Vincent D. Fort is a state Senator

State Senator

A state senator is a member of a state's Senate, the upper house in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a legislator in Nebraska's one house State Legislature.There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's lower house...

 in the Georgia State Senate, elected since 1996. He represents part of Fulton County

Fulton County, Georgia

Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...

 for the 39^th district. His district includes part of Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

 and East Point

East Point, Georgia

The city of East Point is southwest of the neighborhoods of Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,712...

.

Fort received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in American History at Central Connecticut State College and his Masters Degree in African-American History from Atlanta University. He serves on committees dealing with the judiciary

Judiciary

The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...

, education

Education in Georgia (U.S. state)

Education in Georgia consists of public and private schools in Georgia , including the University of Georgia, private colleges, and secondary and primary schools.-State Board of Education:...

, State institutions and properties, MARTA

Marta

Marta may refer to:* Marta or Marta Vieira da Silva , a Brazilian women's football forward* Marta Estrella, a recurring fictional character from Arrested Development...

, appropriations

Appropriation (law)

In law and government, appropriation is the act of setting apart something for its application to a particular usage, to the exclusion of all other uses....

, redistricting

Redistricting

Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...

 and reapportionment.

Fort was the first author of Georgia's predatory lending

Predatory lending

Predatory lending describes unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process. While there are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, an audit report on predatory lending from the office of inspector general of the FDIC broadly...

 law, which, until replaced by a measure written by now Congressman Tom Price (R-Roswell), was the strongest law in the country. He has sponsored and co-sponsored bills against prostitution

Prostitution

Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...

, hate crime

Hate crime

In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...

s, drug-related nuisances, discrimination against citizens with disabilities, racial profiling

Racial profiling

Racial profiling refers to the use of an individual’s race or ethnicity by law enforcement personnel as a key factor in deciding whether to engage in enforcement...

, disabled access to housing, and collective bargaining

Collective bargaining

Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...

 for law enforcement officers. Fort has been described as a supporter of Grady Memorial Hospital

Grady Memorial Hospital

Grady Memorial Hospital, frequently referred to as Grady Hospital or simply Grady, is the largest hospital in the state of Georgia and the public hospital for the city of Atlanta. It is the 5th largest public hospital in the United States, as well as one the busiest Level I trauma centers in the...

.

In February 2010, Fort opposed a bill that would prevent Georgians from being forced to receive a microchip implant against their will, calling it "a solution in search of a problem." On October 26, 2011, Senator Fort was arrested along with 52 other members of Occupy Atlanta

Occupy Atlanta

Occupy Atlanta is a protest and demonstration that began on October 6, 2011 in Woodruff Park, located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. It is inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City on September 17....

, in support of the protesters.

2010 election

In 2010 Graham Balch, a political newcomer, ran against Fort in the Democratic primary for the state senate. Fort won the primary with 67% of the vote.

External links

• Senator Fort's Biography at the Official Website of the General Assembly of Georgia
• Official campaign website