State Politics DO Matter

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Feb 11, 2014

Georgia State Capitol image via Wikipedia

By Jacob Stubbs, GCO Legislative Intern

While I was a government major as an undergraduate, I had never really encountered anything close to actual politics. This is not necessarily a bad thing, for I was quite interested in the philosophical systems that underlie the beliefs that shape political action. With this focus, I did not take the general classes over political parties, the legislative branch, etc.

Following my time as an undergraduate, I served as a Fellow at the John Jay Institute where I read more political theory and continued to discuss the philosophy that underlies political science. When GCO approved my internship, I was quite nervous about actually encountering practical applications of political science. My professional mentors were all in agreement that this internship would be a great experience for me to finally be able to come down from the clouds and actually apply what I had been learning in a practical way.

When I started work at the Capitol, I realized that, despite my reading and research for the previous few weeks, my impression of how the political system worked was rather off base. For example, I was not aware of the amount of lobbyists that I would encounter. Reflecting on this with Eric Cochling, GCO’s Vice President of Policy Advancement, I was told that there were about 1000 lobbyists currently registered in the state of Georgia. Certainly, I would not have initially guessed this.

Though I did not expect to hear politicians talking about Plato’s Just City in Speech and its anti-utopian warnings, I was still a little surprised at how practical the discussions actually were. It makes sense that any discussion of Plato or Aristotle or virtue ethics would be out of place when you’re trying to determine how much money the state should allocate toward education expenditures. That being said, there have been certain “theoretical” discussions in some of the committee meetings I’ve attended thus far, such as issues of federalism, private property, and the extent of free speech. Furthermore, even deeper theoretical issues such as personal autonomy and privacy, have begun to make an appearance. Sorting through these issues on a more practical level has been refreshingly instructive in furthering my political education.

In terms of the legislative process, I have been quite amazed at how democratic everything actually is. Average citizens can come to committee hearings and register to give testimony as to how the bill at hand would affect them and their life. In one recent committee hearing, I heard concerns voiced from people whose case led to the bill’s introduction, as well as parents and various professional organizations who would be affected by the provisions in the bill. While I am sure that there is a certain forum for this in Washington, the fact that my family or neighbors can step into one of these committees to give their opinion on the legislation truly shows that state politics influences our everyday lives more than we may think.

The range of the General Assembly’s influence is not a bad thing, in my opinion. Recently, I asked a lobbyist if he had ever considered working in Washington. He expressed his love of state politics and assured me that the state politicians are intensely concerned with bettering the lives and situations of their constituents, not winning some political argument or jockeying for a better committee appointment. This lobbyist’s impressions helped reassure me that I was not naïve in my assessment of the political climate under the Gold Dome. While there may be some intense disagreements about the best ways to go about healthcare and other policy concerns, these disagreements reflect a care for the common man and a love for the particular. Certainly, the national political scene can quickly leave one jaded; however, my experience under the Gold Dome thus far has reinvigorated my interest in politics and my faith in the political process.

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Jacob Stubbs is a Georgia native who graduated from Berry College in May 2013 with a double major in Government and Philosophy. He has recently completed a fellowship at the John Jay Institute in Philadelphia, PA, and is currently serving as the legislative intern at Georgia Center for Opportunity. Following his time at GCO, Jacob is hoping to seek further graduate education in either political science or philosophy.

Georgia Considers Privatization of Child Welfare System

by Eric Cochling | Feb 10, 2014

A bill to privatize most of the state’s child welfare services was introduced this week by Senator Unterman (R-Buford). The legislation, Senate Bill 350, would require the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to develop a plan by January of 2015 by which is would contract with a limited number of regional lead agencies to provide the vast majority of child welfare services that are now, at least in part, offered by the state. The program would be phased in over the course of two years.

While lead agencies would be allowed to provide up to 35 percent of the services needed within a region, the law would require that they contract with other local agencies to provide the majority of services.

Contracts between the state and lead agencies would be for five years with DFCS having the ability to extend the contract for an additional three years. While DFCS would no longer be a direct service provider, it would remain responsibility for providing oversight of the contracted agencies.

As an incentive to agencies to find suitable permanent placements for children in their care, the law would fund agencies with per-child payments for a maximum of six months. After six months agencies would be required to pick up the tab for children that remain in their care. Likewise, agencies would not be eligible for per child payments for any child returning to the agency within 12 months of a permanent placement.

The reform is modeled after similar efforts in Florida and more than a dozen other states over the last couple of decades and has been driven by Georgia’s continued failures to adequately serve the children in its care.

While privatization is supported by many state leaders, including the Governor and Lt. Governor, opponents to the change say that it is being done too quickly and without considering ways to reform the system without privatization.

Evidence from Florida and other states shows that privatization can have beneficial effects, including improved safety for the children in care and a reduction in the number of children in state custody.

Yesterday, the legislation was favorably voted out of the Healthcare Delivery Subcommittee of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. A stakeholder meeting was expected to be held today.

