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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 05
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Senate OKs student-administered EpiPens in school
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The difference between life and death could be 15 minutes.
That’s why the Senate voted Thursday 51-0 to pass a bill that would allow school children with allergies to prick themselves with an EpiPen if they suffer an attack in school.
Senate Bill 8 tells school boards to adopt a policy authorizing students who need it to self-administer an “auto-injectable epinephrine” dose.
It also allows school nurses to administer the medicine if the student is in shock, bill sponsor Jack Murphy (R-Cumming) said.
Sen. Valencia Seay (D-Riverdale) rose to add a comment broadening the issue: “This is just another reason why we need to keep school nurses.”
The school nurse program is in peril under current budget cuts.
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Boll weevil eradication
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One of Georgia’s cash crops got a little help Thursday.
The Senate changed current law to require that the first handler of cotton, meaning the one who owns or operates the gin where cotton is first delivered from the grower, must collect the boll weevil eradication fee. Before it was the first one who first bought the cotton.
Sen. George Hooks (D-Americus) said the current boll weevil eradication process is much better than the old way. In the old days, farmers used DDT, which created a dust in the air over large parts of the land.
The Senate passed the measure, Senate Bill 43, by a vote of 49 to 0.
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House moves to protect HOPE book grant
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday for legislation that could help HOPE scholars keep their $300 book allowance, at least for now.
Under legislation that passed 159-0, lottery revenues would have to fall 8 percent below HOPE and pre-kindergarten costs before the state cut the allowance from $300 to $150.
Under current law, that would happen if lottery revenue fell $1 short of paying for HOPE and pre-kindergarten. Continued cuts in following years would also occur if revenues fell $1 or more short of expenses.
The House bill would eliminate book allowances completely if revenues fell to only 84 percent of the cost of HOPE and pre-kindergarten in the second year. Mandatory fee payments to HOPE students would be eliminated if, in the third year, revenues fell 25 percent short of funding HOPE AND pre-kindergarten.
State officials say expenses for the two programs may top lottery revenue to pay for them by next year. If that happens, students could lose part of their book allowance by the fall of 2011 under current state law.
House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin (R-Evans), said he sponsored the new legislation because there is no HOPE emergency. The lottery-funded programs have reserves of more than $960 million. That’s more than enough to fund both programs for an entire year without any additional money.
A similar bill by Harbin passed the General Assembly last year but was vetoed by Gov. Sonny Perdue.
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