We got back to work for the fifth week of the Session, and by Thursday, February 11, we reached the half-way mark of the 2016 legislative session, legislative day 20. With only 20 working days to complete our business, and “cross-over day,” legislative day 30, looming, we have a lot to get done. Committees were in full-swing, and many pieces of legislation started making their way over from the Senate to be heard in House committees. This week the House saw bipartisan support and passage of several important bills that will affect all Georgians.
As I’ve discussed in previous weeks, the General Assembly is always making strides to improve our state’s education system, and this week, we continued that effort with the passage of House Bill 739. HB 739 would give the State Board of Education the option to establish a committee to study and recommend instructional materials and content. This bill also allows local boards of education to have a review process for any locally approved instructional material. As a part of this process, either the local or State Board of Education would post a list of all proposed instructional material and content on their website for public viewing in addition to making all proposed instructional material and content available for individual review upon request. This allows increased transparency, provides greater access to proposed classroom material, and gives more local control and parental involvement in our school systems. By giving parents the opportunity to be more involved in their child’s education, I think it will ultimately result in better student performance, something we’re all striving for.
Continuing our efforts to increase transparency in Georgia’s school systems, the House also unanimously passed HB 659 this week. HB 659 requires each local board of education and state charter school in Georgia to make financial information available for public access as a way to provide better transparency. Local boards and state charter schools would be required to publicly post this information to their website, if they have one, for each individual school in their district. Also, each school and district would send budget information to the Department of Education, where the information would then be compiled by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement and published on its website as well. Education funding accounts for more than half of our state budget each year and transparency of those funds is essential. As your representative, I believe you have a right to know how your tax dollars are being spent in your local schools, but more importantly, by passing this legislation, we can continue to serve the best interests of our students and teachers at a state and local level.
Another bill that passed out of our chamber this week by a unanimous vote was House Bill 757, also known as the Pastor Protection Act. modeled after similar legislation in place in several states, HB 757 assures ministers that they will not be required to perform any marriage which violates their faith. The bill further protects churches, synagogues and other places of worship as well as religious organizations from being required by state or local government to host an event which violates their beliefs. It also protects businesses from any ordinance which might require them to be open on a day of rest (Saturday or Sunday). We saw members from both sides of the aisle take to the well to speak in favor and express their support for this legislation. Too often, we can let political differences get in the way, but it was truly comforting to see us come together on this issue to protect the rights of our citizens. We are blessed by the freedom of religion in our great nation, and I was proud to stand with a united House to support the rights of all Georgians to uphold their religious values. I do believe however that there is more work to be done on this issue and I will continue to work towards expanding those rights.
Bipartisanship was a common and welcomed theme this week in the House, and I’m proud to report another unanimous passage: that of House Bill 821, supporting Georgia’s military spouses and veteran population. HB 821 would require all state licensure boards to streamline the licensing process, specifically for military spouses and transitioning service members who move to Georgia from another state. We have 12 military bases throughout the state and the fifth largest military population in the nation, and this bill addresses a real concern thousands of military families have. I was honored to vote for this bill, and in a small way give back to those veterans and their families who have given so much for this state and our nation.
Legislative Update from Terry Rogers on Vimeo.
Probably the highlight of the week was Habersham County Day. Sponsored by the Habersham County Chamber of Commerce, members of the chamber, Leadership Habersham, and other community leaders came to the Capitol to spotlight our area. It was great to see so many friends, and I appreciate their efforts to promote Habersham’s many benefits. If you weren’t able to attend, make plans now to attend next years event. I believe you’ll really enjoy it.
Now that we’re officially halfway through the 2016 legislative session, we will begin voting on more bills and resolutions every day. I encourage you to contact me at my capitol office with your thoughts and opinions, as I am always happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding legislation. My capitol office phone number is 404-651-7737, and my email address is [email protected].
As always, I’m honored and humbled to be your Representative. Thanks for allowing me to represent the best district and finest people in the state!
