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Rome News - Tribune
Staffers at the Georgia School for the Deaf in Cave Spring are waiting for final word before analyzing the impact of the Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights — but director Lee Shiver already is pleased.
“When you consider its effect on raising awareness, that’s the part that’s the most meaningful,” he said.
State Sen. Preston Smith, R-Rome, is a co-sponsor of the legislation, which would require school systems to teach each deaf and hard-of-hearing child in whatever communication mode is most effective.
Senate Bill 168 passed the Senate and is awaiting a hearing in the House, which means it has a chance of being enacted this year. Bills must be approved by at least one chamber by Tuesday, called “Crossover Day,” or wait until next year for action.
“The thing we’re excited about is that a lot of language in the bill would make school systems more aware of what GSD can offer their students,” Shiver said. “Sometimes deaf students in public schools fall behind in their studies, even though many systems do a good job in providing them with interpreters, special classes or one-on-one parapros.”
The Georgia School for the Deaf has 85 students from preschool through 12th grade but could serve between 200 and 300.
Shiver also has high hopes for a companion bill, Senate Bill 170, which would let students use American Sign Language classes to fulfill foreign language requirements.
Other bills that have crossed from the originating chamber and are ripe for passage through the end of the session include:
* Senate Resolution 87 urges the Georgia Department of Human Resources to name the new district health building in Rome after Dr. Raymond F. Corpe. A pioneer in the national fight against tuberculosis, Corpe was a longtime superintendent of Battey State Hospital — now called Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital. The district health building is under construction on the hospital grounds.
* House Bill 227, the Consumer Choice for Television Act, “shouldn’t be a problem” for Rome, City Manager John Bennett said.
The measure would let cable television providers get statewide franchises through the Georgia Secretary of State instead of negotiating with individual governments. The companies would still have to pay cities franchise fees and provide some public access channels.
“By the time it got to the floor, they had worked out the kinks with the municipalities,” said state Rep. Barbara Massey Reece, D-Menlo. “I feel like it will provide better options for our citizens.”
* Senate Bill 225 would ensure that taxes collected in designated Tax Allocation Districts would not be counted as revenue to school systems when the state is determining their annual funding levels. Current law counts the money as school system revenue, even though it is funneled back into the TAD.
“We don’t need to penalize our schools,” said state Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome, who was a Rome city commissioner when residents voted to give TAD-creating powers to that body.
* Senate Bill 86 would require seat belts to be worn in pick-up trucks. The bill contains an exemption for trucks being used for farm work — eliminating the argument of vehement opponents who have managed to stave off the proposal for years.
* House Bill 185 would let a judge impose the death penalty in a murder trial if at least 10 of the 12 jurors favored the sentence. The idea is to prevent a death penalty opponent from circumventing the will of the other jury members. But Reece, who supported the measure when it set an 11-juror threshold, said it goes too far.
“I agonized over it (before the vote),” she said. “But, if there are two that hold out, that just sends up a red flag that there could be a viable reason.”
* Senate Resolution 279 calls for a statewide vote on lengthening the terms of state senators to four years from two years. Senators say it would give them more time to focus on issues instead of upcoming elections. Members of Floyd County’s House delegation would not estimate the resolution’s chance of passing the House.
* House Bill 77 adds restrictions to the use of red-light cameras to fine violators — and directs 75 percent of the money to the state. It is opposed by the cities that use them, including Rome, and the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.
But co-sponsor state Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, said many cities have set up the cameras as moneymakers instead of safety devices, and he’d like to see them outlawed altogether.
“We’ve even had reports that some cities reduce the duration of yellow lights to get more citations,” he said. “With this bill, they can’t do that once a camera is in.”
* House Bill 318 would let Georgia’s public retirement system double, as much as 20 percent, the amount of money it can invest in foreign companies. The measure failed in February but passed the House in a reconsideration vote on March 20.
Reece said the volatile international market and concerns from local teachers and state retirees led her to oppose the bill.
“Besides, we shouldn’t be investing our employees’ retirement funds in companies that are out-of-country or offshore,” she said. “We need to encourage those companies to stay here with us.”
