With 10 days left on its annual calendar, the state’s GOP-controlled General Assembly has found itself stymied by a 20-member minority that has gained the upper hand.
Democrats in the Georgia Senate hold all the cards this year on a proposed change to the state constitution that would restore the state’s power to approve charter schools — an issue close to the hearts of Republican leaders.
Whether or not they win, the ongoing stalemate on the issue has flashed a brief but defining spotlight on the Democratic minority. It is in a unique position this year because it holds enough votes to block the measure, which must pass by a super-majority.
“I truly hope the Democratic members of the Georgia Senate will not play politics — it’s too important for education reform in Georgia,” said House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge. “There’s a time and place for partisan politics,” and this isn’t it, he said.
Democrats counter that they support charter schools, but forcing the measure through now does nothing to address concerns over the schools’ quality as more are opened across Georgia.
The circumstance has prompted rebukes, debate and legislative maneuvering. It has galvanized the Senate’s minority members, who over the past year and a half seethed as the GOP redistricted them into oblivion and squashed calls for HOPE scholarship reforms because they ran counter to the governor’s wishes.
At this point, the question is whether Republicans would agree to a major compromise on other issues in order to get the measure passed. If not, they could wait out the Democrats until next year, when the Republicans likely will have a super-majority.
The diminished Democrats see it as one last stand at the Gold Dome before GOP-led changes to the areas they represent take effect this fall. When that happens, they are likely to lose more members and the ability to bring the majority party to a halt.
“This may be the rare opportunity to flex some muscles, and it’s maybe the last hurrah for a while,” said University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock, who has long studied Southern politics.
“It’s such a 180-degree turn of events from even a decade ago,” Bullock said of a time when Democrats controlled the Legislature. The Republicans’ triumph came on election night in 2002, when former Gov. Sonny Perdue became the first GOP governor since Reconstruction.
“Suddenly, [Democrats] have been exiled to Pluto or something,” Bullock said. “It’s rare the Republicans do need the support of the Democrats.”
The situation where they do stemmed from a 4-3 decision in May in which the state Supreme Court declared that the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, created by lawmakers in 2008, did not have the authority to create or fund charter schools over the objections of local school authorities.
Advocates tout charter schools as necessary alternatives, particularly for students who attend low-performing public schools. Charter schools are run independent of certain state mandates, with the expectation they meet specific goals. They also often struggle financially, particularly when they first open. The former commission had the power to force local districts to pay for charter schools it approved.
“If there was ever an issue that should be bipartisan, it should be the charter school amendment,” said Senate President Pro Tem Tommie Williams, R-Lyons. “This is about helping children ... that are trapped in failing schools.”
Stung by the court’s decision, Republican leaders crafted a response that called for a proposed constitutional amendment to clearly spell out the state’s authority.
The measure, House Resolution 1162, needed approval by two-thirds of lawmakers in both chambers. If it got the necessary support, it would go on the ballot in November for an up or down vote by the public.
The House passed it last month with a two-thirds majority on its second try, with Democrats in that chamber forcing changes that make clear only state funds would be used toward state-sponsored charter schools.
The Senate Democratic Caucus immediately voted as a bloc to oppose the amendment, regardless. Since then, Senate leaders have continued to push the measure — despite not having enough votes to pass it.
Republicans are the majority among the Senate’s 56 members but do not hold a two-thirds majority, which is the threshold needed to pass the amendment. They hold 36 seats; they need 38 votes for that two-thirds, or constitutional, majority.
In a two-hour debate on the measure Feb. 29, Senate Democrats objected to using state funds to pay for the charter schools, saying Georgia already chronically underfunds traditional public schools, undercutting their chances to improve.
They also echoed arguments of local superintendents and school boards — who widely condemn the measure — by saying it neutralized the ability of local authorities to make decisions in the best interests of their communities.
“Certainly, I don’t want the public to misinterpret why we are taking a stand,” said Sen. Freddie Powell Sims, D-Dawson, who is a retired middle school principal. “There needs to be a process in place that addresses how we make certain children have quality academic experiences. Mediocre education programs will not serve Georgians well. It goes back to the funding source. I have rural counties that can barely pay their teachers.”
Republicans have vowed to push on, supported by charter advocates whose daily emails and phone calls have flooded the Capitol. Radio ads also have sprung up in Democratically held districts in areas such as Augusta.
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