It was a day of stop and go under the Gold Dome as both chambers took long breaks to work on bills and strategies.

 

The Senate passed several bills related to education, but with changes to the versions passed in the House.  The bills now go back to the House which has the option of agreeing or disagreeing with the Senate versions.

 

HB 115 Revises provisions of the law related to the suspension and removal of school board members in cases where the system is placed on probation by an accrediting agency. It passed 44-6 after an attempted amendment was voted down largely along party lines.  Sen. Vincent Fort charged that SACS has a conflict of interest in being the body holding the district accountable then offering to help them fix it.  His amendment filed 15-35. 

 

HB 116 Allows the State Board of Education to transfer assets held in trust to the Georgia Foundation for Public Education for management and administration.

 

HB 283 This bill includes recommendations from the Education Finance Study Commission on funding and makes substantial "clean up" of Title 20 provisions.  An amendment was added today regarding the charter system funding.  The charter system grants must be used in accordance with the recommendations of the school level governing board or to advance studetn achievement goals and school level governance training objectives.  There is clearly a stronger emphasis on school level governance in charter systems with the statutory changes in this bill.

 

An attempt was made to delete the portion charging board members with a misdemeanor for various actions related to redistricting. Some Senators pointed out that there have been times when they failed to get redistricting done.  One example given was a failure to redistrict Hancock County for 20 years.  The amendment was voted down 20-25.

  

Committee Action

 

HB 382, relating to joint agreements for facility use, received a "Do Pass" from the Senate Judiciary Committee.  It was amended to limit the bill to agreements between private entities and schools.  Senate Rules Chairman Jeff Mullis said the bill comes from the American Heart Association and they believe it will help in the fight against childhood obesity.  It goes to Senate Rules.

 

SB 101, the guns bill, has gone to conference committee after the chambers could not come to agreement.

 

HB 142, relating to lobbying and being lobbied, has also gone to a conference committee.

 

The budget conference committee continues to work on the points of disagreement.

 

 

Tuesday, March 26th