asked you to contact your Representatives and Senators and ask them to vote NO on House Bill 1.

I want to express my most sincere gratitude to you because you apparently did make your thoughts and views on this issue known to your legislators and did so in no uncertain terms.  Both of our Representatives and our Senator told me that they had literally received hundreds of calls, letters, and emails from the citizens of our community voicing opposition to House Bill 1.  My colleagues throughout

The state also asked the people of their counties to contact their legislators and vote against the bill.  The end result was a resounding message of opposition from all corners of Georgia.  It was a great example of an informed electorate making their voices heard, and politicians listening for a change.

To bring you up to date, House Bill 1 was not enacted into law.  It made it to the floor of the House of Representatives, but when its author couldn’t get the votes necessary for it to pass, he asked that it be returned to the Rules Committee and did not pass back out of that committee before the General Assembly adjourned last Thursday evening.  Although we won this battle, it is probable that the bill will come back again next year and I will be asking for your help to defeat it once more.

Again, YOU made the difference and I thank you for your assistance and support.

Sheriff Howard R. Sills,

Putnam County

hrs