![[Company Logo Image]](_borders/GA.jpg) |
Representative Ron Forster |
|
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Into the back stretch2006 General AssemblyFebruary 24, 2006 -- Ringgold, GA – We are now half way through the 2006 General Assembly session, and I am proud to say we have passed some very important and meaningful legislation. This week was no exception as we made classroom teaching stronger, helped military families, and cracked down on illegal immigrants. The House of Representatives passed a Republican leadership initiative of requiring that all school systems spend, at a minimum, 65 percent of their operating funds on direct classroom expenditures. According to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the top ten percent of states in terms of academic performance spend at least 65 percent of educating funding in the classroom. The Department of Education estimates that approximately 64 percent of Georgia’s school districts (116 out of 180) fail to meet this criterion. Based on 2003 records, Georgia’s average classroom spending is approximately 63.3 percent. School systems below 65 percent will be expected to increase two percent per year beginning in 2008 until the 65 percent requirement is met. The bill, Senate Bill 390, is based on national research that shows significantly higher test scores in public school systems that spend at least 65 percent of their educational budgets in the classroom. The House passed the bill 102-70. The Governor is expected to sign the legislation very quickly. Also on the education front, we passed H.B. 661, a bill that would require local school boards of education to allow parents and guardians to be notified about their children’s involvement in school clubs or organizations. This bill came as part of an effort to allow parents greater control over their children’s activities and easily passed 143-25. House Bill 984 is an important piece of legislation for families, whose mother or father have been called for active duty overseas or on leave from an overseas deployment, will be granted excused absences up to a maximum of five days per school year. This legislation pertains to all members of the military including those on active duty, the Reserves and the National Guard. With many of our Georgia National Guardsmen serving in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM or OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, upon their return it is incredibly important that these families have time to be together to reconnect. This is our way of helping those families have that quality time together after the return of a parent. We passed this bill unanimously. We also passed legislation cracking down on illegal immigrants by passing H.B. 1238, the Illegal Immigrant Fee Act. This legislation is part of a series of legislative initiatives designed to try and solve the problem of illegal immigrants and make it less attractive to be in the United States and in Georgia. This legislation would impose a 5 percent wire transmission tax on all transactions conducted by businesses that routinely transmit money. Banks would be excluded as they have tougher federal guidelines placed on them in dealing with their transactions. The fees would not be placed on any legal immigrant or U.S. citizen. The fees would be used to offset the ever-escalating costs of the state’s indigent health care program, a program many illegal immigrants use. This bill passed 106-60. One bill, H.B. 1032, that I co-sponsored would not allow the issuance of a handgun permits to those individuals who:
While I am a full supporter of the 2nd Amendment and a card carrying member of the National Rifle Association, there are just some people who shouldn’t be allowed to carry a handgun. This bill easily passed 165-1. A bill, H.B. 1213, was passed to help us respond to the possible threat of bird flu. It would require that if live poultry is available at a market, the birds cannot be slaughtered on the premises. This legislation is a proactive step that many states and other state departments of agriculture are looking act. This legislation would minimize the ability of bird flu to spread and passed unanimously. I believe we all need to be informed about how our elected officials are representing us. I am getting an inside view that I want to share with everyone. Representative Ron Forster is serving his third two year term in the Georgia House of Representatives. He Chairs the Interstate Cooperation committee and also serves on the Public Utilities & Telecommunication, Appropriations and Insurance committees. In 2004 the American Legislative Exchange Council named him legislator of the year. His email address is ron.forster@house.ga.gov and he has a website at www.gasrd3.org. #### For More Information Contact:
|
|
Send mail to forster@catt.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
