The House today unanimously passed HB 143 which allows local candidates to file campaign reports locally once more.  It also eliminates campaign finance reports for those who raise and spend $2500 or less.  Since the change two years ago requiring all candidates to file all reports with the state Ethics Commission (formally known as the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission), local board members and others have had numerous filing problems with the under-staffed and under-funded Commission.  This was one of two bills put forward by Speaker of the House David Ralston to address ethics concerns.  Also passing was HB 142 which returns rule making authority to the Ethics Commission, redefines who must register as a lobbyist, limits gifts from lobbyists, and drastically lowers the registration fee of lobbyists. 

 

The House also passed HB 70, allowing the State Board to make an exception to the statute requiring a child to attend public school and have an IEP (individualized education plan) before being eligible for the special needs voucher.  The bill authorizes the State Board to require an expedited IEP and adds enrollment periods for the voucher program.  All these bills now go to the Senate.

 

The Senate had no education-related bills on the calendar today, but tomorrow they will take up SB 68, Celebrate Freedom Week, which creates various requirements for the week of September 17th.

 

One new bill of interest out today is SB 203, establishing a Curriculum Content Standards Advisory Council, to review the standards that were in effect June 30, 2010, revise them to reflect the findings of their research, receive public comment on the revisions, and forward them to the State Board.  That sounds a lot like a volunteer curriculum division of the Department of Education.  They are working with a limited staff, but probably not so much that the Department needs volunteers.  The bill does stop short of requiring the State Board to use the revisions.

 

HB 228, providing penalties for public employee use of government-owned equipment to communicate with legislators or the Governor, had a third hearing today and got a "Do Pass by substitute" out of the Subcommittee.  The bill does not apply to elected officials, only public employees.  It provides exemptions for employees designated by the elected body to communicate on legislation and those employees who are registered lobbyists.  Previously discussed fines ranged from monetary to being charged with a misdemeanor.  The current version would have a legislator, or other official, report the suspected violation to the Ethics Commission. After investigating, the Commission would issue a warning for the first offense and escalating fines for  a second or third offense.  The bill now goes to the House Governmental Affairs Committee.  Note:  The version online is the original one.  The substitute was not available and will not be online untill it is voted out of the full Committee.

 

 

The General Assembly will convene at 10 AM

8:30 AM Senate Education & Youth Academic Support Subcommittee will meet in 310 CLOB to hear SB 109, relating to accreditation and other topics; and SB 189, reltaing to postsecondary institutions and career academies

1:30 PM House Education Academic Support Subcommittee will meet in 506 CLOB

2 PM House Education Committee will meet in 506 CLOB to hear the following:

2 PM Senate Education & Youth Committee will meet in 307 CLOB, agenda TBA

2 PM Senate Public Safety Committee will meet in the Mezzanine to hear SB 138, the Elementary School Protection Act