The bill overhauling the HOPE scholarship continued its swift movement through the Legislature Friday after winning approval from the Senate Higher Education Committee.
With little debate the majority GOP committee approved House Bill 326, with a 5-2 vote along party lines.
The bill seeks to save the cash-strapped program by decreasing the award amount for most recipients. Opponents questioned the need to fast-track the bill and said requiring students to pay more out-of-pocket will make it difficult for low-income students to attend college.
The bill, introduced Feb. 22, passed the House Tuesday with bipartisan support. It moves to the Senate Rules Committee and the earliest the full Senate could vote is Tuesday.
The two dissenters in Friday's vote -- Sen. Curt Thompson, D-Norcross, and Sen. Lester Jackson, D-Savannah -- wanted to discuss substantive changes to the bill, such as eligibility requirements for students to receive a scholarship to cover all tuition.
They also wanted to lower the commission paid to Georgia Lottery retailers. Lottery revenues, which fund the scholarship, have failed to keep up with costs as enrollment and tuition rise.
"They chose not to engage in a public process," Thompson said of the committee vote. "They chose to ram it through instead."
The committee chairman, Sen. Jim Butterworth, R-Cornelia, said the amendments had been discussed. Hearings were held Wednesday and Thursday.
Lawmakers need to move quickly so families have time to plan for next fall, said Butterworth, one of Gov. Nathan Deal's floor leaders. There will be other opportunities during the legislative process for lawmakers to introduce amendments, Butterworth said.
"We have had deliberations," he said. "We have had discussions. We have amended."
After the committee meeting, the minority caucus filed an objection with the secretary of the Senate. While this puts the Democrats' objection on the record, it does not affect the bill's movement.
The amendments that were approved were technical, such as having the bill take effect July 1 as opposed to when Deal signs it. The changes will have to go through the House but Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, the bill's sponsor, said he has no problem with them.
The bill ties HOPE to lottery revenue, not tuition rates, so the award amount can vary annually. This coming fall, students with at least a 3.0 GPA will see the award cover 90 percent of current tuition levels. That means it won’t cover the double-digit tuition increases expected at some colleges. Students also will lose money for books and mandatory fees.
Only students who graduate from high school with at least a 3.7 GPA and 1200 SAT score would get all their tuition covered at public colleges under the new Zell Miller Scholarship.
Jackson said the SAT is biased and it's hard for many low-income or minority children to earn high scores. He and other Democrats proposed giving the full scholarship to all high school students who graduate in the top 3 percent of their class.
"We are going to disenfranchise a huge group of Georgians with that bill unless our changes are made," Jackson said.
College and high school students protested the bill Wednesday at the Capitol. Another rally is scheduled for Monday.
Deal and others acknowledged the changes will create hardships, but said the cuts are the only way to keep the program from going broke. The bill spreads the financial burden among retailers, lottery employees and students and their families, Butterworth said.
"The bottom line is that this is a business issue that has to be treated regardless of passions some folks bring," Butterworth said.
Staff writers Aaron Gould Sheinin and Christopher Quinn contributed to this article.
About the Author
