HB 614 (Landon Dunson Act), sponsored by Rep. Valencia Stovall (D-Lake City), means Georgia is the second state, after Texas, in the country to authorize video cameras in special-needs classrooms. With only one “Nay” vote in the Senate and the House, the bill received overwhelming bipartisan support.
The bill’s namesake, Landon Dunson, is a 10-year-old boy with autism and cerebral palsy who is unable to speak. His mother La La has worked for years to get a state measure passed that would allow parents with special-needs children to monitor their children in classrooms. Ms. Dunson approached Rep. Stovall about the bill in 2012, prior even to Ms. Stovall’s swearing-in. Participation by local schools is voluntary but the Department of Education would have final approval. Each individual school would be responsible for providing their own video monitoring equipment. Only school administrators, parents who request, law enforcement and court officers would be allowed access to the footage.
There had been parents of special needs children, including Ronald Hatcher from Fulton County and Jessica Wells from Hephzibah, concerned about bruises on their kids coming home from school but their kids could not communicate what was happening in the classroom. Supporters of the bill contend that the bill will help not only the kids but provide some protection for the teachers as well. Any doubt about teacher accountability would be solved with cameras in the classroom and provide parents with some peace of mind as well.
The bill was co-sponsored by Representatives Buzz Brockway (R-Lawrenceville), Sandra Scott (D-Rex), Tommy Benton (R-Jefferson) and Margaret Kaiser (D-Atlanta). In a year of much partisan bickering, special needs children were able to bridge the aisle.
Parents would still need to get court permission to view the tapes. Funding for the program will come from the schools in question but the bill will allow for Federal or State grants to help defray the cost. Private grants or donations are also allowed and in the future there may be an option for people to donate when paying their state taxes.
In Texas, the bill required schools to install the cameras and Rep. Stovall stressed that the Georgia bill does not mandate their installation. Rep. Stovall, when introducing the bill on the floor, noted that it was her first bill. Rep. Mike Dudgeon (R-Johns Creek) worked with Rep. Stovall on the language of the bill and crafted it to ensure it can be a good program that can be altered as needed for improvement.
Upon passage, big cheers went up in the House both in recognition of the importance of the bill, as well as to honor Rep. Stovall’s first bill. Stovall’s father, Lovett, has been a long-time leader in the Atlanta-area community, both politically, working for Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign and his “Peanut Brigade”, and civically, helping numerous Atlanta charities and programs. Long-time Democrats in the House remain friends with Mr. Stovall and were particularly pleased with Rep. Stovall’s efforts. Special needs children of Georgia likely are too.
