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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 27, 2007
Contact: Sen. Tim Golden, 404-656-7580 or tim.golden@senate.ga.gov
Constitutional amendment protecting HOPE, pre-K funds
passes Senate
Senate Democrats strengthen proposed Constitutional amendment
Atlanta, GA - Thanks to an amendment offered by Sen. Ed Tarver (D-Augusta) and supported by Sen. Tim Golden (D-Valdosta) legislation aimed at safeguarding lottery revenues for Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship and pre-kindergarten programs was sufficiently strengthened to win the necessary two-thirds approval in the Senate.
“This is another case of bipartisan cooperation resulting in stronger public policy,” said Golden, Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, who led negotiations with Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and Sen. Joe Carter (R-Tifton), Governor Perdue’s Senate Floor Leader. “Now we have a stronger proposal for protecting HOPE and pre-K funding that hopefully will pass both houses of the legislature and go before the voters next November.”
Senate Resolution 125, as originally introduced, was similar to legislation that failed to pass the Senate or the House of Representatives during the 2006 session, largely because of arbitrarily determined “trigger” points that would result in unnecessary cuts to the program. These triggers, representing certain percentage decreases in lottery revenues, would have potentially caused a reduction in payments for HOPE Scholars’ books and fees as well as pre-K funding.
SR 125 appeared doomed to failure again until Senate Democrats met with Lt. Gov. Cagle, the Senate’s presiding officer, for suggestions to improve the legislation and its chances for adoption. The Tarver-Golden amendment eliminated the triggers that were of concern to many Senators.
Tarver explained the cuts would rarely be necessary because a lottery reserve fund is in place to make up for unexpected shortfalls in revenue. “The triggers would have unnecessarily impacted Georgia college students who depend on HOPE for all of their costs for books and fees, not just tuition. And our pre-K program is in need of more classrooms, not fewer.”
Golden said the negotiations with Cagle also resulted in bipartisan support for Senate Bill 75, also passed by the Senate today, which would give weight to honors courses and help more high school graduates qualify for HOPE, and a commitment from the lieutenant governor to support House legislation that would give more HOPE grant flexibility to students who participate in dual enrollment college programs while still in high school.
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- State Sen. Tim Golden represents the 8th District (Brooks, Cook, Lowndes and Thomas Counties). During the legislative session, he can be reached at 121-A State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga. 30334; by phone at 404-656-7580; or by e-mail at tim.golden@senate.ga.gov.
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