GNB Update

It's Thursday...Hard to believe the end of the 2009 Georgia legislative session is near...And now the news...

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against one of southwest Georgia's top hospitals.

Judge W. Louis Sands threw out the anti-trust lawsuit against Phoebe Putney Hospital of Albany. It happened earlier this week in federal court. The suit argues that Phoebe Putney used its dominance locally to coerce insurers into managed health care contracts. Officials at Palmyra Medical Centers also claim that Phoebe Putney failed to cancel its contract with the Hospital Authority of Albany/Dougherty County. That action alone, Palmyra believes, violated a portion of the Sherman Antitrust Act. But Sands found that argument "highly speculative", leading to the dismissal. In a written statement, Palmyra officials are reviewing the decision made by Sands, and considering its options.

An official with the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute says further tax cuts could do the state more harm than good in the long run. GBPI executive director Alan Essig in a column in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution argues that lawmakers implementing such measures would hurt Georgia more than it helps. He also contends that the cuts to the state technical and university systems would hamper efforts to provide the educated workforce the state needs when the recession finally ends.

And local technical colleges and universities joined forces for educational partnerships in their respective communities. In Athens, the University of Georgia and Athens Technical College recently teamed up with the Clarke County School System to form a new career academy. That will help students to become prepared to enter workforce. In Albany, Albany State University and Albany Technical College celebrated their "Partnership Day" by having 12-15 Albany Tech students fill out applications to attend ASU.

That's the news. Remember to log on to georgianewsbeat.blogspot.com for Georgia-related business, politics, economic development, and higher education news 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Enjoy your Thursday night.