The House Wednesday afternoon approved the proposed constitutional amendment on Gov. Nathan Deal’s opportunity school district by a 121-47 vote, the minimum two-thirds majority vote required.
The approval of Senate Resolution 287 will allow voters to decide on Deal’s proposal to create a state school district to intervene in “chronically failing schools.” The vote followed a lengthy debate.
The House was still to vote on Senate Bill 133, the companion bill to the Senate resolution that will set up the district, which will be run by a superintendent appointed by the governor. The elected state school superintendent would not be involved in the special school district, according to the bill.
The Democratic caucus was divided on the bill. Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Smyrna, and Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, spoke in favor of the Senate resolution and the corresponding enabling legislation.
“If we wait, students will sit longer in schools that are failing them,” Evans said. “How long can we wait? Parents all across this state are waiting. We are simply sitting on the shore, watching kids drown.”
House Majority Leader Larry O’Neal, R-Bonaire and Speaker Pro-Tem Jan Jones, R-Milton, spoke in favor of the resolution, along with other Republicans.
“I’m not scared of education reform. I tell you what I’m scared of. I’m scared of accepting more of the same,” Jones said.
But several Democrats rose in opposition to the resolution. Rep. Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, the House minority whip, said that the proposed constitutional amendment doesn’t truly convey what the enabling bill would do and gives too much power the governor.
Before the vote, Rep. Stacey Abrams, D-Atlanta, gave a minority report to the House Education Committee’s positive report, saying the resolution didn’t provide checks and balances to the governor’s power.
