Keeping Our Families Safe From Dangerous Products

Those who violate product safety laws will face stiff fines and penalties and hazardous products will be removed from store shelves more quickly, under a landmark law championed by Georgia PIRG in 2008. Our staff and members, helped overcome the last-minute opposition of Exxon-Mobil.

Holding Elected Officials To Higher Ethical Standards

A new, independent office will police ethical scandals in Congress, under a plan endorsed by Georgia PIRG. Our federal legislative director, Gary Kalman, helped make the case for the new Office of Congressional Ethics. The report details independent panels that enforce ethics in Georgia and 22 other states.

Holding Drugmakers Accountable For Safety

The FDA reform bill adopted by Congress in 2007 included several Georgia PIRG-backed provisions that force drug companies to post all clinical trial results, good and bad—an antidote to such notorious cases as Vioxx, Paxil and Avandia. It also increases penalties for drug companies that rush unsafe drugs to market.

Opposing The Road Building Lobby

In 2008, Georgia PIRG and our coalition partners lobbied Atlanta city leaders to adopt the “Concept 3” proposal, which would invest in transportation projects like the Brain Train, will relieve congestion and help connect workers to their jobs, create green employment opportunities, and make Georgia a more attractive state for businesses.

Closing Contractor Loopholes

When private contractors, including Halliburton spin-off Kellogg, Brown, and Root (KBR), tried to avoid paying taxes by setting up foreign subsidiaries, Georgia PIRG, in federation with state PIRGs across the country, backed a new law to close that loophole and another law requiring contractors to pay back taxes before being awarded new contracts.

Standing Up For Students, Not Lenders

We helped pass the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, the most meaningful higher education reform in more than 15 years. The legislation gives billions of dollars in additional aid to students through the Pell Grant program. The bill is funded by reducing wasteful lender subsidies.

Standing Up For Taxpayers And Homeowners

When Congress rushed to pass the $700 billion bailout for Wall Street banks, we warned that the hastily conceived law lacked basic protections for taxpayers and assistance to homeowners. Later, we worked to hold bankers and regulators accountable for fully disclosing how they spent the tax dollars they received.

Keeping Away Predatory Lenders

Legislation that would have allowed payday lending back into the state of Georgia was narrowly defeated during the 2007 legislative session. Georgia PIRG will continue to fight intense lobbying by payday lenders who want to allow this form of predatory lending back in our state.