Election Day is coming up, and believe it or not, there are going to be issues on that November 8 ballot that don’t have to do with Trump vs. Hillary! These state issues are often ignored by voters, or misunderstood because of complicated wording. Below are explanations, made as simple as possible, of the four amendments to state legislature that voters in Georgia will be able to weigh in on.
Amendment 1
“Provides greater flexibility and state accountability to fix failing schools through increasing community involvement.”
The school takeover plan allows the creation of a new agency with a separate superintendent who would be appointed by the Governor, rather than being elected. The superintendent would choose from schools categorized as “failing” and would take over the schools, choosing to either run the school or convert the school into a charter school.
Those for the amendment cite the school system’s inability to improve on its own. Opponents of the amendment propose better solutions, find issue with the misleading language of the amendment and reference similar plans, which failed.
Amendment 2
“Authorizes penalties for sexual exploitation and assessments on adult entertainment to fund child victims’ services.”
The second amendment on the 2016 ballot would create a fund – the “Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Fund” – for the rehabilitation, housing and treatment of children who have been sexually exploited. The money for the fund would come from added fines on sex traffickers and a new yearly fee on strip clubs and adult businesses.
Amendment 3
“Reforms and re-establishes the Judicial Qualifications Commission and provides for its composition, governance and powers.”
The Judicial Qualifications Commission is a watchdog agency that is responsible for keeping an eye on judges. A yes vote initiates an overhaul and re-creation of the commission, taking influence away from the State Bar of Georgia and placing it under the control of the legislation itself. A no vote ensures the commission remains independent of the legislation, with no changes taking place.
Amendment 4
“Dedicates revenue from existing taxes on fireworks to trauma care, fire services and public safety.”
This amendment is the most straightforward. Voting yes results in existing taxes on fireworks being redirected into funds for trauma care (55 percent of the tax), firefighting equipment and training (40 percent) and local public safety purposes (five percent).
More information on all of these issues can be found here.
There are also issues to be voted on locally, so check out a sample ballot for your county!
