Democratic lawmakers are offering a rival amendment meant to address a state Supreme Court ruling that left a cloud of legal uncertainty over some Georgia charter schools.

The constitutional amendment proposed Monday would allow the General Assembly to create special charter schools. But it would ban state officials from taking money from existing public schools and giving that funding to new charter schools.

House Republicans, which hold a majority, proposed an amendment late last month. Voters have the final say on whether to amend the state constitution.

Both ideas respond to a May ruling from the Georgia Supreme Court. The ruling found that the Georgia Charter Schools Commission was unconstitutional because it approved and gave tax money to schools over objections from local school officials.

Tags: Georgia Supreme Court, charter schools, Georgia Charter School Commission, constitutional amendment, charter school constitutional amendment