We're a little tardy getting an updated report to you of the activities of your organization. Perhaps in reviewing this report, you can see why.

First, let me tell you how proud I am of the work being outlined here. Our volunteers, working out of their own pockets and on their own time are doing some amazing things.

Start with our website under the direction of Steve Scroggins. Our audience on virtually any new article reaches thousands. With our links on other sites and newsletters, many of the GHC original features reach in the higher thousands.

During Black History Month, we are daily featuring articles from The Slave Narratives compiled by Bill Vallante. If you haven't viewed this interesting and very revealing study, by all means do so. GHC is conveniently archiving each article so you can track them at your leisure.

It is our intention during Confederate History Month in April to chronicle a series of articles by our stalwart, Calvin Johnson, which can be used for your local newspapers, radio, tV, schools and public audiences.

Additionally, GHC will furnish help or assistance in getting Confederate History Month proclamations in your locality. This is part of our involvement with Calvin's committee as part of the Georgia Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Now we come to this important announcement. The GHC website is now showing a listing of the legislators who are supporting, not supporting and non committal on House Bill 15, The Fair Vote Referendum.

It is important you look at this and check your representatives in your area. Some are not listed as our volunteer committee has not been able to contact everyone, yet. You can be helpful in contacting your local representatives and reporting their results to us for inclusion in the report. [ Lookup Your Legislators HERE ] [ Contact Info For House Reps ]

This list is not only useful for the legislative session but will be more so in the upcoming elections. The legislators need to know we're very open about our intentions.

Our legislative action group is making regular visits to the capitol with some interesting results. This non-partisan group of five, Mike Crane, Norman Black, Randy Phillips, Lum Pettit and myself are all working out of our own pockets.

While we have been blocked in committee by the leadership on HB 15, each day we gain more respect for our tenacity and we see little cracks in the resistance. If nothing else, the legislative session is turning into a staging area for the elections. Don't take this to mean we have given up on HB 15. We have plans to try to break the logjam in the works.

I have tried to represent you in important sessions with Governor Perdue, along with other heritage organizations, in a meeting for over an hour that was both courteous and contentious.

Our action group has met with a number of legislative leaders on our Georgia versus Atlanta campaign. We have been asked to be particularly active by the sponsors of Eminent Domain and Immigration Reform, both of which are serious planks in our platform. (See Big Ten Issues)

In both cases, there are attempts by some in their own party to weaken or lay to waste what started out as well intended legislation. The heavy hand of the downtown Atlanta business community has moved in with full force to encourage the Republican leadership to throttle Senator Jeff Chapman's Eminent Domain bill, and Senator Chip Rogers' Immigration Reform. They have each asked GHC for help as they now recognize we face a common enemy. We in turn have asked them to help us preserve and protect Georgia heritage. We are also grateful to Senate Floor Leader David Shafer, who has shown more understanding of GHC and our goals than anyone, other than Casey Cagle, we know in the legislature.

You should know this. In our meeting, Governor Perdue said the legislature was independent and he wouldn't try to interfere with their responsibility. The AP reported this week that he is personally involving himself in the Eminent Domain legislation. Same old story. Sonny lies.

More important news. The landmark case GHC and others have filed against the city of Augusta and each of their commissioners and former mayor is now scheduled for March 29th in Augusta.

This is the Riverwalk Flag case. The court will hear motions by each party, including our motion for Summary Judgement based on the pre-trial admissions that the flag was removed at the request of the NAACP. The hearing will determine whether motions by each side are affirmed or denied. It is possible that we will go to trial, in which case we're going to be needing help from each of you.

Our GHC director, Woody Highsmith and I will be representing GHC et al, in this case. Anyone else who wishes to attend, please advise, as we'd love to have your support.

Preparation for this case has been extensive and time consuming. Woody deserves much credit for his diligence along with our counsel, Steve Boynton and Don Donaldson.

There will be expenses associated with this hearing, including expenses for our attorneys. One from Washington, one from Savannah. Keep that in mind and see what you can do to help. We graciously accept anything, however small, with sincere gratitude.

There is more to report and if I've unintentionally omitted anything, please forgive me. I think I've stretched your reading time enough.

GHC needs your support. If you haven't, you can join our membership data base for as little as $5. We need you in the data base. If there ever was a time to help out, it is now.