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House committee gives do-pass to bill making Seminole County school-board elections nonpartisan
Summary
The Georgia House Intergovernmental Coordination Committee voted to recommend passage of House Bill 73 (LC 473148), which would convert Seminole County school-board elections to nonpartisan contests. The committee also approved its rules by voice vote.
The Georgia House Intergovernmental Coordination Committee voted to give House Bill 73 (LC 473148) a do-pass recommendation, advancing a proposal to make school-board elections in Seminole County nonpartisan.
Representative Greene presented the bill and told the committee, “I bring you House Bill 73.” He said the Seminole County Board of Education and the county superintendent had requested the change and provided the committee a copy of the board’s resolution asking the General Assembly to allow nonpartisan elections in that county.
Beth Camp, chairing the committee, described the committee’s process and where bills go after committee action, noting that “the bills that we…handle can be general bills, meaning that they're voted on in the committee and they go to rules and they're voted on in the House.” Several committee members asked questions about details of the Seminole County request during discussion.
Representative Sam Park asked whether the Seminole County Board of Education’s resolution had passed unanimously; Representative Greene replied, “It was.” Representative Betsy Holland asked whether the measure would change how the board staggers terms; Greene said it would not, describing the staggered terms as currently set so that some seats are elected in one cycle and others two years later.
Representative Karen Matheak moved to give the bill a do-pass recommendation. Representative Chris Erwin seconded the motion. The committee approved the do-pass recommendation by voice vote; no opposition was voiced during the roll call for the motion.
Earlier in the meeting the committee also voted to approve its committee rules by voice vote after confirming quorum and participation requirements.
Next steps: under the committee’s stated process, bills given a do-pass recommendation are forwarded to the House Rules Committee before a possible floor vote.
Votes at a glance: approve committee rules — voice vote, approved; House Bill 73 (LC 473148) — motion to do pass moved by Representative Karen Matheak and seconded by Representative Chris Erwin; voice vote, recommendation approved.
