07 SR125/FA/1
Senate
Resolution 125
By:
Senators Carter of the 13th, Harp of the 29th, Chance of the 16th, Heath of the
31st, Hamrick of the 30th and others
ADOPTED
SENATE
A
RESOLUTION
Proposing
an amendment to the Constitution of Georgia so as to protect lottery funds so
that they may be reserved only for the HOPE Scholarship Program and other
tuition grants, scholarships, or loans to enable citizens of this state to
attend colleges and universities within this state, for voluntary
pre-kindergarten, and for educational shortfall reserves and to maximize the
benefits to students of the scholarships by eliminating the automatic benefit
reductions for book allowances and student activity fees; to provide for
submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Article
I, Section II, Paragraph VIII of the Constitution is amended by striking
subparagraph (c) and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
"(c)
The General Assembly may by law provide for the operation and regulation of a
lottery or lotteries by or on behalf of the state and for any matters relating
to the purposes or provisions of this subparagraph. Proceeds derived from the
lottery or lotteries operated by or on behalf of the state shall be used to pay
the operating expenses of the lottery or lotteries, including all prizes,
without any appropriation required by law, and for educational programs and
purposes as hereinafter provided. Lottery proceeds shall not be subject to
Article VII, Section III, Paragraph II; Article III, Section IX, Paragraph
VI(a); or Article III, Section IX, Paragraph IV(c), except that the net proceeds
after payment of such operating expenses shall be subject to Article VII,
Section III, Paragraph II. Net proceeds after payment of such operating expenses
shall be separately accounted for and shall be specifically identified by the
Governor in his annual budget presented to the General Assembly as a separate
budget category entitled 'Lottery
Proceeds';
and the Governor shall make specific recommendations as to educational programs
and educational purposes to which said net proceeds shall be appropriated. In
the General Appropriations Act adopted by the General Assembly, the General
Assembly shall appropriate all net proceeds of the lottery or lotteries by such
separate budget category to educational programs and educational purposes. Such
net proceeds shall be used to support improvements and enhancements for
educational programs and purposes and such net proceeds shall be used to
supplement, not supplant,
non-lottery
nonlottery
educational resources for educational programs and purposes. The educational
programs and educational purposes for which proceeds may be so appropriated
shall include only the following:
(1)
Tuition grants, scholarships, or loans to citizens of this state to enable such
citizens to attend colleges and universities located within this state,
regardless of whether such colleges or universities are operated by the board of
regents, or to attend institutions operated under the authority of the
Department of Technical and Adult Education;
(2)
Voluntary pre-kindergarten;
and
(3)
One or more educational shortfall reserves in a total amount of not less than 10
percent of the net proceeds of the lottery for the preceding fiscal
year;
provided,
however, that any law enacted by the General Assembly prior to January 1, 2009,
that implements automatic benefit reductions for book allowances, student
activity fees, or other related fees based on year-end balances in accounts
relating to tuition grants, scholarships, or loans provided pursuant to
subparagraph (1) of this subparagraph shall be null and void
(4)
Costs of providing to teachers at accredited public institutions who teach
levels K-12, personnel at public postsecondary technical institutes under the
authority of the Department of Technical and Adult Education, and professors and
instructors within the University System of Georgia the necessary training in
the use and application of computers and advanced electronic instructional
technology to implement interactive learning environments in the classroom and
to access the state-wide distance learning network; and
(5)
Capital outlay projects for educational facilities;
provided,
however, that no funds shall be appropriated for the items listed in paragraphs
(4) and (5) of this subsection until all persons eligible for and applying for
assistance as provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection have received such
assistance, all approved pre-kindergarten programs provided for in paragraph (2)
of this subsection have been fully funded, and the education shortfall reserve
or reserves provided for in paragraph (3) of this subsection have been fully
funded."
SECTION
2.
The
above proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be published and submitted as
provided in Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution. The ballot
submitting the above proposed amendment shall have written or printed thereon
the following:
|
"( ) YES
( ) NO
|
Shall
the Constitution of Georgia be amended to protect lottery funds so that they may
be reserved only for the HOPE Scholarship Program and other tuition grants,
scholarships, or loans to enable citizens of this state to attend colleges and
universities within this state; for voluntary pre-kindergarten; and for
educational shortfall reserves and to maximize the benefits to students of the
scholarships by eliminating the automatic benefit reductions for book allowances
and student activity fees?"
|
All
persons desiring to vote in favor of ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote
"Yes." All persons desiring to vote against ratifying the proposed amendment
shall vote "No." If such amendment shall be ratified as provided in said
Paragraph of the Constitution, it shall become a part of the Constitution of
this state.