Staffers at the Georgia School for the Deaf in Cave Spring are waiting for final word before analyzing the impact of the Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights — but director Lee Shiver already is pleased.
“When you consider its effect on raising awareness, that’s the part that’s the most meaningful,” he said.
State Sen. Preston Smith, R-Rome, is a co-sponsor of the legislation, which would require school systems to teach each deaf and hard-of-hearing child in whatever communication mode is most effective.
Senate Bill 168 passed the Senate and is awaiting a hearing in the House, which means it has a chance of being enacted this year. Bills must be approved by at least one chamber by Tuesday, called “Crossover Day,” or wait until next year for action.
“The thing we’re excited about is that a lot of language in the bill would make school systems more aware of what GSD can offer their students,” Shiver said. “Sometimes deaf students in public schools fall behind in their studies, even though many systems do a good job in providing them with interpreters, special classes or one-on-one parapros.”
The Georgia School for the Deaf has 85 students from preschool through 12th grade but could serve between 200 and 300.
Shiver also has high hopes for a companion bill, Senate Bill 170, which would let students use American Sign Language classes to fulfill foreign language requirements.
Other bills that have crossed from the originating chamber and are ripe for passage through the end of the session include:
* Senate Resolution 87 urges the Georgia Department of Human Resources to name the new district health building in Rome after Dr. Raymond F. Corpe. A pioneer in the national fight against tuberculosis, Corpe was a longtime superintendent of Battey State Hospital — now called Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital. The district health building is under construction on the hospital grounds.
* House Bill 227, the Consumer Choice for Television Act, “shouldn’t be a problem” for Rome, City Manager John Bennett said.
The measure would let cable television providers get statewide franchises through the Georgia Secretary of State instead of negotiating with individual governments. The companies would still have to pay cities franchise fees and provide some public access channels.
“By the time it got to the floor, they had worked out the kinks with the municipalities,” said state Rep. Barbara Massey Reece, D-Menlo. “I feel like it will provide better options for our citizens.”
* Senate Bill 225 would ensure that taxes collected in designated Tax Allocation Districts would not be counted as revenue to school systems when the state is determining their annual funding levels. Current law counts the money as school system revenue, even though it is funneled back into the TAD.
“We don’t need to penalize our schools,” said state Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome, who was a Rome city commissioner when residents voted to give TAD-creating powers to that body.
* Senate Bill 86 would require seat belts to be worn in pick-up trucks. The bill contains an exemption for trucks being used for farm work — eliminating the argument of vehement opponents who have managed to stave off the proposal for years.
* House Bill 185 would let a judge impose the death penalty in a murder trial if at least 10 of the 12 jurors favored the sentence. The idea is to prevent a death penalty opponent from circumventing the will of the other jury members. But Reece, who supported the measure when it set an 11-juror threshold, said it goes too far.
“I agonized over it (before the vote),” she said. “But, if there are two that hold out, that just sends up a red flag that there could be a viable reason.”
* Senate Resolution 279 calls for a statewide vote on lengthening the terms of state senators to four years from two years. Senators say it would give them more time to focus on issues instead of upcoming elections. Members of Floyd County’s House delegation would not estimate the resolution’s chance of passing the House.
* House Bill 77 adds restrictions to the use of red-light cameras to fine violators — and directs 75 percent of the money to the state. It is opposed by the cities that use them, including Rome, and the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.
But co-sponsor state Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, said many cities have set up the cameras as moneymakers instead of safety devices, and he’d like to see them outlawed altogether.
“We’ve even had reports that some cities reduce the duration of yellow lights to get more citations,” he said. “With this bill, they can’t do that once a camera is in.”
* House Bill 318 would let Georgia’s public retirement system double, as much as 20 percent, the amount of money it can invest in foreign companies. The measure failed in February but passed the House in a reconsideration vote on March 20.
Reece said the volatile international market and concerns from local teachers and state retirees led her to oppose the bill.
“Besides, we shouldn’t be investing our employees’ retirement funds in companies that are out-of-country or offshore,” she said. “We need to encourage those companies to stay here with us.”