AOII Alumna Jamie Woodson appointed Speaker Pro Tempore for the Senate

State Senator Jamie Woodson (R-Knoxville) has been appointed Speaker Pro Tempore for the Senate, a key leadership role in the Tennessee General Assembly. The announcement was made by Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey as the 106th General Assembly concluded their organizational session in Nashville Thursday.

"I am honored to be appointed to this position in our State Senate," said Senator Woodson. "This is a challenging year for our General Assembly, and I look forward to working with Lt. Governor Ramsey and our leadership team to move through the tough issues we face. I also look forward to continuing my commitment to improving educational policy for the citizens of our great state."
The Speaker Pro Tem presides over the Senate at the direction of the Lt. Governor. It also is a key leadership role in the General Assembly, in both public policy and day-to-day operations of the State Senate.

Woodson previously served as Chairman of the Education Committee, where she will continue to serve as a member. She was also appointed to the powerful Finance, Ways and Means Committee.

"Senator Woodson is extremely qualified to take on this leadership role," said Lt. Governor Ramsey. "She has a proven track record as Education Chairman of providing strong leadership on many difficult issues. I look forward to working with her in this new role as Speaker Pro Tem."

Now that the organization is completed, the General Assembly has adjourned until Feb. 9 in order to make office assignments and await budget details.

[Courtesy of wbir.com]

Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act

As you have likely heard, the development of an economic stimulus package in the opening days of this year's Congressional session will include approximately $300 billion in tax cuts. The details of what will be included in the stimulus remain up in the air.

What exactly does this mean for AOII?
Alpha Omicron Pi is working along with other Greek organizations to reach out to our members of Congress in an effort to attach the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act (CHIA) to the stimulus package. Key decisions will be made in the next few weeks, so immediate action is needed for our best chance of success.

Our sisters have put forth a great effort over the past several years in trying to secure passage of this important piece of legislation. Thanks to your calls and letters, we have been able to obtain an impressive list of Congressional co-sponsors for CHIA.

The House of Representatives could vote on its version of the bill as soon as the end of this week, though we believe it is more likely they will delay their vote until shortly after Barack Obama's January 20th Inauguration.

How you can help!
Please contact your Senators and Congressmen as soon as possible (ideally this week) in support of CHIA being added to the stimulus package. We need our members, as constituents, to tell their elected representatives that adding CHIA to the economic stimulus package is important to them.

We are including links to a list of talking points that will be helpful in making your calls, as well as a list of the current sponsors for CHIA. You can also view a copy of this complete message on the website by clicking here. After you have called your Senators and Representatives, please visit http://www.nicindy.org/ to complete a contact form. This will allow us to track the number of calls being made.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this important effort.
Fraternally,
Susan Danko, International President

Rheumatoid Arthritis Rates Rise in Women

A recent study done by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., finds that the rates of rheumatoid arthritis in women have risen drastically from 1995 to 2004. Research shows that the disease has increased by nearly 50 percent in women, but the rate for men has remained the same.

Dr. Hilal Maradit Kremers, the author of the study, says that the most likely factor in causing the rise is the environment. She goes on to say, "the increase could be anything from dietary to hormonal changes to chemical exposures."

According to Arthritis Today, from 1995 to 2004 rates of RA has increased by nearly half to 54 per 100,000 women. Men's rates has only went from 28.6 to 29.5 per 100,000 men.

Dr. Kremers believes that preventing the disease should be the focus for the future. With side effects such as heart disease and diabetes; rheumatoid arthritis is sometimes difficult to treat.

For more information on the rise of rheumatoid arthritis in women visit Arthritis Today online .