'Lawmakers' Day 10: Lawmakers introduce legislation on school safety, school sports

On Monday, lawmakers from both parties announced education legislation.

Speaker of the House Jon Burns announced his specific plans to make schools safer at a morning press conference. Burns' proposal includes a system for students to anonymously report threats to the authorities, require schools to create a threat management program and mandate a statewide student information database.

“There is no doubt that the pressures of adolescence are becoming increasingly difficult for our children, leading to a significant increase in mental health issues, concerns among our Georgia students,” Burns said. “This safety plan ensures every child receives instructions in violence prevention and mental health awareness and creates qualified mental health coordinator positions to allow for individuals to be primarily focused on efforts to identify and intervene with students who are at risk of mental health concerns.”

The family of a coach killed in the Appalachee High School shooting in September joined Burns.

After Burns' announcement. Democratic Sen. Kim Jackson explained her own school-related legislation. Jackson's bill, Senate Bill 41, would require public schools to ensure equal athletic opportunities for boys' and girls' sports.

“If we want to have a real conversation about true fairness and true safety in girls’ sports about our truly level playing field, then let's talk,” she said. “Let's talk about how girls teams are made to practice late at night or early in the morning when it's still dark outside. Let's talk about how girls' soccer coaches who work twice as long, averaging 20 games a season, make one-third — one-third — the pay of football coaches, who average 10 games a season.”

Other specifics include equal equipment in locker rooms.

Also, the Republican Senate caucus detailed its legislative priorities for the session, including support for Gov. Brian Kemp's lawsuit reform plan.

“In the past, Senate Republicans have made various attempts at lawsuit reform with admittedly limited success,” Majority Leader Sen. Steve Gooch (R- Dahlonega) said. “And while some of our efforts came up short, it was simply due to disagreements over how to achieve the correct balance point for the scales of justice.

“What always remain true for our caucus, and certainly hold true today, is that we all care about Georgians' litigation climate and how it adversely affects hardworking Georgians,” he added.

In the Senate, the start of Black History Month brought out some shout-outs for important African American contributions to society, but it also brought out condemnation from one senator who said the current actions of the Trump administration are trying to erase those achievements.

“We're trying to erase the contributions that Black people have made to this country and to this into this state, and it includes contributions of Black veterans,” Sen. Nikki Merritt (D- Grayson) said. “Black veterans who served this country, given their lives to serve this country, and given valuable contributions. This has effect on Black veterans. Why is it controversial to study and celebrate Tuskegee Airmen? Why is that controversial?”

And finally, bills — well, a bill, actually. SB 16 would change the law restricting individuals involved in the bail bonds business from certain elected local government positions.

“We looked at it and it does allow one exception —  and that exception is you can be elected to the Board of Education,” Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan) said. “And so, what I'm doing is I have come back and added more exceptions for county commission, city council, or in the case of a consolidated government, you could have a county or city commissioner or whatever they want to call it.

“And so, this bill will allow for that exception. And if they do get elected again as county commission or to city council or to the consolidated government, they cannot issue bail bonds in that particular county,” he added.

The bill passed easily, 51 to 2.

Meanwhile, the House gaveled in and gaveled out without passing any bills.

On Tuesday, lawmakers reconvene for Day 11 and Latin American Day at the Capitol. Republicans and Democrats will flip the script and give their takes on school safety and girls' sports initiatives spoken about Monday.

Watch Lawmakers tonight to see Sen. Carden Summers (R-Cordele), Rep. Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain), Rep. Saira Draper (D-Atlanta), and Rep. Matt Reeves (R-Duluth) discuss the latest on the legislative session.