The House will reconsider a Constitutional amendment concerning a county and city school district calling and distributing a SPLOST after it was defeated Tuesday.
SR 95, sponsored by Sen. Ellis Black, lost by a resounding 74-101 margin, although no one really spoke out in opposition during the hearing on the House floor. Rep. Randy Nix, who is carrying the resolution in the House, immediately asked for reconsideration.
The opposition wasn’t split along party lines this time, but was split equally among the two parties.
House Speaker Pro-Tem Jan Jones reminded members of the House that this was the fourth time this issue has come up for vote in the 14 years. “This body has voted on this issue three times in the 14 years I have been here, and the first time it originated with me in 2003,” said Jones. “We have approved it and sent it to the Senate three times. This time it is originated in the Senate.”
SR 95 has moved around in committee this session. In February, the legislation was withdrawn from the committee on Finance and sent to the committee on Education and Youth in Senate. Two weeks later it was withdrawn from Education and recommitted to Ways and Means
Legislation states that the proceeds will be distributed on a per student basis among all the school systems unless an agreement is reached for a different distribution.
Sen. Ellis Black, sponsor of the amendment, served fourteen years in the House before moving to the Senate.
