Legislative Recap: Week Seven

The pace at the capitol quickened this past week as we worked our way closer to the halfway point of the 2011 legislative session.   The HOPE Scholarship, K-12 education funding, and early voting reform were at the forefront of issues addressed by the Georgia House of Representatives. Further below I go into depth on HOPE.

Here are a couple of the bills that passed the house this week.

HB192 creates a study committee to review the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula.  QBE is the formula we use to provide the State portions of education funding to local school systems. QBE was created in 1985 and has not undergone a comprehensive review since that time.  Substantial changes may not be necessary in QBE, but a review is warranted.

HB92 shortens the in-person advance voting period from 45 days to 21 days, plus one mandatory Saturday voting day. Local governments can choose to add other weekend days during the three week in-person advance voting period. They can also lengthen the hours their offices are open for voting.  About 85% of voters vote during the last three weeks prior to Election Day so it made sense to shorten the period and save tax payers. Absentee voting by mail is unchanged by HB92.

This week saw the passage of several other pieces of legislation.  Click here for the list of the House votes thus far this session.

Oh well, I guess it didn’t take long for me to anger the ACLU, democrats & other liberal organizations with HB 296. The AJC and CBS News had less than glowing reports on it.

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/georgia-bill-would-require-848624.html

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/26972600/detail.html

I think you’ll agree HB 296 is just a common sense bill. Schools and hospitals receiving state funds should be transparent regarding the costs of providing services to illegal aliens. With accurate information we would have a legitimate argument to require the federal government to fulfill their duty to seal our borders or risk lawsuits from states over actual cost inflicted due to their negligence.

My bill HB 227 cleared rules committee this week and will be on the floor of the house next week.  This bill gives school personnel immunity to administer auto-injectable epinephrine to save a child’s life in anaphylactic shock.  Tragically a child can die within 20 minutes of the first sign of anaphylaxis due to a food allergy or bee sting.  Presently a child is required to have a prescription to carry an epi shot, yet statistics show that half of the deaths due to bee stings occurred the first time the child was stung.

Sunday Sales This issue has received quite a bit of press, but it appears that the legislature will not be acting on Sunday Sales this year.  The bill in question would have let citizens, in counties who already sold alcohol, vote on selling on Sundays starting at noon.  This issue has been raised many times before at the Gold Dome, but we now have a Governor who publicly said he would support this bill as a local control issue. However the Senate had decided there isn’t enough support to move forward.

HOPE

HB326 is Governor Deal’s proposal to fix the educational programs funded by lottery revenue (the HOPE Scholarship, the HOPE Grant, and Pre-K programs). Due to the abundance of emails we have received on this subject I have provided a somewhat in-depth overview of Hope and the proposed changes below.

Early this week, Governor Nathan Deal outlined his proposals to save Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship, Pre-K, and HOPE Grant programs, all of which are funded by the Georgia Lottery.  Though the Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) programs have seen overwhelming success and become trademarks of the state, their popularity continues to outpace lottery revenues. If we fail to act this year, the HOPE and Pre-K programs that so many Georgians have come to depend on will become bankrupt.

Before we discuss the proposed changes to HOPE, let’s first take a closer look at the programs.  Since its creation in 1993, more than 1.2 million Georgians have received a HOPE scholarship or grant.  The scholarship currently covers full tuition for Georgia residents who maintain a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) while attending a public college or university in the state.  Qualifying Georgians attending a private college or university receives a $4000 scholarship for tuition.  Additionally, the scholarship provides a $150 book allowance each semester and pays mandatory student fees that averaging $420 a year.

Because HOPE is most known for college scholarships, some may not realize that the HOPE program also includes grants that pay tuition for Georgians seeking a technical certificate or diploma at one of the state’s 26 technical colleges.  Thanks in part to the HOPE Grant, technical college enrollment increased 25 percent in 2010 alone.  This has had a positive effect on our state’s workforce development needs.  In fact, many businesses have touted HOPE as an incentive to locate and create jobs in Georgia.

Georgia’s Pre-K program is the final spoke in our lottery-funded education system.  Our Pre-K has enrolled more than 1 million students, including 53 percent of today’s four-year-olds.  Pre-K contributes $4200 per child towards more than six hours of daily instruction.

To save these programs and preserve HOPE for the future, it is important that we quickly initiate changes that are necessary to preserve the financial stability of these programs.  Gov. Deal, Speaker Ralston, Lt. Gov. Cagle, and other state leaders have worked together in a bi-partisan effort to do just that.  After weeks of discussion and debate these state leaders along with House Minority Leader Stacy Abrams outlined their Hope-saving program changes this week.  These changes will allow HOPE and Pre-K programs to be maintained and adjusted yearly according to lottery revenues.  This bi-partisan supported plan to save Georgia’s HOPE and Pre-K programs has already been introduced in the General Assembly as House Bill 326.  This bill passed the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday, February 24^th and awaits a floor vote by the whole House of Representatives.

Under HB 326, next year, merit-based HOPE scholarship students attending public colleges and universities, as well as technical college students, will receive 90% of 2011 tuition amounts.  HOPE scholarship students attending private colleges and universities would receive $3,600 for tuition.  The HOPE Scholarship will continue to require a 3.0 GPA.  The plan also creates the Zell Miller Scholarship, which will offer full tuition to Georgia’s public colleges and universities to students who graduate from high school with a minimum 3.7 GPA and 1200 on the SAT or 26 on the ACT.  Books, fees and remedial college classes will no longer be covered.

HB 326 would also adjust Pre-K to a four-hour daily instruction program.  This slight reduction will allow us to add 5,000 new slots to address Georgia’s lengthy Pre-K waiting list.  It also affords us the ability to add $4.2 million to increase the quality of the program.  Further, we will be able to provide $4.5 million for extended day slots for at-risk children.  With these adjustments, we will be able to expand the number of children benefited by our Pre-K programs.

You’re my boss and I work for you.  If you have questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.  You can reach me at my Capitol office (404) 656-0325, cell (404)-723-8989, or email josh.clark@house.ga.gov

Sincerely,
Josh Clark
Representative Josh Clark
612-E Coverdell Legislative Office Building
18 Capitol Square
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-656-0325
josh.clark@house.ga.gov

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