Capitol Update – February 7th, 2014

by gaopp | Feb 7, 2014

Roads Cleared, News Coverage Still Encountering Snow Related Congestion

While last week’s winter weather is in the rear view mirror, the postmortem evaluation of the government’s response continues to receive considerable coverage.   The General Assembly, however, has moved right back into business as usual.

Legislation, Study Committees, and Rumors to Watch

– Education –

Senate Bill 288 moved through senate without opposition. The bill from Sen. Charlie Bethel (R-Dalton) would prohibit public schools from participating in interscholastic athletic events officiated by outside organizations, such as The Georgia High School Association, unless those third party groups release annual financial reports.

In December we learned that the GA Dept. of Education will be launching a College and Career Pathways initiative, which will require students to select a career path that will shape their high school course work.  Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee) introduced House Bill 766, the “Work Based Learning Act”, which would permit schools – in collaboration with the Department of Labor and the Technical College System of Georgia – to award secondary credit for approved off campus work to students 16 and over.

Sen. Mike Dugan’s (R-Carrollton) Senate Bill 283 passed the Senate and moved to the House this week.  The bill would authorize schools to educate students regarding “traditional winter celebrations,” and officially permit the use of “traditional greetings” like “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Hanukkah.” It’s a distressing sign of the times that a bill like this is considered necessary.

– Child Welfare –

Sen. Tommie Williams (R- Lyons) is encouraging support of  “Ava’s Law” (House Bill 309 & Senate Bill 191), which would require Georgia private insurance companies to cover treatment for autism.  According to the CDC, autism spectrum disorders affect 1 in 88 children.  Gov. Deal’s 2015 budget included proposed funding for such coverage in the State Employee Health Plan, though neither the Governor’s proposal nor this legislation would result in coverage under Medicaid or PeachCare.

A bill to privatize most of the state’s child welfare services was introduced this week by Senator Unterman (R-Buford). The legislation, Senate Bill 350, would require the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to develop a plan by January of 2015 by which it would contract with a limited number of regional lead agencies to provide the vast majority of child welfare services that are now, at least in part, offered by the state. The program would be phased in over the course of two years.

While lead agencies would be allowed to provide up to 35 percent of the services needed within a region, the law would require that they contract with other local agencies to provide the majority of services.

Contracts between the state and lead agencies would be for five years with DFCS having the ability to extend the contract for an additional three years. While DFCS would no longer be a direct service provider, it would retain responsibility for providing oversight of the contracted agencies.

As an incentive to agencies to find suitable permanent placements for children in their care, the law would fund agencies with per-child payments for a maximum of six months. After six months agencies would be required to pick up the tab for children that remain in their care. Likewise, agencies would not be eligible for per child payments for any child returning to the agency within 12 months of a permanent placement.

The reform is modeled after similar efforts in Florida and more than a dozen other states over the last couple of decades and has been driven by Georgia’s continued failures to adequately serve the children in its care.

While privatization is supported by many state leaders, including the Governor and Lt. Governor, opponents to the change say that it is being done too quickly and without considering ways to reform the system without privatization.

Evidence from Florida and other states shows that privatization can have beneficial effects, including improved safety for the children in care and a reduction in the number of children in state custody.

Yesterday, the legislation was favorably voted out of the Healthcare Delivery Subcommittee of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. A stakeholder meeting was expected to be held today.

– Welfare Reform –

 Representing an extension of a 2012 law requiring mandatory drug testing for Georgia welfare recipients, Rep. Greg Morris (R-Vidalia) has introduced House Bill 772 which would impose the same standard for receipt of Food Stamps. This will be an interesting piece of legislation to watch, as a Federal Court overturned  similar legislation in Florida.

– Ethics and Government Reform –

 Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is part of a coalition proposing some interesting changes. Two have received attention in the past week: First is a request to require conference committee reports be filed by day’s end of the 39^th day of legislative session. This seems a wise and rational move, as it would protect Georgians from having to pass a bill in order to find out what is in it.  In addition, Senate Resolution 7 would allocate permanent funding that would provide for the separation of the Georgia ethics commission from the office of the Governor.

Upcoming Events

Our friends at the American Federation for Children are hosting a nonpartisan candidate training school in Atlanta on February 22nd. The training is free but requires registration to attend. For more information, please see this flyer for the event or email Brian Pleva to register.

Ironic

Despite last week’s encounter with snow, Georgia is not the state you expect to be producing Winter Olympic medalists.  However, as the Sochi Games kick off today, the Peach State is indeed represented by Douglasville native Elana Meyers, who will be seeking her second Olympic metal in Bobsledding.

After last week many Georgians likely have a new found respect for those able to control a vehicle on ice at high rates of speed.  Check out Meyers’ team’s story of determination and perseverance here, and be sure to tune in to cheer her on as she represents our great State.

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Thanks to Jamie Lord, our director of government affairs, and Jacob Stubbs, our legislative intern and John Jay Fellowship alumnus for their able contributions to this update.