HEADLINES:
Lawmakers could soon decide whether to pass a constitutional amendment addressing a state Supreme Court ruling that put 16 charter schools serving 15,000 students in danger of closing. The House Education Committee approved legislation Thursday that would permit state authorities to create and fund charter schools. It would also enable state legislators to pass laws creating education policy, something that has long been done in Georgia but is not expressly authorized in the state's constitution. The amendment must be approved by a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate, then go up for a statewide vote.
Meanwhile, the debate over the state budget will start turning to the Senate after the House approved a revised spending plan for the fiscal year ending in June. Under the proposal, metro Atlanta would get hundreds of millions of dollars in transportation funding while Georgia farmers would get assistance finding workers as part of an $18.6 billion budget adopted Friday by House lawmakers. The spending plan largely adheres to an earlier proposal from Republican Gov. Nathan Deal.
ODDS AND ENDS:
— Hall County would be split into fewer legislative districts under a plan adopted by House lawmakers. Lawmakers voted 101-53 to consolidate Hall County, which includes Gainesville, into four legislative districts. A plan adopted over the summer would have broken the area into seven districts. Deal, who represented the area in Congress, had previously said he was concerned the districts had become too fragmented.
— The state Senate approved legislation that would end the ban on silencers for hunting firearms. Sen. John Bulloch, the bill's sponsor, said allowing hunters to use silencers would keep them from disturbing their neighbors, and removing the ban would not create an unfair advantage for hunters. Hunters would still need a federal permit to possess a silencer, and would be subject to a background check. The permits cost $200.
— Students convicted of hazing would be barred from enrolling in many Georgia schools, under legislation now being considered by state lawmakers. The bill that would toughen Georgia's existing law on hazing was introduced during last year's legislative session, but could see new interest after a Florida A&M University drum major from Georgia died from suspected hazing in November. It would ban any student convicted of hazing from enrolling in Georgia's K-12 schools, colleges and universities, even if the incident happened in another state.
— Those accused of polluting waterways in Georgia would see more incentives to negotiate — and possibly fewer penalties — under a bill that gained preliminary approval this week from a Senate committee. Republican Sen. Rick Jeffares said his bill would help local governments avoid making penalty payments for violating water pollution laws, such as when a sewage system malfunctions. He said local taxpayers pay those costs and, as a result, have less money to fix the underlying problem. Environmental watchdog groups testified the bill could weaken anti-pollution laws for larger industrial polluters and appear to emphasize settlements for pollution violations rather than more stringent penalties.
— The Senate Agriculture committee has asked Congress to permit states to administer their own version of the federal visa program that allows employers to bring in foreign workers for seasonal agricultural work. The Senate resolution also asked for year-round workers in the agriculture industry to be considered along with temporary workers. The H-2A program is currently run by the Department of Labor, and the resolution argues the program would be better administered under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pending legislation on this issue is currently in the U.S. House.
DAYS IN SESSION:
26 days remain in the session.
LOOK AHEAD:
The House Rules Committee will soon decide when to schedule a floor vote on a constitutional amendment responding to a state Supreme Court ruling that imperiled 16 charter schools. House lawmakers will discuss plans to reduce the number of people jailed in Georgia's prisons by treating substance abuse addicts and veterans in trouble with the law in specialized courts.
