Gold Dome Report – Legislative Day 25 (2023)
Members of the public flooded the State Capitol again on Tuesday. The day’s most visible group was Mothers Demand Action, members of which crowded the halls in a sea of red as they advocated lawmakers for gun control measures. But they weren’t the only ones demanding action under the Gold Dome. With two legislative days remaining until Crossover Day, legislators and lobbyists spent all afternoon in committee meetings begging, pleading, and sometimes demanding their legislation be advanced. We share which entreaties worked in this #GoldDomeReport.
SB 233, authored by Dolezal, is the “Georgia Promise Scholarship Act.” The bill amends Title 20 to provide for the establishment of promise scholarship accounts to be funded by the state in the amount of $6,000.00 per school year for each participating student.
Dolezal presented the bill alongside Jamie Lord, who represents the Georgia Center for Opportunity and is promoting the legislation. The Committee was presented with a Substitute that provides that funding for scholarships is frozen in years when QBE is not fully funded, remaining funds after high school graduation are refunded to the State, and funds may be used for instructional technology. Questions from Committee members included inquiries as to eligibility of current private school students, student assessment and comparability, and the amount of funding to be provided.
