2017 Legislative Session
February 3, 2017

Table of Contents
2017 Session Calendar Set
DeVos News from DC
FY 2018 Budget Continues Progression
ERC and OSD Plan B Rumors
Voucher Expansions Introduced
Calendar

Tuesday, Feb. 7
Senate Appropriations Committee - 8:00am - 341 CAP

Wednesday, Feb. 8
Senate Education & Youth Committee Meeting - 2:00pm - 307 CLOB 
Days 11 and 12  
2017 Session Calendar Set
 
The House and Senate have agreed on an adjournment resolution which sets the legislative calendar for the remainder of the 2017 session. This calendar is subject to change, but policymakers have stuck to their agreed-upon schedules for the last few years, leading many to anticipate they will do so again.

Crossover Day, the day by which all legislation must clear one chamber to remain eligible to become law, is scheduled for Friday, March 3. Sine Die, the 40th and last day of the session, is scheduled for Thursday, March 30.
DeVos News from DC
 
This week, a US Senate committee voted affirmatively to move forward the nomination of controversial US Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos. Her nomination has generated fierce pushback from public education supporters, including PAGE, concerned about her lack of public education experience and poor performance in Senate confirmation hearings. US Senate offices report of flood of calls this week. Regardless, the Senate voted early Friday morning to end debate regarding DeVos, and a final vote on her nomination is expected next week. Republican senators from Maine and Alaska have announced they intend to vote against DeVos' nomination. If one additional Republican senator flips, DeVos' nomination will be blocked. PAGE encourages those concerned about DeVos' nomination to continue contacting Georgia senators Perdue and  Isakson in a polite and respectful manner, outside of instructional time, and on their personal (non-school) electronic devices.
FY 2018 Budget Continues Progression
 
On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Education Subcommittee chaired by Rep. Robert Dickey (R-Musella) heard testimony from education-related agency heads regarding the   FY 2018 state budget, which includes a 2 percent raise for teachers.

Notably, a question and answer exchange between presenter Dr. Martha Ann Todd, executive director of the Governor's Office of Student Achievement, and Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville) occurred in which Tanner questioned statistics on teacher attrition and suggested that such rates are comparable to attrition rates in other fields. 

The subcommittee plans to meet again next week to take public comment on the education portion of the FY 2018 budget. 
ERC and OSD Plan B Rumors
 
Although rumors continue to swirl about a potential pilot of the new education funding formula proposed by Gov. Deal's Education Reform Commission, no official news is yet available. Similarly, long-awaited comprehensive legislation targeting struggling schools, proposed by Rep. Tanner in the wake of Amendment 1's failure, is not yet available. At a short House Education Committee meeting on Thursday, House Ed Chair Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth) indicated that Tanner's bill will be formally introduced as early as next week.  
Voucher Expansions Introduced
 
As the AJC reported this week, several bills seeking to greatly expand Georgia's $58 million tuition tax credit private school voucher program were introduced this week. HB 236, sponsored by House Education committee member Sam Teasley (R-Marietta) would roughly triple the amount of state tax credits available for the controversial program.   
Margaret Ciccarelli - Director of Legislative Affairs
mciccarelli@pageinc.org
  


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