Atlanta Democratic state Sen. Vincent Fort is no stranger to tilting at windmills, and he was back at it Wednesday with a proposal to re-word an upcoming ballot question championed by Gov. Nathan Deal related to failing schools in Georgia.
Deal narrowly won the two-thirds majorities needed last year for legislative approval of a constitutional amendment to create a special state-run school district for repeatedly failing schools in Georgia. The amendment is set to appear on the ballot in November, as a 24-word question: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance?”
Fort, however, said he wanted more "truth in advertising." So he has filed Senate Resolution 828, with this suggested change: "Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow an appointee of the governor to take over local school operation, buildings and control of all federal, state and local funding if a school has low scores on standardized tests or for any other reason a future Legislature may allow?"
SR 828 has no realistic shot of passage in the GOP-controlled state Legislature. But it comes as opponents of the school takeover plan have tried to use the session as a platform to encourage voters to defeat it.
Deal, meanwhile, has launched his own efforts to support the question's passage.
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