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Committee approves bill to make Seminole County school-board elections nonpartisan
Summary
The House Intergovernmental Coordination Committee voted to approve House Bill 73 (LC 473148), a local bill sponsored by Representative Greene that would allow Seminole County to hold nonpartisan elections for its school board; committee members approved the measure by voice vote after questions about staggered terms and local support.
The House Intergovernmental Coordination Committee approved House Bill 73 (LC 473148), a local bill to allow Seminole County to hold nonpartisan elections for its school board, on a voice vote during the committee meeting.
Representative Victor (Beth) Camp, chair of the House Intergovernmental Coordination Committee, opened discussion and called Representative Greene to present the measure. "I bring you House Bill 73," Greene said, describing the bill as a request from Seminole County to change how school-board candidates run in that county.
The bill sponsor told the committee he represents nine counties in southwest Georgia and that Seminole County was the sole county among those he covers that had not yet established nonpartisan elections for its school board. Greene presented a county resolution — signed by the school-board chair and the superintendent — that he said requested the change and that was adopted by the Seminole County School Board on Nov. 11, 2024.
Committee members asked several clarifying questions. Representative Betsy Holland noted the bill provides for staggered terms — members elected in one cycle would serve one-, three- and five-year terms and the remaining seats would follow two years later — and asked whether that represented a change; Greene replied, "It's not a change." Representative L.C. Miles asked about the current partisan makeup of the board; Greene said he had not inquired into members' party affiliations. Greene told the committee the county school board approved the resolution unanimously.
Representative Karen Matheak moved that the committee "do pass" the bill; Representative Chris Erwin seconded the motion. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; no opposing members were recorded on the transcript and the chair announced the measure passed.
The bill sponsor provided copies of the Seminole County resolution for members' records during the meeting. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally, further committee referral, calendar placement, or the bill's subsequent steps.
Representative Greene summarized the local support and closed by thanking the committee members. The meeting then continued to other business.
