This is a follow-up from someone to whom I sent the previous announcement. Please write the representatives below. This is so important. As other states realize they can cut their budgets and it isn't much noticed by the public, more will do so in these difficult times. Think of the genelogists' jobs that will be loss as a result as well as those operating the archives..and the history lost to the public. Please forward this to everyone. The person wrote: I live in Georgia. I use the Archives. They have a new building, just a few years old now, and the folks who work (or who worked there) were most helpful and accommodating. Last year when the hours were so severely restricted and many of the staff were let go, I called my local State Representative and left a message of complaint. He promptly called me back. He explained that, while he had a vote in approving the budget, he along with the majority of the legislators were only given an hour presentation on the budget. Nowhere in the budget papers to which he had access was a line item for the Archives. Nor was the funding for the Archives brought up or mentioned in the presentation. He thought that the more powerful leaders and committee chairmen, who controlled the details of the budget may have been aware of the budget contents, but he was sure that the rank and file legislator had no idea of what was in or not in each budget approval. It is apparent that whoever is controlling the budget in the legislature and the Governor's office can afford many things, but has no idea nor understanding of what the Archives is or does. Thus, to them it is not important. The same was true of my State Representative. He had never been to the Archives, did not know where it was located, nor what its function was. He was sympathetic but had no real ability to change anything as he explained. Perhaps the notoriety and hopefully a national firestorm of criticism will help to raise awareness of the plight of this institution and what it does. I feel confident that most legislators are clueless in this regard. I would hope that the Office of the Governor <http://gov.georgia.gov/webform/contact-governor-domestic-form> , the Georgia House Budget Chairman, Terry England (englandhomeport2@windstream.net), and the Georgia Senate Budget Appropriations Committee Chairman, Jack Hill, jack.hill@senate.ga.gov are inundated with a public outcry against this draconian measure. Walter Freeman Here is a message I received by way of the Athens Public Library this morning regarding the closing of the Archives: Statement from Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp on Public Closure of the State Archives Effective November 1, 2012 Closing of the Georgia Archives The Governor's Office of Planning and Budget has instructed the Office of the Secretary of State to further reduce its budget for AFY13 and FY14 by 3% ($732,626). As it has been for the past two years, these cuts do not eliminate excess in the agency, but require the agency to further reduce services to the citizens of Georgia. As an agency that returns over three times what is appropriated back to the general fund, budget cuts present very challenging decisions. We have tried to protect the services that the agency provides in support of putting people to work, starting small businesses, and providing public safety. To meet the required cuts, it is with great remorse that I have to announce, effective November 1, 2012, the Georgia State Archives located in Morrow, GA will be closed to the public. The decision to reduce public access to the historical records of this state was not arrived at without great consternation. To my knowledge, Georgia will be the only state in the country that will not have a central location in which the public can visit to research and review the historical records of their government and state. The staff that currently works to catalog, restore, and provide reference to the state of Georgia's permanent historical records will be reduced. The employees that will be let go through this process are assets to the state of Georgia and will be missed. After November 1st, the public will only be allowed to access the building by appointment; however, the number of appointments could be limited based on the schedule of the remaining employees. Since FY08, the Office of the Secretary of State has been required to absorb many budget reductions, often above the minimum, while being responsible for more work. I believe that transparency and open access to records are necessary for the public to educate themselves on the issues of our government. I will fight during this legislative session to have this cut restored so the people will have a place to meet, research, and review the historical records of Georgia.